Dante and the Empress (1)

''Your grace, this is a copy of the slavery contract.'' Leo presented a brown string envelope to the duke standing behind the desk. The office had become so familiar to him that he could draw the complicated golden designs in his head without looking at the navy blue interior.

He was also getting tired of entering this room, but he dared not to utter a word of complaints to the duke, who brutally overworked him every single day. Unless, his head might actually hang on the gates of the duchy.

Leo gulped at the scary imagination.

Dante did not turn back to open the envelope that contained the truth behind annalise's origins. He didn't even need to check because the emperor had warned him before, but…he did not listen.