Become The Duke's Wife Or Die

"I already know everything."  Duke Kleo lit up, in a look that was complicated and hard to decipher.  His lips were pursed and narrow, with a body that seemed to swell into a giant.  "I know everything you might think I don't."

Taking several strides backward, Lyra gulped, feeling death stalking her, through his deadly gaze.  Like all the happiness and warmth faded away in an instant, replaced by the darkness that spread in various corners.

She knew this spies problem was not easy to solve.  But she also didn't expect it to be this surprising, let alone to involve Baron Jason.  'Even I haven't finished some business with him,' she moaned in her heart, if complaining wasn't sin then she would do it all the time.  'Now what does he want?  Isn't holding Tiny enough?'

"Are you thinking about him?"  asked Duke Kleo suddenly, snorting between jealousy and anger.  "You shouldn't."

"You're talking about Baron Jason sending spies to Wereal, then is it wrong for me to think about him?"

"Like what?"  He tilted his head, folded his arms in front of his chest as if embracing his royal suit.  The moon began to peek in the sky, behind the gray clouds tending to black, which gleamed silver when exposed to its rays.  "Like how do you think about him?"

Lyra's lips moved as she almost spoke the truth, but before that Duke Kleo was ahead of her.  "Are you still thinking about your romantic times?"  He came to a one-sided conclusion.  "Or are you thinking about your both first night?  You thought about that?"  Ignoring her wide also confused eyes.  "Tsk, it turns out you're still thinking about other men after what you did."

"I haven't even answered at all," she protested, rather furiously.  No one knows what's in her mind except her, right?  So why is he so confident in guessing everything?  "What you said is not true."

"About you thinking about him?"

"That's not it," she shook her head.  "I did think about him, but not about that, not about our romance, and so on."

"Then?"

"Can we sit down first?"  It was as if Lyra's knees were heavy and broken from being crushed by the rubble, or perhaps from the rubble of trouble.  "Can we find a place to sit?"

Duke Kleo didn't refuse.  His steps moved towards a stand, which was well-lit by the light coming from the palace hall.  Positioning his body, tidying his suit quickly.  His lips were silent, but he was waiting for her explanation.

The servants seemed to be stealing glances at them, questioning what they were doing, and waiting for information on the identity of the captured spy.  No official news had yet been circulated, leaving the gossiping servants thirsty and hungry about it.

Lyra cleared her throat, glancing at Duke Kleo now and then.  Now she felt like a teenager again glancing at her charming crush from a distance.  The vibration was back, raised by someone she had never thought of.  "I did think about him," she said, starting the conversation.

After finding a seat and after a long silence, she was able to put together what words and topics she could say for the first time, ensuring that there were no further misunderstandings.

Flicking her fingers, glaring when she saw Ella and Gena who were looking at her from afar, as if praying fervently so that she wouldn't die right away, for daring to ignite the emotions of a handsome monster.

"But it's not romantic things that I'm thinking of," she continued, trying to look at him boldly but always failing at the end of her resolve.  Like a stone that suddenly fell from the sky, then blocked her access to go anywhere after the plans she made.  "But other things, painful things."

Since he didn't say anything, she continued with herself.  "Actually..." Biting her lip hard enough though unable to make it bleed.  "It was him who burned down my rental house."  Her eyelids were watering, her nose was sore from holding back tears and annoyance.

If she remembers those moments, then she can't seem to hold herself back.  Moreover, she had to harm Gerald the most, who had worked hard to rent the house and land.

'But maybe it's not Baron Jason's fault entirely,' she thought sincerely.  'Because if I hadn't played with him from the start, this certainly wouldn't have happened.' Suddenly her gaze was thrown far away, at the contortion of the torches in the distance, and the towering and beautiful palace buildings. 

'If I keep thinking about that concept then I'll change my stance that men are trash,' she continued clenching her fists.  'All men are the same right?  No exception.  They'll go after a girl they want and then dump her when they get bored, and that's no exception.'

Closing her eyes tightly, braced herself.  'That goes for Baron Jason too.  One day he will still throw away a girl he tried so hard to get, even if he had to sacrifice his life.  Aren't men just creatures who like challenges?  Do they need adrenaline?'

Various statements kept rolling in her brain, with the core justifying all her bad actions.

"He has a grudge against me because I rejected his proposal."  Lyra sounded lost in her will to live.  "He even paid the landowner to force me to pay compensation and kidnapped Tania as collateral.  I mean Mr. Pinn is a materialistic man, but he never takes extremes like kidnapping a girl.  At best he will report me to the government to be urged to compensate immediately."

"Then?"  He suddenly asked, after listening, or not listening, in silence for a long time.

"Then," turning to her quickly, "I remember."  Shrugging weak.  "With a bad impression and sometimes anger.  If he hates me and holds a grudge against me then he should punish me directly right?  Without involving my friends."

"Don't you know what kind of guy Jason is?"  He wheezed.  "Didn't you research the character of your potential mistresses before you date them?"  There was a serious tone of disapproval.

"No, indeed."  Even though she was very shy, it was as if she had become a prostitute among the nobles for nothing.  But she still insisted that the nobles were prostitutes for her, whom she paid for with her body.  "Then why?  I'm bad, I admit it.  So, therefore…"

"That's why he trapped you," interrupted Duke Kleo, causing Lyra to raise her eyebrows and nod.  "He trapped you into sleeping with me."

Turning quickly, she was stunned for a long time barely even blinking.  Her breath held while her mouth was open, failing to speak.  Until one strange moment, suddenly her vocal cords vibrated as a few words came out of it.  "How did you know?"

***