Chapter 4

Flash back to when the Duke arrived in town his POV;

It was a lovely sunny day yet I felt so unwell I had been out halfway across the lands of Nelyvir over seeing the imperial family's troops as they high ranking Commander for 7 months nearly a year. I hadn't been at the royal dukedom where my family was for a long while and honestly I was over the moon when the emperor finally called the troops to return home. I missed my mother and little sister but I was dreading going back to the Dukedom knowing that it would be lines and lines of Title, power hungry woman waiting for me. This wasn't the first time I've left for a while and came back and I hated that every time I did there was noble woman waiting for me. I don't want to get married which is one of the many reasons why I've turned down so many princesses from the imperial family.

None of those woman care about me just my abilities as a mana mage. Just then the carriage came to a stop and one of my troops knocked to tell me we have arrived. The weeks journey was long and I was incredibly tired. I looked out of the curtains of the Carriage only to see what I had expected, many woman waiting outside of the Check in point for the troops and I. It was where we have to go to sign out of duty before going to our homes and families. I sighed, my head was spinning and I really didn't want to deal with all those women and their mothers right now. I closed the curtain and sat back in my seat closing my eyes and taking several deep breaths. Just then I heard someone calling me. "Commander?" Said my most trusted right hand troop Fredrick Gail. Fredrick was my best soldier and my oldest friend he's been with me since I became a soldier and stuck by my side when I made commander. He knows my family and they love him like a brother and son.

"Here" said Fredrick handing me a cloak. "What's this for?" I asked him surprised "I know how much you hate going out there with all those woman so I thought this could be of some help" he said. I sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you" I said as I then put it on. He smiled, after a moment I was finally ready to step out of the carriage I let all my troops go first and I hung in the back of the line instead of the front like I usually do. You could hear the noble woman breaking out in confused mutters asking each other where the commander was. I just stayed hidden under my cloak, we stood in line at the check out each waiting our turn to sign out. Eventually it was my turn and I quickly signed the papers and thanked the man behind the booth. that's when I heard an all to familiar voice and a few unrecognizable ones.

Following that voice I spotted my sister and an unfamiliar noble woman being harassed by a few noble men. I looked around and saw everyone looking the other way completely ignoring them. It made my blood boil no one even attempted to help, even with the knowledge that Rya the girl being harassed was the Duke of this royal empires little sister. I immediately stomped over to the noble man. I locked eyes with my sister and she smiled immediately recognizing me even with my hood on.

"Let them go now" I said.

The noble man pushed the white haired woman to the muddy ground and she hit it with a hard Thump. he then turned to face me "Oh yeah and who are you" said the man. I took off my hood before looking up at him and narrowing my eyes at the noble man. "I'm the Duke of this town and you're holding onto my sister" I said the noble man swallowed hard as his eyes glanced down at the royal pin that was on my chest. "Y-your Grace" said the man as he stumbled back. The other noble man holding onto my sister immediately let her go before running off. "I-I'm truly sorry your Grace I- I didn't know" said the man stuttering in fear.  "I should have your head right now and I'd be well in my rights to do so, did you know any offense against the commander of the royal grand and Dukes family is a crime against the imperial family?" I asked in a calm but threatening tone. "I-I- didn't know she was your sister your grace" he said trembling as I  pulled out my sword his words angered me as they meant that if she wasn't someone important to me he'd had went through with this disgusting act. I pointed it at his throat. Everyone's attention soon turned to the little corner we were in when they all realized that it was me the Duke standing there.

The man they've all been looking for, mutters and gasp broke out as they each realized. But I didn't care, in that moment I was too focused on the scum in front of me.

"I don't care if she wasn't, to try and take advantage of a young woman because she's alone is sicking enough but to do so with the title of a noble man is even more insulting" I said my hand gripping the handle of my sword tightly. "Kneel" I said. "Please your grace mercy" the man cried out. "I Said Kneel!" I repeated not caring to hear his pleading. My voice growing more aggressive. The man shamefully got on his knees in front of me.

my sister immediately ran over to me and grabbed my arm. "Brother no don't please" she begged me, I stood there and began to raise my sword. I caught a glance of the white haired woman and how she closed her eyes tight most likely not wanting to witness what would happen. Every part of me wanted to take his head off and make him pay for trying that cruel act on my sister. I wanted to hurt him but I heard one last plead from my sister and insanely realized that this wasn't something I could do in front of her. I swung my sword and the sound of the wind passing the sword and the gasping of the people around us could be heard. But instead of taking off his head I stuck my sword in the dirt before looking over at the muddy woman as she slowly opened her eyes.

I then looked down at the man who was still kneeling there in front of me. "You will be stripped of your noble title and held prisoner for insulting the imperial family and attempted assault on a member of the Ramiro household" I said snapping my fingers causing two guards to come and grab him up and walk him off. I then put away my sword and looked down at the woman covered in mud with a bruised knee. I was grateful to her she was the only one who stepped up and helped my sister even though it meant that those vile man would come after her as well.

But I was also suspicious of her for that very reason the fact that she was the only one willing to help. Did she plan this? Maybe she saw an opportunity to get close to me and seized it whatever the reason I couldn't just stand there and stare her down the whole time, I had to figure out why. I kneeled down and offered her my gloved hand. She didn't take it right away and even looked hesitant to do so.

Her hands were covered in mud but I didn't mind as a commander of an army getting dirty was part of the job.  "Are you alright?" I asked as she looked at me still with an unsure look, "I am" she replied i  looked down at her clothes as I helped her to her feet and once she was up I glanced over and saw a few of the noble woman looking at us and whispering I soon realized that it was because I was holding her hand so I immediately retracted my hand from hers.

Just then Rya my sister came up to the woman who looked to be 18 or 19 years old, "Oh no your dress is ruined, brother we can't leave her like this we must do something" said Rya looking at me with pleading eyes. I didn't want to get in any further with this woman because I wasn't sure of her true intentions but how could I say no to my most adorable little sister who I haven't seen in 7 months.

"Oh no it's fine really" said  the woman with a smile, I sighed as much as I didn't want to it was the right thing to do my mother would kill me 10 times over if she found out I left a noble woman muddy and bruised after she helped my sister. "No she's quite right we must repay you for your dress" I said as I folded my arms across my chest, hoping that she'd decline again so then I have no choice but to leave her alone. "Come we'll take you to get changed" said Rya and before the woman could say anything more she was already in my carriage leaving the gathering. I watched as she looked out of the window with almost an saddened expression. But I for one was happy to be leaving all of those woman and not having to deal with them at all. I guess that was one more thing to be thanking the woman for.

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