Chapter 57
1076 Words
CHAPTER 57
“W-what?”
“I know... this is all too sudden, but I honestly wanted to apologize,” Tatiana said. She looked at her with eyes filled with remorse and shame. “I... I did a lot of bad things in the past, not just to you but to so many people. But... I realized that I was immature. It was wrong of me. Especially to you, Lady Frances... I... was so wrong...”
Tatiana, hesitantly, walked closer towards Lady Frances and reached for both her hands. She sighed quietly. “Even though it's late, I still want to say sorry to you... I’m not asking you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I regret doing all those things and that I promise to never do those things again... I’m sorry, Lady Frances.”
Although it was indeed part of Tatiana’s plan to befriend Lady Frances, it was not the only reason why she wanted to apologize. For her, the original Tatiana had done very harsh things. She was evil and vicious. And even though Jane personally didn’t do those things herself, she still felt responsible as someone who is now living as Tatiana.
She wanted to fix her reputation, but most importantly, she wanted to free herself from the guilt.
Meanwhile, Lady Frances was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe her ears.
Lady Tatiana...said sorry? THE Lady Tatiana?
Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to hear Lady Tatiana say the word "sorry." She was a prideful woman. She would never admit her wrong and apologizing was not in her dictionary.
However, not only did she just admit her mistakes and apologize, but she also said she’ll never do it again.
Is the world ending? Did the pigs learn how to fly? Did the sunrise in the west? What is happening?!
Lady Frances could only stare at Tatiana, speechless at what she had just heard. Her mind was still processing what had just transpired.
Was this a ruse? Was she sincere in her words? What caused her to change so drastically? It's been a year since I last saw her. And, as far as I recall, she was nothing like she is now. Everything about her was different: the way she dressed, acted, talked, and even her aura.
She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but for some reason, she couldn't. Tatiana's eyes have so many emotions that Lady Frances just found herself lost in them. She felt confused, but at the same time, she felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
After a moment, when Lady Frances still didn’t utter any word, Tatiana gave her a soft smile.
She must be very confused, but I did what I should do.
“I hope I didn't startle you too much, Lady Frances. I'm not sure how else I can approach this, but I hope my sincerity has reached you. And... I also wanted to express my gratitude. You must have suffered a lot. If I were you, I would have plotted revenge against myself. You, on the other hand, did not, so I wanted to thank you for that.” She stated.
Lady Frances was still unable to reply so Tatiana figured it’s better to end it there. She smiled again, this time a little wider, and her eyes brightened as if trying to break the tension.
“That’s all I wanted to say... Uhm... thank you again, Lady Frances. I’ll go now. Goodbye.” Tatiana added.
She glanced at Lady Frances for the last time before walking out of the garden and into her carriage. Mia followed behind her.
When she got inside the carriage, Tatiana let out a deep sigh.
The tea party was a success in certain ways. Despite the fact that she didn't have much opportunity to speak with Lady Frances, she was still able to apologize and thank her. It’s a great relief as if the burden she had been carrying since she began living as Tatiana has been finally lifted.
“My lady, are you okay?” Mia asked when she saw her lady sigh.
Tatiana smiled at her and nodded.
“I’m fine,” she answered and looked outside the window. “Somehow, I feel like I’m being praised,” she added in a low voice.
.
“They want to arrest Baron Miller immediately!”
Noah sprang up from his seat as he slammed his palms on the table. “What?!”
“It seems like they found out about our investigation, your highness. The officials are enraged and His Majesty just called for a meeting right now.” Aaron reported.
Noah’s eyebrows furrowed.
We were so careful about it. How did they find out?!
His blood was starting to boil, but he calmed himself down as he tries to think of a solution.
It would have been alright if only His Majesty had known. Noah could just explain to him what was going on. However, the officials became aware of it as well.
They would undoubtedly demand an immediate response. No, they'd demand that Baron Miller be held accountable. Even if Noah explains to them that Baron Miller may not be the true criminal, they will still insist that he is.
The people were already putting a lot of pressure on the Imperial Court. Everyone wanted to have the criminal arrested as soon as possible so they can have their peace of mind back. That’s why, being under extreme pressure, the officials will not miss this chance to finally have something to present to the impatient public.
Aside from that, the bombing incident has made a huge impact on most of the capital's businesses, the majority of which are owned by nobles. If the culprit is apprehended early on, the businesses can resume their normal business operations and sales.
“What should we do now, your highness?” Aaron asked, worriedly.
Both of them know this will be a long and tiring fight between them and the rest of the court. Even if they win today, the officials will not give up until they get what they want.
Noah let out a deep sigh.
“We have to know how they found out about our investigation. But for now, let's go to the meeting first,” he said.
Aaron nodded and both of them hurried towards the meeting hall.
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reyankleyr
- Writer
