16 chapter 16.

" Now he even didn't permit his fiance to get in, huh? "

Claire crossed her armed in offended by the treatment of grand duke Allard's residence towards herself.

" My-my apologize, your highness. But the young master is absent for now. please do forgive me. " said Alfred, the head butler of Allard's residence in guilty.

" But, I am his fiance, Alfred. Although he was absent or not, don't you at least need to ask me to get in? " impatience Claire in a firm.

" I-I'm sorry, your highness, but you really can't get in. "

" ...Why? "

" Um.. that because.." Alfred flustered in guilt.

" Hm. Then, let me meet the grand duke. if I'm here to see him, you must to at least permit me, right? " asked Claire toward Alfred.

Alfred was shocked and quickly bend his head. " I-I'm sorry.."

" Even that..?! "

" My lady, we can meet them tomorrow, I would free up your schedule so let's head back before the sun setting." said Daisy calmly while holding Claire's shoulder.

" ..but I.. "

" What happened here? " asked someone from behind them.

" My lord, welcome home. " bow Alfred in an instant.

Quickly Claire turns to look at the grand duke Allard, Felixis Robesto Allard. He stands there, look at them with his red menacing eyes. Claire gulps in fear by his piercing gaze and bends her head a little.

" Gre-greeting grand duke Allard, Claire Stella Romanoff has come to meet you. Please pardon my sudden presence at your graceful residence on this peaceful evening. "

" ....? "

"..Hahahha. you shouldn't become so formal with me, my future daughter-in-law! come, let's get in. " laughed the grand duke.

Claire quickly followed him inside with a big grin. what a lucky day to meet him now!

" So, forgive me for my rudeness to gaze on you like that earlier, I didn't recognize you at first, and with the empire's political problems make me aware of my surroundings. I'm sorry. " said Felix while placing his cup on the table.

Claire smile politely. "I understand, father always being like that too in times like these. He was also scarier than you earlier, so I'm kind of adapted to that kind of gaze. "

Felix laughed hardly. " Haha, that man always being like that! that Relius acted like that towards your mother too... opss... I'm sorry if I had offended you. " apologize grand duke in guilt.

Claire was stunned and quickly shake her hand. " No, no, it's okay. father doesn't talk about mother that much and I didn't remember her face too, just slightly of our time together that I remembered, so it's okay. I really wanted to hear about my mother though. "

Suddenly Felix becomes speechless.

" What? Relius didn't talk about your mother to you, Claire? but he used to bragged about Jenna's beauty all the time and even when you were born, he bragged about how you resemble your mother the most! how unbelievable. " in disappointment, Felix bends his head and shake it a little.

Claire speechless and look at Felix without a blink.

" Father used to brag about my mother and me? " asked Claire in doubt.

Felix smiles in reluctant and nodded his head. " He once become like that, I always remember that he was a man with cheerful characters, you might laugh if you look at him in the past but, what makes him change was because of your mother, Jennalia Fester Romanoff. she was kind and has a free-spirited soul, had an angelic face like yours. " smile Felix towards Claire.

" You really do resembles her, Claire. your father, Relius. he acted just like her but after she's gone, he changed again.. "

" ..Because of mom. " mumble Claire in disappointment.

Felix smiles in hurt and gently pat Claire's head like she was his own daughter. " I wanted to tell you about Jenna, but it's not my story to tell so, just give Relius some time to let himself ready. "

Claire nodded understand. " I will... "

Felix gently smiles and slowly looks at his servants for a moment. ' get out and leave us. '

All the servants bowed understand and leave the room in an instant, Claire looks at them dumbfounded.

" ...? "

" So, you came here to talk about Ad-Evans, am I right? " cough Felix a little.

Claire was stunned and quickly nodded her head as her answer. Hah. He almost spits out Evans's true name a second there.

" Well, you know that you can't meet him, right? "

Claire smirk and lean on the sofa comfortably. " I am. "

Look at Claire's action, grand duke Felix does the same as her. " Then? what do you want? "

Claire smiles and crossed her arms. " The true story. I would become the next grand duchess, shouldn't I must know my future husband's condition? hmm, future father-in-law? "

Felix was stunned by Claire's firm again and then suddenly he bends his head from being seen.

Claire looks at his trembled body with a big frown. " Why did you laughed? I didn't make any joke here, grand duke. "

Felixis's body trembled and he suddenly burst in his laughter. " Hahaha! such an interesting creature! Claire, you really make my day! Hahaha! "

Claire frown and crossed her leg this time. She trying to be firm but this old handsome guy just laughs at her actions?

" Grand duke Felix. It's rude to laugh like that in front of a lady. Don't you know any manner? " anger Claire.

Felixis's laugh becomes harder until he almost cried because of Claire's words. " I-I'm sorry..! haha, but, you recalmHmyselft a minute.....ha. I need to calm myself first. haha.. Ha.."

" Okay... I'm tired already..ha.. "

Claire frowns in anger while grand duke trying to calm himself.

" Okay, okay. you're not trying to make a joke here but you know that I'm really easy to burst into a laugh, right? well, your words really are interesting. ' the future grand duchess '... Hah! I really thought that this residence should have a bold lead as my heirs but I didn't know they would be this brave and bold to this instance."

" Sigh... To call yourself a duchess of Allard, you really had some nerve there.. "

Suddenly it suffocated to breathe within this air in the room. It slowly growing dark and dark more as he suddenly reveals his true self towards Claire.

" ...!! " hold her neck in shock, her retina quickly draws at Felix.

With his piercing gaze, he looks at me and trying to scare myself with his shining red eyes. His shining rubies eye intensely looks at me with something that I can't describe what it is. it's dark like it was trying to swallow me up. I'm breathless and suffocating by his gaze. Now, I remembered the true personality of the grand duke. Yes, This guy, this is how he used his dark power to ruin the empire once in my past life.

" Ugh.. wh..y..?.. "

Felix smirked and slowly bends his face closer towards Claire who was trembling, trying to get some breath from the dark air.

" If you really wanted to become the duchess of Allard, I will give you one task, Claire. "

" Ugh.. let... go..! " struggle Claire in hurt.

" Heh. such a pretty face. Even in this stead, you're still pretty. " said Felix while gently caress for Claire's face.

" Ugh..please.." beg Claire in suffocated.

Felix smile with his beautiful face. " But only if you succeed in the task, the position will become yours, Claire. "

" Ugh..! cough! cough! "

Felix eventually let Claire go from his dark magic and smile at her like it was nothing.

" You mad! cough! what the ..exact task? cough! tell me and I will do it perfectly." smirked Claire while holding her neck in a tremble.

Felix nodded understand and he draws his mouth closer towards Claire's red ear. Look like the blood had risen through her head. " Goes to our abandoned residence in the south of empire. He was there. Change him back and you will get your position, Claire. "

Felix raises his body and turns away from Claire. " but I bet, you would fail and maybe if you unfortunate, you may become a dead body at there, Claire. "

Gulp. goosebumps. ' Dead body? again? ugh. '

" I'm not fear.. " declare Claire while slowly get up in tremble. ' I once died so I didn't fear death anymore. I would have my revenge goes smoothly no matter what and turn the whole empire on my family side. '

" Oho. you didn't fear, huh? Then, I wish you good luck, my future daughter-in-law. Even it was not that long but I'm happy to have you as my future daughter, Claire. " smiles Felix while taking a seat on his chair again.

Claire gently smiles and bends her head a little. " As you wish, I will come back here safe and sound and take all that is mine. Just get ready and waited here, grand duke Felix. Then, I will take my leave now. Thank you for having me today. "

Claire steps out of the room and suddenly she falls to the ground. Her leg suddenly lost the energy to stand again. Daisy who was waiting for her outside, instantly shocked, and rapidly she asked a guard to hold her lady into the carriage.

" My lady, your body trembled nonstop. should I called a doctor to check on you..? " worried Daisy.

Claire shakes her head to deny it and she slowly looks at the outside of the window of the carriage. the Allard residence looks smaller as their carriage get far away from them.

" Grand duke Felixis. " mumble Claire slowly.

Daisy frown in worry. "... lady Claire? "

" Hmm?.. nothing. " smiled Claire while looking out at the window again.

She suddenly clenches her dress while biting her lips a little.

' I wouldn't die..! I can't die! until my revenge successful, I would fight for it! Noelle, Maria, and those people..! they would pay for my misfortune! '

' Duke Felix I wouldn't become the duchess as you wanted. I would become the empress instead..! I would succeed your son to the throne with my own power. Just wait and see. This Claire would change the rules in this game. '

' We have to look at the winner in the end together, shall we? Hah. '

" Daisy, tell our servants to send our clothes at the Allard residence in the south at this instant. "

" What? for what, my lady? " asked Daisy in dumbfounded.

Claire smiles and pats Daisy's hand to let her calm.

" We would stay there for 2 months so please let them know this instant. We didn't have much time left so ask the horseman to change the way towards that residence immediately. "

" What? how about my lord? " stunned Daisy in disbelief.

" Quickly now! change the way, Daisy! Quick. " command Claire in hurried.

" What? ye-yes, my lady! " flustered Daisy, She quickly sends the word to the horseman, and thus their carriage path change to the south.

Hah! it will work no matter what!

" Changes game. Noelle. " smirked Claire with a big grin.