The Duke's Passion

The anxious beating of my heart resonated in my ear as the prolonged silence continued, heightening everyone's shock and puzzlement. What was going on? Why would Sir Rufus kneel before that lunatic? And… did he just call him Samael?

Samael… I heard that name before. That was the name of the regal Duke of Grimsbanne. The Duke who was in his slumber for centuries. He was the person who had established the land I'm standing on today.

Did Sir Rufus just say this silver-haired lunatic, the man who claimed me as his reserved meal, was the same Lord Samael?

Impossible…

"Rufus, your way of welcoming my return is somehow aggravating. How dare you barge in here and steal that fickle-hearted, silly, little girl's attention from me?" Samael asked, glancing at me menacingly.

"Please forgive my insolence, Your Grace. However, since your disappearance last night and today's event, I had to confirm if you have truly awoken from your slumber or someone had dared moved your body somewhere else." Rufus explained in a polite tone.

No, this can't be happening, I told myself. This… that man… he couldn't… I was merely half successful in convincing myself that this wasn't real when all the knights suddenly bent down on their knees, their fists across their chests.

"Pardon our rudeness, Your grace. I was incapable of recognizing his lordship and let my mouth and stepped out of my bounds. Please, punish me accordingly!" The knight who was shouting earlier apologized.

"Oh, yes," Samael intoned. I flinched when he added, "Punish accordingly… slit your throat, it might lift my mood."

Slit their throats just to uplift his mood? Was he that cruel, just as what I had heard? His eyes fell on me, offering me a bright smile.

"Except you, silly," He reassured, mistaking my pale complexion as fear for slitting my own throat. That's not why I'm trembling right now! How could he misunderstand that? 

"As you wish, your grace." the knight unsheathed their sword, placing it on their neck while gritting their teeth, preparing for that one swift cut. But before they could, Lord Rufus intervened.

"Please forgive their insolence just this once, your grace. As you know, they're new and inexperienced and haven't seen your grace during this entire time. I will definitely discipline them so nothing like this will happen again."

"Rufus, you're asking the wrong person for mercy." Samael clicked his tongue, annoyed. "But just this once, because I, the hardworking husband, just cleaned this place."

I noticed Rufus furrowed his brows, but only said, "Thank you, your grace. We shall take our leave." He expressed before he slowly stood up and cast his knights a quick look. The knights instantly understood what that look meant and swiftly nodded, taking their leave almost soundlessly.

"Goodbye, Rufus." Samael waved nonchalantly, before casting me a looked and smiled. "Shall we eat?" he asked, cupping his cheek as if nothing happened.

His question, though, made my heart convulsed. Shall we eat? Me? Eating at the same table as the lord? Where would I muster the courage?!

"Your Grace, before I leave, may I ask if you will return to the manor tonight?" I flinched when I heard Rufus. I thought he already left! 

"A lot had happened while you're in your slumber and it needs immediate…"

"No," Samael answered, and my heart sank. He didn't even give me the slightest hope to think he'd be gone now.

"But, My Lord —"

"Rufus, I've seen Grimsbanne and I can instantly tell it's not what it used to be," he said in the same disinterested tone.

"Then, the more reason we should discuss the current state of affairs," Rufus replied, annoyed.

"Why?"

Momentarily, Rufus was rendered speechless. Who wouldn't? Even I was dumbfounded at Duke's idleness. 

"My Lord," he all but whined.

"Grimsbanne is in your hands now." Samael shrugged nonchalantly, showing no intention of reclaiming his title as the regal Duke.

"I'll leave Grimsbanne to you until this silly girl begs me to become my duchess."

My heart instantly leaped to my throat upon hearing his remarks. I could feel Sir Rufus's eyes on me. Please, don't look at me like that! It was all but a misunderstanding!

"Then, shall we bring her back along with us?" asked Rufus, his eyes glinting suspiciously at me.

"No need. I don't like forcing people," Samael shamelessly claimed with a wave.

He doesn't enjoy forcing people? Then, his 'I refuse your refusal' last night, was not called forcing?

"If you're satisfied now, will you please help yourself out?" After a beat, Samael spoke indifferently. "I'm in the middle of courting the future duchess. Can't you see what important business you're interrupting?" he added in a questioning tone.

Every word he spat left me more and more speechless. I was a peasant and would always be one. However, how could my life suddenly escalate to this duke calling me the future duchess? Was he trying to conceal his real motives with me being his prey?

Once again, I felt terrified. I hadn't had a full grasp on this silver-haired man's identity. Yet, I knew, deep down, my fate was already set in stone when he said I'll be his reserved meal.

"Understood, my lord." Sir Rufus beckoned to give respect to the regal Duke that I never expected the silver-haired man to be. "I wish for your survival, young lady," he said, as his eyes fell on me.

My survival? Shouldn't you help me, Sir? I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came out.

"Rufus, that's a little rude, you know."

"Forgive me, my Lord." Rufus slightly bowed his head but said nothing further and left, just like that. I tried to reach him, but my hand dropped just as I raised it. This was now a hopeless situation with this lunatic turning out to be the Duke of all people!

'Perhaps, that man wasn't really Sir Rufus?' My mind commented. 'There is a slim, tiny bit, chance that it could be all for a show to deceive you!' Yes! That's… Suddenly, this silver-haired vampire's speech last night flashed in my head again. He did say that noble ladies wished to marry him and gain the power of the Duke of Grimsbanne last night, but I thought it was just an empty boast.

I already heard a ton of reasons noble ladies looked forward to that time of the year. But there were only two popular versions.

The first one was that if the Duke awoke from his slumber, he would take anyone he fancied as his bride, and the second version implied that the Duke's Bride was actually a sacrifice to replenish his vitality.

However, the Duke never woke up and the older generations died before they could see his lordship. Many believed the former tale, even the nobles. Some believed the latter. I believed neither.

But now, I think it was both.

How… had my life escalated up to this point?

"Dear, do you want to resume where we left off?" His question snapped me out of my own head. "You haven't told me how your day was," he added, beaming at me as if nothing had happened just now.

Oh, my days… just how miserable a peasant life could be?

"Mi — milord…" I tried to speak, but the shock I had experienced from last night to now suddenly surged within me.

'Have mercy on this humble one,' I pleaded internally.

"Samael." The corner of his lips stretched broader as he rested his chin on his palm. "Your fiance's name is Samael Va… Samael La Crox. Don't look at other men or I'll pull your eyes out," he warned with that same wicked grin on his face. "Your man gets jealous easily, you know." And again, he winked.

My life… my barely peaceful life… I could feel it slowly slipping away from my clasp.