All Chapters of I am utterly in love with the Grand Duke : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I held my teacup between my fingers, watching Luke carefully. He was still staring at me as like he couldn't decide whether to believe what I had just told him. Visions. It was a convenient explanation, not the truth, of course, but close enough to one that I could make him understand what I wanted him to know without exposing myself. I set my cup down. "I have seen how this story ends, Luke" Luke's expression changed. "How you treat me. How you hold that..." I paused, my eyes resting on him. "...girl higher than me. How you ruin everything your ancestors built with their sweat." My voice was calm, but there was no way of hiding the disgust behind my words, I spent enough time thinking about the story to know how ridiculous the entire situation was. Everything that had been built before Luke's generation would eventually be placed at risk because he couldn't control himself. And for what? A girl who would become the center of his entire world while everyone else pai

Ezra had just arrived at the palace for his weekly report when the king asked to see him personally. It caught him off guard. His brother rarely summoned him without a reason, especially when Ezra was already on his way to deliver his report. Their relationship had always been good, but they were both busy men. Between the affairs of the kingdom and Ezra's military duties, there was rarely enough time for them to sit and talk without an important matter demanding their attention. So if King Edward wanted to see him privately, it had to be important. Ezra adjusted the files in his hands and followed the servant through the palace. He was eventually announced by the herald. "His Grace, the Grand Duke Ezra Dalio." Ezra stepped into the study. His brother was sitting behind his desk, surrounded by documents. "Hello, Ezra." Edward looked up from his work. "How have your duties been?" "All has been well, Your Majesty." Ezra walked farther into the room, still holding the files.

Three days after leaving Arista, Alera finally arrived in Firildia by ship. The journey was long enough to make her appreciate solid ground again, but the moment she stepped onto the docks, any exhaustion she felt was quickly replaced by curiosity. She looked around in amazement. Firildia was beautiful. The city stretched before her in a way she had never seen before. The buildings, the streets, the people moving through them. It was all so different from what she had grown accustomed to in Arista. A smile spread across her face. She couldn't help it. Everything felt new. She had spent an entire year preparing for this moment, but seeing the kingdom with her own eyes was different from anything she had imagined. A man dressed in the formal attire of a household servant approached her. He stopped a respectful distance away before bowing. "Good evening, Your Highness. I am Andrew Granfild, the head butler of the Grand Duke." Alera smiled politely. "Hello, Sir

The estate of Alfas had never been busier. For the past week, servants had moved through the halls from dawn until late into the evening, carrying flowers, fabrics, decorations, and everything else required for the wedding. Every corner of the estate seemed to have been touched by the preparations. The wedding would be held in the Chapel of Alfas, while the reception would take place in the vast gardens surrounding the estate. The gardens had been transformed. Flowers stretched along the pathways in carefully arranged beds, their colours blending together beneath the warm afternoon sun. Tall arrangements were placed around the open space where the reception would be held, while delicate decorations hung between the trees, moving gently whenever the breeze passed through. Long tables had been arranged beneath elegant canopies, leaving enough space for the guests to move freely. The garden itself seemed almost unreal, as though someone had taken a beautiful painting and brought it

The garden had come alive with conversation. Guests mingled beneath the soft afternoon light, moving between the beautifully arranged tables as servants passed through with trays of food and glasses of wine. The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable and calming. After the formality of the wedding ceremony, everyone seemed more relaxed. Everything had been prepared perfectly. From the food to the wine, from the decorations to the seating arrangements, nothing appeared out of place. The royal family was present as well. As members of the royal family and relatives of the Grand Duke, their presence was expected. They sat among the other distinguished guests, observing the celebration while conversations continued around them. Yet despite the celebration, there was one subject that seemed to find its way into almost every conversation. The bride. Whispers about Princess Alera echoed throughout the garden as people tried to understand the woman who had suddenly become the Grand