If looks could kill, the young woman shooting daggers at the Duchess would’ve been the final blow. The Duchess, stoic as ever, quickly handed me to the strange woman who smelled–well, wonderful—like lilacs. “Suha, meet our newest… guest.” Her voice is clipped and brief.

Ah, so she knows she’s courting death.

“A baby?” Suha says incredulously, staring out my tiny face, which I barely managed to poke through the tight swaddling cloth. “A baby?” she repeats, almost as if to ensure she was right.

“Adrienne, whose child did you steal?”

I frowned.

“Nnn.”

This is the second time someone’s said this…Duchess, what kind of person are you?

“Don’t you two look at me like that! Suha, what kind of person do you think I am?”

“You tell me, Adrienne. Now, out with it.”  The duchess runs her hand through her short black hair.

“I was out patrolling the villages in our territory when I heard someone’s screams. I was led to a house with a girl who looked like a child with a newborn in her arms.”

That must've been my mother–when the grand-madame talked about her, she always called her a temptress…even though she was a child that her son put his filthy hands on. So, I don't get to know my mother this time, either.  

Tears welled up in my eyes, and soon, I was crying. Being rocked by the woman I knew as Suha felt nice but strange. A feeling I had never experienced, being comforted after distress. Her hands are gentle.

“You must miss your mama, don’t you? I’m sorry my wife couldn’t save her. Don’t cry.”  But I can’t help but cry. Everything is overwhelming.  I couldn’t even speak properly. It’s so…frustrating.

Suha's delicate brows furrow, “And because of that you decided to bring her here? To the duchy? Adrienne, I know you don’t like orphanages–”

“You’re right, Suha, I despise them. She has no one else, I couldn’t leave her there alone.”

Suha opens her mouth but is interrupted by the sound of the door opening–at the other side of it is a young man. A tall, broad-shouldered one that steps into the room with curiosity. His short dark hair is slightly tousled, and his hazel eyes are beady, accessing the air. His ruffled short was strained, tight against his sinewy chest, and he wore fitted pants. Sweat dripped from his face, a sword tucked at his side. 

I couldn’t only guess as I yawned softly that this was Phillipe. 

He was good-looking. Maybe he was Suha’s brother? They looked quite alike.

“Mère,” he addresses Adrienne with a respectful nod before his eyes land on her.

… mother–does that mean he’s?

“Maman, what is that thing?” He points at me. It’s a bit rude. 

“Phillipe Omar de Beaumont you’re old enough to know not to point, it’s rude.” Exactly!

The young man–Phillipe frowns, staring more. Now that I look at him, I see he has Suha’s colors but not the Duchess’s face.

“Yes, it’s a baby. Adrienne seems to have decided we’re running an orphanage at the moment.”
“I heard that, Suha.” The duchess snaps, although there’s no heat or anger in her voice, 

“Good, I meant it.”

It was strange. In my first life, the Duchess had always been alone. She was the adoptive daughter of a noble family only in name and became the head of the family after her parent's death. She married a much older man to secure her place in the world and gave birth to a son, but…

Like the perils of spring, her child died at barely a month old, and she was informed her husband died in a carriage accident.

I was seven years old when I first met the Duchess. My sister Vivienne and my brother Lucien had bullied me ever since Father brought me home. At the time, I thought my brother and sister finally wanted to play with me in the snow.

“Close your eyes and walk faster or we’ll you here!”

“Brother’s right, we’ll play together!”

Eventually.

Instead, they led me deeply into the forest dividing the the two estates before running away. I walked for hours until it was dark. It was winter, so it was numbingly cold. My palms were flushed with red, I couldn’t figure out where I was since it was white everywhere so I waited and waited until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I was being tended to by a doctor in the Duchess's home. It was…warm, incredibly and utterly warm. It was different than the Marquess’s home. I got to eat sweets when I wanted to. I got to walk around this large garden as much as I wanted. Everyone had kind smiles. 

Eventually, as I got older, I figured out my way to and from the duchess’s estate through her garden. No one cared much about me at the Marquess’s mansion as long I was still alive, not even my nanny.

As a kid, I was desperate to go there again.

Even though it was probably long reserved for the child she lost, it was like entering a world where I was loved instead of hated.

“You can stay here, for however you want. The Marquess can’t force you away if you don’t want to.”

After I was wed to Lucien, I never saw her again after that, until my execution. 

Now that I know the Duchess has a loving family, I am happy…but I wonder if I have a place in this life. Even so, even if I don’t have a place with this family, I don’t want to go back to the Monteclairs. I can only hope when I grow a bit bigger, I’ll be given to a family that’s not my father’s family.

Phillipe’s face is so close to mine, that I can see darkness for a second. The man has an almost roguish face–I suppose if I were a regular child it would make I’d be but I’ve seen things that terrify me more. He’s too close though, I reach and tap his face a few times.

“Mmm!” You’re too close, and your face is scruffy! I frown and blink.

 “She’s so…small.” Wonderful observation. Now that I think about it, Elise was pretty big for a newborn. Giving birth to her felt like I was splitting myself in half like a snake shedding its skin.

“Of course she is, Phillipe. She’s a baby. Even you were this small when I gave birth to you.” Suha chides, though like the Duchess her tone lacks bite. I can feel her finger caress me and I find myself dazzled by the ring on it. It had a deep-bluish green color, it sparkled prettily too. Shiny…

“Is it true?!”

A boy’s loud, excited voice draws me from my fascination. Who is it now? It’s starting to get noisy. A boy stands in the doorway, although it feels like he materialized out of nowhere. This child seemed to be pretty, like the woman holding me–he had her silver hair and the Duchess’s brown eyes. His long, curled hair was pulled back by a blue ribbon. His eyes, covered by long curled lashes were pretty too.

“Ooo!” He looks like he stepped out of a painting. Like he wasn’t human.

“Is what true, Julian?” The Duchess says as she takes me away from her wife’s arms.

He floats to the Duchess.“That you found a baby, Mère!” Well, he’s pretty but much too loud.

The Duchess sighs. “Yes, Julian, it’s true. But remember your manners. It seems like my sons lack etiquette today.” 

Julian's eyes seem to widen as he hovers closer and pokes the cloth wrapped around him. “She’s so…tiny.” It seems like everyone is observant today. As he continues to prod, I pout and slap his hand away. 

“Baa!” No touching! Slapping his hand seems to make him flutter away.

“Julian Suhail de Beaumont, don’t poke the baby,” Adrienne eyes as her dark eyes squint, “And get down from this instant!”

Oh, he looks like he’s about to cry. Now I feel. “Mmm!” I promise not to slap your hand away again, even if you annoy me.

He lands on his feet, gracefully as he protests, “I wasn’t going to poke her,” he thinks for a moment before adding “I was merely… investigating.” 

“Well, she is not of your experiments. Come here, now if you’re gentle with her, perhaps she’s let you play with her in the future.” …I’ll consider it.