Become The Duke's Wife Or Die

The maids and guards gaped at the arrival of Duke Kleo, making a way over them, carrying the sleeping Lyra in his strong arms.  Their brows furrowed, questioning where their master would take her to.

"His Grace isn't going to execute Miss Lyra tonight, is he?"  asked one of the maids, squeezing the fabric in her hand, almost in tears.

No one was able to answer her question, even Mrs. Melisa was silent, seeing this tense and confusing situation.

"Are we going to witness someone we know and care about being executed again?" asked another maid, sobbing, collapsing, and being carried by her friends.

Sighing, Mrs. Melisa calmed the anxiety that welled up in her chest, following in the direction of Duke Kleo striding through the dim night lit by the orange-yellow torchlights.

"The chances of His Grace executing Miss Lyra tonight are small," she commented.  "The execution area is right next to the prison.  He could have gone through a prisoner's door there, but he didn't.  The path he took is also not leading to the execution area."  Her eyes scrutinized more closely, gazing off into the distance as if she were looking for a lost needle.  "Besides that, the way he's holding Miss Lyra doesn't look like he's carrying a criminal, but rather a lover."

The servants prayed in silence, hoping for Lyra's safety.

Meanwhile, Duke Kleo occasionally paid close attention to Lyra's expression, directing more torchlights that shone along the hall, looking for the right path.  His gaze was calm, peaceful, and also full of love, occasionally frowning when Lyra was squirming and delirious.

"Who are you?" She moaned a moment ago.  "Where are you taking me?  Are you Gerry?  Gerry, you saved me?  You are the best, I always love you."

That stirred up yet another fury in Duke Kleo's heart, making the larvae in his throat seem to nearly burst out violently, destroying Wereal and even Eastlandor.  His hands even nearly threw Lyra's body to the ground, allowing her to roll over and curl up horribly without realizing it.

But his love is too strong for her.

"Who is Gerry?  Is he one of your other mistresses?"  he whispered as he walked.  "Gosh, how many men do you have?  I really want to dump you or kill you if need be.  But I can't help it when I see you, it's always like that."

His muttering stopped shortly after until he came to a room, Lyra's room, which was located in the north area.  Two guards had just been stationed there, shortly after Stefanus gave the order to represent him.

The maids saw that, including Ella and Gena.  Instantly they smiled happily, blooming like flower petals that were still buds.

"Let's hope this is a good sign," said one of them, as Duke Kleo's figure disappeared behind the door, carrying Lyra and her ragged gown.

The bedroom window was still open, allowing the moonlight to shine through shyly because it was covered in clouds.  Duke Kleo's steps were sure as he headed to the bed, laid Lyra carefully on top of it, and went to the corner of the room to turn on the light.

The gloom evaporated, replaced by a beautiful yellow glow shining on Lyra's skin, making her look like a mannequin, bewitching Duke Kleo who was still at the far end of the room, making him forget the time and place where he was now.

"Are you asleep?"  he whispered humbly, combing her appearance, smoothing her hair again.  "Who is Gerry?  Is he one of your mistresses?  Is he handsome?  Is he better in bed than I am?"  Biting his lip anxiously.

"You look messy," he said, getting up and going outside, asking the maids to bring him warm water and towels, while he went back into the room again.

After the warm water was provided, his hands directly moved to clean the dirt on her face carefully as if one excessive movement could destroy her body.

"Your face is so dirty.  Looks like you pressed your cheek on the prison floor?  You stupid girl," he squeaked as he wiped her face with warm water and a towel, continued on her neck, then on her arms, repeatedly wiping around her very dirty hands, then on her legs.

That's when his chest sank when seeing some of the wounds on her legs, scratches with dried blood.  His eyes were teary, choking, while his back shook as if paralyzed like his hands were now unable to grip anything anymore.

"You...are you hurt?"  His gaze looked more painful than her, who was still lying and sleeping.  "You were hurt?  I think Mr. Bertus and Stefanus are just tricking me into letting you go free."  Rubbing the wounds repeatedly, looked up quickly when he heard her whimper as if in pain.

"Ouch!"  Lyra shrieked in a low voice, still asleep while her brow furrowed as she wept.  "Hurt."  Like dragging her voice in the middle of a deep breath, tilting her head weakly.  "Ger…ry!"  Just as she was about to call out to Tiny, her voice was absorbed by the soft snoring.

Instantly Duke Kleo was inflamed upon hearing that.  His hands clenched into fists, drying the warm water that had seeped into the pores of the towel.  "Who is he?  Is he your mistress?"  Both hands grip her shoulders.

"Ouch!  Don't!  Ger, help me!  He will execute me!  Take me away!"  Lyra kicked into the empty air over and over again, shaking her head uneasily, flailing as if she were drowning.  Her seemingly strong and aggressive movements suddenly stopped when she caught something in her grasp, namely Duke Kleo's hand, which she was holding very tightly.  "Protect me from Duke Kleo," she whispered again, then drifted off to sleep quickly, literally asleep.

Duke Kleo looked at her in disbelief, again combing her face with his knuckles that were rough from the battlefield.  "Do you think I will execute you?  Do you think my heart can easily change?"  His lips kissed her cheek, then went down to get her lips.  "I can protect you too, Lyra, more than anyone else, as long as you give me a chance.  But you never…"  Choked, he failed to continue his speech.

His hand squeezed Lyra's fingers.  "But I can't give you any more mercy now.  I still have to punish you.  At least so that you realize that your mistakes have gone too far.  Don't you know how much you hurt me?  And now you're calling another man's name while you're sleeping, making him a savior while I'm a monster.  Lyra, what can I do to make you want to stay by my side?  You like me but it turns out that it is not as big as I thought.  What should I do?"

Lyra seemed promptly asleep.  Duke Kleo now sat up straight and looked for medicine to treat the wounds on her body.  Perhaps because the effects of the anesthetic had fully worked, she wasn't delirious from the pain anymore and wasn't even delirious at all.

"Change her dress!"  He ordered the maids after finishing treating her wounds.  "Do it carefully so that the wounds on her body don't get scratched again," he continued, then walked away as if he didn't care at all.

His stout figure cast long shadows on the cold floor, followed by Stefanus' approaching shadow.

"Will you forgive her, My Lord?"  said Stefanus hopefully.

"I will remain to punish her."

"Does that mean you will marry her or execute her?"  The bodyguard sounded anxious, contemplating the worst.

Duke Kleo turned a corner, reaching for his bedroom doorknob.  Before that, he had time to answer his guard's question, "For sure I won't like her anymore.  I will give up on her."  Seeing Stefanus widen in panic.  "This isn't going to work, Steff," he said painfully.

***