17 His wavering heart (3)

'Alright then, the duke can think, but time is ticking. If that woman is truly the suspect, the duke should forgive me, but I will eliminate anything that disturbs the peace of my empire, even if you stand in my way.'

'That suspicious organization in the neighboring empire. The crown prince seemed to have caught traces of them, and his spies mentioned a lady with golden hair. Her origins were investigated, and it says she was a slave bought by the master of that organization.'

'As far as the crown prince knows, there is no golden hair in the empire, and the only person with that hair color in this empire is your mistress.'

Dante dazedly walked to his carriage with the emperor's words echoing in his mind. Some nobles greeted him along the way, but he did not see them, even though they were directly in front of his eyes. He did not know how his feet carried him outside. He did not know when the coachman opened the door for him. He did not know how he entered and sat down on the comfy seat. He did not even know when the carriage had started to drive back to the duchy.

All he thought about were the emperor's words.

What if the emperor was right? Then...what of him? He would be the biggest fool in people's eyes. His marriage...his wife...his child...he did not want to think what would happen if annalise actually deceived him.

Then all he knew about her since they met four years ago would be a lie, and he did not want to experience another painful memory, as he had enough to live with for the rest of his life.

If anyone should ask him about his favorite memories, there were two of them.

One of them is the day he met annalise, the love of his life, and the other was when his father, mother, and himself became a true family. Those times were his happy moments as a child until that woman came in to spoil everything.

After that, his mother died after killing that woman and getting her revenge against his father. Years later, his father died in regret for indirectly killing his wife, and he, their child, became indifferent to everything.

Until he met her, Annalise who shook his bleak world with a cake that reminded him of his warm days as a child.

Then, it was after a year he married the grand duke's daughter. He was coming back from the imperial palace and passed a bakery that emitted a familiar smell. Born in the capital, he knew this bakery was not in that spot in the first place. Nevertheless, he could not resist the familiar smell and leaned forward to open the window connected to the front, where the coachman stayed on the carriage.

''Buy the cake from that new bakery,'' He ordered and returned to his sitting position.

It did not take too long for the coachman to pass the cheap packaged cake to him through the window and the curtains. Soon after, the carriage moved to the duchy.

''Welcome back, duke,'' the familiar sparkling, innocent blue eyes greeted him, and he acknowledged his wife with a nod.

Just that simple gesture made his duchess's smile brighter, even though he had been cold to her since the beginning of their marriage.

''The kitchen prepared lunch for you. Would you like to eat together?'' She asked with expectant eyes. The servants behind her were lined up in two straight parallel lines, convenient for them to pass through and enter the castle.

''No,'' He said heartlessly and left without looking at her expression.

For some reason, his mind was on the cake in his hand, and he went into his office to try the sweet dessert. Though he had not eaten anything since he left for an urgent meeting with the emperor, he still wanted the cake in his hand to be the first thing in his stomach.

''Spencer, bring a plate and fork,'' He uttered as he could feel the latter's presence behind him.

''Yes, your grace.''

After settling in his office without removing his aristocratic wear, Spencer had brought the silver plate and fork with an additional object on a tray.

''Her grace said a drink would be nice with your dessert. She also hopes for you to eat a proper meal, your grace.'' Spencer explained after noticing his gaze on the glass cup.

Dante nodded and waited for Spencer to drop the tray on the table.

''You can go,'' he dismissed as he opened the package on the plate at his front.

''Yes, your grace.''

After the door closed, duke hayes looked at the slice of cake, then picked up the fork and proceeded to eat it.

He took the first bite, then the second bite, and the third bite. Before he knew it, the whole slice had finished. He continued to stare at the plate, and a solitary tear slid down his cheeks.

''Mother..'' He mumbled with a sad smile. The cake tasted exactly like his mother's and that made him happy but sad at the same time.

The cake from the bakery made Dante happy, and it became a routine to buy the delicacy after work in the imperial palace.

One day, his duchess brought it up during their breakfast.

''If the duke likes the cake so much, you can bring the baker to the duchy,'' She suggested with a smile as she finally learned another thing about her husband.

He did not say a word after her suggestion, but later that day, after his work in the imperial palace, he went into that bakery without disguise.

The bell dinged, announcing his presence, and the chatter in the bakery ceased immediately.

It was not everyday commoners see an aristocrat in a bakery that belongs to one of them, but Dante did not pay attention to their stunned gazes and curiously looked at the interior that did not resemble the lavish ones he was used to seeing every day.

''Oh my..'' He turned to the owner of that feminine voice, and his red eyes caught the sight of a golden-haired woman. Her smile was bright and her light green eyes reminded him of a small tree he planted with his mother. His mother did not like gardening, but for his sake and childish curiosity, she planted one with him.

''Hello.'' The beautiful woman greeted him, and his heart was stolen, at that very moment.

'' Annalise won't lie to me…right?'' Dante murmured after those memories came to him.

As he was thinking, the carriage suddenly leaped forward, making him grunt a little. The sudden force did not move his steady body as he was a skilled swordsman.

''I want to see his grace!''

His ear twitched at the sudden commotion outside. Opening the door, his annoyed ruby eyes landed on the standing coachman, then at a woman that seemed familiar in his eyes.

''Your grace..'' The maid's eyes lit up as she dodged the coachman's body and hurried to him, ''Miss Annalise..''

Once she mentioned that name, dante finally recognized the woman as annalise's maid. She was someone who worked for annalise in the bakery, but that was not important to the duke.

''Annalise..'' he mumbled her name. He was sure that the maid's voice had a hint of urgency in them. Without listening to the remaining of her words, he turned to the coachman, '' Go to annalise right now!''

''Your grace, we are almost at the du…'' The coachman was not able to finish his words as the duke's gaze was menacing.

''Now!'' He growled and shut the door.

Not wasting time, the carriage started moving, and this time, the duke paid attention to his surroundings. His knees were shaking in nervousness, and he repeatedly murmured his lover's name with clenched hands on his shaking knees.

'I hope nothing is wrong with annalise.'

As though the heavens were listening to his earnest wish of getting to annalise, it did not take long for him to reach the familiar mansion.

''Annalise!'' Dante burst through the closed doors and his gaze landed on the familiar light green eyes. The green eyes that stole his heart the very moment he saw them. Relief went across his red eyes as she looked the same as when she left for her family.

''Are you–'' He did not complete his words as his gaze went down to her lower body, particularly the hand on her stomach…to be precise, her bulging stomach.

He did not say a word as his hands slid erratically from the door and went limp to his sides.

''Do you want the baby...our baby?'' Annalise whispered as she had been studying his gaze ever since he entered her room. She expected him to be surprised.

''Y-You–You are p-pregnant?''

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