The Duke's Realization

Duke Carl couldn't get the woman he had met at the masked ball out of his mind. He had never felt such a strong connection with anyone before, and he knew that he had to find her. But how? He had no idea who she was or where she lived.

Days turned into weeks, and Duke Carl started to lose hope of ever finding the woman again. But one day, as he was having tea in his study, he caught a glimpse of Maxi serving him. Suddenly, it hit him. Maxi was the woman he had been searching for.

Duke Carl was surprised that he hadn't recognized her before. Maxi looked different without her mask, and he had only seen her in the dim light of the fountain. But now that he knew who she was, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

He didn't know how to approach Maxi, though. He didn't want to scare her off or make her feel uncomfortable. So he decided to keep his identity a secret and see where things would go.

He started to summon Maxi to his study more often, making up excuses for her to do more chores there. He would ask her to polish his desk or organize his books, just so he could watch her work. He found himself captivated by her every move, and he couldn't help but stare at her whenever she was in the room.

Maxi, on the other hand, had no idea that Duke Carl was the stranger who had kissed her at the masked ball. She still thought of him as a nobleman, and she had no idea that he was the Duke. She was surprised that he was summoning her to his study so often, but she didn't think too much of it. She just assumed that he had more work for her to do.

As the days turned into weeks, Maxi started to notice that Duke Carl was acting differently around her. He would look at her with a strange intensity, and she could feel his eyes on her whenever she was in the room. She didn't know what to make of it, but she couldn't deny that she was drawn to him. There was something about him that she couldn't resist, and she found herself thinking about him more and more.

One day, as Maxi was dusting the shelves in Duke Carl's study, he suddenly spoke up. "How long have you been working here?" Duke Carl asked, trying to make conversation.

"Almost two years, Your Grace," Maxi replied, still not meeting his gaze.

Duke Carl nodded. "And how do you like it here?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"It's a good job, Your Grace," Maxi replied, her voice soft. "I'm grateful for it."

He decided to change the subject. "Maxi, I have some work for you to do," he said. "I need you to organize my library. It's a mess, and I can't find anything."

Maxi nodded, looking relieved to have something to do. She got up and left the room, and Duke Carl watched her go, feeling a mix of emotions. He knew that he was being foolish, but he couldn't help himself. He was drawn to Maxi in a way that he had never experienced before.

Over the next few days, Duke Carl summoned Maxi to his study more often, giving her menial tasks to do just so he could see her. He knew that he was taking advantage of his position, but he couldn't help himself. Maxi was all he could think about, and he wanted to be near her as much as possible.

Maxi, on the other hand, was oblivious to Duke Carl's feelings. She saw him as just another nobleman, someone who was above her station and who she could never be with. She didn't know that he was the stranger who had kissed her that night.

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