‘Your Grace, Lady Tanisha has arrived.’

The duke gently looked up from the book he was reading. His right arm resting on the round table with his fist curled up but under his chin. He had deep green eyes, jet black hair with a pointed nose and peach lips. The earring on his left ear shook as he looked up.

‘Hmm?’

‘Lady Tanisha, Your Grace,’

He blinked. Seated beside the open curtain, his eyes sparkled as he opened them again. His pale skin shone brightly.

‘And what did she say was her business?’ He asked the butler gently, but he was clearly annoyed.

The butler looked down. ‘That, I asked her, but she seems not to want to state it and keeps insisting to see you.’

His smooth forehead crumpled. He didn’t like the arrival of this lady. But, before he could say a word, there was a banging noise of footsteps and the door flew open.

‘Raphael!’

The maids earnestly tried to stop her.

‘My lady! You cannot enter without the Duke’s permission!’ A brow haired maid protested.

She frowned. ‘And is that how you speak to me? A noblewoman???’ She raises her hand fan. ‘You...insolent commoner!’ She proceeded to hit the maid with full strength.

The Duke sighed, opened his eyes and frowned.

‘Lady Owen.’

Lady Tanisha gritted her teeth and kicked the maid. Turning towards the Duke, her face relaxed and she suddenly smiled, ‘Aren’t you happy to see me, my dear Raphael?’

The Duke glared at her, not shaken by her sudden change of mood. ‘Amon, please excuse us. And take care of the maid.’

The butler bowed, ‘As you wish, Your Grace.’ He hastily led everyone out.

‘Raphael....’ she dragged his name. ‘Shouldn’t you tell me to have a seat?’

You would do it even if I didn’t say it though

‘Lady Owen.’ She froze. His voice was far too cold than before.

‘Ra-Raphael?’

‘You know very much not to call me by my first name.’ He slowly looked at her. ‘Don’t you?’ Both hands were in his pocket and he stood upright.

‘But...’

He sighed. ‘This has kept on for three months now. Harassing my servants, no... my people in front of me. Tell me, how are people who do such things punished?’

She flinched.

‘Ra-Your Grace, we will soon be engaged, I believe I ought to discipline them before I claim the position of the lady of this household...’

‘Lady Owen, you know very well that that engagement...’ he paused and closed his eyes. ‘...can be annulled if I want it to.’

She moved towards him.

‘It’s not possible, Raphael,’ she smirked. ‘You know fully well, that you need me, from the Owen family, to succeed.’

‘And what if I don’t want to?’

‘N-no...you... you can’t do that!’

‘Lady Owen, I’ve had enough of your tantrums and...your immaturity. Tell me, what is the assurance that you won’t abuse your power if you ever become the duchess?’

Her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment as she took a step back.

‘I’ve thought of it, my lady,’ the Duke stood, facing her. ‘This...the engagement, shall not take place.’

‘NOOOOOO!’

He rang the bell on the table.

‘Raphael! You cannot do this to me! I’ve waited for this moment before I came of age! This cannot happen! My father won’t allow it!’

The butler came in.

‘Amon,’

‘Your Grace,’ the butler bowed.

‘Prepare paper for me, I have an important letter to send.’

‘Yes, Your Grace.’

‘Also...’ he glanced at the lady. ‘Take her away.’ He turned his back on her.

Her distressed cries grew louder even as the Duke spoke.

‘Yes, Your Grace.’ Amon slightly bowed and gestured to the guards.

Before she realized it, lady Tanisha was already being dragged out of the room.

‘No! Your Grace, please! No! This can’t happen!’

The Duke said nothing.

‘Let go of me!’ She yelled at the guards. ‘I am the eldest daughter of Count Owen! You have no right to do this to me!’

It was already too late, as the Duke’s room door had been shut on her.

The Duke sat down. He sighed again.

‘I should have done this a long time ago.’ He muttered to himself.

The elegant looking carriage with the Marcus crest had just arrived at the palace. A guard stepped forward to check the passenger before allowing entry. There was a sudden commotion.

The Duke, inside the carriage, sighed. He tilted his head toward his already open window.

‘Pete.’ He slowly called his highly trusted aide. ‘Is there a problem?’ His left brow slightly raised, revealing his annoyance through a somewhat calm demeanor.

‘Well, Your Grace,’ Pete ribbed his neck. ‘It seems this guard is new on the job...But we’ll handle it-’

‘Never mind, I’ll just step out.’

‘But-’

‘I can’t waste time here..., there is a lot of work waiting for me.’ He said as he got out of the carriage. In an elegant manner, of course.

‘This isn’t a valid pass!’ The guard protested. ‘I haven’t seen any like this before.’

‘It’s obviously because you’re new,’ one of the Duke’s men retorted. ‘Can’t you recognize the crest?’

‘A crest is just a crest, you’ll need a valid pass or the appearance of your lord to pass this gate!’

‘Do we really need to-’

‘What seems to be the problem?’ The Duke, standing in front of them asked.

‘Your Grace,’ The man arguing with the guard slightly bowed.

The Duke looked at him. The guard flinched. ‘Yo-Your Grace...’ He held his spear tightly. ‘I didn’t know it was you...’

He could feel the Duke’s deep green eyes pierce through him. How could he not know??

The great Duke of the East of the Empire; Raphael Marcus. Known for his green beastly eyes that have been said to be able to see through countless enemies that have been defeated by his hands, a trait that has been passed in the Marcus family for the past five generations. This was common knowledge.

The guard quivered as he looked down, he had made a mistake. ‘I-I apologize, Y-Your G-Grace, you may enter.’ He quickly went to tha gate and opened it while bowing.

The Duke blinked, slowly turned around and walked towards his carriage. All his soldiers said nothing but kept their heads bowed. They couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or he wasn’t. He entered the carriage and Pete closed the door of the carriage.

The gate was wide open and the horses pulling the carriage started trotting as the rider whipped them.

The Duke just continued to read the book in his hand. Not long after, they arrived at the gate of the Emperor’s office. The Duke stepped down even before Pete realized he was out.

The soldiers guarding the door quickly shifted to the side of the door and pushed it open, as it looked like the Duke didn’t want to waste time. The Emperor’s assistance, Eric Beldon was rushing to welcome the Duke, who was already halfway to the entrance of the office. His sweaty face showed his extant speed.

‘Your Gra-’

The Duke just passed him by, his long strides being almost two of Eric’s. Eric could only just follow him back as fast as possible in order to prevent whatever bad thing might happen between the Duke and the Emperor.

But alas, the doors were already wide open, His Majesty at his desk with the Duke on his knees.

The Emperor’s quill dropped. ‘Duke Marcus?’

‘I greet the sun of the empire, your Imperial Majesty.’

Eric rushed to the Emperor’s side, who was still surprised from the Duke’s entry.

The Duke raised his head, his green eyes glaring at the Emperor. ‘Your Majesty?’

‘Oh...Y-you may rise...’

‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’ The Duke responded as he stood upright.

The Emperor had finally calmed down. He cleared his throat. ‘Have a seat, Duke,’ He stretched his arm to his front, where two chairs were placed.

‘Do not worry about me, Your Majesty, I have merely come here for a chat.’

The Emperor frowned, obviously feeling troubled. Eric was stuff, he took out a letter and handed it over to the Emperor. The Emperor nodded.

‘Duke,’ his hands intertwined under chin after dropping the letter. ‘We received a letter from Count Owen, you canceled the engagement?’

‘Yes, your Majesty.’ The Duke’s arms were at his side, his face carrying no expression as he nodded along. ‘I just cannot accept Lady Owen as my fiancée.’

‘And why is that?’ His Majesty’s frown deepened.

‘She is not fully trained for the position.’

‘Not fully trained? She has been preparing for that position for a while now, and you’re telling me you’re not satisfied?’ The Emperor’s hands left his chin.

The Duke closed his eyes and sighed. Eric quivered. As the Duke’s eyes opened, the atmosphere became slightly cold.

A sudden cold atmosphere. The only person whose presence could cause a cold atmosphere was right before them. And whenever that happened, it wasn’t a good sign.

The Duke reaches into his coat and brought out a rolled document. ‘Viscount Beldon, please.’ He looked towards Eric’s direction.

Eric stepped forward to take the document from the Duke’s hand. As he opened it, his eyes widened in horror. ‘Your Grace, what is this?’

‘This, your Majesty, is the reason for my decision to cancel the engagement that has been pending for the last three months.’

Eric passed the document to the Emperor, whose reaction was no different from Eric’s.

There was a list of names of servants who had gone through the harsh bullying of Lady Tanisha Owen. Most had suffered injuries and losses that could not be reversed or healed. There was also a list of children who had been sent to work in the mines belonging to the Owen family due to the debts or mistakes they made with the Owen family. And somehow, they had been able to hide all this information.

‘I had wanted to show you this before,’ the Duke continued. ‘But I thought they’d stop since they secured the position of marrying into the Marcus family. They just got worse due to that position.’

The Emperor was confused. The Duke continued with his information. ‘I came to inform you that I’ve found a way to claim the mine from them and I’ll be taking possession of it in two days. Due to this I won’t be in the capital for at least 6 months.’

‘How did you do that?’ The Emperor asked, also surprised that the Duke has already found a solution.

The Duke smiled slightly. ‘I have my ways, your Majesty,’

The Emperor could only admit to himself that the Duke was very impressive.

‘If that is all, I am taking my leave, Your Majesty,’ he bowed and stepped out.