Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Evangeline frowned when she heard that Leo was waiting for her in the room. Was he not trying to console his sister? How did he have the leisure time to chat with her!

Even when she did not want to meet the man at all, she nodded and followed the knights to her room.

The man was sitting leisurely on the sofa, drinking tea while looking around the room. She must say that both brother and sister were cut from the same cloth. Taking the room as her own, Evelyn was sitting like that too.

It reminded her she still did not get time to meet Evelyn. Well, she would come to help her in dressing up as the duke said, so she let that thought go and looked at the 6ft tall problem sitting in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" She walked and sat in the leather chair in front of him.

The man looked at the knights who bowed and left and then looked at the girl.

"Thank you. I know that Elizabeth is still not ready to let go of the relationship that would give her nothing but pain. But thanks to your push, at least, she is ready to take the first step." she had not thought that Leo was there to thank her.

Looking at him, he didn't look like the man who had ever thanked others or apologized to others ever.

Yet he was there to thank her. A smile crept on her face unconsciously and she felt herself nod.

"But it does not mean that I can accept your mistakes. You have to behave well tomorrow and not embarrass us." came the curt and cold voice making her smile stiff and frown on her forehead.

"You! If you are so worried that I will embarrass you, why don't you ask your father to not introduce me as your future wife and better not force me to attend the meeting." came her quick reply, making him frown this time.

"Father is going to introduce you as my wife?" Her words came to him as a shock as he was still hoping that he would find a chance and deny that marriage.

"That would create a problem and I did not like it when I faced them." Although he was talking about a problem, his face had that devilish smile but all she felt was goosebumps when she looked at him.

Why did his persona change so much when all he did was smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she could not help but feel an instinctive fear when his smile depend listening to his question.

"I have always killed the person who has created the problems for me. Though I could not kill you as you were chosen by my father, I have my ways to solve the problem.`` Though he was still talking amiably to her, she knew the threat had been passed., and though she hated this bastard to blatantly threaten her in her own room, she knew that he was more than capable to wipe her presence from the world.

She knew when it was needed to stand high and fight and when it was needed to bow in front of the person and it was surely the latter at this moment.

"I do not think that other ways would be needed. I.. I will refuse to marry you tomorrow." she had thought that she had passed the calamity but his eyes only narrowed at her reply. He looked at her as if he wanted to suck her soul at that very moment.

"You will deny it to me in front of everyone?" the way his cold voice resonated, she knew she had made a mistake.

The man, especially a higher noble, has pride when it comes to women and rejection. She did not think of it that way!

"Then how about you deny?" she asked, tilting her head as her voice turned pleaing. She just wanted to leave peacefully and it does not matter who will deny her to her.

"What difference would it make? Father would not listen to us either you deny or me?" he asked as he took a sip of his tea, "I think my way to get rid of the problem was better." She did not know what it was but the way he was looking at her with those sinister eyes, she was sure it would be nothing to her liking.

"I shall take my leave now." He elegantly put the cup down and wiped his mouth graciously with the napkin holding in his long fingers.

He was a piece of art and in different circumstances she would have googled him but now when he was talking about getting rid of her so calmly all she could see him as devil reincarnated and did not have the luxury to drool over his looks.

"Wait, I have an idea!" she pleaded when he was about to turn around.

He said nothing but raised a brow and folded his hands in front of his chest.

'Cruel! He was surely enjoying my demise!' she hurled profanities in her mind while she maintained that amiable smile on her face as she continued to look at him.

"What if your father thinks that I am not fit to be the lady of the house?" she asked, wriggling her brows, hoping that he would finally be satisfied but all he did was to give her a look from tip to toe.

"What is there to think about it? Everyone knew it already!" The way he poured cold water over her made her fume. Of course, she was not. She did not like the way Elizabeth was ready to sacrifice. She did not like the way they behave reserved all the time. It was not her cup of tea.

She was even sure she would never be able to teach music if she ever married this cold man.

Come to think of it! Was he not warm when he was in the garden, and even when he came to bring her, he was not that cold to her. Then what changed his behavior suddenly?

"Then what if it increases and he will be embarrassed because of it?"