Chapter 37 - Penmanship

Chapter 37 – Penmanship

Noticing that Trisha couldn’t take her eyes off the cookies, Lucas offered all of them to her. Upon returning to the maid’s quarter, she wrapped the cookies in layers of cloth and secretly hid it in the attic ceiling.

She didn’t want to share her little treasure with anyone else—only the scrumptious cookies proved her tea time with the Crown Prince.

“It was like a dream.”

In the middle, Trisha relived some of her precious memories. Lucas, surprisingly, seemed interested in her story. Even though he was sarcastic about everything, he listened intently for hours to the maid’s stories.

Had Diana known it, bitterness and anger would surge in her. After all, her naked body became the favorite subject of their conversation.

But for Trisha, it didn’t matter. She grew up under such a belittling father with a foul mouth. And now, she found redemption on the crown prince who noticed her, and that was all that mattered to her.

“Yes, Diana had me as her friend who had nothing.”

Trisha was an active and witty girl. Though she was poor, she grew wise at a young age, owing to his incompetent father.

“Finally, Your Highness, Diana, and I are of the same age,” she exclaimed as her conversation with the prince continued.

Trisha’s dream seemed to be transforming into reality sooner than she thought. Maybe when Diana is in the palace, she can spend some time with Lucas, who has already talked a lot to her.

Then, no one can insult Trisha anymore. She doesn’t have to go back to that damp house. No, perhaps, along with Diana, the imperial family could be Trisha’s home.

“You are a good friend.”

Lucas was more aggressive than Diana. When Trisha chattered, Lucas would give her a curious look.

“I’m…I’m getting out of that house.” A ragged house, always reeking of mold. My father is always drunk, cursing, and my mother is bedridden, sick. 

Trisha was able to survive in such a house because she had a dream. It was a dream that everyone would laugh at when they found out, but that dream was gradually becoming a reality.

“You will all see. I’ll prove that Diana and I aren’t different.” Trisha’s red eyes burned with determination.

***

The rain was pouring hard. Perhaps, Edwin can’t come today.

They always had to arrange their meeting in advance. Diana felt uncomfortable for Edwin, who was already a Grand Duke, to sneak secretly into her bedroom to work. Though Edwin said it didn’t matter to him, she felt it was burdensome to him.

“I’m going to try this today.”

Diana collected her notes and organized the documents Gray gave her. There was much more than the eye could see, and sorting each of it gave her a better understanding.

Fortunately, Sylvia delayed her visit today, so there was plenty of time.

“I am here to help if you want to do this…right?”

Gray picked up the notebook himself and began to assist Diana. His eyes, which were constantly harsh, started to brim with tears.

Looking up, Diana was stunned by the woeful look of the butler, who had been silent for a while.

“What’s wrong?”

“It has reminded me of the Duke…”

“Ah, my father?”

He was a stranger to Diana. Her parents, who died when they were too young, were only among the people’s testimonies of their memories, but all were a stranger to Diana.

“Yes, your wonderful handwriting makes me feel like the Duke is alive.”

Her handwriting in the notebook was familiar to his father. When she became Empress Diana, she had never even thought about it.

“When you learned to write, I made you copy his handwriting.”

“My father’s handwriting?”

“Yes, because your handwriting wasn’t very elegant, you paid attention to it and learned from your father’s. It looks the same now.”

It was amazing that my parents left me something else. I can’t believe the letters I’ve been writing are also a memory of my father whom I can’t remember.

“You organized it very well, too. You are truly the daughter of your parents.”

Diana nodded, feeling a little shy. Her parents were praised and respected by the people. She doesn’t remember them, but it was heartwarming to hear that she inherited similar traits from her parents.

“Hold on.”

“Is it the same? Is my handwriting the same as my father’s?”

“Yes, I was surprised, too.”

“Then, can you show me my father’s handwriting.”

“Ah… I’ll look for it.”

After a while, Gray brought back the journal that the Duke used to write on. When she opened his journal, their handwritings matched as if they were written by one person.

“It’s the same.”

After dismissing the butler, she continued comparing his journal and her notebook. She tried to write some sentences. By any means, the handwriting of the two was the same.

“I think my father wrote it.”

And it was one of the greatest legacies. Diana received it from her forefathers. It was a tremendous legacy that no one had ever noticed, not even Diana herself.