The Oreans

Chapter 21

Chapter 21
The Reconciliation

A month had already passed since Erin made her fateful discovery, and still she kept the secret locked up in her heart. It was a heavy burden gnawing at her, but with whom could she reveal it? She had thought of Pasha and Miel, but she neither had had the chance to talk it over with them nor enough courage to do so.

She certainly had not had much chance, particularly to visit Miel. For two complete weeks, Pasha had had to stay in bed due to her injury, and Karina, her temporary attendant, had made her feel more like a prisoner than a duke's daughter. Being loyal to her stepmother, Karina would not tolerate even her simplest whims. Erin could not even wander around the mansion as much as she wanted and if she did, Karina would have to know where she went. Tamia of course had always been a source of comfort whenever she was confined in her room, but her only real reprieve came whenever she had been allowed to go to the attic or have a private time with Pasha.

Karina said she did not like the smell of old things so Erin had taken this as a chance to find out what had become of her twin brother. She had read the rest of the Duchess' journal, but its last entry was when they had been offered to the temple. After looking into half of the unlocked chests and boxes, she had given up the search. The servants were already getting suspicious of her frequent visits to the attic, and she thought that if in case they mentioned it to her father she would have to be prepared with an explanation.

She had been allowed to visit Pasha in the afternoon, and with her she talked about her latest struggles with the servants and her desire to get out of the house. However, she could not bring out the topic that weighed her most of all. She wondered if Pasha knew about it. Pasha had been in her service for as long as she could remember. But if Pasha really knew something, would she confess her knowledge to her?

Her ordeal with Karina had ended when, after two weeks in bed, Pasha returned to her duties. The problem was she had already missed the opportunity to escape from the mansion easily, for unexpectedly the duke had turned up the following day. Erin had learned from Dortheo that he had been called back into the city because of the emergency situations in some provinces of the kingdom. Being the prime minister, the Duke de Lys would have to lead the Circle to make the necessary legislations fast.

Unlike what she had feared, the servants never mentioned her frequent visits to the attic. Perhaps, they did not consider it worth reporting after all.

Causing Erin some discomfort and confusion, however, was a transformation on the part of the duke. Since his return, he made it a point to call her to his study at night and ask about her day. If the discovery had not shaken her confidence, she would have appreciated it and thought that something of their old relationship had returned: They used to hold nighttime conversations like this. But now, all Erin could think of was the fact that she was not really his child. As much as she could, she tried to keep him from realizing she had already discovered the truth. She could not imagine how he would take it. Would he confirm it to her and drive her out of his house? Or would he make her one of his servants?

She was pondering on her predicament as she stared out the window from her room when Pasha came in with a message from the duke. He wanted her in his presence again.

"Come in," the duke said when she knocked at his door. He did not sound angry, and that made her breathe more easily. He still did not know.

Erin pushed the door open and saw him sitting on an easy chair before the fire. She thought he had looked much older than she had last seen him up close: his wavy black hair having a few streaks of gray and his clean-shaven face worn. As she went to perform the customary gesture of respect, kneeling before him and kissing his hand, she noted an expression in his brown eyes that she could not understand. He waved her to take a seat on the chair before him.