The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Maurice dismounted swiftly as he entered the courtyard of the abandoned villa, where wild shrubs and choking ivy had entirely overtaken the crumbling stone pillars and cracked walls.

After tying his horse’s reins to a low-hanging tree branch, he stepped cautiously inside.

”What took you so long?” a sharp voice demanded from the shadows.

Aisha stepped forward, though her features were entirely obscured by a wide-brimmed hat draped in a heavy dark veil. Maurice caught his breath, unable to entirely mask his surprise. He had known the Duke employed a brilliant, highly secretive spy to find out the truth regarding the poisoning incident, but he had never expected the agent to be a woman.

”One of the chambers at the Duke’s estate was destroyed in an explosion last night,” Maurice replied, checking the perimeter. ”Did you manage to confirm if Count Elias was the one who sent the poison?”

”Yes, I did. But before we get to that, tell me, are the Duke and his family unharmed?” Aisha questioned, revealing her genuine concern.

”They are safe. The Duchess sustained minor injuries, but she is stable. I will explain the details later,” Maurice answered.

They moved deeper into the recesses of the ruined manor. There, a man sat slumped in a sturdy wooden chair, his arms and torso bound securely with thick rope. His chin rested heavily on his chest, completely unconscious.

”He is the handler who hired the estate maid to poison the Duke’s tea,” Aisha explained, gesturing toward the captive. ”The entire plot tracks directly back to Count Elias. This man’s name is Aldrick. Elias ordered him to go underground and vanish, so I chased him.”

She walked around the chair, checking the knots. ”I administered a strong sedative to ensure he wouldn’t cause a scene during transport. He will remain in a deep, unresponsive sleep for at least the next two hours.”

”Then I shall transport him to the dungeon immediately,” Maurice stated. He stepped forward, checked Aldrick’s pulse, and then effortlessly hoisted the unconscious man over his broad shoulder.

”You should have brought a carriage,” Aisha remarked, crossing her arms beneath her cloak.

”I had no way of knowing you would have already captured the handler,” Maurice countered, adjusting his grip on the weight.

”True enough. Wait here,” Aisha asserted. ”I shall secure a carriage from our nearby safehouse.”

”Alright. Take my horse to speed up the journey,” Maurice suggested.

Aisha nodded once, turning toward the exit with long, purposeful strides. After a short period, the faint rattle of wheels echoed outside, and she returned to the ruined hall.

”Bring him out,” Aisha directed. ”You will need to drive the carriage to the prison gates yourself to avoid suspicion; I cannot be seen near the estate.”

”Hmm. Thank you, Miss,” Maurice said. He turned to walk ahead when he stopped and turned, ”Take my horse to return to your place.”

”Sure.” Maurice stepped out of the place and pushed Aldrick into the carriage before securing a lock from outside. He then took the chauffeur’s place and drove the carriage straight to the prison center.

~~~~~

”The moment we received word that our dear daughter had been injured, we rushed straight here,” Wilfred told Georgia, his anxious gaze repeatedly shifting toward the grand staircase. ”Is she alright? May we see her?”

”Of course. She is upstairs resting in her bedchamber,” Georgia replied warmly, gesturing to the head butler, who immediately stepped forward to lead the way up the marble stairs.

Upon reaching the heavy double doors of the chamber, the butler knocked gently and announced the arrival of the Count and Countess. Joanna opened the doors from within, stepping aside to allow them entry into the spacious room.

As Susan and Wilfred hurried inside, they found Eilika sitting propped up against a mountain of pillows, a heavy silk duvet covering her to the waist. A clean white bandage was wrapped securely around her forehead.

Despite their overwhelming worry, the two of them remembered the protocol of the court, offering a formal bow and curtsy to show their respect to the Duchess before rushing to her side.

”Young Master Roman, please accept our greetings,” Wilfred said, bowing his head respectfully alongside his wife.

”Grandpa, Grandma, you do not need to bow to me,” Roman insisted, setting his wooden toy back onto the bedside table. He looked up at his mother. ”Mama, I shall leave you alone with your parents for a while.” The young heir offered her a polite, disciplined bow before turning and walking out of the chamber with Joanna.

”How did this happen, Eilika?” Susan asked, catching herself quickly before adding, ”I mean... Your Grace?”

”The investigation is currently underway. However, the initial report states that gunpowder in the adjacent storage room reacted, which caused the explosion,” Eilika replied.

She watched them closely, privately surprised by their sudden display of intense concern.

Yet, a trace of skepticism lingered; she couldn’t help but wonder if her father had rushed here simply to portray himself as a devoted parent, seeking redemption for the mistakes they had made in the past.

”Young Master Roman is remarkably mature and well-mannered for his age,” Wilfred observed, looking toward the closed door.

”Yes, he is,” Eilika agreed softly.

”It is a true blessing that you did not injure your face,” Susan suddenly remarked, her eyes scanning Eilika’s features.

”Yes, indeed. It is most fortunate that your face remained unblemished,” Wilfred added, nodding in agreement.

Eilika’s fingers curled slightly into the silk duvet at their words as she realized where their primary relief lay.

”You two shouldn’t have come here if you had to say that,” Eilika said. ”Does my scar still bother you so much that you two keep reminding me of that every now and then? You could have asked me if I was injured elsewhere, but you had to mention such a thing. It feels terrible.” She didn’t hesitate to speak loud about it as a deep frown formed on her forehead.

”Eilika, that wasn’t our intention,” Susan tried calming her.

”I’m fine. Since you two have seen me, you two should leave,” Eilika said, averting her gaze from them.