"Bring him in, immediately," Duchess Camila ordered, her voice steady despite the tumult of emotions churning within her. The guard nodded and disappeared through the doors, leaving the room suspended in anticipation.
Turning to another guard, she continued, her tone unwavering, "Escribe una carta al Lord Veridan. Dile que el Duque ha regresado." (Write a letter to Lord Veridan. Tell him the Duke is back.)
The guard nodded and immediately darted out of the room to carry out the order. The Duchess, however, remained rooted in place, her normally sharp eyes clouded with a mix of emotions—relief, disbelief, and something that looked dangerously close to fear.
Moments later, the grand doors creaked open, and in walked Duke Ricardo, the man who had been missing for so long. He looked rugged and weary, with a tan complexion that spoke of months spent under the harsh sun, his sharp brown eyes now streaked with lines of age and experience. His dark brown hair was peppered with gray, and his gaze swept over the room with a sense of lost familiarity.
But it wasn't just the Duke who stole the attention of the room. Beside him, holding his hand, was a woman with fiery red hair cascading down her back, pale skin that seemed to glow in the dim light, and piercing green eyes. She looked foreign, unmistakably so, and the room seemed to collectively hold its breath.
Adanna's eyes immediately zeroed in on the woman, an unsettling feeling creeping up her spine. The woman was not from Aeronia—Adanna was sure of it. The people of Aeronia had a distinct look: tanned skin and dark eyes, a result of living under the protective dome that had shielded them from the harshness of the outside world. They had rarely mingled with other nations, so any outsider who had children with an Aeronian would mark their offspring with a scar on their cheek, symbolizing the mix of Aeronian and foreign blood. This woman, however, bore no such mark. She had no ties to Aeronia.
The Duchess's face remained emotionless as she watched the pair walk toward her. She took a single step forward, breaking the tense silence, and addressed her guards in Spanish, "Por favor, lleven a las damas a sus habitaciones." (Please take the ladies to their chambers)
The guards snapped to attention and began escorting the ladies out of the hall, their movements brisk and calculated. Serena glanced at Adanna with wide eyes, but neither spoke. They both knew something was terribly wrong.
As the guards urged the ladies toward their chambers, the Duchess moved toward Duke Ricardo, her once firm steps now faltering slightly. She stopped in front of him, her face a mixture of hope and disbelief. "Ricardo," she whispered, her voice cracking despite her best efforts to appear strong.
The Duke, however, simply stared at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. His lips parted, and the words that tumbled out of his mouth shattered the room.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low and filled with genuine bewilderment.
Everyone froze. The Duchess froze, her face paling as the reality of the situation hit her. Her own husband—her missing husband—did not recognize her.
The woman beside him, the redhead with the sharp green eyes, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Duchess Camila," she began, her voice smooth but measured. "My name is Olimpia, I found your husband months ago in the Aeronian Mountains. He had lost his memory. He has been with me ever since, recovering, but recently he started saying your name—'Duchess Camila'—so I brought him back here."
The Duchess's eyes snapped Olimpia suspicion quickly replacing the shock. "What did you do to him?" she demanded, her voice low and dangerous. The room was a tableau of shock and confusion, but the tension between the two women was palpable.
Olimpia met the Duchess's gaze without flinching. "Duchess, I assure you, I did nothing to him. I found him lost and without any memory of his life before. He stayed with me until he started speaking of you."
Duchess Camila turned toward Ricardo, her eyes searching his face for any sign of recognition. But his expression remained blank, confused. It was as if he were staring at a stranger.
The Duchess's eyes filled with a mixture of rage and sorrow, but she maintained her composure, nodding to Olimpia. "Gracias for bringing him back," she said coldly. "The guards will escort you out of the estate, and you will be rewarded for your efforts."
As two guards stepped forward to take Olimpia away, Duke Ricardo's expression changed in an instant. His hand tightened around Olimpia's, and his voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
"No!" he shouted, causing the entire room to freeze once again. His brown eyes flashed with panic as he stepped forward, putting himself between the guards and Olimpa. "She stays."
The Duchess's composure cracked. She turned to face her husband fully, her voice trembling, "Ricardo, I am your wife. This is your home. Ella no pertenece aquí". (She does not belong here.)
But the Duke's expression remained firm, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that silenced everyone in the room. "I do not know you," he said, his words cold and final. "I refuse to stay here without her."
The Duchess took a step back, visibly shaken. Her lips trembled as she tried to find words, but none came. The room was thick with silence, the weight of the Duke's words pressing down on everyone present.
Adanna and Serena exchanged worried glances. How could the Duke, after all this time, return with no memory of his wife? And who was this mysterious woman, Olimpia, who seemed to have such a hold on him?
The Duchess, realizing she had lost control of the situation, finally turned to her guards, her voice quiet but filled with defeat. "Everyone Out!"
As the guards moved to escort the ladies out of the hall, whispers of shock and conspiracy rippled through the group. One thought lingered in Adanna's mind more than the rest: What had truly happened to Duke Ricardo?
And more importantly, who was the woman who had returned with him?