ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 112: Without annoying people

Valerie looked at the water, then back at Demian. There was a brief hesitation not from fear, but from the realization of something rare, a quiet, steady trust.

Slowly, she stepped forward.

And in that hidden place, beneath a rainbow born of falling water, Valerie allowed herself for the first time in a long while to let everything go.

For Valerie, everything felt pleasant in a way that almost made her forget the world.

In that place beneath the open sky, surrounded by forest and the sound of water that demanded nothing from her, she felt as though her life consisted of only two people: herself and Demian. There was no Ivanka. No pressing family. No watchful gazes that forced her to stay guarded or cautious.

Only them.

The cool river water brushed against her skin, easing Valerie’s breath. For the first time in a long while, she did not feel the need to be anyone at all. Not a Duchess. Not a Count’s daughter. Not a woman constantly expected to be strong.

She was just Valerie.

Demian stood not far from her, watching quietly. His gaze did not judge or demand it was simply the gaze of someone fully present. That alone was enough to draw a small smile from Valerie’s lips.

She moved closer, deliberately splashing the water, laughing softly when Demian turned with an expression of surprise she rarely saw. There was a lightness in him that seldom surfaced, and Valerie felt a strange satisfaction in being able to coax it out.

"You know," she said, idly stirring the water with her fingertips, "I rarely feel this free."

Demian did not answer at once. He only stepped a little closer near enough for Valerie to be aware of him, without touching, without pressure. "Because no one disturbs you here," he said at last.

Valerie nodded. "Because I don’t have to share you with anyone."

The words were honest. Not accusatory. Not demanding. Yet Demian heard them clearly.

Valerie laughed again, this time more boldly, moving lightly through the water, playing like someone finally allowed to enjoy simple happiness. Demian only watched her, and in his eyes there was something warm an understanding that this moment was not about what they possessed, but about what they had temporarily left behind.

Beneath the slowly fading rainbow, Valerie felt something she had almost forgotten the feeling of being fully alive, even if only for a moment.

Those two days flowed gently, like the river winding around them—unhurried, asking nothing.

On the first morning, Valerie woke to the soft sound of the waterfall, not to stone castle walls or servants’ footsteps in the corridor. She opened her eyes slowly and, for a moment, forgot where she was. Then she saw Demian sitting not far away, his back resting against a large rock, gazing at the mist still hanging between the trees.

"You’re awake," Demian said without turning, as if he had already known.

Valerie smiled faintly. "I thought I was dreaming."

Demian glanced at her and returned a small smile. "If this is a dream, I hope you don’t wake up too soon."

Valerie sat up, pulling the thin blanket they had used the night before around herself. The cold air brushed her skin, yet it did not make her want to hide again. Instead, she felt... alive. Real.

"I’ve never woken up like this," she said honestly. "Without voices calling my name. Without having to remember who I am."

Demian stood, walked over, and sat beside her—close, but never pressing. "Here," he said softly, "you don’t have to be anyone."

They spent the day on simple things.

Walking along the river, their feet occasionally touching the cold water. Valerie laughed softly every time Demian deliberately splashed water toward her something she had never imagined that man would do.

"You did that on purpose," Valerie protested, though her smile was wide.

"Maybe," Demian replied without guilt. "I rarely see you laugh like that."

Valerie fell quiet for a moment, then said softly, "Because I’m rarely given a reason."

They sat on warm stones as the sun climbed higher. Valerie leaned back, closing her eyes, her face turned toward the light. Demian watched her for a long time the way her breathing slowed, the way her shoulders gradually relaxed.

"You’re calmer," Demian said.

"Because no one wants anything from me here," Valerie replied. "No one asks me to be anything."

Demian nodded. "And I want nothing from you," he said. "Except that you stay here."

The first night arrived with a small fire and a comfortable silence. They sat close, their shoulders almost touching.

"Demian," Valerie said suddenly, her voice hesitant, "if I had never become a Duchess... what do you think I would have been like?"

Demian thought for a long while. "I think," he said at last, "you would be the same. Strong. Just... not lonely."

Valerie turned to look at him. "And you?"

Demian exhaled. "I might have been happier sooner."

The second day felt even lighter.

Valerie woke with boldness pulling Demian’s hand and asking him to soak in the river again. She spoke more, laughed more freely. She sat at the water’s edge, playing with her fingers, letting Demian remain close without the need for constant words.

"I understand now," Valerie said that afternoon, as they watched a rainbow form from the waterfall.

"Understand what?" Demian asked.

"Why ordinary people can be happy," she answered. "Because their lives are not always being watched."

Demian looked at her seriously. "You deserve that happiness too."

Valerie turned to him. "Can I have it?"

Demian did not answer with a promise. He only said, "I will try to make sure you’re not alone."

When they finally prepared to leave, Valerie stood for a long moment, staring at the place as if trying to memorize it.

"I’ll miss this place," she said.

Demian stood beside her. "It will always be here."

Valerie smiled faintly. "But I’m afraid... I’ll be the one who changes."

Demian looked at her gently. "If you forget how this felt," he said quietly, "I’ll remind you."