No Longer Your Puppet, Duke のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

A beautiful symphony resonated throughout Valthorne Castle. The night of the grand celebration had finally arrived.Ever since Kaelus survived the recent deadly incident, the sympathy of the noble factions had begun to shift in his favor. They turned out in full attendance, willingly sailing for days toward the most frozen territory in the Hera Empire just to answer his invitation.“I was a bit worried that no one would show up, Kael,” Roselyn murmured, sitting on the throne beside her husband.“I am surprised as well, Rose. Usually, we do not invite outsiders.”“Isn't this a good thing? We can open new business ventures with the capital nobility. I am going to mingle and speak with them. W

Kaelus remained motionless in the darkness. His back rested against the edge of the table.The room was painfully quiet. And the scent of tuberose still clung heavily to his open shirt."Master," Eden called from a few paces away, without drawing closer.Kaelus was reluctant to answer. His head was still throbbing violently. The effect of the potion had not completely faded, leaving behind only a fraction of awareness. Slow, yet agonizing.And once he was fully conscious and remembered everything, a wave of disgust consumed him.As if the trace of Vivianne's breath still lingered on his chest, he clenched his fists tightly.‘Damn it! Why must it be like this?!’

"Grand Duke, make me your concubine."The blunt sentence instantly froze the air inside the room. Behind the thick, pitch-black veil, Vivianne’s blue eyes trembled with a faint despair. Her gaze was locked straight onto only one man."You have lost your mind, Sister-in-Law." Kaelus's voice sounded as cold as the ice freezing at the peaks of the Valthorne mountains."I cannot turn a blind eye to what happened, Grand Duke," Vivianne replied, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice. She stepped forward, letting her long black gown sweep across the cold castle floor. "Many people saw us that night, and now disgusting rumors have spread throughout the entire territory."“I cannot find a single sane reason why I should marry the wid

Eden’s footsteps echoed along the hallway, while the maid beside him was still sobbing. Her shoulders heaved up and down, shaken by the lingering terror that had nearly taken her breath away. In Eden’s hand was a vial containing sleeping medicine, which he had originally intended to give to Vivianne—who had suffered from insomnia ever since she was widowed.“Return to your quarters,” Eden said without turning around, his voice as flat as the castle walls enclosing them. “Apply ointment to the bruises on your neck. Do not return to that pavilion without orders from me or the Grand Duke.”“B-But, Master Eden... Lady Vivianne....” The maid looked up with swollen eyes, voicing a loyalty that felt pitiful under the circumstances.

“Tell me one more time, Kael. Who were you embracing in that room?”Roselyn’s voice sliced through the dawn silence. Her white nightgown parted slightly as she crossed her legs. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she fixed a sharp glare on her husband. She was thoroughly exhausted by how he constantly avoided the conversation.“Answer me, Grand Duke.”Kaelus frowned. The formal, cold address felt like a crack forming in the ground beneath their feet. “For a split second, I thought it was you.”“Our hair color, stature, and voices are completely different, Kael. How could you possibly mistake another woman for me?”“It