Darkness in the Duchy

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"What do you think I should do?" Rain's eyes widened sharply at her maid who now trembled, everyone had heard rumors about the Young Duke…he was the most evil of all. He was very ambitious and since the Duke had given him dominion in the estate he had always gotten everything he wanted.

But he was now treading on dangerous waters since he now wanted his sister.

"Do you think I should tell the Duke?" Rain shivered and the maid shut her eyes tightly.

"I think that should be the best option out there." Marine encouraged. "The Young Duke respects his father a lot, I am pretty sure, he wouldn't want to disappoint him. "You should tell him about everything, the Duke might warn him so he doesn't do anything."

Rain bit down on her lips, she hated it, she hated the fierce feelings in her chest, she hated that she had to fear him so much.

Her mind went back to when she discussed him with her sister, Lily.

"How is brother Izekiel like?" She asked curiously, they hadn't spoken much as it had been just three months since she arrived in the Duchy. He was a vibrant young man, and he resembled the Duke so damned much she felt herself pulled to him.

"If you were to ask me, he is calm and gentle," Lily answered with a short laugh, she hugged her teddy bear tightly, rubbing her face against the soft fur and a blush rose to her cheeks. "He can also be scary sometimes."

"Scary?" She asked curiously and Lily nodded. "The young Duke scares you?"

"Yes, not in a bad way though." Lily's voice grew quietly. "I have never seen Brother Izekiel angry before, he always has this calm smile on no matter what. Even when father gets angry with him, and scolds him but then I guess that is just the kind of person that he is."

 Rain didn't understand it at that time, because the Young Duke seemed like a nice person, and they had some similarities, the same bright red hair and green eyes that belonged to their father. She liked the way Izekiel would smile calmly at her whenever he met her during his walk, but kindness was something that scared her. 

 She had initially thought that was what Lily was talking about, but over the years she had seen what the Young Duke was like, but unlike Lily she was unfortunate and she saw what the Duke was like when he was angry. That night he had beaten Doni without any mercy, he had beaten him until he was sure the boy was motionless.

And that wasn't all.

He found pleasure in torturing the servants over every single little mistake they made, so much so that they decided to give him a name.

The Mad Dog of Elderslot.

Rain tore her eyes away from the book in her hands, and she turned after the sound of knocks on the window, she sat up in her bed and lifted the candle at the bedside.

"Who is there?" She asked curiously as she stretched the lamp towards the window, she could see the silhouette of the man who had just climbed in from the window. Her heart quickened in her chest because this wasn't Doni.

The sound of his steps was heavy against the wooden floor, and his build was quite different.

"Who are you?" She moved away from him her legs trembling, she collided with the table at the other end of the room and the candle fell from her hands. The light went out, the room was now in pitch darkness, and a small scream escaped her mouth.

"Marine!!" She screamed for her life, this isn't Doni.

This isn't Doni, and this is Doni…

This person is scary, she heard footsteps reaching for her and she scooted away.

"Marine!!!" Rain screamed again, Marine had left her just now, she wanted to go get some more firewood for the night, it had been a long time since she went out. The assailant cornered her to the edge of her bedroom.

"Please stay away from me." She yelled throwing the candle in her hands at him, but the candle dashed across the room instead.

Out of the darkness, strong sturdy hands grabbed her by the neck, applying pressure and cutting off her air supply. "Ugh…" She gasped and she was lifted from the floor immediately.

"L-Let me go!" Tears filled her eyes, she didn't know why she seemed to be more on the edge today, maybe because she knew it wasn't Doni in the room, or maybe it was because she was still shaking from the threats of the Young Duke.

"Ah…" she felt her back hit the soft mattress of her bed and her eyes widened immediately, what was he doing? His hands left her neck and they clumped down on her mouth.

"No!" she yelled but it was muffled against his heavy hands, she threw her legs up and the assailant forced her small body harder into the bed and climbed on top of her to straddle her waist. He pinned her to the bed with the weight of his body hereby making her effort to detangle from him useless.

"Please." She begged. "Please let me go."

"Stupid bitch!" The voice came, hard and angry, it was followed by a slap, Rain squeezed her eyes shut, the pain ripping through her, and she could feel the tear in her mouth. "You will pay for every single thing your family did to my sister."

Rain gasped when she felt rough hands grab the bodice of her night garment and in one swift movement, he ripped the clothes into two.

Another scream escaped her lips, she was beyond terrified, she didn't have the strength to fight anymore, she had already been weakened, so she begged instead.

"Please…" Unable to form other words she tried to move but realized it was futile.

"My sister begged like this too." He growled in her face. "She begged multiple times to be free but she was constantly defiled by the bastard you called your brother."

"Ugh…" she winced again when he slapped her again, this time she felt the tear in her lips grow bigger, and blood trickled down from the wound.

"Do you know how I felt?" He asked curiously. "That is why I will not stop tearing at you so that when I am caught and I go on to meet my sister, I will do that proudly."

"No… stop please." She begged. "You can t-take your anger on me, but not like this, please."

Rain's frosty breath warmed his face, her eyes were opened wildly but she couldn't see anything, instead of reconsider, the man's hands tightened against her throat once more and they reached for her undergarment.