Frozen Summer

Chapter 41

Richard was taken aback by what she just said, he looked at her intensely, looking for a smirk that would indicate it was a joke, but her expression of contempt remained.

" It cannot be. "

" Yet it is, this is the reality, the child growing inside of me is yours. "

" You-you must be delirious, it's the fever that's making you say these things. "

" That night you came to me .. "

" No... "

" ... you took me to bed ... "

" No ... "

" .. and you planted your seed inside me. "

" LIAR ! "

Olivia straightened her back and crossed her hands on her belly, she was smiling at Richard, the plan she had been scheming for for months was now complete. Feeling cheated and defeated, Richard fell down to his knees, his mind was racing as he was getting overwhelmed with a tsunami of emotions : sadness, incredulity, anger. " Why ? Why would she go this far ? ". He sat down on the bed with his back turned to her, he could not bring himself to look at her, a cold anger was transpiring in his voice.

" When and how exactly did it happen? "

The duchess smiled and slithered in her bed to get closer to him.

" When I invited you and the little herborist eight month ago, I asked her to prepare something that could make men extremely fertile and also attracted to me. It was no small feat to pull it off as I required your blood and a sample of your hair. I got the hair the first time I invited you into my garden, and I got your blood thanks to Felix who played his role perfectly from start to finish. He even managed to make it seem like the duke was attacked by a wild beast."

" Why not the duke ? "

" My husband was unfit to do what he needed to do. Frankly speaking, I nowrealise that I never wanted the children to be his, but now that he is gone, you can take your rightful place by my side and together we will build a legacy. "

" Why me ? Just why ... "

The duchess grabbed his chin with her hand and made him turn his head to look at her.

" Because ever since I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. When I think about you my heart shakes like battle drums and my skin heats up as if I was under a thousand suns. Because I love you. "

Richard stood up and smacked her hand away, he fixed his gaze on her and all she could see was blind rage.

" This is not love ! This is enslavement ! "

" You will learn to love me, you will learn to love this child. "

" I don't feel this way, you cannot expect me to be ok with this, you are a mad woman. "

At these words Olivia's face lost her smile and turned into a cold stare.

" I.am.not.mad."

" Tricking someone into giving you a child, murdering your own husband, going through all these plans to get someone's favor and hoping they fall in love, if that's not madness I don't know what is ! "

" Are you saying you refuse to even consider it? "

" I do. I love Isabella. "

Olivia sat back down on her bed and remained silent.

" Get out. "

Without a word, Richard exited the room just as Isabella and Lucretia were coming back. As she passed him Bella paused and looked at him.