Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

The thought of him leaving everything for her was enough to create havoc in her heart. She felt in a daze and only came out of it after some time.

She looked around only to see that Leo was already sitting on the table and writing letters. She felt a bit guilty for throwing tantrums and behaving like a brat when he was worried.

She moved closer only to see him writing letters asking for help from the other nobles and bit her lips. She suddenly felt that her chest was getting tightened and that she could not breathe.

"That.. if i can help.." the whirlpool that was forming in his eyes only turned into a typhoon listening to her words. Could a mere commoner be able to help him? But here she was offering her that she could do so, just like all the impossible things she had done.

But when he raised his hand and looked at her, it was calm.

"How can you help me?" he asked in a curious tone as he raised his brow and she pursued her lips.

"That.. I am not sure, but I do know a few farmers. They grow their own crops and I even helped them when needed. I even taught their children. So, how about I go and ask them if they have crops available for sale.

They often sell all their grains to big traders who sell them to nobles and rich persons! What if we go there and check.." her voice was low and conflicted.

She had come from a small place and she was not sure if he would be interested in going there. But she was sure that a few of them never sold their crops until the end, hoping to get a good deal!

His hands that were writing the letter halted for a second. The solution she was talking about was not possible since the farmers had suffered drought too, but to go with her to her town and see what reactions others had while looking at her was something he was curious to see!

Though he had gone to her house in the middle of the night, and even sent his knights to ask about her, he did not get any proper answer from them. As if they did not know whom he was talking about!

It always made him scrutinize more about her.

"If you do not want to come, you can send a knight with me. I will go and ask them and if there would be any positive answer, he can come and inform you so that you can sign the deal." she replied in a haste so that he did not reject the offer.

When he turned silent, she felt like he was not interested in going to a small town where the services would not be proper.

Yet she wanted to help him as his family had helped her in every condition. She looked at him with anticipating eyes when he did not reply but her eyes turned dim when he shook his head.

"That would not be needed." She had expected that he would not like to go with her to a shabby town but she had not expected that he would deny straightforwardly.

But then was she the one who could easily let go!

"Why not?! Is there something wrong with going to a small town? Even i belong to a small town. What was wrong with that?" she glared at the man, forgetting for a second that she was scared of him just a while ago. 

He raised a brow and replied, "that would not be nodded because I am coming with you." 

"And my town…" she stopped abruptly in her speech and looked at him with enlarged eyes.

"You mean?" she looked stunned at his sudden acceptance and blinked her eyes to make sure that she was not having an illusion.

It hardly happened that the girl that spoke faster than his horse had dumbfounded expressions on her face. Or else it was hard to make her silent a few times,

"Why? You didn't want me to come with you?" he asked as he tilted his head, controlling the smirk that was forming on his face looking at her face.

"No! Of course, not! It would be my honor if I would be of any use to you. And I would love to show you my house even if it was from afar and then the kids.. I am sure they would dance with joy when they saw me and…" her eyes shone with delight as she continued to blabber about her town. Her whole face was bloomed with joy and he was sure that he had never been this delighted even when he returned from war to the palace.

That made him realize how much she missed the place where she had grown up! She even forgot for a second the reason for going there!

Was that the reason that she always thought of leaving him and the palace and returning to her life. That made him more interested in visiting the places she was describing,

"Mm, it would be good to visit there." he replied unconsciously and only then did she realize that she was lost in blabbering again.

Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Here he was so busy and disturbed, yet she was trying to indulge him in the foolish conversation of hers! 

She nodded with her flushed cheeks, and replied, "then, i shall go and ask the knight to ready a carriage for us." with that she ran out of the room with hasty steps and only took a breath of relief when she was at quite a distance from the room that she failed to notice the warm smile that had crept up to his lips looking at her disappearing figure.

His hands suddenly itched to pinch her cheeks as they turned rosy due to the embarrassment, 

"Silly girl!"