Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Come on, ask me what do you need?" more than the need to reply to her, Leo was curious as to what had made her hesitant. From the time she had asked for taking a tour of the estate to riding a horse, she had always been vocal about her desires!

"I.. there is nothing my lord! I just wanted to go and have some rest before doing other tasks!" she gulped the lump formed in her throat and turned to leave hastily from there. But the residences on her cheeks were evident.

Was she embarrassed? 

His eyes darkened when she lied. It was written all over her face that she was worried over something. But he did not stop her again looking at her flushed cheeks and wishing to run away from there.

Her red face and tempting eyes from the last night flashed past his eyes and his hands instinctively moved to his lips.

"My lord, the witnesses are sent for recording. Shall I send the maids to the prison too?" asked the aid respectfully once he returned back and bowed his head. Leo's eyes turned cold again when he thought about the incident again. 

If she did not have strong will then he would have already crossed his limits! Then would he ever be able to look into her eyes!

"Yes! Keep them in until they realise the results of betraying Thawyne family." his icy voice was full of ferocity that even the aide trembled.

"My lord, what about Lady Aurora? We can not keep her in there for five years!" She was not only a noble but the niece of the matriarch. If she would be punished so harshly. The family would have rifts!

"Why not! Her crimes had been proven in front of everyone. If we leave her now, wouldn't it leave an impression that the Thawyne family was easy to mess with? Let her stay there. I will handle it if anything happens!" the aid could only not at his authoritative tone. He did not know how to explain further so he gave up.

"Yes, my lord. Then shall I do the preparation for us going to the training ground?" He seriously wanted a break from the family drama and to go for training. 

A good spar would make him feel better far away from the ladies at home. His eyes filled with anticipation of running away from the house.

"Yes, arrange a carriage for today. Lady Evangeline would go with us too!" 

"........" he wanted to retort and complain but when he looked at his cold face and royal aura, he did not have the courage to do so. So, all he could do was nod and leave to arrange a carriage while wondering, should he take a leave for today and go rest at his home.

When the aid left again, Leo walked away from the seat of the head but instead of going out of the room, he walked towards the aunt who was sitting there in a lost manner.

"Do you want to say anything about the matter?" he asked in a blank voice. His emotions were unreadable when he looked at her with his deep and soulless eyes.

But she had already had enough, if he was here to receive an apology for her then he was so wrong! She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she replied, "I know that Aurora's methods were wrong. That was why I did not support her when she pleaded with me a while ago! But she did all this because she loves you. 

She must have been afraid that you would choose a commoner over her! It's just that she had made the wrong decision due to her impulsiveness. You were going to get married so having an aphrodisiac is…"

He had thought that she understood that Aurora was a vicious woman that was why he did not press her to apologize to Evan. he had thought that she would do it later by herself. But when he heard that she was still trying to defend Aurora, his whole demeanor turned frosty as if he would freeze the whole place to death.

He took out the parchment from his coat and flung the parchments in front of his aunt with a cold face.

Gabriella, who was busy speaking, was stunned by his sudden action. It took her sometime when she finally came back to her senses and looked down at the parchments that had been thrown towards her. Her red eyes shrunk further and a streak of guilt passed through her eyes which she did not even try to hide this time.

"What do you want to say while showing this kind of impolite behavior towards me?" she asked as she finally raised her head back and looked at the man with same cold eyes that he had.

"The drugs were so effective that its bigger dose could have affected the brain and lungs of the consumer. She did not even care about my safety when she tried to feed me the drugs. Do you still think that she loves me?" he tilted his head and a scold mocking laugh formed on his face. The atmosphere became somber. 

Gabriella opened the document and read the details of the document. How Aurora had tried to instigate the other knights in the training ground against Evangeline. How she had paid for stealing earrings from her room and how she had even mixed a bit of poisonous herbs in the drugs to make sure they are the most effective one while Evan was the one who had drank the whole glass to protect Leo from the trouble.

Her hands trembled as she continued to read the parchments but not a single word came out from her parted lips. But her shrunk pupils and white face told that she was shocked and ashamed.

"Do you think Evangeline's background is not worth us even after looking at the jewels she had?"