Chapter 100: That invites no suspicion
The next morning, Damian held his arms out as the valet eased the structured sleeves of his blazer into place. A soft clearing of a throat broke the silence, and Damian turned his head slightly.
"Your Grace!" The valet bowed low, seeing the Duchess, and immediately stepped back.
"Leave us," Damian instructed.
The valet exited without a word, clicking shut the double doors behind him.
"Did you sleep well?" Damian asked. He picked up a silk scarf from the dressing table, preparing to knot it around his collar.
"Yes, thank you for staying by my side," Eilika replied. "Damian, if you summon Jayden now, it will only fuel the gossip. Besides, I did file a formal complaint with the local police back then."
"And what did the police actually do?" Damian’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed. He held the scarf out toward her. "Help me with this," he urged, a silent command for her to step closer.
Eilika closed the gap between them and took the scarf from her. She tiptoed to reach her hands to his neck when he ducked his head low. Sudden proximity of his face made her breath hitch, and she instinctively got down on her heels.
"The police warned Jayden, and he did apologize to me," Eilika replied.
He remained silent, his gaze fixed on her as she focused on the task. Eilika smoothed the silk with her fingertips as she adjusted the scarf perfectly against his collar.
"Hmm. It was not a proper punishment in my eyes," Damian finally replied with a cold gaze. "I had always assumed it was the scar that made you avoid the ballroom, but the truth is far more distasteful."
He looked down at her, his stature towering over her in the morning light. "Do not worry yourself with the details. I will deal with Jayden in a way that invites no suspicion, yet leaves him with nothing. He dared to lay a hand on my wife, and that is a debt I intend to collect in full."
"I wasn’t your wife at that time," she murmured.
"You are now," Damian countered.
"Mama! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!" Roman’s bright, youthful voice broke the tension between them. The boy hurried into the room and came to a halt, offering a polite bow to both of them as he gave his morning greetings.
"And why were you looking for her?" Damian asked, his brow arching with genuine curiosity.
"That is a secret, Father. Only Mama is allowed to know," Roman replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"A secret?" Damian mused, a faint, amused tug at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes. If Father wants to know, he must ask Mama himself, but only after I have told her first," Roman insisted, standing his ground with a playful grin.
Roman then grabbed Eilika’s hand, pulling her toward the door. "Mama, let’s go. I will tell you the secret on our way to the dining hall."
Eilika smiled, allowing herself to be led away. Before disappearing from the room, she looked back at Damian and offered him a slight, respectful bow.
"So, what is this great secret?" she inquired once they were in the corridor.
"Mama, I heard that Father is planning a grand wedding for you," Roman said, his eyes wide as he looked up at her. "And I am going to be the ring bearer!"
"Roman, if your father is the one planning a wedding for me, then it isn’t much of a secret to him, is it?" she chuckled, the sound light and genuine.
Roman pouted his lips, his small face scrunched in deep thought as he tried to wrap his head around that logic.
"But... he didn’t tell you," he finally argued, determined to keep the mystery alive. "So it’s still a secret for Mama!"
Eilika laughed at his statement and agreed with him.
"How is my dear nephew doing?" Sylvian’s voice rang out, drawing their attention toward the grand staircase.
"Uncle Sylvian!" Roman exclaimed with a burst of joy, slipping his hand from Eilika’s to run toward him.
Sylvian dropped to his knees, catching Roman mid-stride before hoisting him high into the air. Delighted giggles erupted from the boy as Sylvian twirled him around.
"How is my favorite little man?" Sylvian asked, breathless from the spin.
"I have been very well, Uncle," Roman replied, his smile wide and bright.
"Uncle has brought a special gift for you. I’ll let you have it right after breakfast," Sylvian promised, setting him back on his feet.
"Yayy! I bet it is a big horse toy," Roman guessed, his eyes dancing with excitement.
"No, it is something even bigger than that," Sylvian countered with a wink.
Eilika watched their warm exchange, a soft smile tugging at her lips, when she felt a presence directly behind her. The scent of sandalwood cologne hit her nostrils, and she didn’t need to turn around to know that Damian was standing just inches away.
"What’s the secret he told you?" Damian whispered, his breath fanning against her ear.
Sylvian caught the intimate shift in the air and, with a knowing tilt of his head, guided Roman toward the dining hall, leaving the couple alone in the wide corridor.
"That his father is planning a grand wedding for me," Eilika answered, her voice steady despite the proximity.
Damian laughed as it seemed to vibrate through the space between them. The smile fully reached his eyes, softening the angles of his face. Eilika found herself momentarily mesmerized by the sight; it was a rare glimpse of the man behind the title.
Still, she caught herself, pulling her gaze away before she could fall for the effortless charm that usually accompanied his authority.
"He has a loose tongue for a conspirator," Damian murmured.
"So, we are having a wedding," Eilika said.
"Yes. It is necessary to shut every mouth. Also, to remind myself that I have to move on with you by my side, who is now the mother of my son."
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