“Really?” The Duchess darted her gaze from Fernando to Lily. “You own that cabin?”
“My Grandfather. It was my Grandfather’s cabin.”
“You are Frederick’s granddaughter?” the man sitting opposite to the Duchess asked, his gaze sharp as she stared Lily.
“I am,” Lily answered.
“What is happening?” the blond woman named Mikaela asked. She looked at her mother, then her father. “Fredrick — Grandfather’s brother?”
Her father, Duke Phil, nodded.
“This place belongs to the Royalties of Luxembourg.”
Lily’s eyes burned with confusion, but she stayed quiet and observed. She always thought that the younger generation would not recognize her grandfather. If they did, their tone would be laced with disgust and malice. However, everything that happened was the exact opposite of that. Lily was sure that both the Duke and Duchess Esther already knew who she was from the moment, that they arrive in this place. However, not once did they showed that they dislike her. This made Lily confused. She always thought everyone would treat her differently, even aggressively, but nothing like this happened.
“So… we are like cousins?” Eliza, the youngest of the Royalties beamed at Lily. “Like… You are really pretty, we should be related.”
“Eliza, manners.” The oldest of the siblings, Leandro reprimanded.
“What?” Eliza immediately rolled her eyes at him. “She is very beautiful. I can even see some resemblance.”
“No resemblance whatsoever.” Levi, Eliza’s twin brother, grumbled.
“So? Is she related to us?” Mikaela asked.
“She is related to us.” The Duke said. A smile can be seen beneath his white mustache.
“Well… This is very unexpected.” Lily gave a tight-lipped smile. She waited for the maids to finish serving the desserts before she continued. “I have never thought of meeting anyone related to my late grandfather.” So far, everyone had been showing sincere emotions. While this was contrary to what she was expecting, Lily chose to act cordially at everyone.
“The past is in the past for a reason. I think it is time for our family to move on.” The Duchess smiled. “Plus, I really don’t mind someone as beautiful as you as an addition to my family.”
Duke Philimon’s boisterous laughter echoed inside the dining room as the other family members gave their nods of approval. “All right…” the Duke raised his glass. “To new family members!”
“To new family members!” Everyone followed.
“So your grandfather is a royalty?” Fernando asked. “And you forgot to mention this before, because?”
“Ex- royalty.” Lily corrected. “And you didn’t ask.” she shrugged.
“So you are like of Royal blood?” Li Shanshan chimed in. “Like a princess?”
“Yes, she is.” The Duchess answered. She eyed her husband and smiled when she saw the Duke nod at her. “Prince Frederick was supposed to inherit the throne. As the future king, he had responsibilities and at that time, that includes marrying the woman that his father wanted him to.”
“So he left?” Bei Tian asked. “He left and choose Lily’s grandmother?”
“No.” The Duke shook his head. “He left because he didn’t want to marry someone he does not love. He went to Europe and attended a school for royals. There… he met Lilian Facci, the feisty businesswoman.”
Lily’s brows lifted. “Everyone of you knew this?”
“Of course we do.” Duke Phil answered. “This was not written in our history books, but everyone in the kingdom knew about this. The Prince who chose Lilian over his throne.”
“Didn’t he introduce Lilian to his father? I mean…. She was rich, why doesn’t he approve of her?” Bei Tian inquired. For some reason, the story got him hooked. He could not stop himself from asking.
“He did. And at that time, Lilian was just starting her business. It was not as big as it was today. Fredrick brought his woman to see his father. Well… the previous king was a tyrant. Instead of acting like a benevolent king, he berated his own son in front of Lilian. Making the woman’s temper flare.”
A small smile bloomed on Lily’s face. Her grandmother never told her the whole story about her grandfather and she never had the courage to asked her about it. Hearing this story immediately made her heart flutter.
“Now this was hilarious.” The Duchess giggled. “Lilian made the king so angry. We don’t know what the exact words were… since father refused to tell us. But…. Some people said, she talked back and insulted the king, making him speechless. She then marched out of the house and left with the prince running after her.” She stared at Lily. “She was a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t take any insults from misogynistic people.”
“Misogynistic?” Lily asked.
“Ah… the king told her she will fail in the world of men. She was pretty… and the king told her a pretty face like her only have one rule in this world and that is to accompany men in their beds.” Duke Phil said. “That comment made your grandmother so red she almost burst. Or at least… that’s what my father said.”
“She was one hell of a woman,” Eliza said.
“Words.” Levi and Leandro said simultaneously, earning a snort from their sister Mikaela.
“She was indeed one hell of a woman,” Mikaela said. “I mean… who would dare talk back to a king in his own country?”
“It surprised me the king did not ask his guards to punish her,” Fernando said.
“Well… he was so shocked, he almost fell from his seat and was rendered speechless for a few hours.”
“Hours?”
The Grand Duke nodded before laughing. “No one… not even other monarchs from other kingdoms dared talk to him like that. He was so furious, he ordered that they arrest her. But it was already too late. By that time, they were already out of Luxembourg, leaving my father as the next crown prince.”
“Isn’t she amazing?” the Duchess said. “At that time… women who pursue business were frowned upon. But your grandmother fought against them with her brains and efforts. Proving them wrong with her own success and standing tall in the pinnacle of the business world. An epitome of us, women.”
Everyone nodded at her words as they continue to eat their desserts. The laughter and the story continued until the dinner ended.
