Chapter 68: The Muckraker Is Back.
Afternoon.
Parlour, Theodore’s Mansion.
Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.
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Lydia stared at her sister in silence unable to form a sentence, she knew Shi’Enz knew nothing about her actual father, her mother or father would never talk about him, she was simply an abomination, an embarrassment on the Statham.
The story the society knows might be different about Lydia being illegitimate, and naturally, people would assume it was from the father’s side. Marquis Julius Statham had cheated on his beautiful wife but that wasn’t the truth.
Lydia isn’t an abomination from the father’s side, but from her mother who had birthed her for another man in the house of her husband, the story had been that a slave had sneaked into her mother’s room and taken advantage of the woman. The family of three had travelled to Critic Ishelm to come back home and soon became four because Geogina had gotten pregnant and abortion in the empire is frowned upon more than having an illegitimate child yet you would be dragged for keeping the child.
It was Julius who had always roared about how a slave took advantage of his wife whenever he was pissed, the rest were whispers and as Lydia barely went out she was not tainted by the words or attacks of the young people who added gossip and try to know who her supposed mother might be. The fact that Lydia only had her mother’s hair went out of the window because if Lydia didn’t resemble Julius then she had to resemble the homewrecking outside woman. Little did they know
"I have always been curious Shi’Enz" she whispered. "Mother would never talk about it and Father hated it whenever I ask" she continued, just like on the day she was to be wedded she had asked her mother about her father but Julius had interrupted them. Perhaps there is more to the story, her father and perhaps it isn’t only love that made Julius keep Georgian.
"How many times did you ask?" Shi’Enz asked with a frown.
Lydia avoided her eyes "Twice." she said.