The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Xenia yawned as she slowly opened her eyes in the middle of the night. The steady movement of the carriage told her they were still on the road, while August sat beside her with his eyes closed, apparently fast asleep.

She had no idea how much farther they had to travel before reaching the capital.

After sitting in the same position for hours, the muscles in her neck and lower back had begun to ache. She rubbed them gently, trying to ease the stiffness before shifting into a more comfortable position.

’How much longer will it take?’

Curiosity finally overcame her discomfort, and she carefully pulled the curtain away from the carriage window. Outside, the road was surrounded by dense trees and the carriage passed through the forested path.

Xenia let the curtain fall back into place, and her heart began to pound again. Her thoughts had returned to the lie she had told her brothers.

They had allowed her to leave with Prince August because they believed he genuinely loved her and intended to cherish her for the rest of his life.

The truth was entirely different.

’If they ever find out, they’ll be terribly hurt. I could have refused to help Prince August, yet I agreed to this arrangement. Was it truly because I felt indebted to him?’ Xenia wondered.

Before she could dwell on the question any further, the carriage jolted violently as one of its wheels struck something on the road. Xenia lost her balance and fell forward, landing directly over August.

His eyes flew open at once. For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Xenia had planted her hands on either side of his head to keep herself from putting her full weight on him. She stared at him, suddenly aware of how close their faces were.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she forgot what she had intended to do next. August’s gaze remained fixed on her, his expression alert after being abruptly awakened.

”Forgive me,” she blurted out, quickly trying to push herself upright and return to her seat.

Before she could regain her balance, the carriage jolted again. This time, Xenia was thrown sideways toward the window. She barely had time to react before August reached out and braced his palm against the wooden panel beside it, preventing her head from striking the hard surface.

Xenia froze at his quick response, her heart racing from the sudden movement. August withdrew his hand only after the carriage steadied.

”What’s happening out there?” he shouted with an irritated expression.

”Your Highness, forgive us!” Samir called back loudly from outside. ”The road is rough and covered with pebbles.”

August glanced at Xenia, who was gripping the edge of her seat to keep herself steady whenever the carriage jolted. He shifted to make room beside him before speaking.

”Come and sit beside me. The road seems particularly rough, and you’ll only hurt yourself if you keep sitting there.”

”It might be uncomfortable for you, Your Highness,” Xenia replied hesitantly. She was already embarrassed by what had happened earlier and did not want to inconvenience him further.

”Having you fall on me is far more uncomfortable,” August retorted dryly.

Xenia pressed her lips together, unable to tell whether he was annoyed or merely teasing her. Nevertheless, she reluctantly moved closer and took the seat beside him, keeping a little distance between them.

The carriage continued along the uneven road, but the jolts felt less severe from her new position. She relaxed her grip on the seat and let out a quiet breath of relief.

August leaned back against the cushioned seat, seemingly unbothered by their proximity. Xenia, however, remained conscious of how close they were.

She kept her gaze fixed on the opposite window, hoping he would not notice the warmth creeping into her cheeks.

August pulled the curtain aside and peered through the window, studying the unfamiliar path ahead. The carriage swayed as its wheels rolled over the uneven ground, making it difficult for him to see much beyond the trees lining the road.

”What kind of road is this?” he muttered, frowning. He had travelled between the capital and the surrounding provinces many times, yet he could not recall ever taking this particular route.

”Perhaps it’s a smaller road that connects to the main route,” Xenia suggested.

”Perhaps.” August let the curtain fall and turned towards her.

Xenia noticed his gaze and instinctively touched her face, wondering whether there was something on it. August said nothing, leaving her uncertain about why he had been looking at her in the first place.

Before she could ask, a deep rumble of thunder echoed across the sky.

Xenia immediately turned towards the window and pulled the curtain aside. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark clouds gathering above the forest, briefly revealing the trees along the road.

”It’s going to rain,” she remarked, her expression growing concerned.

August glanced outside before opening the small window behind him, which separated the passenger compartment from the driver’s area.

”Samir, how much longer will it take us to reach the palace?” he called.

”Your Highness, we should reach the capital within the next hour,” Samir replied, turning his head slightly to answer through the opening.

”Good. Tell the coachman to pick up the pace. It looks as though we’ll have rain before long.”

August closed the small window and settled back against his seat. Outside, the thunder continued to rumble, but he paid it little attention.

”Don’t keep looking outside,” he told Xenia. ”We’ll reach the capital within an hour.”

”An hour is still a long time,” Xenia murmured, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. She tried to remain calm, but the closer they came to the capital, the more anxious she became. ”What if the King discovers that we’re pretending to be in love? Nothing may happen to you, but I could be punished for deceiving him.”

August let out a chuckle at her sudden concern. ”So, you’re finally thinking about the consequences of this arrangement.”

Xenia shot him a displeased glance. She was already worried enough without him making light of her fears.

”Rest assured. I won’t let you come to any harm,” he continued, his tone becoming more serious. ”I gave your brothers my word that I would protect you, and I intend to keep that promise.”