Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Of course, this shirt is nothing costly, just 500 gold coins would do!" 

She froze when she heard him! "Five.. five hundred gold coins?" she would have expected it if that would have been the dress of a woman that was sewn of gold. But how could the shirt of a man be this expensive!

"Yes! This is a custom made shirt that was made especially by the best boutique of the empire and it was imported from the capital for me! 

So all the transportation costs are the price of the shirt!"

She didn't know how the transportation worked but all she could do was gulp when she thought about it. If she had to pay that much then she would not have a penny left when she would leave after a week.

How would she survive then! Had she done all that hard work just to pay the price of a shirt!

"Not to forget that you have drunk two bottles of the best vintage wine of my father's collection.

If he came to know that you are leaving, he might ask for your price too.

It is nothing much, just 300 gold coins each!" she shrugged his shoulders as an evil smile formed on his face when he looked at her pitiful face.

He knew that she would rather die out of a heart attack but would not cough out so much money.

"But there are other ways to compensate if you do not have money!" he muttered and she raised her head with her wet doe like eyes as if she had finally found a ray of light in the dark hole.

"And what is that?" even if he would ask her to make a few more finley or cook a few more times then she would gladly do that. But she was not going to cough out so much money as he asked for.

"Hmm, Arden had taken leave last night. He is not going to come for the next few days.

Work as my aide for the whole week and then we are even!" he asked as he stood up and she nodded without a thought. 

Being his aide would only mean that she had to stand behind him all day and help in making a few files. What was such a big deal in it?

If that could save her a fortune, she would gladly do. Her animated eyes shone like a vixen who had tricked others.

But she hid it well when she realized that he was looking at her and nodded with a straight face, 

"Alright then! I will be your aide for this whole week and then we will part our ways and you return me all the gold coins you have promised!" he nodded his head and forwarded his hand for a shake like a true businessman.

She cleared her throat and shook his hand with an audible relief. She was never behind when it came to expressing her feelings, it was always evident on her face, either she was cursing him or dancing with joy in her heart.

How could someone be so naive and shrewd at the same time? He had failed to understand as he shook his head.

"Very wll, then I will give you half an hour. Get ready and have your meals so that we can leave on time." he instructed and she frowned.

She was still feeling like she had run a marathon the whole night as her whole body was aching and her head was bursting. She even felt the tremor in her stomach as if she was going to throw up any moment. 

How would she be able to work all day in this condition? Had he not drunk too? She looked up at him from tip to toe trying to find any sign of uneasiness.

Though he was standing there upright, there were dark circles down her eyes and her lips were looking strained too.

She could see that he was tired and had not slept well last night yet he wanted to leave so early. Would he listen to her if she tried to persuade him!

With that thought, she raked her brain, trying to find the best words that could convince him when she heard him first, 

"28 minutes, that is! And do not demand lunch break until noon if you missed your breakfast!" 

"....."

"27!" Why was he so keen about time? He must have been watching in his past life! May god give you a wife that would be slower than the sloth.

She muttered under her breath as she looked at him with an aggrieved gaze!

"25 minutes. If you have done cursing me and thinking that kind of wife I would get you better go and get ready!" he replied nonchalantly as he buttoned his shirt and passed her a knowing gaze.

"..." 'how did he know that!' her jaws almost hit the floor when she heard him. She said that last night too!

Dead! She was going to die by the pressure of his gaze if she did not leave from there.

"30 minutes it was. I will be near the carriage in the next thirty minutes!" she replied in her best tone as she held her dress in her hands and looked at him with a calm face and bowed.

Just as he nodded, she held the dress and ran from there for her life.

Just as she ran towards the door, she looked at the door and remembered why she was passing through this ordeal in the first place.

"But my lord, the door is locked!" she replied in a soft tone as she added, "the time would only start when the door would be unlocked!" 

"Hmm, I forgot about that. Why don't you try it again and see if it is still locked or not?" he asked as he looked away for her eyes too clear for him to look into and lie.

[this is the link of my server https://discord.gg/Ja7wMxAPEa]