Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Tsk! Did the crow even bark? And you should care more about what you will inform your father rather than other matters. Though we have dragged you here, that does not mean father has forgotten or forgiven you."  Eli gulped and covered her neck again. What if he knew what she had done?

Had she turned into disappointment for him? Though their relationship had turned rocky, he was still her father who had always been too protective of her.

"Oh, I am more excited about how my father would beat Andrew. It would be a sight to behold when Andrew would run while father would shoot him with his latest weapon. He wanted to try who the gun work since he had received it.'' Both turned to see Even with different expressions on their faces when her eyes looked dreamy.

Eli gulped as she could already imagine William running behind Andrew with sword and gun in his hands while Andrew looked pale and exhausted.

"By the way, father had received the investigation report already. He had called aunt today to discuss the future. I think he wants her to adopt you so that you stay in the family.`` Those who do not have a daughter or son and want to adopt them from other nobles was a common occurrence but those were not allowed to inherit as heir and did not get the title in future.

It was only a way to support their livelihood in future by getting a part of the properties to live on.

Her eyes fell on the document she had asked her maid to put on her office desk.

"He will call you soon. So be prepared. Now you are exhausted, so take a rest. I will send the maids with food." Evan patted her shoulders and Eve hugged her from the other side as they left the room.

"My lady, your highness is asking for you." Just as they walked out, a maid stopped by and bowed her head, making Eve grin with a mischievous look on her face.

"Tsk! He had not even spent time with me after our marriage. So, do not put your hopes high. It would take a long time for him to remember that we are newly married." she looked above and sighed as she missed those days when they used to spend sweet time together. She didn't even get the chance to date properly.

"He must be calling me to help him with files. But it is better since I did not want to be an aunt anyways." She walked away with the maids without waiting for Eve to sympathize with her.

She had thought that Gabriella would come to the court even when she had refused that day.

She had always thought that Gabriella was too concerned about their family and would never bear that her brother would lose his title.

Since then, she has felt bitter towards Gabriella and have no desire to meet him.

"Leo, you called for me?" opened the door of his study, where he was spending most of his time these days, she peaked only to see it was empty.

She frowned as she opened the door and entered and looked around. The room was empty with many files opened on the table and a bunch of notes that were still incomplete.

He did not leave things unattended. Even if he was going to leave, he had organized the books properly before leaving.

Sitting there, she properly arranged the files and placed all the notes in a file and placed them in the drawer when he noticed a shadow on the other side.

She walked towards the balcony where Leo was leaning on the railing while staring at nothing. His eyes looked dim and his whole presence looked gloomy.

He was looking at a part of the darkness that made her heart clenched. With his strong senses, he would have felt her presence but it did not look like the case.

She sighed as she leaned on his back and wrapped her hands around his waist when she felt his body getting rigid.

"You know, Eve was teasing me that you have called me to spend some romantic moments with me.

I told her that you have forgotten my presence completely. You have even forgotten that you are my husband!" She knew what he was worried about.

Though he never cared about the position and title, Ethan's words had wounded him.

She understood that he was insecure about his position in the palace but calling Leo greedy and selfish and that he had married Evan only to get the position of duke was too much even for her.

Was she a stair to be the duke, where Eli and Eve came before her.

But then again, Eve did not have any lover and Eli was not the real child so her husband could not claim the right to inherit.

"If it is hurting you so much, why don't you just give him the position.

You are already a knight, do you even have time to manage all this." she felt him taking a deep breath and finally turned towards her.

His eyes were looking red with a lot of eye bags. His face was looking exhausted as if he had not slept from many nights.

He had not visited their chamber for a week and she was sure that he had not slept at all.

"I told that to my father. I did not want the position. Evan, I have only claimed that it would stay in our family!" he closed his eyes and shook his head as if a stone was on his chest and he could not breath properly. "But he said that Ethan is new and did not know a thing. And though he is the eldest son, he never has received any education and training. So he is lacking in many ways. He will only be ensured when I handle everything but if I still want to quit, I have to stay silent for a year at least."