24 Wore Her Heart On Her Face!

"Because I can do a better job than you." She bit her tongue hard. She was so immersed in her emotions that she forgot about his scrutinizing gaze.

"Are we having a competition now?" his gaze deepened as he felt the uneasiness of her face as if she was trying to hide something.

Ana is from those rare people who wore their heart on their faces. It was not hard to know something was going on with her but the more he tried to understand it, he failed.

"No! I only want him to take things easy. Your conditions were different, his conditions are different. He did not need to rush his childhood." she defended when Garrison gave a gaze to Rowan who was staring at her dumb stuck. But the moment he felt the gaze of his father, he glared back at Garrison with equal ferocity in his eyes.

Feeling the coldness of the gaze of Garrison, Ana turned to assure the child when Garrison raised a brow. The boy who was giving him an eye started trembling and his lips puffed up as if he was suffering from grievance.

"Why are you scaring a child? As an adult you should reply to me if you have any problem with my decision." she stood in front of Rowan as she glared back at Garrison who started coughing suddenly.

She was sure that he had lost his mind and did not waste her time in talking to him anymore.

"Rowan.. Are you hungry dear?" The boy looked up at her with a meek face as he nodded his head. "Then come.. You do not need to worry about anything other than eating a lot and taking a rest." her gaze softened so much as if she was a completely different person when talking to the child.

She held his hands and dragged him away from Garrison who was suddenly ignored and treated like a burden.

Greta who watched the scene could not bear it anymore.

"Your highness, the lady is rude and brazen. She is not fit to be the duchess. And the way she is trying to show her powers, I am afraid that she is trying to control lord Rowan and the duchy completely. I do not think that she would be a good choice for the palace." Garrison's gaze deepened.

"Why? Should a duchess not be taking authority over her office or a mother should not take care of her child?" he asked back as if he was amused by her complaints.

"......."

"Do not cross your limits next time! I have already bore enough because of your husband, but next time I would not be that patient with you." he warned as he walked away where Ana had gone with Rowan leaving the fuming woman alone.

The face of Greta was read and purple with anger. She could not believe that she had been questioned twice and even her respect was questioned by the duke. It had never happened in the past even when the deceased duchess was alive. She had always been revered and respected.

"That bitch!" she gritted her teeth as her nails dug deeper into her skin with utter hatred in her eyes.

It took her a few seconds to get her composure back and follow them back to the diner table.

When she reached, Rowan was sitting on the left of the woman who was sitting on the seat of the head while Garrison was standing on the other side. Both of them again glaring at each other.

"What brought you in, your highness. I am sure that your chef has prepared a better and more fascinating meal for you." she was blatantly asking him to leave from his own palace as if she owned this chamber. Greta could not believe that the duke was going to bear such an insult but reality was in front of her.

Garry only smiled as if he was dealing with a tough child.

"I know but as a host, I did not want to be rude by leaving you alone when it is your first dinner here." He sat on the opposite side of the table at the last seat but for some reason, it felt completely opposite with his strong authoritative aura.

Even when his voice was calm and his face did not show any of his emotion. His daunting eyes and authoritative look on his face showed that he was the ruler here.

The maids bowed their heads and started to serve meals to him when Ana kept staring at him. For a second, she found herself in a dazed state. He was as majestic as she remembered him. He had that look, that smile that could captivate anyone and she was no different.

But he was not what the eyes met. She swallowed a curse as she reminded himself that he was an enemy. He was not like he was showing and all this chivalry was a facade of his cold and cruel reality.

She watched as the maid served the largest piece of desert to him even when he was not going to eat it.

"Shouldn't a child be served with a larger piece of dessert?" she clicks her tongue only when she had said her thought aloud when his hands paused.

He looked at the piece of food in his plate and then at the plate of Rowan and truth to be told, he could not find any difference.

Even Rowan looked at both plates again and again and felt a loss of words.

"Cough.. I mean, you did not even like sweets while Rowan is a growing up child. He should have more cream and fruits." she felt heat rising to her skin when she felt the dumb faces of both of them.

"Ana.." the word rolled out rather seductively from his mouth that she held the fork tightly, "I am sure we have sufficient food to be served to all of us and Rowan and you can get as many servings as you want. But if you still want this, then.. Why don't you come here and take it."