ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 18: Such a tempting dish

Demian entered the imperial pavilion, the flap of the tent closing behind him as he stepped into the warm glow of lanterns. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were already seated, casually sipping tea as if they had been waiting for him.

The Emperor raised a brow the moment he saw him.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to show himself."

The Crown Prince smirked. "Three days without leaving your tent, Duke? Should we assume you were... occupied?"

Demian didn’t flinch. "It was raining, "he replied flatly as he took his seat. "Hard to go anywhere when the weather is that bad."

Both the Emperor and his son exchanged a look, then burst into knowing laughter.

"Rain?" the Emperor scoffed. "Strange. Because somehow, while it was raining, half the camp still managed to hear rather... suspicious sounds."

The Crown Prince nodded very seriously. "Yes. Very suspicious. Repeated. Consistent. Rhythmic."

Demian took a slow sip of tea. "They’re just jealous," he said calmly. "Not my fault they didn’t have anything enjoyable to do inside their tents."

The Emperor nearly choked on his drink. "Enjoyable, he says!"

The Crown Prince shook his head, amused. "You really don’t care what people say, do you?"

"Why should I?" Demian replied, bored. "Let them fantasize. I’m busy."

The Emperor leaned forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "At least introduce the woman to us."

"No." Demian’s answer came instantly.

The Emperor blinked. "No?"

"She’s not someone I want everyone to know," Demian said. "Would complicate things."

"Oh?" The Emperor’s tone sharpened with interest. "So she’s merely a mistress? A hidden lover? Considering you already have a fiancée, it must be troublesome keeping her a secret."

Demian shrugged. "I don’t know about that. We’ll see."

The Emperor’s brows shot up, because that wasn’t a denial.

The Crown Prince, who had been silent the whole time, finally glanced at Demian. He didn’t tease. He didn’t smirk. He simply watched him for a long moment before speaking quietly:

"...You like her."

Demian didn’t answer. But his jaw tightened, just slightly.

And that was enough for the Crown Prince to confirm what he already suspected.

The Emperor grinned triumphantly. "Oh, look at him. Our cold, ruthless Duke... finally smitten."

Demian just sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and muttered, "Can we talk about something else now?"

But neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince looked like they had any intention of letting him off that easily.

Once the laughter and teasing finally faded, the Emperor straightened his posture and let out a slow, heavy breath. In an instant, the mood shifted, lighthearted humor evaporating into sharp, cold tension. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Enough jokes. Let’s move to what matters," the Emperor said, his voice steady and commanding.

A large map was spread across the table. Red markings showed the areas destroyed by the fire arrows. Smoke from the early-morning blaze still drifted faintly over the field outside.

"The damage is severe," the Crown Prince murmured, eyes narrowed at the map. "Half of our supply tents are gone. And they didn’t even step onto the battlefield, just fire arrows from the dark."

Demian nodded, expression turning hard and controlled.He looked nothing like the man they teased moments ago.

"A nighttime strike. With strong winds on their side. They planned this," he said. "If we don’t counterattack, they’ll repeat the tactic."

The Emperor slammed a hand onto the table, making the ink pots tremble.

"We will retaliate."The tone left no room for argument.

The Crown Prince moved closer, pointing to a section of forest on the eastern edge of the map.

"Our scouts reported enemy movement through this route. Their camp is set far enough that our archers can’t reach them."

Demian narrowed his eyes."Meaning they’re confident we won’t pursue them."

The Emperor nodded. "A confidence we will shatter."

Demian inhaled slowly, thinking.

"I recommend a counterattack before the next nightfall. If we wait, they’ll reinforce their camp and fortify their lines."

The Crown Prince added,"And our troops can’t afford to sit idle right now. Morale is unstable, losing tents and supplies always hits them hard. We need a victory."

The Emperor turned his gaze to Demian.

"You will lead the assault."

Demian nodded without hesitation."I’ll depart before sundown."

The Crown Prince allowed a small, amused smirk, a subtle reminder of earlier teasing.

"You’re sure you can leave your tent without... strange noises being heard?"

Demian shot him a cold glare.

The Emperor waved a hand dismissively."Enough. We can tease the Duke after the war."

Then his expression hardened again.

"For now, prepare everything. We will not fall for cheap tricks like fire arrows a second time."

Demian bowed his head."Yes, Your Majesty."

Before he left, the Crown Prince placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful. The enemy won’t use the same tactic twice... unless they’re absolutely certain we’re still unprepared."

Demian replied in a low, lethal voice,"They won’t get a third chance."

With that, the strategy meeting ended.

Demian stepped out of the pavilion, his shoulders tense, his mind sharp and full of war...

And somewhere beneath all of that, the faint thought of someone waiting for him in a cold temporary tent.

It was late at night, the quiet only broken by the soft patter of rain outside the tent. Inside, the world shrank down to a secret haven of warmth and desire.

The servants had long since retreated, leaving Demian alone as he slipped past the tent’s curtain and found Valerie sleeping peacefully in her thin nightgown, her breaths slow and even, her face serene in the flickering lantern light.

Demian moved quietly, savoring the sight of Valerie utterly unaware of his presence. He slipped under the covers beside her, letting their warmth mingle beneath the thick blanket.

His hand sought her out, fingertips gliding across her body until he discovered the gentle curve of her breast, bare beneath the thin fabric.

A sly grin played on Demian’s lips as he cupped her softness, his touch making Valerie mumble in her sleep, not yet fully awake.

Unable to resist, Demian slid completely under the covers, letting his lips wander across Valerie’s chest in a trail of heat.

His warm breath made her stir, her body shifting instinctively, until at last she opened her eyes halfway, still hazy with sleep.

"You really..." Valerie protested softly, catching Demian indulging himself at her chest.

But Demian just laughed quietly, teasing her as he pulled the blanket higher and drew Valerie into his lap.

"Who told you to serve me such a tempting dish?"