My Next Life as the Neglected Daughter of the Grand Duke

Chapter 15

"Hm?" Lucas and Trevor let out a confused noise, "Duck?" Lucas asked, Irene, tilted her head looking confused and innocent, "Is there a duck behind me?"

Irene quickly turned around and "disappointment" was on her face when she saw no duck, "No it's not that, did you just say duck?" Trevor asked, "I said great, I always have been curious about traveling to the East!" Irene replied all happy and excited.

"Oh then," Trevor replied and thought to himself, 'must have heard wrong' that is what everyone was thinking, Irene knew herself, she was great at acting, she could be an actress.

"May I ask, why we are going to the East," Irene had to ask, she had, to since this was not part of the novel, the author never mentioned that Irene visited them. Guess who lives in the East, well, the one and only heroine's family.

A mere Count's daughter, that was basically what Irene kept on reminding Alice Isabella Beverly about. Her father Fredrick Odin Beverly, his carriage death however was never cleared up the author just said 'under investigation' and never really explained what happened, since the author mentioned the death of the Count was certainly suspicious.

So that dang dong author never solved the case? The Count's death is unreasonable, Irene thought frustrated.

"We are planning to have a short visit at the Count," Trevor explained calmly then Lucas quickly added something, "He's hurt," Lucas said in a bit serious tone.

"Hurt? What do you mean, no what happened," Irene tried to hide the urgency in her voice?

The Count's accident is supposed to die when Irene and Alice were 13, but they are 8 right now? Irene couldn't help to freak out, as the contents of stories pass her mind. Then Irene heard a sigh, she then met Trevor's unamused face.

"He isn't hurt like that, Lucas you made her misunderstand," Trevor said slapping Lucas in the back of the head, "Ow, hey I am older than you," Lucas cursed at him, "You act more childish than Irene, you do know that right?" Trevor said. Lucas huffed in response, he did not deny it though.

"The Count said the following, 'I am hurt on the inside, I am very lonely right now, my lovely wife and my cute daughter are on a trip right now. May my dear friend and his family visit me after months of not visiting me,' childish right?" Lucas said.

Irene sighed of relief and annoyance, "Lucas, please work on thinking before you speak," Irene was so done she let her inner thoughts slip since right after she said that she quickly let out a small gasp and cover her mouth with her small hands.

"Pft-" chuckling could be heard, everyone's attention was turned to Ralph who was trying to muffle and hold in the laugh, but could be heard loud and clear. Trevor, who is trying his best to keep his composure nodding agreeing with his lips twitching.

Lucas just stood there shook and then snapped out of it and just shook his head while laughing, well to everyone it seems like he was just reflecting, but to Irene...

Why is he laughing by himself, wait, is he planning my death? EEK, he is smiling-

"Alright I would take a note of that," Lucas said in an unusual mature voice, Ralph who suddenly want to spit out water, Irene just had a surprised face, and signaled Elle to do something.

"Young Masters, I think it's time for us to pack for the trip, we will meet up in the main residence in an hour," Elle who quickly broke the silence and got rid of the brothers.

"Thank Elle!" Irene said while she watched Elle and some maids were preparing to pack, Irene needed to bring 2 more maids for this trip. "Roxy and Mal, I will be in your care during this trip," Irene said calmly as she looked at her the new maids.

Roxy, 18 years old, the reason Irene picked this maid since this was the maid who always delivered the bad news, and Irene was told that she was still kind of new. She had dark blue hair in a low and tidy ponytail with light pink eyes.

Mal, 23 years old, is a maid who had been here longer than Roxy and is one of Elle's close work friends. Irene chose her since Elle trusted her, and Irene trusted Elle. Mal had ginger hair with yellow-ish and green-ish eyes.

Irene was complimenting her choice of maids.

Ralph was of course going.

"Greetings Grand Duke, sorry that it took longer than 1 hour," Irene greeted the Grand Duke and had to explain why she was late. There was a commotion among the maids who were fighting to pick the best dresses for her, but Irene could not tell him that just told him a little white lie.

"It's fine," the Grand Duke responded in his usual cold tone, Irene was then about to enter as someone took their hand out helping her on, naturally she thought it was Ralph. She went inside the carriage, later on, was greeted by Mal, Roxy, and Elle. Ralph, who was sitting beside the Couchman, was on guard.

Naturally, Irene sat in a different carriage than the others, it was not shocking to Irene. In the novel Irene had to sit by herself with her maids all the time, she was always sulking when that happens. Now that Irene thought about it, she sat with the Grand Duke and them when they went to the Royal Palace.

Now Irene was a bit confused, but she shrugged it off.

"Um, hi I am a bit new, I will try my best to take care of you, Lady," said a meek but determined voice, Irene turned her uninterested glance to Roxy, and smiled softly, "Nice to meet you, Roxy."

Roxy was very happy Irene knew her name, Roxy was beaming with smiles. "Lady Irene, I would do my job well," Mal who had a cold smile on her face, then Irene had chills.

Wait, her name was Mal, as in the maid who came from a family of assassins, the one Irene told to assassinate Alice before, Irene's thoughts rushed past her as memories come back.

Irene turned on her poker face, "Yes, I know you will Mal," Irene said with a benign smile, now that had chills down Mal's spine. All Irene knew, that this girl here, even though so was an assassin, she had loyalty to Irene.

Irene, who is kind of freaking out of happiness having such a cool assassin on her side, and was dumbfounded that she had forgotten of such character. But then those thoughts were then replaced that Mal was caught, never ratted Irene out, and was executed.

Now Irene is very determined to keep Mal on her good side and protect her, the same goes for Elle and Ralph, also the new maid, Roxy. They were all loyal to the end, Roxy was just a maid, who pities Irene and would have protected Irene just like the others in the mansion.

Irene was grateful, she never had such friends.

"Elle, how long would be this trip," Irene asked, "2 weeks," Elle responded right away.

"I see," Irene replied, thinking this is going to be a long trip.

Isn't it a bit weird that Alice and her mother Stella are both gone on a trip, Irene then shook her head and pushed the thoughts away saying she would think about it tomorrow.