The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

The solemn expression on August’s face deepened, the usual mockery entirely absent from his features.

”She asked for only one thing from me,” August recalled. ”She begged that I should not stand in her way when she chased her happiness. I spent so much of my life with her, Damian. She was the one person for whom I was willing to sacrifice everything. It shattered me when the news of her passing reached me. The fact that I couldn’t even get the chance to look upon her face one last time... that is a knife that never leaves my chest.”

Damian remained silent. Looking at his cousin, he realized with grim clarity that August’s torment was no less severe than his own, perhaps it was even more brutal, seasoned by years of bitter exile from the woman he had adored.

”Do you hate Liliana for what she did to you?” Damian asked, finally breaking the stillness.

”I do,” August murmured, his gaze dropping to his clasped hands. ”But the love is still there, tangled up in the resentment. She concealed far too many truths from both of us. She claimed to love me, yet she chose your ring. It is an impossible contradiction to explain in simple terms.”

He paused, drawing a deep, steadying breath before letting out a dry chuckle to break the oppressive gravity in the cabin.

”Though I suppose an illegitimate prince’s existence is naturally woven from such threads. It is a path entirely covered in thorns,” he muttered.

”You possess the means to forge your own legacy, August,” Damian stated firmly. ”The King supports your endeavors; it is the sole reason he assigned you to this province. He desires to see you achieve distinction, just as the rest of your brothers have. I am certain that once you have proven your capabilities in his eyes, he will bestow a significant office upon you. Direct your focus toward the future, rather than anchoring yourself to the past.”

Damian turned his head, staring out into the passing darkness beyond the carriage window.

”For a long time, Liliana occupied my thoughts entirely. Had Eilika not entered my life, I would have continued existing in that darkness. My son would have remained neglected, likely growing up to despise me for my absence. Instead, I found a woman who redefined everything for me.”

August simply nodded and waited for the residence to appear soon. The carriage finally halted in front of the gates of the residence, which wasn’t far from the estate.

The two men stepped out of the carriage and headed inside the secondary residence. The grand drawing room was blanketed in darkness, save for a single flickering lantern approaching them through the shadows.

”Your Grace,” the butler bowed deeply as he drew near. ”I shall escort you to your quarters.”

”Escort Prince August to his chambers first,” Damian instructed. ”Tell me, which wing have Eilika and Roman been assigned? And is my mother asleep?”

”The Dowager Duchess retired hours ago, Your Grace,” the butler replied. ”As for the Duchess, she was still awake when I last checked. Her Grace is upstairs in the third chamber of the east wing. The young master is asleep at her side.”

Damian bid a brief good night to August and turned toward the grand staircase.

When he reached the door of the third chamber, he gave a light knock. Receiving no answer but noticing a thin sliver of warm light spilling across the threshold, he turned the brass handle and found the door wasn’t locked from the inside.

He pushed it in when a pair of arms locked around his neck. Eilika had thrown herself on him. He held his footing and his hands rested on her back.

He pushed the heavy door open, only for a sudden warmth to collide with his chest as a pair of arms locked tightly around his neck. Eilika had thrown herself into his embrace the moment he crossed the threshold. Damian braced his footing against the sudden impact, his hands instinctively coming up to rest firmly against her back to steady them both.

”Damian, you took so long to return,” she breathed. ”Was everyone safe there after we left? No casualties occurred, right? And you...” She pulled back slightly, her hands shifting to his shoulders as she peered frantically into his eyes, ”nothing happened to you, right?”

”I am perfectly fine. You can see that for yourself,” Damian answered softly. ”I explicitly told you to rest. Yet here you are, still awake.” He ran his hand gently through her hair, his fingers slowing down as they approached the stark linen bandage on her forehead. ”You are not meant to exhaust yourself like this after what happened.”

”I—I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, her gaze dropping. Realizing she was practically clinging to him, she carefully stepped back, her hands slipping away from his shoulders as a faint flush colored her cheeks.

He, however, refused to let that distance remain between them. His fingers caught her wrist, and with a gentle but firm tug, he drew her right back into his chest, wrapping his arms securely around her.

”Forgive me,” he murmured, his voice thick with an emotion he rarely showed.

”For what?” She looked up, deeply confused by the sudden, raw vulnerability in his tone.

”Just... forgive me,” he whispered, buried his face into the crook of her neck.

Eilika hesitated for a fraction of a second before her hands found his back, her palms moving in slow, soothing circles to ease the rigid tension in his muscles.

When he finally pulled back, he didn’t let her go entirely. He cupped her cheeks in his large, warm palms and leaned down to kiss her lips. The sudden tenderness caught her off guard for a moment, but as she melted into the kiss, he gently withdrew.

”Are you in any pain?” he asked, his eyes scanning her face thoroughly. ”And did you have your supper?”

”Only my head was aching earlier, but the physician’s medicine helped,” she explained, a small smile touching her lips. ”I had supper with your mother and Roman before they retired. I am well, Damian.”

”What about your supper? I am sure you didn’t get time to eat,” Eilika stated.

”I’m not hungry. Let’s just retire to bed,” Damian suggested, taking her further inside only to notice Roman was sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed.