ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 51: Protection or trap
Valerie offered a small smile, as though she believed him.
But behind that smile, she held tightly to her secret the small pill she swallowed every day, and the enormous decision she was not yet ready to make.
Because Valerie knew, Demian’s love could become her protection... or the strongest snare she would ever face.
And the capital with the Emperor, Lady Kosler, and Demian’s past would be the place where all those choices would finally demand an answer.
Three days later, Morvex Castle stirred once more.
Not with the clamor of a march to war, but with the restrained tension that belonged only to a journey toward the heart of power. Carriages were prepared since dawn, the finest horses selected, the guards replaced with more formal uniforms dark colors bearing the Duke’s crest clearly displayed, as if to remind the world who was passing through.
Valerie stood before her bedroom window, watching the courtyard slowly fill with movement.
She was already dressed. A dark traveling gown wrapped her figure in simplicity, yet retained its elegance. Her hair was arranged in a low chignon, free of excessive ornamentation a deliberate choice. The capital was not a place to appear naïve, but neither was it a place to look defiant.
Beneath her calm exterior, her thoughts churned.
Those three days had not been enough to steady her heart.On the contrary the closer departure came, the clearer every possibility ahead of her became.
The capital meant the Emperor.It meant Lady Kosler.It meant Demian’s past until now known to her only through whispers and rumor.
And it also meant this: there would be no place left to hide.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
"My lady," Sera’s voice came gently. "The Duke is waiting."
Valerie nodded, then reached for the thick cloak laid out on the chair. As she stepped out of the room, her stride was steady even if her heart was not entirely so.
Demian was already standing in the courtyard when Valerie arrived.
A long black coat framed his tall figure, his expression cold as ever. But when he turned and saw Valerie, something in his gaze shifted softening, just slightly, almost imperceptible to anyone but her.
"Are you ready?" he asked curtly.
Valerie nodded."Yes."
Demian extended his hand. Valerie took it without hesitation, though the touch reminded her of promises she did not yet fully understand and of secrets she still held tightly.
The carriage began to move, leaving the castle behind.
The northern fortress slowly receded, swallowed once more by silence and cold. A long road stretched before them through small villages, dense pine forests, and wide plains that grew increasingly crowded as they neared the imperial center.
Inside the carriage, Valerie sat facing Demian.
He remained mostly silent, gazing out the window, his thoughts clearly fixed on matters he did not voice. Valerie watched him from behind her own composure the tightening of his jaw whenever the capital crossed his mind, the quiet tapping of his fingers against the armrest.
"You don’t need to worry," Demian said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts.
Valerie lifted her gaze."I didn’t say anything."
"I know," he replied briefly. "That’s precisely why."
Valerie smiled faintly, then turned her eyes back to the passing scenery. The landscape shifted gradually, denser, more alive. Other carriages appeared more frequently along the road. Noble banners lined the way.
All the signs were unmistakable:they were getting closer.
The first night of the journey was spent at the estate of a noble family in the central region. Valerie slept with her eyes closed, yet her mind remained awake. She thought of the worst possibilities, Lady Kosler’s gaze, the Emperor’s decisions, and where she herself would be placed between them.
On the second night, heavy rain fell. Valerie woke to the sound of water pounding against the roof. Demian stood near the window of their lodging, his back straight, as if on guard even in rest.
"You’re not sleeping?" Valerie asked softly.
"Not yet," he answered.
Valerie sat up slowly, watching his silhouette."Does the capital always make you this tense?"
Demian was silent for a moment."That place never forgives mistakes," he said at last. "And it never forgets anyone."
The answer was not comforting.But it was honest.
On the third day, the towers of the capital finally appeared on the horizon.
Tall. Grand. Cold.
Valerie’s heart beat faster as the great imperial gates opened before them. The sound of carriage wheels echoed against stone streets, as if announcing the arrival of Duke Morvex, and the woman at his side.
Valerie drew a deep breath.
Whatever awaited her within those walls, there was no turning back now.
And when the carriage came to a halt before the residence prepared for them, Valerie knew one thing with absolute certainty:
This journey was not merely a visit to the capital.
It was the beginning of a trial that would determinewho she was in the eyes of the Empire, and how far Demian would truly go to keep his word.
The rumor spread faster than Valerie had anticipated.
In the capital, news was not merely whispered it was currency. And the moment Duke Morvex’s carriage passed through the imperial gates with a woman at his side, the story grew, multiplied, and reshaped itself to suit whoever chose to tell it.
Duke Morvex had a kept woman.Not merely a courtesan.But a woman brought to the capital.Lodged in Morvex Castle.Acknowledged openly.
Valerie’s name began to circulate, often accompanied by additions she did not recognize, and had never asked for.
That afternoon, Valerie was seated in the sitting room of Morvex Castle in the capital. The chamber was vast, its ceilings high, tall windows overlooking an inner garden. The furnishings were magnificent yet cold, a place clearly designed for power, not warmth.
She was reading when Sera entered, her expression tight.
"My lady," she said softly, "there is a visitor asking to see you. Lady Ivanka Kosler."
Valerie closed her book slowly.
She had known this day would come.She simply had not expected it to come so soon.
"Show her in," she said calmly.
Moments later, the grand doors opened.
Ivanka Kosler entered with a grace that was almost too perfect. Her gown was light in color, expensive, tailored to the tastes of the capital. Her hair was immaculately styled, her beauty the kind shaped by a lifetime of winning rather than by the need to survive.
Ivanka’s gaze went straight to Valerie.
She smiled.
The smile of a woman accustomed to standing on secure ground.
"So this is you," Ivanka said, her voice gentle yet sharp."I was curious whether the rumors about my fiancé were true, or merely cheap lies."
Her eyes swept over Valerie from the crown of her head to the hem of her dress.
"It seems they are true," she continued."And now I find myself standing before... a whore from the Austin family.""Didn’t your sibling once work for my household?"
