Chapitre 34: The Tea Party (1)

All eyes have been on the Hayes duchy as they have become a show for the empire, especially the capital. The duke hayes had an affair after a year of marriage to duchess hayes. He then impregnated that woman and married her into the duchy as his second wife.

These rumors have been flying up and about, around the entire empire and many had different reactions.

Many felt the duke was too much, as he had such a faithful, gentle, and beautiful wife, yet he dared cheat on her. Did he not fear the grand duke?

Others felt the duke was not wrong as the duchess had not given him a child, so he went to look for another woman who could give him one.

Of course, insults poured on annalise for going after a married nobleman. The unmarried noble ladies hated that she had the nerve to seduce the only duke in the empire when they had been trying even before he got married and yet he did not glance in their direction.

People also insulted the duchess, especially the nobility for being infertile. They insulted her for not dealing with the mistress on time as her position as the duchess is shaken by the duke's first child.

Others insulted her for not putting a leash on her husband.

As if the drama was enough, another bomb dropped, especially within the noble community.

The second wife of duke hayes is hosting a tea party the next day.

What has the duchess been doing?!

Is she trying to give up her power as the duchess to a lowly commoner?

And the duke…does he really not fear the grand duke's wrath?!

How could give part of the duchess's duty to his mistress?!

Many unanswered questions circulated around the capital. Nevertheless, the nobles were excited about one thing. They would be an interesting show for them to watch.

—---

In the south….

''That charlatan duke?!'' The Grand duke Elrod banged the table with a sudden force. His jaw flexed as the muscles ticked with visible veins. Oceanic blue eyes turned cold, and his teeth made a gritting sound.

''How dare he do that to my precious daughter?!'' He made another bang on the poor desk. Only the heavens how much the desk has suffered from Grand duke's fists.

Caspian winced at the loud sound after he closed the door. Once he saw the grand duke a bit calm, he walked with the stacks of papers in his hands and dropped them on the table that had not broken much to his relief.

''Your excellency here is the report about the taxes.'' He reported, then stood and waited for more instructions.

Finn Elrod, the grand duke, gave those papers a brief look. His hands were clasped together near his lips and his elbows were on the table. His silver eyebrows came together as he thought deeply.

After a while, he wondered out loud. ''Why doesn't Isla want to divorce him? She could come back home with my grandchild.''

''...Her lady might be worried about your reputation.'' Caspian guessed that was the only thing that would stop the grand ducal princess from divorcing duke hayes. Divorced women are viewed as wasted goods by noblemen. Unlike the grand duke who cherishes his daughter dearly and wants her back from the Hayes duchy, not all fathers from nobility were like that.

''Right, she did say something like that,'' Finn murmured as he recalled the time he visited his daughter in the Hayes duchy.

'Father shouldn't worry, your daughter and grandchild are not that weak.'

''I even offered to deal with the duke and his mistress, but she declined…'' Finn sighed in regret. He really wanted to destroy that duchy for putting a crack in his daughter's heart.

Again, the Grand duke was definitely different from noble fathers. Which fathers offers to destroy their husbands for their daughters?

''Y-Your e-excellency..'' Caspian's brown eyebrows twitched as he reminded the grand duke before he did something that required more workload. ''The lady is worried about your reputation. If you kill duke hayes, people will point fingers at her and call her heartless for using you to kill her husband.''

''Your grandchild still needs to know his father,'' he smartly added.

Caspian knows that if the grand duke puts his mind to destroying the Hayes duchy, he will achieve it no matter what.

But, there are many consequences as the emperor would definitely be involved, the enemies could use that moment to strike the grand duke, the lady and her unborn child would also be affected, and many other things.

Just thinking about them gave Caspian another headache, and headache in Caspian's dictionary equals to more workload, which he absolutely does not want. The spoils from the past wars are enough for his soul to leave his body.

Since his grandchild was involved, Finn tsked, as he thought the duke was lucky to have a child with his daughter.

''When will that crib arrive in the duchy?'' he then asked caspian. The crib that his daughter used when she was a baby, his grandchild, also had the right to use it. He did not want that duke to put that mistress before his daughter ever again.

If the duke did not want to accommodate his daughter because of his mistress, then he would rightly do so as her father. The physical distance between them could never stop him from his precious daughter.

''It should have the left the south, your excellency.''

''I hope you did not forget the toys?''

''No I did not, your excellency.'' Caspian shook his head, but in his heart, he could almost see the duchess having a heart attack at the number of toys the grand duke had bought for the unborn child.

''....Tell Gael to come to my office. He should go along with those goods. At least that duke would not try anything stupid again.'' The grand duke still felt he should send a warning to the duke hayes.

''Yes, your excellency.'' Caspian bowed before leaving the office.

Once the door closed, Caspian walked ahead and shook his head with sigh. ''The duke should have thought twice before trying anything stupid. Now the unborn child is holding his excellency back from doing anything.''

''He even wants to send Gael as a warning….Well, our lady and her child deserve the best and nothing less.'' He ended with a cunning smirk.

Meanwhile, within the imperial palace on the training ground, naked muscular drenched upper bodies of grown men were scattered around the open space.

Swords clashed against each other, and arrows hit the bullseye now and then.

''Hey, do you hear? I heard that duke hayes' mistress is hosting a tea party.''

At those words, a wooden sword about to hit a wooden dummy froze, and the sword went down to the side of training black trousers. Different layers of sweat trickled down like a running race on a chest, specifically from the chiseled pectorals with faded scars to the stacks of sculpted and firm bands of muscles lining the walls of his abdomen. The loose waistband of his trouser dangerously hung around his waist as he raised his defined arms to wipe the sweat dripping from his forehead.

''To be honest, I did not expect the duke to be like that. It seems noblemen can't keep it in their pants forever.''

''Yeah, and he behaves so dignified around his majesty.''

''The duchess is pitiful as well. I am sure she will be sad.''

''Surely the grand duke won't stay quiet in the south forever?''

Dropping his arm, eyes like ginger emitted a soft gaze as lips parted to call a name. ''Isla.''

His voice was soft and tender, as if that name was precious to him. Then, as though someone switched his soft gaze to a cold and ruthless gleam, he quietly growled, ''How dare he?!''

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