My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 95

Chapter 48.1 — Chalonné’s Man (11)

“Mother!”

Bea rushed to cradle Riette’s head in her arms while Riette blinked in shock.

‘Did I just…get hit? By Mother…? Not Narkissis?’

Riette stared at her mother in a daze.

The elegance and dignity she had seen in the royal dining room were gone. The regal and composed Empress she saw from the dining room had vanished, replaced by the Ceres she had always known.

“How dare you lay a hand on His Highness, the Prince? If he were to lose his life like your father did, how would you take responsibility for such a thing?!”

“Mother, what are you saying? Can’t you see the situation right now? His Highness was just about to, Riette…”

The shouts of her mother and sister echoed in Riette’s ears.

She was dumbfounded.

Her father’s death had been an accident and had nothing to do with the vase—or with her, for that matter. It felt as if her mother had been waiting for any excuse to lash out at her. Even bringing up her late father to defend Narkissis while criticizing her—it was the kind of reaction that would make anyone think Narkissis was her real child, not Riette.

At some point, Narkissis had quietly stood up and naturally positioned himself between Bea and Ceres.

“Bea, it seems you’ve greatly misunderstood me. Riette has developed some resentment towards me lately because she’s grown close to Cain, which led our conversation to get a bit heated. I should’ve handled it differently. That was my mistake.”

He glanced down at his bloodstained knuckles. Although the bleeding wasn’t severe, the blood running down his forehead and cheeks made the injury appear far worse than it actually was.

Ceres, who had been gazing at his bloody forehead in concern, suddenly snapped her head toward Riette.

“A princess of a nation striking His Highness over a mere argument? Why are you always so ruled by your emotions? You need to learn how to make decisions calmly instead of being so emotional and never composed… How can you not resemble your late father, even a little?”

“Mother, please stop it! Why do you never listen to Riette?!”

“It’s because His Highness is telling the truth. I was the one who asked His Highness to speak with Riette.”

“Yes? Are you saying that you let His Highness Narkissis into Riette’s bedroom?”

“I didn’t ask him to go that far, but I did ask him to reprimand Riette for her recent behavior. How could she do something so disgraceful as to give herself to a man on the night of her sister’s wedding? Those marks are proof of what your sister did with Grand Duke Acheron last night.”

Riette muttered, her voice hollow with shock.

“You gave permission for the engagement. You, Mother…”

“You didn’t leave me much of a choice, did you? You’re always like this. You ensnare men who are far beyond your reach and don’t think of anyone else. Have you even once considered how your sister must feel when you end up with such a man? No, of course you haven’t!”

Riette couldn’t follow her mother’s reasoning. She knew her mother had always been a bit high-strung like a string on an instrument pulled too tight, but today, her emotions seemed particularly volatile.

Ah, as expected… Was she angry? She must’ve just held it in front of the Grand Duke.

Her sister had gotten married due to a premarital pregnancy, and now she had done the same. Yes, if it was her mother, she was likely lashing out in anger because of her disappointment. Her mother had never been one to express her feelings honestly.

‘…I’m her own daughter.’

No matter how much she trusted him, there was no way she could love Narkissis more than her.

‘Even if not as much as my sister, she must still love me, right? There’s no way…’

Click.

The sound of the door opening again made all three of them turn their heads simultaneously.

“….!”

There was only one reason why no one could scold the uninvited guest who had barged into the Princess’s bedroom without permission.

His sharp, overwhelming presence was truly impenetrable.

His shadow, cast by the dim wall lights, seemed to engulf the entire room, a chilling and fierce aura radiating from him.

“Grand Duke…”

His eyes, shadowed beneath his prominent brow and sharp nose, were cold as ice. The air around him seemed to be sliced apart, leaving the skin where his gaze fell with a stinging sensation, almost as if it were real.

His usually neat black hair was naturally disheveled as though he had rushed over in a hurry.

Like a sword honed to perfection, his sharp eyes slowly scanned the chaotic bedroom. After briefly resting on Bea, Ceres, and then Narkissis, his eyes finally settled on Riette, who collapsed on the bed.

“….”

Thud.

The sound of his footsteps filled the silence, and as he drew closer, no one dared to stop him.

Want to read more? Up to [15] advanced chapters are available on Patreon: