The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

After Fabian was arrested and handed over to the authorities at the magistrate’s office, Damian and Maurice finally retired for the night. Both men had spent the entire day navigating danger.

They took shelter at a modest inn on the edge of the town. The place was quiet, its wooden interiors lit by the soft glow of lanterns that hung from the ceiling. A few travelers sat scattered across the room, but no one paid much attention to the two men who had just entered.

Maurice set two glasses on the table and poured a drink for Damian.

Sliding one toward him, he leaned back slightly in his chair.

”Now that Fabian has been arrested,” Maurice said thoughtfully, ”the other powerful men involved in this filthy trade have likely already begun cleaning their tracks.”

Damian lifted the glass slowly, staring at the amber liquid for a moment before taking a long sip.

”I did this for those children,” he said quietly.

His gaze remained fixed on the table.

”We have no idea what horrors they go through after being kidnapped.”

There was a brief silence between them as the weight of those words lingered.

Maurice took his own glass and drank deeply before placing it down with a soft thud.

”Your Grace,” he said, ”we completed the operation much sooner than we originally calculated.”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ”At this pace, we may return sooner than expected.”

”What exactly are you trying to imply?” Damian said with a faint chuckle as he picked up a fork and speared a piece of meat from the bowl before him.

He brought it to his mouth, chewing slowly before continuing.

”Louis arranged this entire mission,” he added casually. ”All so I would have an excuse to bring Eilika along.”

His gaze lifted from the plate and settled on Maurice.

”You really think this operation couldn’t have been handled without me being present?” he said, his tone carrying quiet amusement.

Damian leaned back slightly in his chair.

”You and Louis planned this together, didn’t you? Then, the Crown Prince stepped in too to make me come to Netham with Eilika.”

Maurice froze for a brief moment.

For once, the usually composed bodyguard found himself at a loss for words.

”Your Grace, I—”

”Eat,” Damian interrupted calmly, cutting him off before he could continue.

”I’m feeling sleepy.”

With that, Damian returned his attention to the meal in front of him as though the conversation had never happened.

He lifted the wine glass and took another sip, though he stopped after finishing the single glass he had poured.

The two men ate the rest of their meal in silence.

Once they finished, they retired to their respective rooms.

Inside his chamber, Damian immediately began removing the disguise he had worn earlier. The fake beard and mustache came off first, followed by the heavy outer robes that still carried the scent of the road and dust.

He walked over to the wash basin and rinsed his hands and feet thoroughly, letting the cool water wash away the exhaustion of the day.

Finally, he moved toward the bed. But when he lay down, sleep refused to come.

The room remained quiet, yet his mind refused to rest.

Damian shifted restlessly on the bed, turning from one side to the other. The sheets rustled beneath him as he tried again and again to find a comfortable position, but sleep continued to evade him.

With a quiet sigh, he finally pushed himself upright and sat at the edge of the bed.

”What is wrong with me?” he murmured under his breath.

He rubbed his temples thoughtfully before speaking again, almost as if answering his own question.

”How is it that whenever I’m near Eilika, I fall asleep so easily?” He let out a small breath. ”For two nights... I slept better than I have in years.” His brows drew together. ”But the moment I’m away from her, even sleep refuses to stay.”

The thought unsettled him.

Damian stood and walked slowly toward the window. Pushing it open, he leaned slightly against the frame.

Outside, the night sky stretched wide and quiet. The moon hung high above, glowing brightly and casting a pale silver light across the town below.

A cool breeze drifted into the room and brushed against his face.

The gentle air seemed to calm the restless storm inside him.

For a moment, Damian simply stood there, gazing at the moon.

Strangely, something felt different tonight.

Usually, in such quiet moments, the familiar image of his late wife would return to his mind—unwanted yet impossible to avoid.

But tonight... There was nothing.

Her face did not appear before him. Her voice did not echo in his thoughts. The absence of those memories puzzled him.

Damian frowned slightly, then shook his head as if dismissing the confusion. ”I don’t want to think about her,” he muttered.

After standing by the window for some time, Damian’s thoughts slowly drifted toward Eilika. He rested his arms on the window frame.

”I suppose she must be sleeping with Roman tonight,” he murmured to himself.

A faint softness touched his expression as he imagined the scene, his little boy curled up beside her while she watched over him the way she always did.

”I hope they both had their dinner,” he added. ”The operation will end soon,” he said thoughtfully. ”Once it does, I will return to Varos with them.”

For a moment he remained silent, considering something that had not crossed his mind before.

”But... Eilika deserves a day outside with me.”

The thought surprised him slightly.

”It’s not as though we will return to Netham again anytime soon,” he continued.

His gaze shifted toward the dark outline of the mountains visible beneath the moonlight.

”The beauty of these mountains... She won’t find anything like this in Varos.”

A small plan slowly began forming in his mind before he finally moved to bed and closed his eyes to take some sleep.