I Stole The Duke - Chapter 68

“Enough! Just get to the point.”

Eliana finally cut Speaker off, unable to endure any more.

“Once we drove the Camture Kingdom’s pirates into the sea, His Grace calmed down. Haha.”

“Got it, Sir Speaker.”

Eliana firmly shut her mouth. Any more questions, and she feared she’d regret it deeply.

“My Lady, I—Sir Roswell Speaker—would be honored if you just called me by name.”

Speaker, watching her carefully, couldn’t help but reveal a bit of hope. Like Joel or Cedric, he wanted to be addressed by name.

“No, Sir Speaker fits you perfectly. It suits you just right.”

Is this still about that carrier owl incident…?

Roswell Speaker looked thoroughly deflated.

[Operation 1: Gather Information]

The aftermath of this mission was brutal. After enduring 45 minutes of Speaker’s endless chatter, Eliana felt like half her remaining stamina had been drained.

Alright. If it’s come to this, I’ll go for a direct attack.

Still sprawled across her bed, Eliana suddenly sat upright with renewed resolve.

“My Lady, heading somewhere again?”

Speaker greeted her warmly as she stepped out of her room an hour later.

“Would you carry this for me?”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

Without warning, she handed him a large basket—stuffed with invitations that had been pouring in from all directions.

Knock knock.

With a determined heart, Eliana stood in front of Michalis’s office and knocked without hesitation.

“Michalis, it’s me. May I come in?”

“Enter.”

As soon as she heard his permission, she swung open the door and dropped herself onto the sofa inside.

“Sir Speaker, please set the basket here.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

The heavy basket landed on the coffee table with a soft thud.

[Operation 2: Close Proximity]

This time, Eliana had chosen the simplest method of all—sticking close to him.

“What exactly are you doing?”

Michalis raised a brow, clearly skeptical. His unpredictable wife had barged in again, this time with no clear agenda.

“I’m here to get some work done too.”

Judging by his expression, he was still upset. Of course he was. But Eliana calmly pulled out some stationery and a pen from the basket.

“…Do as you wish.”

Michalis gave her a long, piercing look, then returned his gaze to the documents in his hand.

“Sir Roswell, I won’t be needing a guard while she’s with me. You may leave.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“……”

The room fell silent the moment Speaker stepped out.

.

.

.

For a long while, only the sound of pen scratching paper could be heard. Eliana busied herself writing rejection letters to the invitations, while Michalis worked through piles of approval documents.

Ugh, this is uncomfortable.

The coffee table was too low, and the awkward posture made it hard to write. Eliana sat up and stretched, tapping her shoulder with her fist.

“……”

Their eyes met.

“…Sigh.”

With a faint sigh, Michalis reached up and pulled a bell cord.

“You summoned me, Your Grace?”

“Bring in a portable writing desk.”

“Yes, right away.”

“Thank you, Michalis.”

“……”

From the far end of the sofa, Eliana gave him a small, hopeful smile. Though he didn’t respond, there was a faint sign of softening in his expression.

Not bad.

Michalis was beginning to think maybe it was better to keep this unpredictable wife in front of him where he could see her, rather than letting her sneak around behind his back.

Ah, that’s so much better.

A few minutes later, two servants brought in a compact writing desk and set it up. Eliana, now able to sit properly and write comfortably, felt much more at ease.

“……”

Another hour passed in silence.

Should I try something now?

As she sealed another envelope and placed it in the box, Eliana subtly glanced over at him. Michalis was still fully immersed in work—and looked incredibly attractive doing it.

“Michalis…”

Eliana decided it was time to initiate the next step.

“What is it?”

Michalis’s eyes briefly flicked up from the documents.

[Operation 3: Compliment Him]

“You look amazing.”

Eliana flashed him a bright smile, meeting his eyes.

“You’re really sexy.”

“If you’re trying to distract me from my work, I suggest you leave.”

Ouch. That was cold.

It was a clear rejection.

“…I won’t say anything else.”

Eliana’s shoulders slumped. Maybe today wasn’t the right time.

Tick, tick.

Since she had chosen to stay in the office, they ended up eating lunch together. Sitting across from Michalis at the coffee table, Eliana was now locked in a struggle—with a single shrimp on her plate.

Ugh, seriously.

As if Michalis wasn’t cold enough already… Eliana was getting increasingly frustrated. She just wanted to peel the shrimp, but the little armored thing kept slipping away like it was running for its life.

Ting!

With a frustrated jab of her fork, the shrimp went flying into the air.

Thud!

“Ah!”

It smacked Michalis right on the forehead before landing squarely on his plate.

“…What exactly are you trying to do?”

His face twisted as the sauce from the shrimp smeared across his forehead.

“I’m sorry…”

Eliana looked like she might burst into tears.

“……”

If he scolded her any further, she really would cry. Michalis pressed his lips together and quietly wiped his forehead with a napkin.

“Give it here.”

Unable to watch her anymore, he pulled Eliana’s plate toward him.

Scrape. Scrape.

With a few swift movements of his knife, the shrimp was perfectly peeled.

“Thank you…”

Eliana blinked at the beautifully prepared dish, feeling dazed. Even when angry, Michalis never lost his quiet kindness.

But how do I melt that coldness away?

There was only one way to find out—by asking directly.

[Operation 4: Honest Conversation]

“Michalis… what would it take for you to forgive me?”

Eliana cautiously broke the silence.

“You really don’t know?” he said. “Tell me everything. What’s in the Espensen estate, and why are you hostile toward Lady Freya?”

“Ah…”

That was impossible.

“…I’m sorry.”

Time to retreat—for now. Eliana realized she should probably just stay quiet today.

“Michalis… Let’s take a walk together.”

“…Fine.”

He still seemed angry, but at least he wasn’t pushing her away. That gave her a little hope.

It took the Emperor ten years to bring down House Espensen on charges of treason.

Their walk was silent, but Eliana’s thoughts were racing.

If Michalis and the Emperor joined forces, how long would it take this time?

She mentally estimated the time she had left.

Five years? Three? …One?

Maybe she didn’t have much time at all.

First, I need to survive the assassin. Then I have to dismantle the regression magic…

The list of impossible tasks was only growing longer.

“Michalis… You’re not seriously planning to kill Freya, are you?”

Michalis stopped walking.

“I am.”

“No… Michalis, please don’t.”

“Then give me a valid reason not to.”

Unless Eliana told him the truth, they would just keep going in circles.

By 9 p.m., Eliana was nodding off at her small desk.

Thump. Thump.

Her forehead kept bowing toward the papers in a sleepy rhythm.

“If you’re tired, go rest,” Michalis said, flicking a page in frustration as he watched her struggle to stay upright.

“I’m not tired!”

Ahh—no! I was almost done, and now the ink smudged…

Startled awake, Eliana grabbed fresh stationery.

“……”

He could clearly see she was at her limit. But he couldn’t figure out what strategy she was trying to pull now.

Starting today, I’m sticking to you no matter what.

Eliana pressed her cheeks with both hands, steeling herself.

No matter how elite the Blue Knights were, they couldn’t guard her inside the bedroom. The safest place, in this situation, was right next to the Duke.

Freya Espensen’s whereabouts during a two-hour window remain unaccounted for.

Ever since last night, Michalis couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Where exactly did she go for those two hours?

It was the same timeframe Eliana had infiltrated the estate. He was sure Freya had gone out—but which hidden exit had she used?

Tap. Tap.

His fingers drummed quietly against the desk.

Could it be… does Eliana know where she went?

His gaze drifted toward the compact desk where Eliana had been working.

“…Good grief.”

She had fallen asleep, slumped over the table.

Unbelievable.

He’d planned to keep working for another couple of hours, but now he had to stop.

Rustle.

Michalis quietly scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

“Don’t go…”

Just as he pulled the blanket over her and turned to leave, something tugged at his coat.

“I’m scared…”

Her sleepy voice trailed off weakly.

Scared?

Michalis frowned slightly. Eliana had always preferred sleeping alone. She’d never said anything like this before.

“Please… don’t be angry. I’m scared.”

“……”

Was I that harsh with her?

Still holding his coat, she looked so small and fragile that Michalis found himself lying down beside her.

Michalis…

Sensing safety, Eliana instinctively curled into his arms.

This is driving me crazy.

Before he knew it, he was cradling her, giving her his arm as a pillow, and holding her tightly in his embrace.

“…Sigh.”

Michalis let out a long breath.

He was still mad—but one look at this tiny, chirping little wife of his, and his anger kept melting away.

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