All Chapters of No Longer Your Puppet, Duke : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

192 Chapters

Goddess Artemis's blessing

Cedric gripped the quill in his hand so tightly the fine wood creaked under the immense pressure. His eyes, dark and heavy with suppressed rage, stared intently at the map of the Hera territory pinned against the mahogany wall, examining the names of his trusted confidants one by one. The crimson ink from his desk lamp cast long, sinister shadows across the parchment, making the names of his lords look like potential targets. He was searching for a leak, meticulously analyzing every movement made in the past week, yet finding no definitive answer. How could the trap fail? Who had whispered into the ears of his enemies?The suffocating silence of the room was broken as tension vibrated off the heavy velvet curtains.Knock. Knock.

A Premonition That Cannot Be Ignored

Roselyn found it that morning, the final petal of the rebloom flower that Kaelus used to tuck behind her ear had finally withered, transforming into a brittle, faded brown fragment.The flower said to symbolize an eternal vow had died on her dressing table without anyone ever noticing.She picked up the fragment with her fingertips. For some reason, her chest suddenly felt a little tight and throbbed with pain.Outside the window, thin snow still clung to the branches of the pine trees. Roselyn stared at it for a long time, as if searching for an answer that refused to come."Why are you staring at it like that?"Kaelus’s deep voice broke the silence of the room. The man stepped inside casually, carrying two porcelain c

Threads Beginning to Connect

Blood always has a way of speaking louder than words.Meanwhile, in the capital, night fell faster and darker. Thick, cold fog crept in, shrouding the cobblestone streets throughout the merchants' slum district.Derrick walked briskly through a narrow alley behind the old inn area. A thick, hooded black cloak concealed nearly all of his face, ensuring no royal spies could recognize the figure of Duke D'Arest.Ever since the night he forcibly drove Aira out of his estate, Derrick hadn't been able to sleep soundly. He spent every night moving alone through the shadows—searching for the truth without involving anyone, even without telling Selen."Are you sure you saw the carriage stop around here?" Derrick whispered to an elderly man standing trembling before him. The

The Intercepted Letter

Black ink dripped like fresh blood onto the pristine surface of the white paper.Derrick only realized it after three lines of his text collapsed into an illegible, smeared mess. His fingers had been trembling violently ever since he discovered the mysterious, cold corpse dumped near his backyard gate.He crumpled the unfinished letter tightly in his fist, threw it onto the floorboards, and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment.I have to warn them.The night had slipped too far away into the suffocating quiet of the estate. The solitary candle on his mahogany desk was half-spent, its melted wax frozen stiff like pale bone along the silver holder.This time, he put pen to paper much slower, forcing his restless muscl

A Silent Warning

In the Northern Territory, dawn was still far from breaking through the suffocating darkness when Roselyn woke abruptly, her breath ragged. One hand clutched the damp bedsheet tightly while the other pressed against her trembling lips, fighting back a sudden wave of bitterness.The air in the grand bedchamber felt unusually heavy, thick with the cold draft that leaked through the arched stone windows. Every shadow cast by the dying fireplace seemed to stretch like unnatural talons across the rug."Kael ...."Kaelus, waking instantly at the faint tremor in her voice, reached for the silver basin beside the bed that they had kept ready since the early months of her pregnancy. He presented it right in front of her just before the sudden nausea spilled over uncontrollably.R

The Opportunity

Kaelus stared at the scattered rock ruins of Valthorne's protective wall, dust still drifting thinly between the gaps. The head supervisor of the region stood trembling beside him, holding his breath so his fear wouldn't trigger the Grand Duke's wrath."Two wild wolves were spotted approaching last night, Your Excellency.""Repairs must begin today." Kaelus narrowed his gaze, not looking away from the gaping breach in the wall. "Mobilize all available workers. Station extra guards along the gap until the wall stands again.""Yes, Your Excellency. I'll see to it immediately."He walked along the ruins, his eyes sweeping every corner that could potentially become a path for wild beasts or even more dangerous threats.The cold wind from the Northern mountains slapped his face mercilessly, carrying a sharp scent of damp earth and rotting wood.Kaelus never liked leaving Roselyn, especially with her pregnancy growing heavier and more vulnerable. But he knew the security of the Valthorne se

The Poison

The stone walls in the southern region of Valthorne still retained the scent of damp earth when a horse galloped like a madman from the north. The rhythm of its hoofbeats hammered against the cobblestones in a chaotic tempo, shattering the morning silence around the fortress repair site.The messenger soldier riding it was nearly thrown from his saddle as he pulled back the reins abruptly. The soldier's face was deathly pale, cold sweat trickling down his forehead and washing away the dust clinging to his skin.Kaelus abruptly wheeled his horse around as the messenger soldier leaped down from the saddle with a body trembling violently. The Grand Duke's gaze froze instantly, catching the bad premonition that had been creeping into his chest since dawn."There's an attack in the castle garden, Your Excellency! Grand Duchess Roselyn is injured!"The soldier's breath came in ragged gasps, his voice catching in his throat as he tried to deliver the horrifying news. He knelt on the wet grou

Rage and the Wave of Intruders

The sun had just risen on the eastern horizon, but a much denser darkness gripped the entire area of Valthorne Castle. The fishy smell of dried blood in the master bedroom now seeped into the corridors of the guards' quarters and the servants' residential area.Kaelus stood in the center of the main hall with blazing red eyes and an expression completely devoid of any emotion. The murderous aura radiating heavily from the Grand Duke's body made the breathing of the neatly lined-up knights feel choked with fear."Search every corner of this place. Not a single house, room, or locker belonging to anyone must be missed!"Eden bowed very deeply, his eyes narrowing sharply to restrain an equally immense rage burning inside his chest. Behind him, the line of most trusted elite knights stood ready to unleash a merciless slaughter if anyone tried to resist or lie."What about the servants and knights who live far outside the fortress walls, Your Excellency?""Send mercenary soldiers to check

Confession at Swordpoint

The cold wind of the Northern mountains lashed against Derrick's mud-stained and dried-blood-covered face. His ripped armor at the ribs could no longer fend off the biting chill piercing straight to the bone.His footsteps halted just a few dozen meters in front of the sturdy main gates of Valthorne. Dozens of heavily armored guards instantly braced themselves, aiming their spears and bows directly at him."Stop! Who goes there?! Hands in the air or we shoot!"Derrick chuckled softly, wiping the leftover rainwater from his face without halting his steps. "I bear a message for your Grand Duke! Open these gates at once!""Hold your positions! Don't let him approach a single step!"Without wasting time on a lengthy argument, Derrick drew the small dagger remaining at his waist and slammed the iron blade against the lead guard's shield.A massive commotion instantly erupted outside the gate, the clang of weapon impacts echoing loudly to shatter the tense morning quiet.Derrick fought defe

The Flower That Fell Before Blooming

The air inside the master bedroom was no longer pungent with the bitter smell of wound-cleansing medicine. In its place, thick white smoke drifted slowly from a bronze brazier in the corner of the room, spreading a soothing herbal aroma that burned quietly.It was an ancient anesthetic technique of the Northern physicians—a burnt mixture of calmweed roots used to dull pain receptors and force the patient's body into a deep sleep amidst severe bleeding.Kaelus burst inside, his breath coming in wild gasps. His usually steady steps stumbled abruptly as his vision pierced through the thin mist inside the room."Rose!""Your Excellency, please calm down! The Grand Duchess needs quiet.""How is her condition?""Please see for yourself, Your Excellency."On the bed, Roselyn lay as pale as a cracked porcelain statue. Her breathing was short and rapid, while cold sweat poured down, dampening her forehead and strands of her brown hair.However, Kaelus's red eyes did not stop there. His gaze fe

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