1.5 a bastard child

After Blake boarded the carriage, he hadn't glanced at the duke at all, making the duke restless as the man turned child was amazed at how smooth the ride was. Carriages for duchies are really on a whole different level. The duke kept on stealing glances of Blake as his face showed a stoic and aloof expression, masking the nervousness in him.

"Is there something wrong, your highness?" Blake asked, looking at the duke with dead eyes.

".... It's nothing," the duke replied, turning his gaze to the window. Blake let out a silent huff before turning away and looked out the window.

Soon enough, they reached gates that stood taller than the carriage itself, looming over Blake's small figure. The gates plated with gold and rubies opened for the duke's carriage. The duke's insignia was etched beautifully at the top of the gates, as Blake poked his head out of the carriage to see it clearer.

"Welcome to the Acker duchy, Blake," the duke said, pushing the carriage door open as soon as the carriage came to a stop.

Blake ascended from the carriage and looked up, seeing the tall and overly luxurious building in front of him. His mouth fell agape, staring at the beautiful and intricate designs before snapping out of his thoughts and running up the stairs to catch up to the duke.

The duke opened the door, revealing the large entrance as a man with grey hair and lines to indicate his rather old age, stood next to the door to welcome the duke home.

"welcome back, milord," the man said before his eyes slowly drifted to the surprised Blake behind the duke. "My lord, this is..?"

"Milford, prepare a room for Blake," the duke said simply before placing his hand on the child's head. "He will be living here now. This is my eldest child, Blake Acker."

The man named Milford stared at the child, surprise was clear in his eyes as he bowed and nodded, "I shall receive your orders,"

With that, the man left, holding the Duke's jacket in hands. The duke took a quick glance at Blake and crouched down to his level.

"From now on, you will be living here with me, the duchess and your younger siblings," the duke said, in which Blake responded with a nod. And after a period of silence and hesitation, the duke added, "if anything happens, and you would need some assistance, do not be afraid of asking me,"

Blake nodded as he hummed, understanding the Duke's request.

"Aegus~? you're home already?" a feminine, high-pitched voice sounded from the stairs. As the duke turned his head to look, Blake took a glance.

Down came a woman with light silver-blue hair and deep crimson red eyes. She wore lavish clothing, adorned with many gems and jewellery. Her face was powdered heavily with makeup, making her look unbelievably pale. Her smile never wavered as her eyes met the Duke's. However, as soon as her eyes wandered to Blake's small figure, her eyes turned cold, her smile dropped into a scowl before she wiped off the expression and looked at the duke lovingly.

"Who's this?" the woman asked, clinging onto the Duke's arm.

The Duke's eyes turned cold as he shook of the woman's touch and turned to Blake, picking him up and holding the small boy in his arms, "This is Blake, my son."

The woman's face turned ugly. Her cold eyes lingered on Blake's figure as she clenched her dress tightly. "what do you mean, he's your son? He looks older than Flora."

"You heard me correctly. Or would you prefer we did a blood test? Blake is the child of me and my former lover. If you didn't meddle, I would've been married to her happily already," The duke said. He then, turned his cold gaze away from the woman and looked at Blake, in which his eyes turned warm in a split second.

"Papa? Who's that?" a voice sounded from the Duke's feet.

Both Blake and the Duke looked down and saw a girl with green hair, similar to the Duke's and familiar yellow-ish eyes, the same as both the duke and Blake's, only a little orange than yellow.

"This is your older brother. Say hello," the duke said, picking up the young girl in his other arm. The girl's eyes twinkled as she took a good look at Blake and smiled.

"I'm Flora! Nice to meet you, brother!" Flora exclaimed happily.

"Flora!" the woman from before, who Blake assumed was the duchess exclaimed angrily as she pulled Flora from the Duke's grasp and placed her on the ground roughly. "Don't you dare talk to that bastard child! He is a disgrace, you shouldn't mingle with defects. It'll only effect you badly,"

Blake snickered silently, hearing this. 'Oh how foolish this woman is.' He thought. If only she didn't say that in front of the Duke, she would've been safe.

"Are you looking down on me?" the duke asked, a murderous aura full of bloodlust emitted from him.

The woman trembled as she fell to the ground on her knees. "No, no... your highness.... I didn't say that."

"Disrespecting Blake is disrespecting me, remember that. For Blake is the child I had with the woman I actually love, he shall be my heir. Whether you like it or not," the Duke said, his eyes glaring on the woman's pale face.

Blake: HEIR???

The woman only stayed silent as she bit her lip, trembling from both rage and fear.

"Do. You. Understand?" The Duke asked, his murderous aura only multiplied as he stared down at the duchess.

"Y-yes... your highness..." the woman trembled as her head fell to the ground as a bow.

"Go away. I do not wish to see you. Do not come to me unless I call for you," the duke said, waving his hand as a maid come over and helped the duchess away.

Blake: ....the show's over already?

"Blake, you are to stay in the guest room until your room is finished. Remember to call for me if anything happens... or when you want to see me," the duke said, as the last sentence was only a mumble.

"Alright," Blake responded half-heartedly before the duke turned to Flora.

"Flora, show Blake to a guest room and tell the head maid to prepare clothes for your brother. You can help pick some out,"

"Yes, father!"

[1076 words]