The Grand Duchess Aldrich
Chapter 5. Aimee's restlessness

In the dalem of the old horse carriage, Aimee sat upright with a cold gaze on her eyes. Fifteen minutes ago he had just finished a chatty dinner with Althaf. His head was still recalling their conversation.

"Do you know what the last message of the late Duke Leandra was, Your Majesty? Thomas Leandra concluded that the name of the second prince and you were mentioned as a choice where I took refuge and married one of them. What-" Not done yet Aimee spoke, Althaf's been cut.

"Stupid. How can there be such a conclusion?" cut off Althaf, his eyes staring at Aimee coldly. Aimee who was stared at like that instantly felt puzzled, why did she feel the aura of displeasure from Althaf?

"Whatever your father is tough, he doesn't deserve to make me a choice. Leandra wants you to be my wife, not a second prince. He mentioned the second prince so that you would be careful of him" cut Althaf, then his right hand took out another envelope next to his drinking glass.

Althaf put the paper in Aimee's direction, and Aimee quickly picked it up and opened it and read the paper inside.

"This letter was written since I was eight?" aimee asked, she was surprised. How could his father have predicted such a big thing like this but never brought him or Abighail into discussion about this?

"You still doubt that paper? I can prove it to you with something else." Upon hearing this, Aimee, who had previously been bowed down to read the paper, now began to look back at Althaf. His eyes widened when he saw Althaf showing his index finger wearing a ring that Aimee was very familiar with.

The ring was the twin ring of Aimee and her father, it existed as a gift for Aimee's tenth birthday. The ring her father wore went missing somewhere, making Aimee very sad. He locked himself in his room for two days because he was disappointed with his father. And now, Aimee saw the ring appear again but it was on Althaf's finger. The possibility of the man lying is very small, because Aimee knows, the ring is only two in the world. The ring was made from the core of a dragon inhabiting the snow mountain on the border, the dragon was only one left and now it was gone because the core had been taken by his father for their twin rings.

"So ... How, Lady Aimee?" althaf asked, making Aimee wake up from her daydream about the ring.

Aimee clenched her hands silently, the twin rings Aimee always wore, including at this time when she was visiting Althaf. The thought of them wearing the same ring made Aimee feel a little amused. Aimee let out a thin sigh, then forced herself to let out a thin smile. "It seems like there's nothing more I can say. And your majesty, why don't you show the ring from the beginning of the discussion so as not to waste time?"

Althaf did not answer Aimee's question, causing Aimee to stare at Althaf in secret.

Returning to his consciousness, Aimee let out a thin sigh. It seems like it was her destiny to marry Althaf. If indeed according to his father Althaf was the best place to give support to himself and Abighail, Aimee would not mind to comply. Especially now that Abighail did need a strong supporter, Aimee had to help her.

After arriving at Leandra's residence, Aimee rushed towards her study. The woman sat at her desk thinking about her marriage to the Grand Duke. She was weighing the advantages and disadvantages if she became the Grand Duke's wife or not.

"Mom heard you just got back from a secret trip" Liliana said, the woman's eyes still looked a little puffy from crying too long yesterday.

Aimee smiled faintly at her mother, dispelling her cold aura. Aimee gave a small nod and replied, "Right, I just got back."

Liliana nodded back when she heard her daughter's answer, then put the dessert on Aimee's desk and pulled out a chair to sit near Aimee. Liliana gently stroked Aimee's hair and said, "You just met Grand Duke Aldrich right?"

Aimee who previously wanted to take her dessert fork suddenly stopped her movement when she heard her mother say so. Aimee glanced at her mother, then asked, "Where do you know?"

Liliana smiled warmly towards her daughter, then suddenly hugged Aimee while continuing to gently rub her child's head. "You can never lie to me. Maybe you can lie to everyone including the Emperor though, but you can never lie to your mother."

Liliana was silent for a while, took a breath, then continued speaking. "Son, before Abighail actually occupies the position of Duke Leandra, your sister still needs help and will depend a lot on you. Be careful when facing the enemy. The most dangerous enemy is not the one who seems to oppose and wants to bring us down, it is precisely the one who seems to support and love us who is sometimes the most dangerous enemy."

Aimee who heard this immediately hugged her mother tightly. His heart that had recently been cold and heavy, and his head that had previously felt noisy, were now gradually calm. It was only peace that Aimee felt when hugging her mother. His mother was the cure for all the chaos he was feeling.

Shortly after, when she felt she was calm enough, Aimee immediately took off her embrace. Aimee looked at her mother intently, then said, "It is likely that this conflict will grow and get more chaotic, mother should not be here as long as things have not been declared calm. Mom, what if starting tomorrow mom while going to the old castle of Leandra which is outside the capital? So that you feel calm and unperturbed. Coincidentally my right hand father also decided to go to the old castle, mother must be safe there."

Seeing her daughter look earnest, Liliana nodded. At this time he will obey his son's will so that the plan and path of his two children run smoothly. He himself also agreed with his daughter's proposal, he was afraid that if he remained here, he would become a roadblock for his two children.

After her mother left, Aimee returned alone in her study. He was busy with his own thoughts.

The second prince will most likely start to antagonize and target the Leandra family when Aimee officially declares to outsiders that Leandra supports the Crown Prince's side. Although Althaf has said that he will always protect Leandra's family, Aimee is still hard to believe. And again, Leandra also can not be too dependent on Althaf.

Aimee took off the twin rings she had in her hand, her right hand squeezing the rings hard. Aimee vented her anxiety at the twin rings, never imagining in her life that Leandra's success decision was now under her decision. And it was never imagined that she would have to marry Althaf and become Grand Duchess Aldrich.