Chapter 26: Flesh and Blood

Chapter 26: Flesh and Blood

"Your daughter had been bullied," Victoria glared at her husband as she watched him drinking his afternoon tea. "Are you not planning on doing something about it?" she asked.

"Do something about what?" Slowly, Marquess Martin Lux closed the Empire's newspaper and stared at his wife. "Isn't it nothing but a squabble among kids?"

"Kids?" Victoria gasped. "This was the first time someone treated Dorothy like this since she was born, and yet you are treating it as a mere squabble?"

"Can you blame them?" Martin met his wife's eyes.

"What do you mean? Dorothy is the daughter of a Blessed! She shouldn't be treated that way!"

"She has not received the Blessing yet," Martin said. "One of those kids is going to receive the Blessing. We cannot treat them with prejudice."

"Prejudice!?" Victoria's jaw dropped. "Do you see it as prejudice? Doing something to stop bullying is prejudice?"

"Then should I punish them?"

"You "

"What would happen if father hears about this?"

"So you are willing to let this pass because you do not want to disappoint your father?" nove(l)bi(n.)com

"He had doted on Dorothy. You cannot blame him for being disappointed when his favorite grandchild didn't receive the Blessing of the Goddess." Martin sighed. "Right now, father wants to know who will receive the Blessing. Therefore, he is going to act impartial and treat everyone well. One of them could be the Blessed One."

"But she is your daughter! Your flesh and blood!"

"Yet she isn't the Blessed One," Martin said blandly. "For whatever reason, she isn't the Blessed One."

Victoria's nose flared as she tried to swallow her anger. "Very well, since you are not planning to do something about it then"

"You are not allowed to touch any of them."

"What?"

"I want more rumors. Everywhere." Victoria said. "Tell everyone that Rosalind had seen the Duke's face and was quite smitten with his appearance. Tell them that that they had met at the border and that they must have met secretly while she was there."

"But Madam that rumor is going to damage the reputation of the Lux Family. If the head would hear about this "

"Let them hear it," Victoria said. "I want you to bring more invitations to Rosalind. Make her show herself to the public, she needs everyone to remember her." Victoria needed to remind the Emperor of Rosalind's existence.

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

Creating a malicious rumor against someone was easy, but making the Duke accept Rosalind as his bride was going to be very challenging.

"Madam, I heard that the young lady Dorothy already invited young miss Rosalind for the hunting event."

"She did?" Victoria immediately smiled. The hunting event was to showcase the Duke's appearance. The four princes of the empire and other noblemen would be there to join the event. While the noblemen hunt for animals, the womenfolk were going to be having tea and waiting for them.

Once done, they were going to gift the animal that they caught to the woman that they liked.

"Announce Dorothy's sudden illness to everyone," Victoria said. "I will personally handle the welcome banquet and we will send Marie and Rosalind to the hunt. Dorothy needs time to recuperate."

Grace immediately understood her words.

Now, all they needed to do was make sure that the Duke would at least look at Rosalind. Victoria heard of the Duke's cruelty and she didn't want to make her actions too obvious so as to avoid any complications.

She knew that the Duke came here looking for more support and to negotiate terms with the Empire. In response, the Empire was going to show him fake loyalty and gift him with a bride. Sadly, this news arrived on the day that Dorothy failed to receive her Blessing.

Almost immediately, Victoria knew that they were going to sacrifice her daughter to try to appease the Duke. How could she let the Empire do that?

Dorothy was her precious precious daughter. She would never let a barbarian take her away from the Capital. Because of this, she immediately created a plan to use Rosalind instead.

Sadly, the two people cared more about their faces than their families!

Frederico and Martin Lux!

Those two would rather make Dorothy marry the Duke and make their favoritism so obvious! They would rather sacrifice their own blood than use someone who was not meant to be a member of the Lux Family!