Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"If you continued to look at me like that, I would think that you have fallen for me, my lady!"

".............." his words rang like a siren in his heart that she was not even able to reply at all. Her heart that was already beating fast started running a marathon suddenly and she felt she was going to faint any moment as the words continued to echo in her heart.

The man who was waiting for a snort and straight denial blinked when he saw the peculiar reactions on her face.

Her face turned red and she had lowered her fierce eyes. 

???? question marks started to form in his mind. The more he stared at her, the more he felt that he had accidentally blurted out the truth! But how could this be possible? 

No matter how much the girl had helped her. His grip on her hands tightened as the thought crossed his mind. It felt like he would only stop when they would be broken yet he did not notice it as he entered into a trance looking at her.

The pain brought the lost girl back to her senses and she winced.

Finally realized that she had not replied to his questions, she swallowed her saliva and closed her eyes. But when she raised them back and stared at her, only humor filled them.

"Hahaha.. Oh my! Hahah!" she laughed hard as if she could not get over the joke when he blinked again. 

His brows knitted and a look of bewilderment passed his eyes.

"Evelyn!" he did not want to be called from the persons who had taken advantage of the emotions of a woman to get her help. If she had been developing feelings for him, he must leave from here!

"I am sorry, did I scare you? I just wanted to extend the joke  but who would have thought that you take it seriously!" she held her stomach as she spoke in between her laughter.

"......" he stared hard at her face as if he was trying to make sure which reaction was true and did not reply for a long time.

"Oh my!" Evelyn wiped the tears welling in her eyes and shook her head.

"Looked like I had finally stumped the prince for words. Your expressions are remarkable!" she gazed at his face and then shook her head again.

"Was my expression so real? I think I could be a good actor in the theater by your looks!" Finally the man who was staring at her face with a cold and numb look on his face blinked again.

All the clenched nerves of his body started to relax and he closed his eyes and pinched the space between his eyes.

"What kind of joke was that? Did you even know the consequences of those words? I am the runaway prince of another empire and you are the daughter of the duke.

Either it would end up in war or we would have to run away from our empires and shame our families for a lifetime!" her face turned cold as she heard his words and with a jerk took away her hands from his grip.

"You are the one who spoke those words. And if you are aware of the results that the incident could bring, then you must be aware of the consequences if you were found here?" her eyes widened and she immediately regretted the words that had left her mouth.

But there was no way to turn back the time even if she wanted, she could not tell him that she did not mean it!

A wary smile formed on his face that was filled with mockery.

"You are right! I have been so selfish that I forgot about the consequences of my actions on others. When you passed the warmth, I started to bask in it as if it belonged to me.

But your words showed me the reality." he looked away and took a breath with closed eyes as Eve parted her lips and closed them a few times but not a single word came out.

"You are right! It is time that I should leave before your brother becomes entangled in this issue!" he turned to look back at her when she controlled her emotions and made a blank and cold face again, yet her eyes were filled with the fear and trepidation.

"Thank you everyone Evelyn, but now I should leave!" it felt like her heart was stabbed by his words, but she did not let a single emotion come out as she nodded her head.

"I am sorry for asking you to leave this way!" 'and hurting you! I know that my words have stabbed you too!' 

"Don't be sorry! You are the only one who had shown me warmth, and like a fool i thought, i could have it for longer time." he shook his head and then chuckled too.

"You know I found out about the ship a week ago. The gold you have given me to buy a blanket to survive in the cold woods, I have used it as an advance payment to take me between the cargoes! Yet I was not able  to muster the courage to leave this place!

But your words opened my eyes and I realized how foolish I was being! If I leave now, I will still get the chance to be on the last ship!" her eyes filled with another wave of tears, but she held them in and nodded her head.

She knew that it was the only right thing to do! 

"That.. that would be the best! I hope that you get successful in running away! For that keep this seal and use it when required!"

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