I was the Villain in the book

-Chapter 67

Few days pass...

(Palace)

"Glad you kept your word." Duke Eldridge said to Lawrence sitting in front of him.

The three noblemen is on the carriage.Ready to get off.

Lawrence nodded and smiled. "As long as you kept yours, uncle."

Hugo just looked at the two.

They were led to the palace gardens where the Queen is.

****

As soon as the Queen saw them, she gave them a big smile. When they got closer, she got up from her seat and gave her brother a hug. While the Duke hesitated.

The Queen laughed and said "Really? I haven't seen you in a long time and now that you're here you hesitated to give me a hug?"

The Duke returned her hug.

"What can I do, it's a respect for the Queen."

The Queen punched him gently. She then look at Hugo, the Duke's son and he came closer and she gave him a hug too.

Lawrence is on the side watching the family.

There are very few servants, almost none around.

Only her closest lady in waiting is can be seen.

They all sat down and the Queen spoke "So how are you Emmy?"

"I'm doing great, now that these two are all grown up." Duke Eldridge said.

His first name is Emerson.

The Queen calls him Emmy ever since they are young. They are twins.

The Queen looked at the two boys in front of her.

"You are all grown up now Hugo." She smiled at him. Then her eyes turned to the other one sitting beside Hugo.

Lawrence then bowed.

"It's good to finally meet you, Lawrence." She said

"It is an honor, your highness." Lawrence said.

The Queen have a welcoming atmosphere and is enjoying their time.

The siblings are talking about what happens in the past catching up with each other.

"I still can't believe how much you have matured Emmy, ever since you met Diana you did change." She said reminiscing.

Through their talk, the two boys found out how much different of a person the Duke was in the past.

Even more troublemaker than the two of them.

He change when he met Diana and got married to her. But when she died, it's like the old him has completely disappeared and the Queen even joked about him who became boring.

You can see it in his eyes how much sadness he has every time Diana was mentioned.

But still, he tried his best to laugh it off and hide it.

"Receiving the news that you also adopted a young boy is unbelievable. Diana is not around anymore during that time, right?" The Queen said

"Ah yes," the Duke then looked at Lawrence and back to the Queen.

"I figured that Hugo will be lonely with just me around."

The Queen then looked at Lawrence. "You are a relative of Diana. Correct?" She said

Lawrence nodded, the Queen asked again "I didn't know that her family has Raven hair?"

"That is...because my mother is a traveling gypsy." He answered.

The Duke interrupted and let the two boys go ahead and walk around. Leaving the Queen and the Duke to speak privately.

As soon as they are far from the table.

The Duke added "He is an illegitimate child of Diana's brother. No one knows about it."

"Is that so?"

"They hid him pretty well. He lived a very harsh life. As soon as Diana found out. She tried her best to take him. And when she died I adopted Lawrence and added him to the family registry."

The Queen with a sad eye looked at Lawrence again. With so much sympathy in her eyes she said in a low voice where only the Duke could hear. "How could they do that to such a wonderful boy. To let him live such a harsh life. You made the right decision."

Eldridge family only have one male heir every generation.

If another one was born, it soon dies from an unknown death or some other reasons.

They think of it as the curse given to them by the witch.

If a child is a girl it lives but if it's another boy it dies.

And for every generation they limit having another child. Afraid of expecting the child to die if it's another boy.

The Duke can feel what the Queen is thinking right at this moment. She is thinking of her son. She never attempted to bore another child. Afraid of what if it's another prince and soon will die because of the curse of their family.

He held the Queen's hand from the table.

"Laura, how is everything going with you and your husband?" Duke Eldridge said to his sister.

Gently holding her hand and squeeze it. The Queen looked at him warmly "It's been a really long time since you called me by my name."

Emotional, the Queen stared at the hands of her brother who was holding her hand.

Thinking of what happened in the past. He never allowed her to marry the King.

The two are friends but her brother opposed their marriage. He knows how much pressure it will put on her. And how much the nobles would oppose the idea because she is an Eldridge. They are afraid what will become of the Royal family if she came from a family who is known to have only one heir.

The two fought for their love for each against every thing that opposed them and in the end they succeeded. She became Queen.

What worries Duke Eldridge is, if Laura, his sister ever regretted her decision.

Laura patted her brother's hands which was holding hers. She assured him that everything is okay.

"He loves me,... just as much as how it is before." She said

****
TO BE CONTINUED...