Rosie's Games

Chapter 106: Trouble Brewing 2

"Miss Lin is someone that the Duke knew," Mr. Montgomery said after Rosalind left. "And yet you wanted to keep this as a secret from that man?" he lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "Ah one of these days, you will realize that me am right! That man is dangerous Pratt, you need to be careful if you want to keep a secret as large as this."

"What did you want me to do, father?" Pratt asked. "I have sworn not to tell anyone about what we saw, and I will do exactly that. Do you think I would have lived this long if I tattle everything to him?"

For some reason, that made Mr. Mongomery laugh. "As long as you know boy. As long you know. The Duke is not someone that you can play games with, but me would not have agreed to you marrying my daughter without the principles that you stood by. Ah little Alma is doing better because of her. The least that you could do is to shut your mouth and keep it closed until you die."

"You did not have to tell me that." Mr. Pratt gave him a look. "Did you choose to stay longer because you thought I would tell him?" he asked.

"Did you think, me would stay here to give you a hug?"

Mr. Pratt could only shake his head as he watched his father-in-law leave his office. Alma was finally feeling better and he was supposed to celebrate with his family. Yet, here he was, contemplating about Miss Lin and what just happened earlier. The incident with the dagger was something that he had never heard before.

And while he was tempted to use it to his advantage, something is telling him that offending the woman was a wrong move. As an entrepreneur, Mr. Pratt had learned to trust his instincts. In this type of business, a good instinct was needed to live. Right now, every fabric of his being was telling him not to do anything that could potentially harm his relationship with Miss Lin.

His instinct was telling him that she was not a woman he could cross.

He leaned back, closed his eyes, and rested his hand on his stomach. Then he smiled.

Alma is finally fine. His daughter will live longer than he and his wife!

......

"You wanted to see me?" Rosalind asked the moment she walked inside Victoria's drawing room. "It was the dead of the night."

"I know but this cannot wait," Victoria replied. "We will be holding a banquet tomorrow and I want you to be there."

"I don't need to do that." Rosalind immediately felt that something was wrong. The woman was very suspicious. What was she planning now?

"Yes, you do. In fact, you will do that as this will be your last time in the family. Consider it a gift from me."

Rosalind snorted in response.

"You did not have to be so rude," Victoria snapped. "You might not know it, but your departure is something that I needed to celebrate."

Again, Rosalind said nothing. Victoria has always been very cunning and scheming. In her past life, she suspected that Victoria had a hand in the things that happened to her. However, she could not prove it.

"Aren't you supposed to feel sad?" Rosalind asked.

"Sad?"

"Your husband is taking women, no?"

"What?"

"Ah Is this your way to tell everyone that this does not affect you at all?" smirked Rosalind.

"I do not understand what you are saying. Martin is only doing something that would benefit the family."

"We can drop the antics," Rosalind smiled. "I know what you are. There is no need to pretend in front of me." A banquet would be the perfect opportunity to show that Victoria was the magnanimous Marchioness that everyone adored.

"If you wanted to throw a banquet and tell them you are not feeling good even after the failed awakening then you must do it without me. I do not want to be a pawn in your games."

"You misunderstand," Victoria uttered. "This banquet is not just for you. It is for the soldiers that would escort you to the North."

"General Lytton?" This time, Rosalind's brows furrowed.

"The heroes of the North."

"You wanted to invite them to a banquet?"

Again, Victoria gave her a sweet yet sickening smile. "It was not just me who wanted to invite them. It was the palace."

"The The Palace? The Emperor?" This was a surprise. Why would the Emperor suddenly invite someone from the North into the Empire? To make matters worse, the Emperor would hold a banquet for her?

This She did her best to try and comprehend the Emperor's actions, but could not come up with something logical to explain the invitation. The Emperor would never care about Rosalind or the North. To him, she was simply a pawn that he needed to sacrifice to the Duke.

Why would he suddenly invite her?

"Yes, the Emperor was magnanimous enough to invite them inside the gates of the Empire and hold a banquet for them and you of course the Emperor wanted to hold a banquet for you." Victoria smiled.

Rosalind lowered her head. This was not the Emperor's plan.

There is no way that the Emperor, who feared that the Northerners would gain influence in the south, would do something so illogical. This must be Federico's work.

But why?

Why would he suddenly host a banquet for her and the soldiers of the North?

Rosalind could not help but overthink things. She was suspicious that there is some sort of a trap prepared for her. Was it Dorothy? Was she trying to stop her from leaving the Empire?

If that is the case then the trap should be something grand, something that would involve the Emperor or any of the Princes or members of the Royal Family.

But Dorothy does not have that kind of ability. Dorothy now does not have any blessings. Moreover, Victoria must have seen the naked men that she prepared for Dorothy.

What is happening here?

"I called you because I wanted you to be ready. Tomorrow morning, I will send my maids to prepare you for the banquet. Do not worry, I will give you the most beautiful dress and would be there with you all the time."

Rosalind said nothing. It seems that they were finally going to make a move.

Trouble was brewing.

....

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