The Duke's Passion

"My goodness, wife! Did you plan to kill him by angering him to death?" 

Jaime was already standing up while looking down at us. Sam and I should take this seriously, but honestly, this felt more like a chore now. I would just end him and get over with it. 

I gazed up at Jaime, only to realize that several knights already surrounded me. Two knights had already hooked their arms around mine and my feet already left the floor.

"Wait!" I exclaimed but didn't struggle because Jaime spoke once again.

"Seize those intruders as well. The Roux family had offended the head of House Malum and tried to abduct the Earl of Minowa."

Just as he dropped his accusations, all the knights on standby took a step forward. I winced and looked back at Sam. To my disappointment, Sam raised both his hands just like his son and Ramin.

'What?!'

"Please don't hurt us." Sam pleaded calmly while casting those knights a helpless look. "My son is still young."

What was wrong with him? Did he truly change??? But a leopard never changed its spot!

Law gazed up at his father and sighed helplessly. "Father, I'm so disappointed in you." 

After spouting his disappointment, Law let go of his father's hand and rushed to me. "Mother!" he yelled, making my brows furrow.

'Mother?' The next thing I know, Law was already punching the thighs of the knights who were restraining me.

"Let my mother go! Let Adam go!" Law cried while desperately trying to help me and the young Earl. 

"Law... stop... don't do that," the young Earl Crowell muttered with a shaking voice. I glanced at him and then at Law, and I instantly knew they were friends. 

"Hey, kid!" One knight holding my arm shook his leg in annoyance. His action inevitably caused Law to fall with a brief shriek.

"Law!" Adam, the young Earl, called aloud in panic.

"Ugh..." Law assisted himself up and glared daggers at the knight while grinding his teeth. He didn't stop as he jump right back up and did what he did, only to get kicked by the knight again.

I couldn't understand why this child was losing his young mind, nor why he was calling me his mother. But watching him hinder these knights from taking me away despite being kicked multiple times was enough to leave my mind blank. I could still hear the young Earl yelling before he suddenly appeared next to Law to stop his friend. 

"These brats!" the knight had finally reached his limit as he kicked the two of them without restraint. 

My pupils instantly constricted as the two youngsters came flying to a distance. Fortunately, Sam caught his son and Ramin caught Adam. All I could see next was Sam gazing at his son, and hearing him say, "my son is just like his mother. So stubborn."

"Father..." Law's voice was muffled while gazing at his father and clutched his chest. "... don't let them take away Mother."

"What a stubborn child." Sam just sighed as he carried his son, resting Law's head on his shoulder while patting his small back. He then cast Ramin a look.

"No one leaves here," he ordered calmly and Ramin bowed with the young Earl in his arms. 

"Hah! I had heard a lot about you, Mister Roux. I guess the rumors that you never fight back are mere hearsay. You have the guts to stand before me, after all." Jaime scorned, but that didn't faze Sam.

Instead, my husband glanced at Law and pinched the side of his neck lightly to knock him out. Jaime ordered his knights to seize us. The knights restraining my arms grew tighter while multiple knights marched towards Sam. However, just as one knight approached, he stopped when something came flying and landed an inch away from his foot.

My eyes landed on the arrow as a thin smoke resurfaced from the ground. One look at that powerful shot and I instantly knew who shot it.

Charlotte. 

That sudden appearance of an arrow raised the knight's guards, but they still approached stealthily. This did not please Jaime, as he frowned. 

"You dare fire an arrow inside the Earl's estate?!" he questioned with his veins protruding from his temple. "What are you all doing? Seize all of them!" 

The knight looked at each other. I knew that even though they were following Jaime and not the young Earl Crowell, a knight could discern danger. That was the reason they couldn't recklessly approach Sam, as that arrow was a warning. But they probably thought Jaime would also kill them if they didn't seize us. 

"How dare you mock his excelle --" One knight courageous enough to keep his resolve lunged forward. But he couldn't finish his sentence as an arrow instantly pierced through his open mouth. The next thing everyone see was his body collapsing with the tip of the arrow at the back of his head. 

"You...!" Jaime's eyes dilated as he clenched his hands until they shook. The knights hesitated once again, realizing whoever was shooting those arrows never missed a shot. 

"Viscount Jaime Malum," Sam spoke as no one dared come at him again. His eyes were at the person standing above our level and in front of the Earl's seat. 

"It is not hearsay that I never fought back to those insecure nobles who had titles but lack in wealth," he corrected while taking a step, rubbing his unconscious son's back. It was a bit strange to see Sam intimidate someone with a child in his arms, but it didn't make him less daunting. 

"Even my son is dissatisfied with why I never bickered with anyone. What you and my son cannot understand is, I don't bark back at the dogs barking at me." Sam continued strutting forth like he was walking in the park, but the knights took a careful step back. 

"I don't mind if someone purposely spills their drinks on me. I have enough wealth to change clothes hundred times a day. I don't care about those nobles who can never hide their insecurity, who smile in front of my face but speak ill in my back. They are not worth my time and energy," he added calmly, stopping before the first step on the stair to the throne. Sam looked up at Jaime, and everyone, including me, could only stare at him cautiously.

"What... what are you doing?!" Jaime panicked as he showed his fangs, gazing at the knights who weren't moving. "Hoy! I told you to seize him! What are you doing by just standing there?!"

"Viscount, my rules are simple. Do not cross my family and... don't stand on a level where you will look down on me." Sam's voice was the same, but it still sent a cold chill down my spine. Even the knights restraining me unconsciously loosened their grip until they let me go. 

"Apparently, you cross those two." Sam chuckled, still looking up at Jaime. "It's been over five years since someone dared look down on me."

CRASH!

Everyone looked up when a loud crash came from the ceiling. All I've seen was a hole in it as rubbles fell down and a petite figure came along with it. When I blinked, that figure already landed as a violent gust of wind blew past me.

My eyes landed on the woman who was already pinning down Jaime; knees on his back while her hand was on the back of his head. She was in a maid's uniform, but I recognized her. What I didn't know was that her next words would shake me to the core.

"You have no manners, Viscount," Charlotte hissed, eyes glinting menacingly. "Bow down to His Majesty, the Emperor when he is in front of you."