The Slave Queen - Chapter 43: Chapter 43
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Cecilia turned, her gaze falling on Raelynn, dressed in plain clothes. Her lips quivered slightly.
"Raelynn, you're still my daughter. You are..."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped forward, wanting to pull her into an embrace.
But Raelynn took a step back, clearly unwilling to engage. Her voice was cool and distant. "Lady Cecilia, is there something else?"
Cecilia blinked, snapping out of her daze. She sniffed and forced a smile.
"Raelynn, I know you've just returned, and your courtyard is still bare. I had these things prepared especially for you."
She turned and called, "Tuesday."
Tuesday, her chief maid, immediately understood and motioned for the servants to bring in chest after chest of pearls, silk fabrics, and decorative porcelain.
Raelynn frowned. "What's the meaning of this? I don't lack for anything here. There's no need for such extravagance."
Cecilia hesitated but kept up the warm expression. "Raelynn, what are you saying? Back then, your room was always so well appointed. Now that you're finally home, it's only right to restore it to what it once was."
She waved the servants on, ordering them to begin setting everything up.
Then she had the waiting housekeeper bring in a row of hand-picked maids for Raelynn to choose from.
"Stop."
Raelynn's tone turned icy, her expression dark.
She had no intention of accepting Cecilia's so-called kindness.
"There's no need for you to concern yourself. And please—take your leave. Too many people around disturbs the peace. I, as a servant, am not used to it."
"Raelynn..."
The word "servant" struck Cecilia like a slap.
It hurt more than hearing her called "Lady Cecilia" instead of "Mother."
"Raelynn, even if you won't call me 'Mother,' you are still my child. You're the daughter of the Duke's estate—there's no need to call yourself a servant."
Her tone was firm, but Raelynn simply looked at her without emotion, making Cecilia feel all the more remorseful.
Knowing nothing more would come of the argument, Raelynn let out a small sigh and rubbed her brow.
"Since these gifts are from Lady Cecilia, I assume I have the right to decide what to do with them?"
"Of course," Cecilia answered, her face lighting up.
As long as Raelynn accepted them, that meant the door hadn't closed completely.
She could take her time, slowly rebuilding Raelynn's trust.
More than anything, she longed to hear Raelynn call her "Mother" again.
Cecilia watched Raelynn with a hopeful smile, eyes damp with tears.
Raelynn nodded. "I prefer things simple and clean. Sienna, store everything in the warehouse for now."
"Yes, Lady Raelynn," Sienna replied promptly.
Cecilia blinked, stunned, as she watched her carefully prepared gifts—all of them—get boxed back up and carried off.
Panicking slightly, she reached out to stop them. "Raelynn, you can store the fabrics, but these hairpins and jewelry are meant to be worn. Now that you're home, and Christmas is coming, there will be gatherings. You can't attend without accessories, can you?"
Without even glancing up, Raelynn said calmly, "I only wish to stay by Grandmother's side and fulfill my duties as a granddaughter. As for the rest, I couldn't care less. Besides—"
A smirk touched the corner of her lips.
"The entire Hazond City knows I once served as a maid in the palace. If I were to attend those parties now, wouldn't that tarnish the reputation of the Duke's estate? It would certainly bring shame to both Lord Gabriel and Lady Julia."
"That..."
Cecilia instinctively wanted to argue—it hadn't been Raelynn's fault, after all.
But the mention of Gabriel and Julia...
Gabriel was the heir and would soon sit for important exams. Having a sister with such a past might complicate his prospects.
And Julia was overly sensitive. If her friends mocked her for Raelynn's sake...
Just imagining her other children being embarrassed made Cecilia's heart waver.
Torn between Raelynn she owed a debt to and the two children who carried the family's future, her expression shifted uneasily.
In the end, she gave in.
"Raelynn, it's reassuring to see you're so sensible."
But she didn't dare meet Raelynn's eyes. Instead, she grasped at a new excuse, trying to smooth things over.
"In any case, Lord Shawn will be here tomorrow to discuss the marriage arrangements. The wedding should be set soon. You can stay here and keep Lady Margot company until then."
Even as she said it, she felt a twinge of guilt.
Raelynn simply responded with a faint, noncommittal "Okay."
Sienna immediately ordered the servants to pack up everything again and send it off to the warehouse—likely to be part of Raelynn's wedding gift someday.
"Raelynn, you're still my daughter. You are..."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped forward, wanting to pull her into an embrace.
But Raelynn took a step back, clearly unwilling to engage. Her voice was cool and distant. "Lady Cecilia, is there something else?"
Cecilia blinked, snapping out of her daze. She sniffed and forced a smile.
"Raelynn, I know you've just returned, and your courtyard is still bare. I had these things prepared especially for you."
She turned and called, "Tuesday."
Tuesday, her chief maid, immediately understood and motioned for the servants to bring in chest after chest of pearls, silk fabrics, and decorative porcelain.
Raelynn frowned. "What's the meaning of this? I don't lack for anything here. There's no need for such extravagance."
Cecilia hesitated but kept up the warm expression. "Raelynn, what are you saying? Back then, your room was always so well appointed. Now that you're finally home, it's only right to restore it to what it once was."
She waved the servants on, ordering them to begin setting everything up.
Then she had the waiting housekeeper bring in a row of hand-picked maids for Raelynn to choose from.
"Stop."
Raelynn's tone turned icy, her expression dark.
She had no intention of accepting Cecilia's so-called kindness.
"There's no need for you to concern yourself. And please—take your leave. Too many people around disturbs the peace. I, as a servant, am not used to it."
"Raelynn..."
The word "servant" struck Cecilia like a slap.
It hurt more than hearing her called "Lady Cecilia" instead of "Mother."
"Raelynn, even if you won't call me 'Mother,' you are still my child. You're the daughter of the Duke's estate—there's no need to call yourself a servant."
Her tone was firm, but Raelynn simply looked at her without emotion, making Cecilia feel all the more remorseful.
Knowing nothing more would come of the argument, Raelynn let out a small sigh and rubbed her brow.
"Since these gifts are from Lady Cecilia, I assume I have the right to decide what to do with them?"
"Of course," Cecilia answered, her face lighting up.
As long as Raelynn accepted them, that meant the door hadn't closed completely.
She could take her time, slowly rebuilding Raelynn's trust.
More than anything, she longed to hear Raelynn call her "Mother" again.
Cecilia watched Raelynn with a hopeful smile, eyes damp with tears.
Raelynn nodded. "I prefer things simple and clean. Sienna, store everything in the warehouse for now."
"Yes, Lady Raelynn," Sienna replied promptly.
Cecilia blinked, stunned, as she watched her carefully prepared gifts—all of them—get boxed back up and carried off.
Panicking slightly, she reached out to stop them. "Raelynn, you can store the fabrics, but these hairpins and jewelry are meant to be worn. Now that you're home, and Christmas is coming, there will be gatherings. You can't attend without accessories, can you?"
Without even glancing up, Raelynn said calmly, "I only wish to stay by Grandmother's side and fulfill my duties as a granddaughter. As for the rest, I couldn't care less. Besides—"
A smirk touched the corner of her lips.
"The entire Hazond City knows I once served as a maid in the palace. If I were to attend those parties now, wouldn't that tarnish the reputation of the Duke's estate? It would certainly bring shame to both Lord Gabriel and Lady Julia."
"That..."
Cecilia instinctively wanted to argue—it hadn't been Raelynn's fault, after all.
But the mention of Gabriel and Julia...
Gabriel was the heir and would soon sit for important exams. Having a sister with such a past might complicate his prospects.
And Julia was overly sensitive. If her friends mocked her for Raelynn's sake...
Just imagining her other children being embarrassed made Cecilia's heart waver.
Torn between Raelynn she owed a debt to and the two children who carried the family's future, her expression shifted uneasily.
In the end, she gave in.
"Raelynn, it's reassuring to see you're so sensible."
But she didn't dare meet Raelynn's eyes. Instead, she grasped at a new excuse, trying to smooth things over.
"In any case, Lord Shawn will be here tomorrow to discuss the marriage arrangements. The wedding should be set soon. You can stay here and keep Lady Margot company until then."
Even as she said it, she felt a twinge of guilt.
Raelynn simply responded with a faint, noncommittal "Okay."
Sienna immediately ordered the servants to pack up everything again and send it off to the warehouse—likely to be part of Raelynn's wedding gift someday.
End of The Slave Queen Chapter 43. Continue reading Chapter 44 or return to The Slave Queen book page.