Chapter 8

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"Are you alright Viviane? You can just stay in your room if you don't want to attend this small gathering." Her father said with concern in his voice. It has been two weeks since the party and the young Florence has been resting since.

But now, she has to meet one of her distant relatives. She doesn't really know this person well, since they only meet once in a while. Either on Christmas, thanksgiving, or any occasion there is.

however, that doesn't mean she entirely doesn't know them.

"I'll be alright, father." She smiled. "Okay then, if my daughter says so." Her father guided her to the garden where they have been waiting.

"Hija (daughter)! It has been so long! You have grown a lot, ha?" Her aunt beamed with excitement. "Pero (But), your dress looks pretty... revealing." She started examining her niece's dress.

This is her Aunt Stella. She is her late mother's sister and is half Filipina. She is nice, believe these young lady's words, will you?

She's just a little... Judgmental.

"But you still look as beautiful as before." She smiled. "Thank you, Tita (aunt). Let's go and eat, shall we? I made the chef cook all of your favorites." The young lady mirrored her expression. "Thank God, Ang init sa labas, at sakit na rin ng tiyan ko! (It was so hot outside, and my stomach is aching)! You can't believe how long that carriage ride took." She rambled.

See? She's nice sometimes.

While eating and her aunt rambling, she changed the subject into a topic the young lady doesn't want to hear. "A little bird told me that this beloved daughter of mine is starting to gain feelings for a certain young man named duke Alpheus."

"You wouldn't believe it but that lovely gentleman helped her when she sprained her ankle at that young Valerie's birthday ball." Her aunt teased but stopped her sentence. "Oops, pasaylo-a ko, hija (forgive me, daughter), I forgot you also have feelings for young Alpheus."

She then gave her own daughter a look. "I guess Tia is your love rival now." She giggled as she wiped her mouth using a napkin. She has ate almost everything and still had the audacity to say such a thing.

"Your daughter is not my love rival." Viviane Florence stated after sipping some of her tea. "I do not love duke Alpheus, so how can she be my love rival?" She said before taking a bite of a strawberry cheesecake.

Some silence was between the whole room before her aunt cleared her throat. "Of course, I'm terribly sorry for speaking so soon." She silently apologized as she rolled her eyes, her apology not really sincere.

But sometimes, she's also not that nice. It really depends on her mood.

"Well, I also heard that you're going to be crowned the heiress of the Florence duchy. Unlike your younger brother, you're definitely more suitable as the heir. You know him, he's always lazy and doesn't do anything." She whispered to her niece since her brother was just a seat away.

Is this her way of getting on my good side?

"Thank you, Tita (aunt). But I still have a long way to go, just because I'm the chosen one doesn't mean I should act carelessly." She faked a smile. This aunt of hers really is something especially when she needs information on whatever she could dig up.

"Yes yes," She looked me deep in the eye. "You really are like your mother, she was one amazing woman. But she could be a little dangerous." She laughed before taking another bite of her dessert. "One time, she almost jumped on a balcony when our father told us we can't go to the festival." She rambled all over again.

Oh, dear lord, when is her rambles going to end?!

After their little conversation, (well, it wasn't really little since her aunt had talked all afternoon about whatever she could talk about), everyone decided to settle for the day since it's already the evening.

The young lady was walking in the hallway and to her room to finally, finally get some rest when a voice spoke from behind her.

"Stop, right there." It was a man's voice. A voice she knows all too well. She turned around and placed a hand on her forehead, a huge headache coming in. "What is it that you want from me at this late hour? Just tell it to me tomorrow and let me get some sleep--"

"Why?" He muttered out. "What?" She tilts her head, clearly confused.

"Why were you the one who got chosen as the heir of this duchy?!" He finally shouted out. "Yes, you might be the older one here, but that doesn't mean you have the right to be the one who seats on the throne!"

"You are a girl! And girls do nothing but sit still and keep their mouths shut." His voice was both cracking but he tried to make it seem like he's threatening her. "And girls are nothing without a husband." He ended his sentence angrily.

She sighed.

"Do you know what is more terrifying than a furious boy?" Her heels were clicking against the marbled floor as she came closer. "A venomous lady."

"And why was I the chosen one, you may ask?" She backed away and stopped. "Sadly, there's this thing called favoritism. If you're not the the favorite of anyone in this family, then, you will suffer from anger and disappointment for the rest of your life."

She turned her back and was about to leave when he yelled again. "Just because I am not the favorite child doesn't mean I can't be the chosen one."

The young lady laughed.

"And just because I don't have a husband doesn't mean I can't be the duchess of this duchy."

That's right, dear brother. Yell and shout all you want, but that doesn't change anything. She will always be the favorite child of this family and household.

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