Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"No! It would be too late, by then!" a frown formed on the face of Eli staring at the glare of her father.

She knew better than anyone that he was going berserk because he panicked. But she failed to understand why her father was panicking in the first place now that Evan is found.

He was not a man who cared so much about his social image. Though the ruined marriage would bring a lot of negative influence on them but since then he was more concerned about that than the condition of Evan.

"But father, brother are nowhere to be found and Evangeline is still unconscious." she reasoned but her father only stared at her with a stern look.

"Did you not hear the physician, she would come back to her consciousness, any moment. Bring me a glass of water!

And you!" he started at all the knights who trembled with fear,

"Go and find Leo this instant!" They all saluted their master and ran from there in different directions to find him.

Eve pursed her lips as she knew her father never behave irrationally. If he was forcing so much on the marriage, then he must have his own reasons.

"Let me go and call the priest back!" Eli nodded as Eve left hurriedly while she continued to stare at her father, whose eyes were filling with worry.

Soon the knight brought water and William took a few drops in his hands and splashed it on Evan's face.

Her face contorted her and her body twitched for a few seconds. When he splashed the water again, her eyes fluttered a few times before opening properly.

"Are you okay, child!" he patted her hair and stared at her with concern, that Evan bowed her head as her eyes filled with guilt.

"I.. I am fine. What happened. Why is everyone connected around me like this?" coming back to her role, she had to follow the scene and present her lines well as she was taught.

A look of bewilderment filled her eyes as she scanned the crowd standing around her with worried faces.

They all were staring at her and then whispering in each other's ear as if they were looking at something worth pity for!

"Did you remember how you fainted, Evangeline?" Evan turned to see ELi who was still calm and collected and asking rationally.

She had to behave well to deceive her or else she would soon catch her lies. It would be best if she would say only a few needed words.

"I did not remember much! I only remember lady Olivia coming to my room. She was looking enraged and told me that I should not marry Leo.

Best

He is not a noble, and when I asked her to leave she laughed like she had gone crazy and then attacked me.

But I did not feel any pain. I only felt heavy and then my eyes closed." she held her dress tightly in her hands as she trembled a bit when the scenes flashed past her eyes.

"But I remember Olivia was in the hall when I ran to find you and she was there when I came back. Then how could she be with you?" see! She knew they should have told Eli the truth and took her to their side.

She was too sharp to be fooled.

"But what if it was her trick! She had hid her somewhere and came back to the hall to show everyone that she was there when Evan disappeared!

After all, the knights had only found her with Olivia too!"

"But!" Eli still looked unconvinced as she stared hard at Evan. She did not know why but whenever she stared at the flickering eyes of Evan, she felt like Evan was hiding something.

Though it was absurd to doubt the victim yet her gut feeling was telling that Olivia was not the culprit and they had found her too easily.

As if the culprit wants them to find her. Or else why would Olivia bring her out when she had been successful in hiding Evan so far.

"But what, Eli? Why are you trying to protect Olivia?" she was stunned to hear the cold voice of her father that was targeted on her this time.

She felt like her father was blaming her for everything. And before she could say anything, her father turned to look at Evan who was still trembling a bit.

"You did not need to worry, child. I will find the culprit and punish her well.

You are safe now. Here, have this" he gave another glass of water to Evan who tried to smile but her face only looked uglier yet she thanked duke in the low voice as she drank the water hiding her face.

She felt guiltier when Eli was scolded because of her lies.

"Are you fine if we proceed to the ceremonies after a few minutes? It would be ominous to cancel the marriage.

I did not want to bring bad luck to my house!" Though the reason was perfect and every presented noble agreed to it that canceling marriage was a sin and it was said that God became angry at the family who did that.

But those words coming out of the mouth of the duke who was a rational person and did not believe in many superstitions was surprising for every present person.

But they all thought that the man was just being worried for their kids so they all agreed to him.

Evan knew that if she would deny, she would only bring more suspicions, so she nodded her head lightly.

"I am fine, father. You do not need to worry about me." With a sigh of relief, the duke patted her shoulders again.

"Then prepare for the marriage." Just as the guests started to sit again and the knights tried to control the chaos and maintain discipline again, Eli returned back.

"Father, the priest had gone for his prayers. He said he would not be able to return for the next few hours!" a frown formed on the face of the duke.

"We are in church. How could we not find a priest? If this one is busy in his prayers, ask for another one! There must be many!" even Eve is confused about it but that was told to her when she went to call for the priest.

Except for a few disciples there was not a single priest available in the room of prayers.

How could they all go to offer their prayers to God at the same time. This was only done in the period of calamities to ask God's grace.

But she didn't know how to explain this to her father. She felt like someone was intentionally trying to ruin the marriage.

Just when she was struggling for the right words, the knights came back running with pale faces. They looked like they had seen ghosts.

"My lord, my lord, young master is not in the church. He had left the church to find the lady. A knight said that he had received a letter about the whereabouts of the lady and left immediately."