Chapter 14 (1/2)

Darkness fell on the duchy’s spire.

Rashid sat in the office and checked the documents. There was no end to his work throughout the day, from the problems of the vast estates to the matters of the capital.

Would it have been easier to handle things if he had been mindful of becoming a duke since childhood? The past was irreversible and uncertain.

Then suddenly, I remembered Alyssa I saw during the day.

Rashid smirked unconsciously. I thought of how she kept speaking nonchalantly, remarking sarcastic answers, and making complaining faces when I tried to concentrate on the documents. No one has ever dared to do that to me. I was surprised that she suddenly had a nosebleed, but I was relieved to hear that she would be okay if she just relaxed.

I saw the ring on my left ring finger. I’ve been wearing it as a habit since I got married, but the weight I’ve never recognized felt new.

What kind of wind is that woman going to bring, the one who was always quiet and in a hurry to avoid me?

‘It’s funny.’

Rashid rested on his chin. His golden eyes stood out.

It was extremely rare for anything unexpected to cheer him up. But now it was so interesting that he couldn’t categorize it either way. The insurgency, which was not a threat, was refreshing.

The world was divided into two things for him. Yes and no, possible and impossible, O and X, good and bad, what he has to do and what he doesn’t have to do…and in the meantime, a half-way compromise belonged to those who failed or abandoned the clear classification.

Succession to the duchy was possible for him. Before that, it was cutting down his blood-stained brothers and sisters. It was also possible to keep my mother on an island.