Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Siege? Did he even have enough army and funds for it?" Andrew could not believe that they were threatened like that. What powers would the royal family have if they could be threatened like that?

He did not know whether to be happy that his father was going to suffer or cry at the love of father and daughter.

"And why is he so sure that I have taken you? Did Evangeline open her mouth?" He added , fuming, he should have known why she would support him when she always glared at him as if he was his enemy from another world.

"But it is good, since your father knows that you are with me, you can not marry someone else or break our marriage." falling back on the bed, he leaned his head on his left hand and already started imagining their marriage ceremony.

"God! What are you here daydreaming for? Quickly go and open the door and bring my clothes!

Do you want a war to be announced?" she pushed him away from the bed only for him to look at her with an aggrieved look on his face.

"Whenever it comes to your family, l becomes secondary! Ha! You are even pushing me now. Are you discarding me after using me fully?" she could not believe that he was acting like that.

He was looking no less than an abandoned dog. Behaving like that? Did it even suit the crown prince, the future emperor of the empire.

"Do not try to act like that! I will make sure to torment you more in bed once we become husband and wife if you do not mend your ways." he stood up and glared at her with an aggrieved look on his face as he stomped his feet and walked towards the bed.

Eli blinked and then shook her head at his behavior but deep in her heart, she knew that he was trying to make her feel better. From the corner of her eyes, she started at the file again.

Should she accept it? It would be a lie if she would say the offer was not tempting. For it, she did not need to leave Andrew and have a happy life with him.

But how far they could go when their base would be on lies!

"Here, get ready, there is a carriage outside waiting for you." she noticed that it was not a new dress but hers. She had brought this dress last month when Leo was going to get married.

"Evan!" she was the one who had planned all this. She was sure Eve would be part too or she would not have executed the plan so perfectly.

Eli picked up the dress and changed her clothes and tidied up her hair a bit.

When she came out, Andrew was already waiting for him, fully clad in a new pair of clothes.

He raised his head and smiled as he stood up from the sofa and walked towards her.

He leaned and kissed on her forehead tenderly, "you know it is hard to say goodbye. Hope you will find a way to meet me soon. And.. consider what i have said." he slowly passed the file to her again and she sighed.

Though she did not want to, she knew there was no other choice. She had to accept the offer.

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"I will think about it!" she whispered, inhaling his scent. She never realized how calming it was! If only she had known, she would have laid her head on his shoulder all this while.

"Mmm, now go before I change my decision and kidnap you for forever." he muttered in a pained voice.

She wanted to tell him that please do so. She did not want to return to the world where she was tired of standing erect all the time.

She wanted to lean on his shoulder and rest but she nodded her head instead.

She raised her head and gazed at him as if she was trying to ingrain his feature to her heart.

She turned and leave without turning back as she knew, if she would turn back, she would lose her will to leave.

Walking into the carriage, she leaned to the window and closed her eyes. How much life had changed in the past twenty four hours. She did not know why but she felt a strong void forming in her heart, a certain emptiness that she could not get rid of.

"My lady, the lord had asked me prepare these medicines if you still feel tired.'' The maid that was sitting in the carriage to serve her, passed her a small cup of water that was brown in color.

She took the cup from her but just as she brought it closer to her mouth, she felt a nauseating feeling. And just when she was about to deny it, she saw an evil glint in the woman's eyes and her eyes narrowed.

Just then the carriage shook a bit and Eli intentionally spilled the medicine on the clothes of the maid who had a pale look on her face but soon she covered it with an amiable smile.

"Ah, it is alright. The road was bumpy. I will prepare another set of medicine for you, my lady.'' Without waiting for her reply, she took out another powder from a small bag and mixed it in the hot water and passed it to Eli.

"I think I am feeling better now. So, i do not need it." the way the maid was looking anxious to feed that powder to her, Eli was sure that it was not a simple medicine.

"Oh, my lady. It is not much but some simple supplements to make you feel better. You can take it even if you are not sick.'' She tried her best to assure me that the sweat forming on her face was telling a different story.

"If that is the case, then why not take them. You are looking pale and sick."