The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Iliana rubbed her eyes and sat up in the dark chamber, disoriented. ”Is it already night?”

Hurrying to get off the bed, her foot caught hard against an unseen chair leg, and she stumbled, crashing onto the floor.

The moment a startled cry escaped her lips, the heavy wooden doors swung open. The maidservant rushed inside and quickly lit the lamps, filling the room with a warm glow.

”My lady! Are you alright?” the maidservant asked, hurrying to her side with a look of deep concern.

”Yes—yes, I am fine,” Iliana stammered, scrambling back to her feet. Though a sharp ache throbbed in her foot, she hid the wince behind a polite smile, determined not to embarrass herself any further. ”What time is it?” she then asked.

”It is already past seven in the evening,” the maidservant replied softly.

”I slept for so long,” Iliana murmured, her eyes wide with dismay. ”Why did you not wake me?”

”Prince Sylvian specifically instructed me not to disturb your rest,” the maidservant answered respectfully. ”Shall I serve dinner for you now, my lady? It is time for the evening meal.”

”No. I am not hungry at the moment,” Iliana answered. ”May I see Prince Sylvian?” she inquired.

”Yes, miss. I will guide you to his chamber,” the maidservant stated. ”However, you should comb your hair first. I shall wait outside for you.”

Iliana hummed in response and hurried into the attached washroom. She washed her face with cold water and patted it dry with a towel. After quickly running a brush through her hair, she checked her reflection, smoothing her hands down her dress to straighten out the wrinkles before heading out after wearing her sandals.

Reaching Prince Sylvian’s manor, the maidservant stopped at the entrance and asked her to go inside alone.

”Won’t you come with me?” Iliana asked, looking back with a touch of hesitation.

”No, miss. My duties end at the threshold,” the maidservant replied with a polite bow.

”Oh.” Iliana nodded quietly and stepped inside, pausing for a moment to admire the ornate tapestry lining the corridor wall before focusing entirely on her steps.

”Iliana,” Sylvian called out softly, stepping into the hallway to greet her himself. A warm, welcoming smile curved his lips as he approached.

”Your Highness, good evening,” Iliana said, curtsying respectfully. Looking up, she added with a sheepish expression, ”I slept far longer than I intended to.”

”Are you feeling guilty about it?” Sylvian asked with a soft chuckle. ”You should not be. You have been traveling since early morning, and your body needed the rest.”

”Come inside. Let me show you my chamber,” Sylvian said. ”Then we can tour the palace.”

”Your Highness, it is already dinner time. You should have your meal first,” Iliana replied, keeping her posture humble. ”I only came to greet you.”

”I intend to dine with you, but not just yet,” he stated gently. ”Come inside. Do not hesitate.”

Sylvian turned on his heel and walked into his quarters, with Iliana following close behind his steps.

The chamber was vast, just as expected. Along one wall hung several framed paintings, some portraying Sylvian alongside his royal family, while others depicted him alone.

”I have a private gallery as well. We can visit it later,” Sylvian said, glancing around. ”I am not usually one for interior design, but I decorated this chamber myself. Every single detail here was chosen by me.”

Iliana was quite surprised to hear that. Typically, royals and wealthy nobles paid no mind to such domestic affairs.

”That is wonderful,” she remarked softly. ”The color palette Your Highness selected to decorate your living quarters is truly exquisite.”

Iliana stepped closer to the wall to admire the paintings when a sudden announcement echoed through the grand entryway.

”THE CROWN PRINCE IS ENTERING THE CHAMBER.”

She instantly turned and lowered her head in respect as Sylvian stepped forward to greet his brother.

”Brother,” Sylvian said with a warm smile.

”So, this is your esteemed guest, Sylvian,” Ciaran remarked, his eyes lingering on Iliana.

”Yes, Brother. Iliana, this is my elder brother, the Crown Prince,” Sylvian said, eager to introduce them to one another.

”Greetings to Your Royal Highness,” Iliana said, her tone filled with polite reverence.

”Why are you not looking up, Iliana?” Sylvian asked gently.

”May I?” she asked, glancing at him sideways.

”Of course you may, Miss Iliana,” Ciaran answered before Sylvian could. ”It is a pleasure to welcome you to the palace. My brother rarely brings any of his friends here, so I suppose you must be someone quite special.”

Iliana finally raised her head to meet Ciaran’s gaze. ”I believe so,” she murmured softly.

”You two may continue. I simply wished to personally greet my brother’s guest,” Ciaran said, before turning his gaze toward Sylvian. ”Ensure she meets our father in the morning, as well as the Crown Princess. She was asking after your guest earlier, but due to a sudden exhaustion, I advised her against coming down tonight.”

”Of course, Brother. Good night,” Sylvian replied with a respectful bow, watching Ciaran depart before turning back to Iliana.

”Your Highness, must I truly meet the King as well?” Iliana asked, her voice laced with sudden anxiety. ”I mean... do you not think this is far too grand? I am merely an ordinary woman. I know you harbor feelings for me, but I am still unable to make such a choice.”

A deep worry weighed on her heart. She feared that Sylvian’s noble reputation would suffer if his name were linked to someone like her. She was a simple girl from a quiet, small town who made her living running a small bakery.

”Forgive me if I placed undue pressure on you,” Sylvian said softly, trying to view the situation through her eyes. ”If you do not wish to meet my father, that is completely fine. He simply asked me earlier who my guest was, and I informed him that you are an exceptional artist. That is why he expressed a desire to meet you.”

Iliana froze, realizing she had completely misunderstood his intent. She felt embarrassed for acting so clumsily.

After all, this was the royal palace, and showing deference to the monarch was a basic courtesy for any citizen of the realm.

”I will not pressure you to accept my proposal, either,” Sylvian continued. ”I pondered it throughout the day. You have your own life, and I know how deeply you value your freedom. However, I will wait for your answer. I cannot say for how long, but I will wait.”

Iliana was touched with his words. ”Don’t wait for me, your highness,” she said.

”You can’t snatch that right from me,” Sylvian said. ”That’s upto me to decide when I will stop waiting.”

Iliana peered into his eyes only to find how sincere he was in his approach. But her own fears made her turn silent.

~~~~~

August sat sipping wine alone in his suite when a knock echoed against the door.

”Your Highness, it is me, Xenia.”

”Why is she here?” he muttered under his breath, choosing to remain silent.

Xenia knocked again, rattling the door, but August refused to respond. Panic set in as she wondered if something terrible had happened to him, prompting her to rush downstairs.

One of her brothers tried to intervene, asking her to slow down and assist a visiting couple up to their quarters.

”I cannot! I am busy right now,” she blurted out, hurrying past them.

Her brother offered a quick apology to the bewildered guests for her rash behavior before escorting them to their room himself.

Meanwhile, Xenia hurried behind the main hall counter, frantically searching through the drawers for a spare key. ’Did someone try to harm the prince?’ Wild scenarios spun rapidly in her head.

Snatching the spare key alongside a wooden stick she found along the way, she sprinted back to his quarters. She jammed the key into the lock, turned it, and threw the doors wide open.

”Your Highness! Are you injured? I have come to save—”

Xenia froze mid-sentence, the stick held high in the air.

There sat August on a recliner, clad in a loosely draped robe that left his chest and abs completely exposed.

”Your Highness... you...”

She quickly lowered the stick along with her gaze while August chuckled.

”Is this how you barge into the rooms of your male guests?” August asked, his tone laced with subtle annoyance. Rising to his feet, he took a step toward her, forcing Xenia to take a step back.

”You weren’t responding. I thought something had happened,” Xenia said. ”I don’t do this with other guests. Forgive me. I’ll leave now.”

She turned on her heel to go, but August caught her by her braid, pulling her back. A gasp escaped her lips, though she didn’t complain.

Releasing her hair, he said, ”Don’t ever pull a stunt like this again. I have forgiven you a second time, but if you annoy me a third time, I’ll put you in a special cell. And trust me, I will.”