Chapter 335: Wife’s comfort_Part 1
Belle nodded and walked to her nightstand, taking out the folded parchment from the drawer. She was about to open it and quickly skim the words, since she hadn’t read it yet, but her father snatched it from her hand. He scanned it, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"My dear Isabelle. You have done well. You make me so proud." He patted her head as he tucked the parchment into his coat pocket. Belle tried not to frown, her curiosity tugging at her. What exactly had Rohan written? Had he truly given them real weapons to kill the vampires? She wondered, but realized she might never know unless she asked him directly.
"Make sure you prepare yourself for the event," her father told her with a smile.
The duke, pleased with the clear and well-written report, left the room after reminding her of the event that would happen in the palace. But Lady Louisiana and Eve stayed back.
Belle turned to face them, meeting her mother’s forced smile and hard eyes. No doubt, Lady Louisiana didn’t like the subtle threat Belle had given earlier, and Belle herself didn’t like the way her mother was sizing her up the whole time she spoke. Her mother’s eyes kept lingering on her bosom, making Belle uncomfortable, for she knew she was trying to hide something and dreaded that her mother might suspect it.
"Is there something else you want?" Belle questioned when her mother didn’t speak and simply stood there, staring at her.
"I still don’t like how you look, Isabelle. You were sent to that land for a reason, and once that reason is fulfilled, you will be back here, right under our roof again. And knowing that you have married before, no man will want you. They didn’t want you when you weren’t even married and not fat, and they certainly won’t want you if you don’t maintain that body and learn to watch that mouth of yours. If I were you, I would be careful with my confidence. We are your family, and I want you to remember that."
If Belle had the chance to leave this place in one piece, she doubted she would ever dare to come back to Aragonia for her family’s sake. She thought this bitterly but then only nodded her head as if in understanding. "I will keep that in mind."
"Good that you keep my words in mind. I am your mother, after all, and I know what’s best for you," Lady Louisiana said and then went on, adding, "Breakfast is being prepared. Go down and help carry on with the task of taking blood from our servants to serve that monster and his relative, since you are more used to those creatures than any of us here. Once you have prepared their blood, we shall come down to eat with them, because I will not be a meal to those things anymore after last night."
Lady Louisiana then pulled her younger daughter along and left, believing she had talked some sense into the girl.
Eve glared at her elder sister as she was being pulled out of the room, resentment glowing in her green eyes. What stung her even more was noticing one of the dresses she had claimed for herself lying on the bed, a dress Belle would be wearing today.
’The is supposed to be mine!’ she cried in her mind but couldn’t dare say the word as she was being pulled by her mother.
After the trio left her room, Belle took a deep breath of relief and exhaled it slowly. She still couldn’t believe she had handled things so smoothly without ruining their sham.
Preparing her husband’s meal was a pleasure. It wasn’t something she disliked or wouldn’t want to do, as Lady Louisiana had thought when she ordered her to go and do it. To Belle, it was a chance to be close to him, even if only for a moment.
She was looking forward to seeing Rohan in the hall. To be honest, she hated being in the same house as him and still having to keep her distance. She couldn’t wait for the day they would finally leave Aragonia, so she could be free to do whatever she pleased and nurse her son whenever he needed her.
As if on cue, she felt a sudden ache in her bosom, the familiar pull that told her Angel was crying somewhere, even if she couldn’t hear him, and her arms ached with the longing to cradle his small body.
Belle continued dressing, grimacing when she slipped off her robe and saw the spreading patches of wet stains on her chemise. Her heart sank, and she groaned softly in frustration, feeling both helpless and heartsore as she cleaned herself again.
Once she was done with everything she needed to do, she left her room and went to the kitchen, hating the knowledge that her baby was crying somewhere in the house while she was forced to walk away from him.
The servants had already finished preparing breakfast, and she directed them into the hall, where no one had yet come out and the warm morning sunlight streamed in through the windows.
Belle carefully arranged the bowls and plates on the table, making sure to set aside the foods she knew Rohan didn’t like, moving them away from the spot where he had sat the night before. Instead, she placed the things he enjoyed directly in front of his seat, believing he would sit there again today.
Thankfully, the servants had already been informed about giving their blood. Belle stood back quietly, allowing them to step forward one after another, cutting themselves and putting their blood into the jug on the table. She kept her eyes averted the whole time, not wanting to watch.
By the time the blood was done being taken, everyone, except the Dawsons, had begun to come down for breakfast. And just as she had felt earlier, her son had indeed been crying, for his lashes were still wet with tears as Evenly walked into the hall, rocking him gently in her arms.
Rav pulled out a chair for Evenly, and when she stepped in front of it, he pushed it back for her. She sat down, muttering her thanks, and quietly, he also took the seat beside her.
The pair had sat like this even last night, but Belle noticed there was a different air about them this morning. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, and she decided not to dwell on it as both Evenly and Angel noticed her enter the hall at the same time.
Her son’s red-rimmed, swollen eyes brightened at the sight of her. He immediately turned his head away from Evenly’s chest and tried to wriggle free from her arms, but Evenly held him firmly.
When Evenly refused to release him so that he could crawl down to her, Angel’s lips began to quiver, preparing to cry. Belle, however, silently shook her head, giving him a firm but gentle look. And as though he understood her perfectly, he stopped, his eyes staring into hers with unusual depth.
"Stay with Evenly for now," she whispered under her breath, knowing well that he had sharp senses, just like his father, and would hear her clearly.
Almost dejectedly, her son leaned back into Evenly’s arms and laid his small head against her chest, though his gaze never wavered from Belle as he followed her around with his eyes. She sighed in relief, thankful he hadn’t cried further.
Right at that moment, Rohan entered the hall, and unlike Belle, he did not hesitate at the sight of their son. Without pause, he walked to the table and sat down, this time choosing a place four seats away from Rav instead of directly across from him as he had the night before.