[ON HIATUS]To Be The Duke's Daughter//AU

Chapter 36

The rain finally cleared out, and as soon as it did, mom went out to swing her anger out to those poor dummies. I've been watching her for the past hour, she's already in her ninth set of those stickmen and she hasn't stopped for water, not even once. She skipped breakfast, the least she needs is a cup of water.

"Mom" I called but she ignored me, I sigh and just let her do her thing. And just as I thought her and dad were starting to get along, mom catches him leaving Rashta's room.

Early in the morning.

-

"Why are you awake so early?" The heels of her shoe echoed in the quiet hallway. "Honestly, even I don't know" the sun has barely risen but there's already enough morning light for us to see our way.

"Can we go back and get some chocolates?" Mom chuckled "It's too early, Keira. Wait until after breakfast" I groan, I woke up earlier than before and knowing my mother, she's either already awake or didn't sleep at all and I was right, I don't know on which one but she was already on her desk working when I knocked on her study. We were coming back from the kitchen, I managed to drag her there so that I can eat a piece of buttered toast without the fear of ghosts.

"The house is never this quiet in the middle of the day" I skipped myself through the halls, I was about to turn the corner when the door in the room ahead of us opened and dad walked out, wearing his night robe, "Daddy" I smiled, he's awake as well, he looked at us then he froze, so did mom, then the smile from my face dropped.

That was Rashta's room. His mistress's room.

Mom takes my hand and makes me turn around, "I change my mind, let's go back and get chocolates" I turned my head back to see him wanting to go after us but also not wanting to go after us. In the end, he just stayed in place, mom placed her hand on my shoulder which made me look forward again.

Now I wish I just forced myself to go back to sleep.

-

How long is she going to do this? I'm starting to get worried, am I supposed to call dad? No, she might swing the sword to his neck, I'm not really ready for a funeral yet.

"I'm gonna go get you some food" I stood up and started to make my way back to mansion, Fortunately, Bertie already had a tray ready, "Is her grace still going at it?" I nodded, "she's really really mad" I took the tray but she stopped me, "I can carry it for you" I smiled and shook my head, "It's fine, you can help Emily out for the time being" she looked at me, filled with concern "It's okay, my siblings and I will keep those two psychotic lovebirds in check" though, I really can't call them lovebirds right now, one is, I hope, devising a way to apologize while the other is devising a way to murder the one who will be apologizing, yay, fun.

As I returned, she was bending forward, her arms supporting her upper body, I was about to make it into an opportunity for her to get some water in but she immediately stood up straight and took her stance, only this time, the sword that she was pointing looked a little wobbly, I followed the point of the sword until my eyes reached the hilt which she held so tightly, or used to hold tightly, now her hands were shaking, it never shakes, she has the most stable hands out there.

"Mom, I think it's time to take a break" I walked away from the shaded chair and into the training ground so that I can take away her sword, but before I could even reach her, she collapsed, like completely passed out. I ran to her side "mom?" I propped her head up using my hand. "Mom? Mom!" I shook her body but she wasn't budging.

"Lucas!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, hoping to the heavens above that he'll hear me, or anyone would hear me, "Mommy wake up" I resumed to shake her, even considered a slap. I heard shuffling behind me and then suddenly, my brother was beside me along with my sister and the other one and some of the knights who happened to be in the weapon room.

"What happened?" Leilin pulled me aside while they picked mom up, "Sh-she was doing her thing. You know, swinging her sword, I went to get her some food and when I was about to stop her, she s-suddenly collapsed" we followed behind them as I explained everything to Leilin. "Call for the doctor immediately" Lucas ordered the nearest maid once we enter the house.

We got her to her bedroom and dad came rushing in a couple minutes later, he asked what happened and Leilin told him. The doctor also arrived and checked on her, I don't really know what he checked but he said that it was caused by exhaustion, lack of hydration and stress.

The doctor asked us to leave since he had to talk to dad about something. We obliged and as soon as we left the room, I wanted to beat myself up, I should've stopped her sooner, I should've made her stop to drink water but I didn't, I sat there and watched her strain herself like a damn idiot.

I don't want dad near mom, he's the reason she's been swinging her sword around since dawn. "Dad was in Rashta's room, we caught him leaving early morning" I admit. They were all quiet before a loud what came from Benjamin.

"I though he wanted nothing to do with her" "I thought so too" Lucas was overcame with pure disappointment, we all thought it was over, the Dion and Rashta thing, we thought it was over until the baby comes.

A maid enters the room and immediately after, the doctor was running through the hall, Mom's room is near Rashta's room, you can reach my mother's room by taking the left turn in a straight hallway, Rashta's room is just straight ahead, why is the doctor running to her room?

"Hey, what happened?" I asked a maid that came out of her room, "She found out what happened to the duchess, she got stressed, her blood pressure rose and there was blood" I nodded in understanding before letting her go so she can leave.

The door to mom's room opened and dad walked out, walked past us and into Rashta's room, unbelievable. What is going on? Am I dreaming? I sure hope I am.

"That man better be thankful he's my father, I would've slapped him right then and there if he wasn't" Leilin said as she stared at the closed door. "You can do it, I mean, they're planning murder on their dad" Lucas pointed out, she scoffed "Yeah, I'm not ready to die yet"

-

"You should've stopped when you were already feeling off" I lectured, "Don't worry, I'm fine, okay? It won't happen again" she assured me and I nodded with determination "Oh no it wouldn't, not under our watch" she smiled, "Can you ask Bertie to bring my paperwork here?" I shook my head "No no no. No work for you for an entire week" mom looked at me, expectantly waiting for me to say it was a joke, when I didn't she gave me a look.

"Keira, I can't just stop working" so stubborn, so so stubborn. "Yes you can, you have an assistant for a reason mom" She stayed quiet, she only trusts herself when it comes to paperwork but if she's going to be persistent then so will I.

"Fine" "If you don't trust your assistant then- wait, what?" She sighed deeply and looked away, "I said fine, I'll take a break for a week and only for a week" I smiled and nodded, I honestly thought she was hard to convince.

"Do you want something to eat?" She shook her head, "No thanks, I ate the soup that Bertie prepared for me a while ago" I didn't mention dad and neither did she, we acted like it never happened, I didn't mention what happened after the doctor checked on her.

"I'll come back later. Take care mom" I smiled before leaving her room, I wanted to go confront dad but at the same time I didn't know who to point my finger at, did he deliberately go to her or did she manage to somehow drag him to her room? Did he stay overnight? As far as I know, mom and dad stayed in separate rooms last night since they both worked late.

I don't even want to know if something happened.