Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Is that your new trick? Ha! Do you think that I am still naive one to believe in you?" he asked with a cold laugh that even Theo, who was watching everything from the sidelines, flinched at his cold tone.

"The one who loved you is gone! Now tell me, what were your motives when you met me?" tears started to brim in her eyes again but she held them in.

Even if they would fall, he would only think that it was an act. So what would be the use of explaining it to him?

"If I speak the truth, I may not be able to live anymore." he rolled his eyes at her over dramatic act.

She had said the same words when she had asked him to steal too. That she would not be able to live anymore if she would not pay to those ruffians that were following her and asking for money.

He looked away. It would be a lie if he would say that her tears did not have any effect on him. But he could not let her know that. Because he could never trust her again.

"If that is the case, come with me. We are going to meet Evan and Leo right now." he added when the girl stared at him as if he was joking. As if he had gone crazy and had no idea what he was spouting.

"Why?" he titled his head, "are you not willing to go?" His words were like razors, piercing her where it hurt the most.

"You are not understanding the situation. Are you?" she asked in a frustrated tone as she ran a hand in her hair.

Her face was full of pain but anger was taking place now. She stood up and walked to him.

"If you want everyone to know the truth, then bring them here. Organize a function. Call all the nobles here and so as his majesty.

Call the crown prince and even Adele, they are against his majesty too. They could support you and then the chances that nobles would believe in me will rise.

Only this is the way to bring the truth out. If I go and tell the truth to Leo, it will change nothing. Do you think that he did not know it already?" When she finished, her chest was heaving up and down as if she had been underwater for a long time.

His eyes narrowed and he looked at Theo who was contemplating the same thing and both of them nodded to each other.

"Fine, if that is what you want." he stopped and then smiled, "we are going to celebrate our engagement ceremony." a crude smile formed on his face, surprising her, "isn't that what you wanted?"

"......." she knew that he was only acting, yet her heart fluttered and a deep red color spread over her pale face.

She smiled unconsciously as she nodded.

Ethan sneered, what an act! She was getting better at it every single time.

"So, go and take a spa. Prepare yourself for the big day. I am going to organize everything in a week.'' With that he pressed the bell of the room and soon a few maids entered the room.

"I want you to help the lady in getting a good treatment for her skin and hair. Serve her well and fill her every demand as long as it is related with food and other materialistic things.

But she is not allowed to go out of her room or receive a parchment or nib so that she could write a letter and she was never to leave alone." he said in an authoritative noise.

They have already received such kind of orders for Hannah so many times that it did not surprise them or the girl who was looking at him with dejected eyes.

She was holding her dress tightly in her hands. No! She was not going to give up. Even if it was a fake marriage for now, she was sure to bring colors to it.

She would make him love her again. With that thought she walked out of the room with a smile on her face.

The maids scorned her but she did not care. She reached her room and soon was served with a good meal.

Soon, a girl was brought for her massage by noon.

"My lady, I am here to help you with the blood flow of your body." she said after bowing her head a bit when Hannah nodded.

Her face had turned pale and her body had wilted away after being locked in the room for long. It has been days since she had felt sun on her skin.

"Can you help me in taking off the clothes of the lady?" she asked a maid who came forward. She took Hannah behind the wooden partition so that her dress could be taken off.

The girl was standing there when she felt so many eyes boring a hole in her that she smiled awkwardly.

"Umm, there should not be so many maids when I give her a full body massage, after all, she is the future duchess." said the girl looking shy herself as one maid helped Hannah in taking off her clothes.

"We are not allowed to leave the lady alone due to safety purposes." said all in unison when the girl smiled,

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"If that is the case, then why not you," she pointed at the maid who was taking off clothes of Hannah, "you stay and all of you wait at the door. She will call you if her safety is jeopardized." she asked in a soft voice when they all looked at each other when the girl sighed. Why did it feel like she was in the war?

"I will not be able to do my work under the eyes of so many people. It would not take much time anyway. I will leave as soon as I am done."