Anastasia's cottage
"My lady, it is all over town that you have been abandoned by the Duke's household. Your reputation is ruined," Rosa informed Anastasia, tears running down her cheeks. Bitterness spread across her tongue as she spoke.
Anastasia was not surprised to hear this. If it had been before, she might have felt broken and utterly disappointed, but since Grater had told her about her true background, she understood that the Duke was not her father, and so he could be cruel to her without remorse.
"Is this not better? Now I can live as a commoner. People will talk for only a few days. With the king's wedding coming up, the rumors will soon be forgotten," Anastasia said in a calm voice. After Duke Thompson's visit yesterday, she had expected the worst. Anyway, she was never truly his daughter, it was fine for them to go their separate ways.
