The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 60
I barely suppressed a laugh that threatened to burst forth. Concerned? Trace Siaz? About me? I drew a deep breath, trying to compose myself, and Trace watched me in silence. Whatever he was thinking, his furrowed brow made it seem as though he genuinely worried for me.
“Lauren, you may not understand this, but men are weak creatures when it comes to temptation. When beautiful women surround them, they falter. Cases like mine or my brother’s—men who love only their wives—are exceedingly rare.”
He fidgeted with his teacup. When had I first realized that his every gesture was a calculated performance for others’ eyes? Was it when he’d knelt before Father, begging to stay after his gambling addiction had earned him expulsion from the estate? Or when he’d wept, pleading not to sever the bonds of brotherhood?
I had witnessed all of his actions from Father’s side. My father, drowning in familial affection, never saw through him—but I could. Trace was someone entirely capable of fabricating his behavior.
My violet eyes studied the man seated before me. My cold gaze traced slowly across his furrowed face, almost mournfully. I was different from Emel Siaz, who couldn’t release that final thread of connection to Trace. I felt no pity for my uncle, no sorrow for his actions. I held an unwavering conviction that whatever he said would have no bearing on me. I raised my teacup to my lips.
“Lauren, my dear. What would you think of accepting the Crown Prince’s proposal?”
I nearly spat out my tea. I thought I’d refused clearly, yet here I was hearing this nonsense again. Though truthfully, I’d half-expected it. I’d simply hoped otherwise. I coughed softly. I felt Trace’s gaze upon me.
“Lauren, even if you and the Duke are in love now, no one knows how long that love will last. You need power of your own.”
“Are you suggesting that such power comes from becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine?”
Trace nodded seriously. Even from the corner of his eye, I could feel his sincerity. How absurd. Aster Veil Lilywood didn’t love me in the first place, so there was no point worrying about how long his affection might last.
Yet I entertained the hypothetical. What if the two of us truly loved each other? Then perhaps I might have wavered at Trace’s words for a moment. But ultimately, I would have refused. Because I trust Aster Veil Lilywood. And that trust remains unshaken even now. He would never do anything foolish.
“Lauren, my dear. You’re a good child, aren’t you?”
Goosebumps rose at his feigned tenderness. When was the last time I heard that voice? When Delania’s lies had sent me flying? Or when I stood before Father, who knew the truth, and bowed my head in apology to her? Either way, it was no pleasant memory. The fear-tinged irritation that surged at merely hearing that voice proved as much.
“The Duke would be pleased if it benefited the family.”
I took a deep breath. Aster Veil Lilywood cherishes those close to him. No matter how transactional our marriage might be, he would never rejoice at such a thing. Why had I even bothered conversing with Trace? His words held neither value nor merit.
“…If that position is truly so desirable, why not offer it to Delania?”
My voice turned glacial. Deep creases etched themselves across Trace Siaz’s brow. He was indeed considerate toward his own family. And it was abundantly clear that neither I nor my father were counted among them. Had we been, he would never have dared suggest I become the Crown Prince’s concubine so casually.
“Lauren! I’m thinking of you…!”
Trace feigns concern for me. He still undoubtedly views me as his helpless niece. That’s why he raises his voice so brazenly even within the Duke’s Mansion. But I am no longer the child I once was. I am now the Duchess of House of Lilywood. There was no reason to tolerate insults directed at me.
“Marquis Siaz, do you know where you are?”
My clenched fists trembled. The young Lauren who had suffered Delania’s torment and bowed her head to Trace still lived within my chest. I still feared them both. But I deliberately straightened my spine. Trace Siaz was a master at finding weakness in others. I could not afford to appear vulnerable.
“Lauren!”
“You needn’t call my name repeatedly. I’m well aware that my name is Lauren. But it is no longer a name you may address me by so casually.”
Offense flashed visibly across Trace’s face. I noticed his grip tighten on the teacup. Internally, I braced for it to come flying, yet my voice remained not merely cold but resolute.
Trace wanted nothing more than to hurl the cup and shout, but he only tightened his grip and clamped his mouth shut. There was no denying the truth in my words.
Though House of Lilywood had lost its influence in this generation due to the “murderer” rumors, it remained one of the most distinguished families in the realm. A man like Trace, who merely inherited the title from his brother—a trusted servant of the Emperor—sitting in such a position was itself remarkable.
“Lauren, please listen to what I have to say.”
“If it’s merely repetition, is there any value in hearing it?”
If I let this opportunity slip away, I might never face Lauren again. The Crown Prince acts on whim. Delania seems satisfied with the position of the Crown Prince’s concubine rather than an old man’s remarriage, but that doesn’t end the matter. If I don’t deliver Lauren into the Crown Prince’s arms, danger may follow—not just for Delania, but for myself as well.
My attempt to persuade Lauren wasn’t solely due to the Crown Prince’s command. I am now Marquis Siaz. After my brother’s death, Lauren could be cast out immediately without a word of protest.
Yet I graciously kept my niece under my protection. Couldn’t I gain some small advantage in the process? She failed to appreciate my generous treatment, instead fleeing and reducing all my plans to nothing. And as if that weren’t enough, she hastily married that “murderer” she barely knew.
My visit to Lauren was a sort of final opportunity. A caring uncle ensuring his niece could receive the love of a powerful man. In the meantime, I might collect some small income—jewels, dresses, or bribes flowing to the family of the Crown Prince’s most beloved concubine.
In my mind, it was a situation where no one lost. But Lauren didn’t even pretend to listen. Worse, she now ignored her uncle simply because she’d become a duchess. The audacity. I felt my teeth grinding.
Either unaware of that sound or ignoring it, Lauren rose from her seat.
“Marquis Trace Siaz, I met with you today only because you are my uncle. Do not come seeking me out for such matters again.”
Lauren turned her back to me with a motion swift as wind. I had to seize that child somehow, make her listen. In my eyes, the shadow of a small girl flickered—the dark-haired girl who had bowed her head and wept at a single word from Delania, at a mere glance from me.
I lifted the teacup I’d been gripping. She may have grown in body, but Lauren was the same as before—someone who would shrink back if frightened. I hurled the cup toward her retreating figure. The tea had cooled considerably, so I calculated it wouldn’t injure the Crown Prince’s possession.
Everything had to proceed according to my plan. Lauren, drenched in tea, should have frozen in fear. She should have trembled, clutching her skirts with a face ready to cry at my low, stern voice. But my plan shattered as loudly as the cup breaking against the floor.
Between Lauren and me stood a knight in a black uniform. Whether he’d blocked and deflected the cup I’d thrown at Lauren or simply intercepted it, his clothes were thoroughly soaked, and shattered teacup fragments scattered across the floor. Those gleaming crimson eyes fixed upon me—eyes like those of demons from ancient tales—and I involuntarily gasped, a strangled sound escaping my throat.
“Garnet!”
“Are you unharmed, my lady?”
Lauren’s voice rose sharply, her eyes wide with alarm. The knight responded in an unbothered tone, inquiring after her wellbeing. Watching the scene unfold, Trace Siaz’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
Had he known this knight was present, he would never have hurled the teacup. Intimidating his niece Lauren was one thing, but for a mere marquis to lay hands upon the Duchess of Lilywood was an entirely different matter. If that “murderer” who claimed to love Lauren discovered this fact, his life would vanish beneath the murderer’s blade. Without thinking, Trace Siaz’s hand moved to his own throat.
“Marquis Trace Siaz.”
Lauren called his name in a sharp voice. His wavering brown eyes turned toward the Duchess of Lilywood. Though Lauren’s face had gone deathly pale, her violet eyes blazed with an intensity that was unmistakable. For some reason, that gaze resembled his brother’s when filled with rage, and Trace Siaz flinched, stumbling backward.
“If you leave this place at once, I will not pursue the matter further. However.”
Lauren drew a deep breath. The exhale that followed trembled faintly, but not from fear or shock. Rather, it carried a chill potent enough to freeze him in place.
“I would prefer you never set foot in the Lilywood Duke’s Mansion again.”
The moment her words ended, Trace Siaz shoved past Lauren and fled the room. He had no recollection of how he’d sprinted down the corridor or escaped beyond the estate walls. Only when the cold air outside enveloped him could Trace Siaz finally compose himself.
He couldn’t fathom when that insignificant child had acquired such a gaze. It was a blessing that Aster Veil Lilywood was absent. The murderer’s depravity must have rubbed off on her—there was no other explanation.
He had to leave this place at once. Lauren would undoubtedly tell Aster Veil Lilywood everything. The Duke of Lilywood, who claimed to love Lauren, might believe he had been insulted. As he hurried away from the Duke’s Mansion, Trace Siaz looked back at the estate.
In the end, did it matter? Death was death, whether by one means or another. The Crown Prince would be furious when he learned that Lauren hadn’t been brought. Delania Siaz would need to manage the Crown Prince’s temperament carefully. Only then could he and Delania survive. Pondering how to make his excuses, Trace Siaz wiped his face and clicked his tongue.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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