Chapter 12
Following that brief conversation, the Dukes also retired to get ready for the family dinner. Valeria, although she tried to set the matter aside, could not prevent a question from circling in her mind:
Why would the Prince ask such a thing of her father, if he supposedly desired nothing more than to end our engagement?
She furrowed her brow and softly pressed her lips together.
"Hmm… what could you be plotting, Diego Monterrey?" she whispered to herself.
So absorbed was she in her thoughts that she did not notice Clara's presence in the room. The maid, upon hearing her lady speaking to herself, responded timidly:
"Did you speak to me, Miss?"
Valeria blinked, surprised, and immediately shook her head.
"No, Clara, forgive me. I was only thinking aloud… tell me, what do you need?"
"Ah, yes. I only came to inform you that dinner is ready."
"Very well, let us go then. Let us not keep my parents or my little siblings waiting."
Both headed to the dining room, where the little ones were already settled in the same places they occupied at lunch. Valeria, seeing them, smiled with tenderness.
"Clara, please tell the chef that my siblings' food should be cut into small pieces."
"The Duchess has already seen to that, Miss."
"Oh, perfect. Then you may retire, Clara. Go have your dinner as well."
The maid smiled gratefully and withdrew. Valeria then turned toward the children, who were conversing animatedly, and with a cheerful voice announced to them:
"Tomorrow we are going to the capital."
The little ones' eyes sparkled with excitement just as Dukes Maximiliano and Renata entered the dining room, asking for dinner to be served.
"Today I sent a letter to the dressmaker so that she may come tomorrow," Renata informed as she took her seat. "That way she can craft some dresses and suits for the children."
Valeria nodded, although a slight grimace formed on her face.
"That was exactly why I wanted to go, but well, it shall be another time."
"You can go just the same, darling. Buy books, toys, or whatever you desire."
"Yes, Valeria, I like that idea. I shall accompany you," Renata intervened, observing the hope on her daughter's face.
"I have pending work," Maximiliano added, "but I can join you at tea time."
Valeria looked at the children.
"What do you say? Do you like the idea?"
"Can we buy a cake?" Mia asked with an excited voice.
"Yes, sister, can we?!" Tomy repeated, almost jumping in his seat.
Valeria laughed softly.
"Of course, we will stop by the bakery and buy a delicious one."
The Dukes looked at each other in silence. They found it moving to see the natural way in which Valeria treated her new siblings. Dinner passed among plans and laughter, until each child was taken to their room. The parents bid everyone a fond farewell before retiring to their own.
An Unexpected Night Visit
Valeria was sleeping face down, covered up to her head, when she heard soft knocks at the door. Half-asleep, she looked out the window; it was still night. She decided to ignore them, but the soft tapping repeated.
Grumbling, she got up, convinced it was Clara, her maid, who always insisted on waking her up ahead of time. However, upon opening the door, she found four little ones, disheveled and with sleepy faces.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.
"Can we sleep with you, sister?" Tomy said with a low voice.
"Please…" Sofia added, with tearful little eyes, "it is just that we are afraid to sleep all alone."
Valeria's heart softened instantly. She did not have the heart to say no to them.
"Alright, come in. Lie down and cover yourselves well; it is cold."
The children climbed into the bed, and Valeria tucked them in tenderly before settling in beside them.
The following morning, the children's maids panicked upon not finding them in their rooms and ran to inform the Dukes. Maximiliano and Renata, without needing many words, already sensed where they might be.
After getting ready, they went to their daughter's room. Upon opening the door, the scene left them speechless: Valeria was sleeping while embracing Mia and Tomy, while Lucas and Sofia took refuge in each other.
They contemplated the image in silence, moved. They did not want to wake them, but the dressmaker had responded to the letter confirming her arrival first thing. It was necessary to get up for breakfast before receiving her.
They approached gently.
"Up, children, it is time to wake up," Maximiliano whispered, stroking Lucas's hair.
"Come, darling, wake up," Renata said, gently shaking Valeria.
The young woman murmured in her sleep:
"Five more minutes, Clara, it is very early…"
The Dukes laughed quietly.
"Come, darling, it is Mama," Renata insisted with tenderness.
Valeria barely opened one eye.
"Alright, Mama… five more minutes, yes?"
Finally, she sat up with resignation. The children also began to stir.
"Did you sleep well?" Valeria asked, stroking Mia's hair.
"Yes, sister. Your bed is very warm," Tomy responded before turning toward the Dukes. "Hello, fairy mommy! Hello, Papa!"
Maximiliano's heart shivered. That innocent way of calling him filled him with happiness.
"Good morning, little one. But tell me, why did you all sleep here?"
"It is because we were afraid of being all alone…" Sofia explained, hiding her face against Valeria's shoulder.
"Oh, poor things. It is quite alright," Renata responded, touched.
"You can come sleep with me as often as you like," Valeria assured them, stroking her siblings' cheeks.
"Really?" Mia asked with her eyes wide open.
"Of course. But now, up we get; we have to prepare for breakfast."
Amidst laughter and yawns, everyone left the room. Clara entered at that moment and helped prepare her lady.
The Dressmaker
The family gathered in the dining room and shared a quiet breakfast. Minutes later, the dressmaker arrived: a woman of about forty years, accompanied by two young apprentices. She walked with elegance, bowing before Renata and Valeria, but when her eyes passed over the children, she did not greet them.
"Greetings, excellency. Greetings, Crown Princess," she said coldly.
Valeria, who had noticed the slight, looked at her intently.
"Could you remind me of your name?"
"Of course. I am Madame Britney Wayne."
The young Duchess adopted a serious expression.
"Madame Wayne, I shall overlook the fact that you did not greet my siblings because you had no way of knowing. But I expect this to be the last time you look at them with such indifference. Has that been made clear?"
The dressmaker trembled under Valeria's cold voice and hurried to bow.
"Y-yes, Highness. Forgive my error; it shall not happen again. Greetings to the young masters of the Cortes Duchy."
The little ones responded with timid smiles, still not quite knowing how to return a formal greeting.
"I hope so," Valeria responded firmly.
Duchess Renata then intervened.
"Well, let us move to the parlor to discuss the designs I want for the children."
The group moved, and amidst laughter and comments, they took measurements and discussed appropriate fabrics and cuts.
At the Imperial Palace
Meanwhile, in the palace gardens, Emperors Fernando, and Elena shared breakfast with their sons. Among them, Damian, and Diego.
Suddenly, Fernando spoke with a grave voice:
"Yesterday Maximiliano came to see me."
"And how is our girl?" Elena asked, referring to Valeria.
"You know I did not even ask him. He gave me such good news that I forgot everything else."
"What is it about?" Elena inquired, intrigued.
"That they grew the family. They adopted four children."
"That is wonderful!" the Empress exclaimed. "We must visit them and bring them gifts."
Fernando nodded, but immediately remembered another part of the conversation.
"By the way, Diego, we also spoke of your request not to make the dissolution of your engagement public. It surprised us, because Valeria asked me for exactly the same thing."
Diego looked at him with incredulity.
"What do you say, Father?"
"Yes. She asked that it not be made public for now, because she does not wish to become engaged to anyone. She is aware of her position and knows that, if it were known, many will try to approach her only out of interest. A pity you do not get along with her… she would be a stupendous empress: beautiful, intelligent, and with character."
Diego remained in silence, lost in his thoughts, while the echo of those words pursued him.