Katherine realized that Duke Ariam Romanov, that she suspected of falling in love with Sophie, turned out to be the one that Eloise was childhood friends with. The woman beside her along with other Witches heard Katherine and quickly glanced at her.
The Grand Witch Elaine's expression suddenly turned frosty and she looked at Katherine with a blank expression. "Is there any resistance with you, dear sister?"
"No," Katherine shook her head quickly and was filled with fear in her heart. "I just blurted it out and was thinking about something else."
"Wait, weren't you supposed to be in Hastings before coming here, Katherine?" one of the witches that Katherine exchanged pleasantries earlier pointed out.
Eloise's expression suddenly shifted and she looked at Katherine differently. The smile on the witch's face became a lot more predatory. "Oh, has there been any chance that you have met with my friend, Leland?"
All eyes were suddenly on Katherine and they were all unfriendly. She knew that she suddenly put herself on a terrible spot by speaking aloud but the idea of Duke Romanov being betrothed to Eloise was a terrible thing.
She liked Sophie and didn't wish to see her get hurt. The duke had always been kind to her. Katherine knew what kind of woman Eloise was. If she entered the picture, Sophie's life in Duke Romanov's castle would be unpleasant.
"And what does Leland need you for?" Witch Eloise raised a brow. "We have already been assisting him from afar so he has no need for an ordinary witch's services at all. I am sure that he doesn't even know that you are there."
The witch's voice wasn't harsh at all and only inquisitive all of a sudden. If it were anyone else, they would have let their guard down but Katherine was uneasy at the sudden loss of anger.
Katherine wanted to lie and protect Sophie… however, how long until the other witches figured out the truth about Sophie? There was no way that they wouldn't figure it out once they came and visited the Blood River Pack.
What Katherine could do was reassure the other witches that Sophie was in no way a threat at all and could be trusted.
As far as Katherine knew, Sophie was actually married to someone else so there was no way that she'd respond to the duke's advances if the quiet man ever made a move at all.
***
<Months Ago, at Duke Romanov's Castle>
<Bookkeeping Lessons>
There were hours that Sophie and Katherine only spoke to one another in confidence. Similar to how the young woman got into Cawden Academy, Sophie was a fast learner and had no need to learn something twice once taught with an idea.
She naturally excelled in her studies so they actually spent a good bit just talking and conversing. It was a happy reunion that occurred because Katherine had a soft spot with Sophie.
Now, Katherine decided to confess a few things that were on her mind.
"Sophie, I do not wish to pry but it seems that there are a few changes that have happened since the two of us last saw each other," Katherine said.
"Besides me coming here to Duke Romanov's castle and leaving my relatives?" Sophie batted her eyes innocently. Besides that incident, she did not have anything else that might have led her former tutor to question her.
"It seems that you have met someone, and I am not referring to the duke."
Sophie's eyes widened and she realized that she hadn't gotten the chance to tell Katherine about Nicholas. Her heart ached at the memory and she paused from doing her bookkeeping work.
"Ah… how could you tell?" Sophie asked.
"I've known you for quite some time now, Sophie." Katherine mysteriously smiled.
"Well the truth is, when I left my family and decided to leave Hastings, it was because I decided to go to Hauntingen and to where I used to live with my family."
Katherine sighed and clasped her hands together. "Yes, I remember that. I thought you were going to wait until you graduated and I could help you find work just as I promised to. Was the sudden decision because of the boy?"
"No." Sophie shook her head. "It was because I couldn't take it anymore with my family. Aunt Helga locked me in the cellar…"
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Katherine's expression suddenly became sad. She didn't realize that Sophie's relatives would take it that far at all. "I wish I could have done so much more."
Sophie smiled weakly. "Please do not feel guilty. It would have been extremely difficult if you had decided to take me in. Aunt Helga would never agree because of the inheritances."
Katherine shook her head. "Then let us not talk about the terrible things anymore, tell me about this boy…?"
Sophie's smile faltered on her face but she nodded. "It was the late baron Ferdinand's nephew. He was a young man with such a bright smile and he had saved me when I fell from Cawden Academy's walls..."
It was a story that was like a fairytale.
A boy and girl who met each other and fell in love.
Katherine, who never experienced what it was like to fall in love, found herself enraptured by the story that she didn't realize that when the ending was coming soon, she was shaken up.
"I… I tried to find my husband but he disappeared and I went back here to Hastings to find him. However, I came to learn that he was long gone." Sophie smiled sadly and her voice was raw. "I do not know his reasons for suddenly leaving, but all I know is that he is no longer with me."
"Oh, Sophie…" Katherine didn't know what to say anymore.
"I came back to Aunt Helga because I realized that I was… well, the thing is that a lot of things happened and one thing led to another. I came here to Duke Romanov's castle and he decided to let me work here and now here we are."
Sophie chose not to reveal her pregnancy but Katherine had decided to speak to Sophie about something because as a witch, she could tell that there were two lives forming in her belly.
***
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel