Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Andrew was leaning on his leather chair with his eyes closed. His face was formed into a frown. The dim lights into the room made his face look grim.

When he heard the sound of opening the door, his eyes opened lazily. When he saw a figure of the girl entering in, his eyes flickered. He had expected Eli to be here but not that early. All the fatigue and rage left his body and he stood alert to welcome her only to see that it was Adel not Eli.

The frost in his eyes that had started to melt came back with a cold blizzard as he stared at the girl who was entering stealthily.

When Adel felt his furious eyes staring at her, she gulped. His eyes were so red as if all the blood vessels of his eyes broke. She took a step back but then clenched her hands and braced herself to take a step towards him.

"Your highness, I thought you are taking a rest. Did I disturb you?" she fluttered her big eyes and looked at him with glassy eyes. But he did not even look at her. Giving her a glance, he closed his eyes as if she was not even present there.

Feeling indignant, her expressions turned pale, but she soon brought the smile back on her face. Walking closer to the table, she adjusted all the flowers on the vase and then sat on the table on his opposite side. 

To show that she was not sitting in vain, if someone came suddenly, she picked up a parchment and started reading when he opened his eyes again and frowned.

"What are you doing here?" his voice was icy cold as he looked at the parchment in her hands.

"Andrew, I.." just the name left her lips, he raised his head again and looked at her with an indifferent gaze that was full of warning.

She hurriedly corrected herself, "your highness, his majesty had asked me to see if you are fine. But I know that you did not need any disturbance, so I will just sit here for a while and leave after that.

I promise I will not say a word to disturb you."  she only heaved a sigh of relief when he looked back at his papers and ignored her again. She knew that he was not immuned to her charms yet she could not stop but admired him. 

Even after being in the royalty, he was a hardworking one and so talented. He had all, looks, wisdom and skills. She could not help but feel mesmerised every time she looked at him.

A sense of admiration appeared in her eyes. Since this could not be easily detected, it also was never revealed to the world at the same time. He was the reason she had even accepted to be called a traitor by her own family.

She tried her best to prove to him that she was not meek and frail like other pampered princesses. She was qualified enough to fulfil the duties of the empress. She would be perfectly compatible with him yet he was not ready to forget that icy queen whom no one liked!

She held the parchment tightly in her hands that it tore due to the pressure she used.

"Aah.. what are you doing Andrew!" she came back to her senses when she felt a sharp pain on her hands. Her eyes welled up with tears but when she raised her eyes and glared at him, she was stunned to see his face.

He was looking no less than a demon that had come from hell to take her soul. 

"I.." he snatched the papers from her hands that had already been torn a bit from the corner and scanned them to check how much damage had been done when she realised why he was so furious.

"I apologise that I did not notice. I.. i will copy the information on new parchments for you.'' She offered to hide the tears in her eyes but he did not respond.

"Are you done. You can leave now!" came the chilly voice that she shuddered. She nodded as she bowed her head a bit and stood up. Wiping the tears in her eyes, she turned to leave but then she remembered that Eli might be sitting on the door. 

No! She could not show her pathetic state to her or else she would be a laughing stock. But then a thought came to her mind and her eyes filled with evil glint.

She looked at the red mark on her wrist and then held the corner of her sleeves and tore it with full force and moved her fingers on her lips with force. Instead of going out, she continued to stand there for a few minutes, while keeping her eyes on every action of Andrew who was busy looking at the papers.

When she finally saw him moving, she panicked and hurriedly opened the door. Her face was looking full of bewilderment and embarrassment. Her cheeks were flushed and she was trying to hide her hands behind her back with a flustered look on her face.

A gasp released her lips and her eyes widened when she saw Eli and other maids who were looking at her worriedly and tried to hide her hand again but it was too late. Many noticed her torn sleeve and the red mark on it and her smudged lipstick. She covered her lips and then her hands and then shook her head and tried to turn back as if she was running away from their questions.

"My lady, are you okay? Do you need any help?" asked the maids with concern as they looked at her red eyes. Everyone of them had heard her scream just a while ago and on pins and needles since then.

"No! No! His highness did not force himself on me. I just injured myself accidentally."

"........."