Successorship Aftermath

Rosabelle's POV:

After lady Slyvia left, I walked back and forth outside of Rosetta's room. I didn't know what to do or say, or if I should do or say anything at all.

I never wanted this to happen. I just wanted my mother's home back. I wanted people to understand that my mother was here, that she wasn't forgotten and was always the duchess of Peremin.

Now, everything's a wreck. A few seconds later, the maid came out of the room.

"I've tucked miss Rosetta into bed," she says.

"Leave us." The maid bowed and left quietly. There was no more smirking from her or any of the other servants since it was announced that I would be the next duchess.

Foolish, as if I'll ever let them stay here after how they've mistreated me...

I open the door and slowly walk in, seeing Rosetta stare outside the window, then turning to face me.

"What do you want?" she asks icily.

"Don't give me that tone, I just came to visit."

"Hmph, I'm sure. You just want me out of here. You don't want me or my child to sully your precious Manor anymore. You want to get rid of all the bastards plaguing your house now."

"That's rich coming from you who has treated me like a bastard all these years. As if I was the illegitimate one," I retort.

"Well you've gotten your revenge now. The truth about my brother and I has been revealed, my future is ruined and my own mother tried to harm me and my child," Rosetta says, her eyes watering.

"I never wanted it to be like this. If I had a choice, I'd rather it be just like when we were kids. When we all used to play in the rose garden and eat chestnuts from the tree and steal cookies from Mary's kitchen," I say as we sit down.

"Mary was always running after us," Rosetta smiles. "Where did I go wrong? Was it when I stopped talking to you... Was it when I didn't stop you from getting picked on by the maids..."

"If I had to think... It was when your mother told you and Ross not to associate with me, saying that I was the filthy stain of the family."

"And we stupidly believed it... I'm sorry, Rosabella. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to say an apology. I'm sorry that it took my own mother beating me to make me realise how I've wronged you," Rosetta wept.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm sorry too."

"What have you to be sorry for? It's my family that has wronged you. It was our fault. It's taken me this long to realise, only when I've fallen so low to realise that all these bad feelings were what you were feeling daily."

"Don't cry, you're gonna make me cry." I tear up. Rosetta didn't stop. Soon, we were both in a crying mess, hugging each other and apologising profusely.

"Stop. Stop crying. It's not good for the baby," I sniff.

"The baby... I don't know what I'm going to do. Nigel is a horrid man. He only has his face to make up for his obsenites. How could I have been so foolish to collude with him."

"Is he really that bad?"

"You should be thanking me. I've saved you from a man who knows nothing but drinking, gambling and the women that come along the way. I barely even remember doing it with him. The man always had me drunk or high on some substances. I was going to break it off as soon as I could. But the next morning... I felt nauseous."

"Oh god."

"And as soon as I knew... I cut off all contacts with him. I knew his reaction would be for me to get rid of the child. But he would lost certainly do it by some back alley method. He would be risking my life to erase his mistake."

"You don't need to go back to him. You can stay here."

"Nonsense. The only thing worse than bringing an illegitimate child into this world is forcing them to grow up in a place where they would be scorned for merely being born. I... Want to travel to a far away place with my child. I want it to grow up thinking that it was wanted. That it's father was killed in an accident, but loved it so much. I want both me and the child to have a fresh life."

"... Everywhere in the Peremin dukedom knows your face. It would be very difficult to hide you and your child in one of our estates without word getting out."

"I don't want to stay in the dukedom. I'd only be a hassle. I... Want to work. Just until my labor. I can do any sort of work. I'll earn enough to move out and start a new life. I don't want any more riches if it means I'll have the animosity attached to it. Please Rosabella, let me work." Rosetta grabs my hands and begs.

"Of course, I'll find some work you can do while on bed rest. I just... Want you, me and Ross to start over. I want us to have a new bond, not shackled by our mothers or father."

"I want that too," Rosetta started tearing up again and soon, I was too. We spent the next ten minutes crying again...