Villains also get Second chance

Marriane pov

"Your highness, the carriage is ready"

I nodded as I walked out. 

"Your highness, there will be her majesty too. Would only Lina be suffice. There are 8 knights at least going with you. I advise you to take 2 more servants with you."

I looked at the man who was ordering me around. It's not that his words were not polite enough. But he had already pointed and ordered two more servants to enter in the carriage without waiting for my answer. But none of the servants moved.

"Did you not hear what I say, enter in the carriage. We did not have a whole day to spend on your slow gait." he shouted and I chuckled.

"Francis, right? From which eye did you see them moving, i think they are standing still" i pointed and he flushed further.

"I apologise, your highness. I will make sure that they will move and that also fast this time." 

I shook my head at his slow-witted brain.

"They will not move, even if you drag them. Do you know why?" 

His brows furrowed as he looked at the maids and then looked at me, "I beg you to enlighten me, your highness?"

"They are not moving because i am not the one who instructed them to do so, this shows where their loyalty lies"

The man looked further embarrassed by my reply. "

But your highness, your security and comfortability...…."

"Francis, i think you are not enjoying your job here. Even his highness has not interfered in the decision of the duchess chamber, and yet you are here instructing my staff and taking decisions on my behalf. If i didn't know any better i would have taken you as the owner of the palace."

"I.. i .. i"

"We do not have a whole day"

"I was ordered by his highness, to make sure of 

your security and comfort before going for the trip, your  highness. I never intended to intervene in the working of the duchess chamber."

"So you are referring to his highness that ordered you to increase the number of servants and  knights?"

"Yes, your highness"

I nodded my head and looked at the maids he had chosen, one was Penny and another was a new girl.

"Alright, since that is the case, both of you enter in the carriage, we are getting late."

"Yes, your highness"

The man finally looked relieved and a smirk formed on my face. Tch.. still thinking yourself as superior to me. Has he not seen the result of the staff that had tried to get entangled with me recently!

"Then i shall take my leave, your highness"

I nodded my head and entered my carriage. 

"Rose, i want you to do something for me." 

She looked at me and then sighed.

"When you do not want me to do something for you, sometimes it feels like I have been exploited by working with you. As i have done every task, except the tasks a knight needed to do."

"I know, I will soon give you a chance to perform those duties too. So do not grumble. But for now I want you to help me in keeping busy the staff and other knights so that we can talk." 

"But how am i supposed to busy everyone alone? I do not even have any valid reason to do that!"

"Ah, do not worry about that, you will not be alone. I have called special knights of the empress to help you." I replied with a glimmer in my eyes, if Katherine had done what I had requested of her in the letter, then it would not only be my chance to help Katherine but help you too.

'You do not even know Roselia, you are not going there to protect me, but on a date with your future husband, and i will make sure to give you plenty of alone time to make some improvement,  but if you still did not improve then i guess you are going to stay maiden in this life.'

"What are you thinking?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Why, I was not thinking anything."

"I will not believe that, why are you hiding from me?"

"I am not hiding anything from you."

"You are lying. Your face was full of emotions a minute ago. You were looking joyous, then started laughing like a shrewd, then your face got filled with anger and at last a disappointed sigh." she quipped looking at my face intently.

I had to change my habit of keeping my guards down in front of Rose and Demi.

"Are you thinking about the time you spent with his highness in the woods." she asked with shining eyes,

"How did you even reach that conclusion?" I asked, surprised.

"Oh, please what else makes you feel all the emotions at once except his highness. Anyways, you did not share any details with me yesterday. I mean the weather was so romantic. If i would have been there, i would have made sure to take advantage of it to make love with my husband."

"How embarrassing, stop it right now" i said, trying to end it before the conversation went out of control, i was sure my face was already flushed. "Oh, Mari, i beg you, tell me what happened in the woods. 

Did you just stand there together or talk, or share any intimacy there like a warm hug."

My face burnt the way she asked the questions. And my mind started remembering the events of that day unconsciously. She was still speaking near me, yet her voice turned distant as my mind wandered off, feeling the time I was there. I could still feel his scalding touch on my skin. And I still could not believe that we shared that intimacy, that he even felt me and he was much more affected by it than I had ever thought he would be by my touch.

"Or did you kiss him?"

"No it was an accident"

"........"