ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 110: Child who carried everything

That morning, Valerie awoke once more to a silence she knew all too well.

The side of the bed beside her was empty, the sheets neatly folded, as if Demian had never been there the night before though her body still carried traces of his presence. She lay still for a while, staring at the ceiling with eyes not yet fully awake, letting the unfamiliar feeling settle quietly in her chest. It was not anger. Nor surprise. Just a soft, lingering emptiness.

When Lira and Sera entered to help her dress, their movements were more careful than usual. They knew Valerie was always sensitive to the smallest changes.

"Your Grace," Sera said softly while fastening her gown, "the Duke left very early. Before sunrise."

Valerie nodded, the motion barely visible. "I see," she replied briefly. There were no follow-up questions. No complaints. She did not want to sound like a woman who waited.

Yet when the image of Demian leaving without a word crossed her mind again, her chest tightened slightly. I chose to stay, she thought. But he can still leave whenever he wants.

After breakfast, Valerie decided to walk through the castle gardens. The morning air was fresh, the scent of damp earth mingling with flowers beginning to bloom. Her steps were slow, as though she wished to delay time itself. As always, she stopped beside the fountain. The sound of flowing water gave her the illusion of calm as if the world could be softened simply by listening.

"You look well."

The voice made Valerie’s shoulders tense.

She turned to see her father, Count Austin, standing with the same rigid posture he had never abandoned. Beside him was Jester, her older brother, his expression awkward, his gaze unable to linger on Valerie’s face.

Before Valerie could say anything, Count Austin stepped closer. "I’ve come because I need help," he said bluntly. "The family’s finances are in trouble."

Valerie closed her eyes for a moment. Just a moment. Then she opened them again, her gaze colder. "You always come with the same reason," she said quietly. "And it’s always to me."

She turned to Jester. "You’ve joined the imperial forces, haven’t you?" she asked. "Don’t you want to help the family? Or has that always been my responsibility alone?"

Jester flinched. "I—I only came to accompany Father," he said quickly. "I didn’t mean to ask for anything. Truly."

Valerie let out a long breath and turned her eyes back to the fountain. Her hands trembled slightly not from anger, but from exhaustion.

But her father did not stop.

"Valerie," Count Austin said, his tone now more calculating, "you, Bianca, and Jester are all of marriageable age. Could you not ask the Duke to find suitable matches for us?"

That sentence cut deeper than any request for money.

Valerie turned slowly. "For what purpose?" she asked, her voice flat, fragile beneath the surface. "Why should the Duke manage other people’s marriages?"

Count Austin snorted. "The Duke’s connections are vast. If people know our family is close to him, no one will dare look down on us."

Something inside Valerie collapsed completely.

"So what am I, then?" she whispered. "A bridge? A shield? Or merely a shortcut for Father’s ambitions?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She shook her head slowly, tears pooling but not falling. "Leave," she said.

Count Austin laughed softly, disbelieving. "Don’t be childish. I am your father."

Valerie turned, her voice now firmer, trembling at the edges. "And I have been a child who carried everything alone for far too long."

Count Austin remained standing, stubborn as ever. Valerie straightened, lifting her hand in a decisive gesture.

"Guards."

In an instant, two guards stepped forward. Jester jolted, looking at Valerie with eyes full of confusion and guilt. "Valerie, wait—"

"Leave," Valerie repeated, without turning.

Count Austin tried to protest, his voice rising, but the guards did not hesitate. They dragged him away from the garden. Jester was pulled along as well, his steps faltering, glancing back as though he wanted to say something but not a single word left his mouth.

When the garden fell silent again, Valerie stood rigid beside the fountain. Her shoulders slowly sagged, as though the weight of years had finally settled in full.

She stared at her reflection on the water’s surface. A Duchess. A woman who looked strong. Yet beneath it all was a little girl who had always wanted nothing more than to be loved without conditions.

Her hand returned to her stomach, the touch steadying her breath.

"I will protect you," she whispered softly whether to herself, or to the small life depending on her.

And in the midst of the beautiful yet silent garden, Valerie realized one bitter truth:

she had never truly had a family until she chose to create one herself.

Demian had just returned to the castle when his steps halted at the outer gate.

Two figures stood there far too familiar to be ignored.

Count Austin looked agitated, his face still carrying anger that had yet to fully subside. Beside him, Jester stood with his head slightly lowered, his posture stiff, like someone who wished he could disappear from the place as quickly as possible. The sight alone was enough for Demian to understand what had just occurred.

Demian’s gaze hardened. He did not speak immediately, merely observing them with calm, icy composure a look that had made many people retreat before a single word was spoken.

Count Austin, the first to lose his patience, spoke up.

"Duke," he said with forced politeness, "your woman Valerie drove us out of the castle."

Demian lifted a brow slightly, not in surprise, but as if confirming something he had already suspected. He knew well that Valerie did not care for her family. More than that he knew why.

"And what exactly," Demian asked flatly, "did you do that made her feel the need to expel you?"

Count Austin snorted, as though he were the wronged party. "I merely asked for her help," he said quickly, "to find suitable matches for her brother, Jester, and for Bianca as well. That’s all. But she refused outright."

Demian shifted his gaze to Jester. The young man immediately bowed deeply, the reflex of a soldier who knew when to lower himself. There was no entitlement in his expression only exhaustion and a clear sense of discomfort.

A brief silence followed.

Then Demian spoke, his voice calm yet decisive. "Very well," he said. "I will find them."

Count Austin jolted, his eyes widening.

"But," Demian continued without allowing room for relief, "do not ever ask Valerie for anything again."