Valencia woke up the next morning, her eyes groggy. She stretched and looked around.
“Usually, he will be here… I wonder where he had left,” she mumbled. Then she flipped the blanket away and stepped out of the bed. She fixed the bed before walking into the bathroom to wash her face—
SLAM.
“M’ Lady!” Tulsie called urgently, opening the door.
Valencia squinted her eyes as the water dripped from her chin. She turned to the door between the bathroom and the room.
“Yes?”
Tulsie closed the door behind her and ran to her.
“Valencia… Duchess Izekiah had visited the residence this morning…” Tulsie whispered.
Valencia nodded without listening.
“I see…” she replied. Then she paused. Duchess? She gasped, slamming her hands on the sink. “Duchess?! As in Lord Kael’s mother?!”
Tulsie’s head bobbed up and down.
“Yes… she’s in the waiting room,” Tulsie added.
Valencia gulped, darting her head to the mirror.
“Wait… I—I’m not even ready to greet her!”
Tulsie frowned, groaning.
“Aren’t you forgetting that you have me?!” Tulsie announced, grinning. She grabbed Valencia’s arm. Valencia locked eyes with her. “Let’s get ready to meet the Lady of the Izekiah’s house!”
“Wait—”
Tulsie dragged Valencia into the closet and picked a revealing yet elegant dress for her. Then they scurried to the vanity mirror. Tulsie looked at her carefully, pondering.
“Let’s make sure you don’t outshine Duchess… and make it look like Young Duke has mistreated you,” Tulsie stated.
Valencia furrowed her brow.
“Why? Lord Kael treats me well—”
“Valencia… we have to get revenge for how rough he was,” Tulsie whispered sinisterly.
Valencia held her breath. Tulsie, you’re pettier than I expected.
Tulsie forced Valencia to face the mirror and smirked.
“Let’s make the lioness bark at her cub…”
After a while, Tulsie applied cosmetics to Valencia’s face. They stepped out of the bedchamber and walked to the waiting room.
“Lady Valencia has arrived,” the maidservants by the door announced. Then the door opened.
Nuredus turned and waited to see Valencia. Once Valencia appeared through the gap, Nuredus gasped and glared at Kael. Kael stared at Valencia in shock.
“Valencia, what’s wrong—”
“What were you doing to her all night?!” Nuredus questioned.
Kael furrowed his brow and gazed at her.
“Mother, I—”
“It was hard for My Lady to get out of bed this morning… my apologies, Duchess,” Tulsie added.
Kael exasperated as he realized Tulsie’s words. Is she attacking her employer through my mother?!
Valencia muffled her laugh and scratched her forehead.
“I’m fine… it’s just that I—”
“My Lady, if you want, I can take you back to the room to rest again,” Tulsie interrupted.
“It’s quite rude for the servant to interrupt her master,” Kael responded.
Tulsie snapped at him.
Nuredus watched Kael and Tulsie and chuckled. I’ve never seen my son face such conflict against a lady… maybe she will survive here with him. She looked at Valencia and smiled.
“Child, come… sit beside me,” Nuredus ordered.
Valencia jolted and nodded. She hesitantly sat beside Nuredus and stiffened.
“Yes… Duchess—”
“If you’ll be marrying my son, you’ll call me Mother. So don’t need to address me formally,” Nuredus said.
Valencia froze at the word ‘Mother.’ Her skin discolored as her eyelid twitched.
“M-mother…” she forced the word out of her mouth.
Nuredus glanced at her trembling hands. Kael noticed it, stood, and walked to Valencia’s side. He held her hand, steadying her.
“My apologies for the rush… I don’t expect you to call me ‘Mother’ overnight,” Nuredus claimed.
Valencia sniffled and smiled.
“It’s… just new to me… I’ve been running through the slums, and never would have expected to have a new mother soon,” Valencia stated.