The Duke's Masked Wife

"You have never met his mother, right? She will never accept you as her daughter-in-law. Are you listening to me?" Jennifer questioned after time passed but Alessandra had not responded to her. "Are you ignoring me?"

Alessandra hummed a tune as she was finished looking around the room. She was curious about the other room with accessories.

Not waiting for Alfred to return, Alessandra walked toward the door where she would have to pass by Jennifer. Alessandra walked further to the side to create as much distance as she could between her and Jennifer to avoid conflict.

Unfortunately, Jennifer did not have the same thought in mind as she stepped to the side to block Alessandra from leaving.

"You are only creating more problems for yourself. Please step aside," Alessandra said. The entire situation with Jennifer was weird as she was doing too much to a Duchess. How much had Edgar's mother filled up Jennifer's head to make her think she could get away with this? "You don't like me but it doesn't change the fact you are disrespecting a Duchess."

"I was speaking to you but you were not listening, Duchess. I was only giving you a heads-up that Priscilla will not care for you. Aren't you scared she would have Edgar throw you out onto the street?"

"Aren't you scared about the consequences of your actions?" Alessandra threw a question back at Jennifer. She was being kind to let Jennifer walk away without any sort of punishment.

Alessandra saw the many times Katrina had struck a servant who showed disrespect and from the way Katrina's friends spoke when they visited, it was clearly a common thing in other households. However, Alessandra wanted to be civil and simply fire Jennifer.

"Someone is coming," Alessandra muttered as she heard footsteps in the distance. "You have a short amount of time to move before you find yourself in trouble."

"Drop the nice act. I know you want to see me be punished but the other servants here are on my side. They do not enjoy someone like-"

"What about the butler?" Alessandra smiled as Alfred came stood behind Jennifer.

Alfred looked between the two young women, sensing animosity between the two. "What do you think you are doing? Get out of the Duchess's path. Have you abandoned your work?"

"No, she was fired. Alfred, please see to it she gathers her things and watch her exit the gates. We do not need her loitering around. I am going to the next room to see what Edgar has prepared. Are you going to move on your own or do you wish to be dragged out? Pick," Alessandra gave her the option.

They could have been cordial if Jennifer had not acted as if she was the one to own the house.

"Step aside to let the Duchess pass. The Duke instructed all of you to treat her with respect and this is how you act?!" Alfred's blood started to boil at the scene before him.

Normally, the servants acted diligently and treated Edgar's guests with respect. How could any one of them choose to act a fool in front of his wife? Did this girl wish to lose her head? It was a good thing Edgar was not home right now to witness this but his missing presence must be the reason for this young girl misbehaving before the Duchess.

"Alfred, do you really believe she should be the Duchess?" Jennifer looked behind her. Out of everyone here, the best person to drill sense into Edgar would be Alfred. Why on earth was the butler allowing for this union to continue? "We must make the Duke see the type of woman he brought into his home."

Jennifer truly believed some people had the power to curse others and ruined their lives. It was why she could not remain idle when Alessandra was around the man she loved. Jennifer was aware Edgar would never share her feelings but she at least hoped to share his bed.

If Edgar was to have a wife, she needed to be someone Jennifer viewed as better than herself. Not a woman who hid half of her face which was capable of cursing others. Alessandra's own family kept her away from the public for a good reason.

"Jennifer, you are merely a servant for the Duke. You have no place to be questioning his decision or to stand before the Duchess like this. Duchess, I have to apologize for her still being here. I knew she was working for Edgar's mother but I sympathized with the stories she told about her family and kept her here to earn money. I'm sorry," Alfred sincerely apologized.

Keeping secrets from Edgar was something he never did but he wanted to help the young woman earn for her family.  Alfred also felt bad Jennifer had been trapped by Priscilla to do her dirty work. Back then, there was nothing for Jennifer to report to Priscilla therefore it wasn't an issue to have her around but now, she had crossed the line.

"It's okay you made the wrong judgment but we can make things right before Edgar returns home. This is the last time I am giving you the chance to walk out of here on your own accord without embarrassing you. You are fired, please leave," Alessandra gave the order once again.

"I am not fired unless the Duke says I am. If you want me to leave, you'll have to drag me out by your own hands, Duchess. I'll be happy to return next to Edgar's mother when she arrives to throw you out," Jennifer smirked, enjoying how powerless Alessandra was.

It was unfortunate Alfred caught her acting this but she had gone too far to stop now. Jennifer knew she was digging her own gave by not leaving but she did not want Alessandra to feel like she won.

"You are really stupid, Jennifer. Why are you doing all of this when his mother hired you to do a secretive job?  You have the right to think I am not a good woman for Edgar but you cannot pull my hair out and speak to me as you like. I will not tolerate anyone treating me like I am not a human being with feelings. Get rid of the ridiculous feelings you have for my husband and forget about what his mother asked you to do. Leave-"

A slap echoed in the room.

"You!" Alfred's eyes went wide. He lunged forward to pull Jennifer back while her hand was still mid-air after slapping Alessandra. "How dare you slap her?"

Alessandra blinked twice, slowly registering that Jennifer had struck her.  Even though she was now a Duchess, she was still being treated like a monster. She gained such a grand title but everyone would continue to view her as the person who cursed others. For how long would these people look down on her even though she elevated her status far above them?

Countless times she gave Jennifer an order but it was ignored. With Jennifer gone, there might be another person bold enough to mistreat her behind Alfred and Edgar's back.

'Why do I always try to be nice when they are never nice to me?' Alessandra asked herself.

"Alfred," Alessandra softly called for the butler. She was not going to be nice to anyone who could not return the same courtesy. "Is there a place Edgar uses to punish people?"

"We have a dungeon, Duchess."

"Throw her in it right away," Alessandra commanded the butler.