ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 38: Protect yourself

Lady Evelyne offered a faint smile. "The pleasure is ours, Miss Valerie."

Her tone was not cold, yet it carried unmistakable authority.

Lady Maribel stepped a little closer. "You look... younger than we expected."

Valerie could not tell whether that was a compliment or a neutral observation. She merely nodded.

"Please, have a seat," Lady Evelyne said, gesturing to the chair opposite them.

The moment Valerie sat down, she felt an invisible pressure settle around her. This was not an interrogation yet it felt uncomfortably close to one.

"We were summoned here by order of Duke Demian Morvex," Lady Evelyne continued. "Our task is simple to prepare you."

Valerie frowned. "Prepare me... for what?"

Lady Maribel answered softly, "To survive."

The word caught Valerie off guard.

"To understand life within this castle," Lady Evelyne went on without preamble. "To know what you may and may not do. To understand how to conduct yourself before nobles, officials, and eventually the Duke’s lawful wife."

The last words struck Valerie squarely in the chest.

"I am not his wife," Valerie said quietly, but firmly. "And I have no intention of becoming a concubine."

Silence fell.

Lady Evelyne did not appear surprised. "A person’s intentions do not always align with the position they occupy, Miss Valerie."

Lady Maribel added gently, "We are not here to judge your choices. We are here because... the world beyond this room will be far more cruel."

Valerie lowered her gaze, fingers interlacing tightly in her lap.

"From today onward," Lady Evelyne continued, "we will teach you noble table etiquette, proper speech at formal gatherings, protocol when dealing with the imperial family and most importantly how to protect yourself without appearing to resist."

Valerie looked up. "Protect... myself?"

Lady Maribel offered a small, knowing smile. "Because standing at Duke Morvex’s side means you will always be watched. Envied. Scorned. And if you are not strong enough... you will be destroyed."

The room seemed to grow colder.

Valerie drew a slow, steady breath. She understood one thing with absolute clarity now this meeting was not merely about manners.

It was a warning.

And without realizing it, she had stepped even deeper into a world she could no longer leave so easily.

The lesson began without preamble.

Valerie sat upright on the velvet-upholstered chair, both hands folded neatly in her lap exactly as she had just been instructed. Before her stood two senior noblewomen of the northern territories. Their presences were vastly different, yet equally oppressive.

The first woman introduced herself in a calm, rigid voice."Lady Rowena Asterhall. I will be responsible for teaching you noble etiquette and social decorum."

The second assessed Valerie from head to toe without any attempt to conceal her judgment."Lady Mirabel Vane. I will oversee your posture, speech, and most importantly your survival among the nobility."

Valerie nodded faintly. "I understand."

"No," Lady Mirabel cut in immediately. "Not I understand. You will say, I understand, my Lady."

Valerie fell silent for a fraction of a second, then corrected herself."I understand, my Lady."

Lady Rowena inclined her head slightly. "Good. We will begin with the basics."

She stepped closer and lightly tapped the back of Valerie’s hand with her fan."Posture. Your back is too relaxed. You are not a village girl sitting on a wooden bench."

Valerie straightened at once, her shoulders tightening.

"Breathe," Lady Rowena instructed. "True nobility never appears stiff they appear composed, because composure is habitual."

Lady Mirabel circled Valerie like a predator."State your name. Properly."

Valerie swallowed. "Valerie."

"Insufficient."Lady Mirabel stopped directly in front of her. "Again. Chin slightly raised. Eyes forward. Voice steady."

Valerie lifted her chin a little."Valerie."

"Hm." Lady Mirabel did not smile. "There is still hesitation. A woman standing at a Duke’s side must never sound as though she is asking permission to exist."

The words cut deep.

Valerie clenched her fingers in her lap, then tried again."Valerie."

This time, her voice was clear.

Lady Rowena studied her for a long moment before saying, "There is potential."

In the corner of the room, nearly concealed behind a marble pillar, Demian stood with his hands clasped behind his back. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

His face was expressionless.His gaze, cold.

He observed every correction, every minor mistake, every shift in Valerie’s expression, yet he did not move. As though the woman being reshaped before them was not the same one who had made him lose control only hours earlier.

Lady Mirabel glanced briefly in his direction."His Grace is watching," she said flatly. "But do not expect protection. Here, we care little for who touches you at night."

Valerie stiffened, but did not protest.

"The first lesson," Lady Rowena continued, "is accepting reality. You will be judged. Mocked. Compared."

Lady Mirabel added without mercy,"And if you are weak, you will be destroyed."

Valerie drew a slow, steady breath."What must I do?"

The two women exchanged a brief look.

"Endure," Lady Rowena answered."Learn," Lady Mirabel followed."And do not fall in love with anyone in this place," she concluded coldly.

Demian turned his gaze toward the window.

As though he did not care.As though this had not been his decision.

Yet his jaw tightened, a subtle sign only a few would ever notice.

The lesson had only just begun.And Valerie now understood one thing with painful clarity,

In this castle, she was not being prepared to be a guest.She was being shaped...to survive at the side of Duke Morvex.

Valerie only realized how long the day had been when she finally stepped into the dining hall near evening.

Outside the tall windows, the sky had already darkened. Snow fell slowly, like a white curtain drawing the world shut. The grand dining hall glowed beneath the chandelier’s light, the long table set with care yet only a single place setting awaited.

Demian was not there.

Valerie paused before sitting. Her chest tightened slightly, though she had expected this. Since mornin since the argument Demian had not sought her out. Had not spoken to her. Had not even looked at her.

She ate in silence. Every bite tasted bland, though the food was no different from the days before. The empty chair across from her felt heavier somehow far heavier than Demian’s anger ever had.

That night, Valerie returned to the bedchamber... alone.

The large bed felt far too wide. Demian’s side remained untouched, the sheets smooth, as though he had never returned since morning. Valerie sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the low-burning fire in the hearth.

He’s still angry, she thought.