บท 14: Chapter 14 The Promised Engagement

"How could that be? Our marriage is decided by our family. It is our responsibility as aristocrats." Melody answered with confidence. She looked at Duke full of adoration and hidden possessiveness.

Duke sneered. "Do you think my family needs marriage alliance for power or wealth?"

She puffed up he chest and stood up tall. "Isn't it only normal for people of our standing to do so? To choose benefit? Feelings can be slowly nurtured between husband and wife."

For Melody, she is the only lady fit to be Mrs. Winters. She was raised as the Evans's heiress, one of the eight major aristocratic families.

Even though the Evans family might not be as wealthy or as socially accomplished as the Winters, they still ranked second and have hundreds of years of history, wealth, and connections just like the Winters. They were well rooted in City A.

Even before she was born, her mother and Duke's mother had already arranged for their children to marry in their adulthood. It's just that Duke has never cared about their mother's deep friendship and promises. He did not argue with his mother but he treated her coldly, their mother and son bond was affected by this engagement but she couldn't take back what she promised and hurt her gentle and kind best friend whom she grew up with.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble but the apocalypse has dawned upon us and you have to wake up from your fairytale-like fantasy." Kisha interjected. She looked at Melody as if she were looking at a mentally challenged person.

Melody was taken aback by Kisha's disrespectful words. "Miss Aldens, please watch your words." She still tried to show Duke how magnanimous and kind-hearted she was by not flaring up on Kisha.

Kisha bowed slightly, like a lady from a good family, her temperament was like a rose, enchanting and soul-stirring. "Pardon my straightforwardness, my lady, my words were the truth my heart felt." She then looks Melody straight in the eye, her lips raised, her voice laced with taunting and her eyes speaking words of mockery.

Melody was momentarily dazed, the way Kisha looked felt familiar but before she delved into this familiarity she realized that Kisha was mocking her for having princess syndrome in front of Duke. Anger surges in her heart, her nails digging into her palm but a smile remains on her lips.

"Miss Aldens, who are you to step in to speak when this is about our family matters?" She glared daggers at Kisha. Her annoyance can't be hidden anymore.

"She is my business partner." Duke pulled Kisha by the shoulder to stand right next to him, which looked intimate yet sincere and full of trust. He continued. "I allowed her to speak, besides, she just spoke what I thought but failed to deliver."

"I am only being cordial to you Miss Evans for my mother's friendship with yours but if you continue to harass me. I'm afraid that this last bit of respect I have for their friendship might disappear."

Her eyes reddened, and she appeared pitiful which invoked a man's desire to protect her. She thought that Duke was treating her this way because of Kisha, the vixen must have seduced her man for him to not even respect the two families' agreement.

"What's going on?" A young man asked with a powerful tone of voice.

Everyone's eyes followed the voice to the entrance of the villa. A young man around Duke's age emerges from behind the people who were standing on the porch earlier.

He has an upright, steady, and calm temperament, he looks gentle but still carries authority with every move or word he says, quite opposite to Duke's cold and indifferent temperament.

Hearing her elder brother's voice, Melody's eyes lit up. As if seeing her savior. "Elder Brother!" She then started to shed tears and looked pitiful.

Eric's heart tightened seeing his sister being bullied by Duke, so he walked in big stride and stood in front of Duke shielding his little sister behind him. He stared at Duke as if he were looking at an enemy. He did not even notice Kisha because of his rising anger and dissatisfaction towards Duke.

He always felt that Duke was arrogant and had little regard for them, he even sometimes felt like Duke looked down on them and treated his sister like trash even when his sister was gentle and kind, she didn't even get angry at Duke for being treated unjustly.

"Duke, why do you always bully my sister?" Even though he is angry, his good upbringing is still visible in the way he talks, he is not unreasonable but he is not easily bullied.

Duke did not answer and only raised his brows.

Not wanting to stand and talk with them anymore. Kisha said. "Duke, let's just go inside. This will just take forever if we continue to argue with them." Her cold voice carried a hint of displeasure.

She is annoyed for some reason and thinks that she is worn out.

"Why did this man start to demand an answer when it was his sister who continued to yap and would not let them go." She murmured and was annoyed to look at the siblings.

Only then did Eric realize that there was another person next to Duke. He was taken aback by Duke's closeness towards the woman and at the same time, familiarity hits him. Feeling like he knew her.

"Miss, have we met before?"

Bemused by the greasy pick-up line. Duke's brows knitted, it was so close together that it was enough to squeeze a fly.

"I'm afraid that you have mistaken me for someone else, sir." She put down Duke's arm that was wantonly placed on her shoulder.

He felt vexed by her distant attitude. He did know why, but he didn't think it was a love-at-first-sight thing. But before he could sort out his feelings, Kisha already pulled Duke inside the Villa and Melody tugged at his shirt her eyes full of unwillingness.

She did not want to let Duke go and wanted to pull Kisha by the hair. Why was she allowed inside while she was barred outside?

Despite her reluctance, she could only accept defeat and wait for them patiently. She was resolute because she's been waiting for Duke since she was young. The very first time she met Duke, she knew that she wanted to be his wife and she would not allow any unknow woman to steal her possessions.