A few days had passed since Calista arrived at the residence of the Vermilion family in the capital and caused an uproar in the family. It was still vivid in her mind about the tension and the look of disgust directed at her—a kind of gaze that still haunts her in her sleep.
It was an expected reaction since she just broke a perfectly fine family.
She knew that her existence was an eyesore in the family. Although she knew that she could've told the truth that she's not his daughter, she still decided to keep her mouth shut.
She kept thinking hard and ended up deciding that growing up in the duke's family is much better for her future. An environment good for a child to grow up in and a ton of opportunity that's waiting for her that she can't reach without having the name of the Vermilion.
She knew how selfish her decision was, but she was just thinking practically. When her guilt and her future are weighed and compared, her future weighs more for her.
Calista, dressed in a ruffled purple dress, was hanging out on the balcony connected to her own room alone.
Delicacies that are made out of high-quality ingredients and baked by a respectable pastry chef are laid in front of her with a tea from who knows where that cost a ton of money. However, such a sight could not fill in the gap of her thirst for human interaction.
She was beyond bored.
She could've requested assistance from the servants, but she knew that it would only give her discomfort rather than fun if she ever talked with them, especially with those heated gazes directed at her.
Calista is a hot topic among the servants in the manor. Those servants are like predators that are watching their prey, ready to devour her at any minute.
Although she was not restricted from going out and was even encouraged by the Duke to explore her new home, she still feels shame. She still has some degree of respect for the original members of the family.
If she roams around the house as if she owns it, it may garner more negative emotions from them than it already does. She's not that stupid.
"Ehem."
Calista snapped out of her deep thought and shifted her gaze at the person standing a few ways from her. It was a servant that was temporarily serving her needs since she arrived at the manor.
"Yes?" she responded calmly, suppressing her surprise.
The servant gave her those heated gazes before opening her mouth to speak, "Her Grace is summoning you, my lady."
"Right this instant?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes, my lady."
"Okay. Let's go," she responded in resignation and followed the servant to where the duchess was.
...
In the garden of the Vermilion manor.
A pavilion was standing high in the garden. Under it was a woman with molten gold-like hair styled in a low chignon accented by delicate pearls.
She was wearing a pastel dress adorned with lace and floral embroidery. Fine delicacies are laid in front of her with her tea.
Her honey-colored pupils are staring intently at the tea in her cup.
It was Duchess Beatrice Vermilion.
She was in deep thought.
For the past few days, Beatrice has been in a stressful mood ever since her husband came home with another child.
It was even more stressful when she heard from her own husband's mouth about his plan to officially make the child a member of the family.
She was completely against it and had a tight lip about it and didn't bring it up whenever they were together, but she was in a burst of exploding when she got wind of him preparing for that child's legitimization into the family.
When she was about to bring it up again, her husband had beaten her to it.
She still remembers when he brought it up first while they were dining.
Beatrice and Magnus were the only people present in the dining hall, as her eldest son was back at the academy while her other children were eating separately in their own chambers.
The tension in the air is uncomfortable, and the only sound echoing in the air was the utensils clicking at their plates.
Beatrice had a somber expression on her face and was about to open her mouth when she was beaten to it.
"About Calista's legitimization," he started.
Beatrice shifted her attention to her husband sitting at the other side of the table. She didn't respond and waited for him to continue.
"It was already on its final step," he stated.
Beatrice can't help but scoff. She can't believe the king approved of it.
The process of legitimization includes her husband's acknowledgement that the child is his, which is a breeze since he's the one that petitions for it. Then he will petition the monarch and ask for approval. The next royal decree would be issued, and then the next step is the public announcement.
Beatrice thought that the royalty would somehow feel reluctant to approve it and that it would take months or even years before they approved it, but reality is really far different from expectations.
It didn't take even a month for it to be approved.
She wonders what kind of bribery her husband gave for the monarch to comply with his command.
If the acknowledgement, royal approval, and royal decree were finished, then there was the final step, the public announcement.
Beatrice frowns as she looks at her husband.
"You're going to announce it?" She asked in disbelief.
"I will, as it's supposed to be," he bluntly said.
Beatrice scoffs once again in disbelief.
Although public announcement is part of the process of legitimization, it was only a formality. The intention of the public announcement is to solidify the status of the said child in society. It was not a necessity.
"Are you serious?" Her voice raised slightly, her emotion on the verge of bursting once again.
"I am. I'm planning to prepare to hold a banquet for the announcement. I'm going to hire a master of ceremonies to prepare it."
"Are you kidding?!"
"No, I'm not."
"Why would you hire someone to do that? That's my responsibility!" She shouted in frustration.
"You're going to prepare it?"
"I will!" She responded without a heartbeat.
It's one of her responsibilities as the mistress of the house to oversee and prepare events held under the name of the Vermilion family. Although it may feel against her will to prepare the banquet for the public announcement of the legitimization of her own husband's other child, she still has to do it.
Their family will be in the center of scandal when that time comes, especially her and her husband's relationship. If everyone found out that she was not the one who prepared the banquet, everyone would think that she fell out of favor with her husband and he doesn't trust her anymore.
In order to prevent that, she has to lower her pride and prepare that banquet no matter what.
"If that's what you want, you can prepare it," her husband responded.
Beatrice took a deep breath before opening her mouth. "But there's a condition."
"What might that be?"
"I will prepare and even acknowledge her as a member of the family. However, I want you to get close to our children. Spend some tea time with them or even go hunt or ride horses with Edmund and Elias," her voice had a hint of pleading in it as she spoke.
"There's nothing hard about that."
There isn't, but you haven't done any of that.
"And one more thing," she continued, "I want to train that child before the banquet."