The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Eilika quickly tucked the shirt behind her back, her face flushing as he entered.

Earlier, she had been torn, weighing whether or not to actually give the garment to him. She had unwrapped it to check the fabric one last time, lost in thought, but Damian had arrived before she could make a final decision.

”I thought you were alone. In fact, you are,” Damian remarked, his curiosity piqued as he stepped closer. His gaze fell to the floor, noting the discarded brown paper and the open packaging scattered near her feet. ”What exactly are you hiding behind your back?”

”It’s nothing,” Eilika insisted, her fingers clutching the silk so tightly her knuckles turned white.

”You are clearly hiding something,” Damian countered, a rare, low chuckle escaping him as he continued to close the distance between them.

”It’s something personal. Why doesn’t the Duke wait for me outside?” Eilika urged, her voice fluttering with embarrassment and hope.

But Damian didn’t listen. Instead, he stopped only inches away from her, his presence suddenly overwhelming the small space between them.

”Show me,” he said in a low voice. ”Even if it is personal.” His icy blue gaze was unwavering, feeling as though he were staring right into her soul.

Resigning herself, Eilika hesitantly brought the shirt around to the front. ”I bought this for you, thinking it would look good on you,” she admitted, her voice small. ”But I was checking it again, thinking you might not actually like it.”

Damian took the wine-colored shirt from her hands. The fabric was exceptionally soft and silky, a stark contrast to the stiff, formal linens he usually wore. ”Why did you think I wouldn’t like it?”

”Because you never wear such colors,” Eilika replied, watching his expression closely for any sign of disapproval.

”Who said that? I like this color,” Damian countered. To her utter astonishment, he didn’t set it aside. Instead, he turned toward the full-length mirror, holding the shirt up against his broad shoulders to check the drape and the hue against his skin. ”I will keep it. Thank you.”

He turned back to her and offered a small, genuine smile that caught her completely off guard.

”Really?” Eilika asked, needing to hear it once more to believe it.

”Yes,” Damian nodded firmly. He began to fold the silk surprisingly. ”Next time you buy something for me, do not hesitate to show me.”

Eilika hummed softly, a bright, relieved smile finally breaking across her face as she watched him treasure the gift.

”Damian, Roman’s birthday is close. Mother told me that it would be my first appearance as the Duchess,” Eilika began, her voice gaining a touch of excitement. ”I have planned a few fun games for our boy and the kids his age. Do you think planning games is a good idea? I want to make the birthday more kid-friendly,” she stated, looking at him for approval.

”I think games will be fun. Honestly, I never thought of anything like that,” Damian admitted, walking over to the recliner near the window. He sat down, his new shirt still draped over the arm of the chair.

Eilika turned around to face him fully, her brow furrowing. ”But will the nobles like it? Many will be invited for his birthday, and they expect certain... formalities,” she said, her mind racing through the protocols Georgia had mentioned.

”Why should you care about the nobles?” Damian arched his brows, his expression shifting into one of cold indifference toward the high society of Varos.

”Because if anything goes wrong, they will speak ill of me. Then, it will affect your reputation,” she explained, her voice dropping as she admitted her deepest concern.

”I will punish anyone who dares to raise their voice against your choices,” Damian stated firmly. He leaned back, his gaze narrowing as if he were already daring someone to challenge her. ”This is your home, Eilika. Whatever you plan for Roman will be best for him. The others have to accept it or they aren’t welcomed. So, don’t think about them.”

Eilika whispered a soft thank you, moved by his unexpected encouragement.

”Why don’t you sit? I need to talk more,” he said, his voice dropping to a more serious, grounded tone.

She moved to the edge of the bed and sat, her hands resting in her lap as she watched him. Damian leaned back in the recliner, his gaze fixed on the ceiling for a moment before returning to her.

”I didn’t give you a proper wedding, Eilika. I am aware that at Roman’s birthday, many will whisper about it,” Damian stated bluntly.

”So, what does the Duke intend to do?” she asked, her heart beginning to skip a beat. ”We can’t exactly marry in a formal ceremony now, as—”

”We will,” Damian interrupted.

Eilika froze, her eyes wide. She stopped blinking, wondering if the afternoon sun had finally made her start imagining things. Did she hear him correctly?

”I am sorry for being negligent and arrogant,” Damian apologized as if he had been practicing them in his mind. ”Eilika, let’s have a proper wedding. A real one.”

The silence in the bedchamber was heavy because of his confession. The man who had once refused even a glance at her was now offering her the one thing she thought was forever out of reach.

”A proper wedding?” she repeated. ”In front of the nobles? In front of everyone?”

”In front of the world,” Damian affirmed, his icy blue eyes now burning with a different kind of intensity. ”They need to know exactly who you are to me.”

”What changed, Damian? I thought you made it clear to me that I would never be your wife... I mean you didn’t wish to acknowledge me. Is this for the show to the world? Because I know you are still stuck in the past. Won’t people take it as a joke that the Duke suddenly went for a proper wedding? They will think you are doing it to shut their mouths,” she asserted, fixing her gaze on him.