The eerily silent room became still for a few seconds.
Both the duke and the duchess remained unmoved, but their auras and presence were obviously clashing against one another.
However, before the situation became more serious, the pitch black room suddenly lit up.
"Forgive me, I forgot to turn on the lights," Duke Calex said casually as if nothing had happened.
Atallie chose not to retort as usual.
As she looked around, Atallie noticed that the interior of the room was completely in contrast with the rich gold and blue motif of the duke's room. Instead, the room was grandly decorated in immaculate white and gold. It looked so refreshing and blindingly lavish both at the same time.
From the walls, the posts to the furniture, and the upholsteries, the combination of white and gold could be seen everywhere.
Walking towards the white Cabriole sofa with golden rims, Atallie sat down casually while quietly taking in the immaculate secret room. She didn't even bother to pay attention to what the duke was currently doing.
However, this was not the same for the duke. Duke Calex, while still paying attention on how the duchess was behaving, went towards the nightstand and retrieved a small red jewelry box just a size of a woman's palm.
With a stern expression and heavy aura, gone was the promiscuous character of the duke, only his fierce and strong aura was left wafting around him.
Duke Calex sat down beside Atallie. They were close enough to each other that their clothes were almost touching. But both seemed to be undisturbed by that small detail this time.
The duke placed down the jewelry box on the table as Atallie nonchalantly glanced down on it.
Yet, the moment that Duke Calex opened the red jewelry box, Atallie's usual cold and emotionless eyes widened for a second. And that moment was so fleeting that even the duke was not able to caught that reaction from the duchess.
Atallie quickly composed herself and asked in her usual indifferent and calm tone, "What is that?"
Duke Calex, with his eyes still fixated on the table said, "This will determine if you're the person that I need to look for."
What the heck is that supposed to mean.
Atallie's thoughts were already raging when she first saw the thing inside the box. And now, hearing what the duke had just said, streams of thoughts were flowing out in her mind.
"Could you enlighten me, duke?" Atallie asked.
"A woman gave this to me," Duke Calex started.
"A woman gave you a rusty locket?" Atallie asked with her eyes glued on the rusty locket inside the jewelry box.
"Yes," Duke Calex said. He then looked towards Atallie. "And I'm not supposed to show this to you if it wasn't for confirmation and great importance," he added.
"Then, what is it for?" On the inside, Atallie was really aching for answers. The rusty locket and the words of the duke somehow sent alarms in her mind.
"This is a locket but it hasn't been opened since it has been given to me," said the duke.
"Why it hasn't been opened? Isn't it just a locket?" Come on, don't drag this thing! Atallie could only try to play innocent and nonchalant as usual while already itching for explanations.
"I can't open it."
"Why can't you open it? Aside from the two small blue gems on it, it is just an old rusty locket," said Atallie.
"It seemed like that, but it is not," said the duke with his expression as stern and still as serious as before as he carefully tried to explain and elaborate.
However, the duchess was clearly against on the prolong way of how the duke was explaining.
With her patience as thin as a strand of hair, Atallie stood and said, "I don't have enough time to waste my afternoon like this, duke. If you won't care to explain clearly to me in one go, I'm afraid I would have to excuse myself first."
Duke Calex snapped out in his reverie.
This woman!
"This is of utmost importance!" Duke Calex hissed.
"I would like to remind the duke that I've agreed to spend this afternoon with you to talk about what has transpired about this sudden change of my status and not to listen to whatever and whichever that has nothing to do with me," said Atallie. She was completely pissed off on the inside.
Duke Calex looked more intently towards the back of the duchess standing in front of him. His eyes were dangerously fixated on Atallie.
She seemed to be completely unfamiliar with the locket and her reaction is too nonchalant to care about the locket...
Is she really unaware of this engagement of ours?
"Hold on," Duke Calex stopped Atallie from taking a step towards the door.
"Are we now getting down to business?" Atallie asked as she calmly sat down back to the Cabriole.
Duke Calex could do nothing but to spill the beans if he would like to gamble and truly know whether the duchess beside him was truly unaware of their current predicament. A while ago, aside from the reason that he still found it difficult to explain about the locket in one go, Duke Calex was also trying to sound out the duchess.
And the duchess, Atallie, was completely aware of this. However, as for the duke, too bad for him, the duchess has her own reasons for concealing some truths.
In the end, the one who was being deceived was none other than the duke himself.
"This is a locket given by a woman," Duke Calex started. "And that woman could be your mother," he added.
"My mother?" Atallie asked. On a first glance, Atallie somehow recognised the small blue gems atop the locket. Back then, as far as she could remember, blue gems were the most fancied gems of her mother. That was why hearing the words of the duke, Atallie's suspicion has now become a certainty. This has made Atallie speechless and she was truly shocked on the inside. But of course, her usual calm and indifferent demeanor remained still.
Duke Calex, upon receiving nothing of a reaction from the duchess continued, "On the day that the woman saved me, she gave me the locket as she told me that I could only open the locket when I met her dear daughter - the one who I need to marry," said the duke.
What the heck.
My dearest mother, you have truly laid traps for me. Atallie thought. She knew that there seemed to be a lot going on with her engagement with the duke than the obvious set-up of her mother. Atallie was certain of this.
But for now, she must slowly unravel the behind the scenes and continue her act of being completely ignorant.
"My mother saved you?" Atallie asked with her voice as cold as ever but with a little hint of curiosity, as if she didn't know the reason needed for her mother to save the duke. This was what Atallie wanted to imply.
And all of this was perfectly executed in the eyes of the duke. Nothing was amiss.
"Were you not aware of what has happened to the house of the duke of Tygart fifteen years ago?" Duke Calex asked.
"Fifteen years ago? I'm afraid not," said Atallie. "Aside from the fact that I was just three years old back then, I must remind the duke that I also grew up on the county side, far from the the center of civilization," she continued. This meant that Atallie was living remotely so as to hear news outside of her comfort zone.
Of course, she has a point. Thought the duke while carefully observing every word and action of the duchess.
"If that's the case, let me tell you that it was the time when the house of the duke of Tygart met its demise."
"Such thing happened? Oh no, I'm truly sorry to hear that," Atallie said as she covered her mouth, feigning shock and sympathy.
But to make her actions more convincing, Atallie, although with her still the same indifferent face, she reached out her hand towards the hand of the duke and gave it a tap. It was so soft and so quick like the kiss of the passing wind, that even the duke almost didn't recognize what Atallie has just done.
Duke Calex was completely taken aback by that seemingly so little action of the duchess. He almost couldn't hide his expression from the shock that it has brought on him.
However, just like Atallie, Duke Calex was also in the business of deception. And concealing one's emotions was just a part of it which he has always been doing.
"Yes. It happened a long time ago, but what we were talking about now is that the woman saved me from that demise. Someone wanted the house of the Tygart to be completely annihilated, but somehow, that woman saved me," said Duke Calex.
"And you believed that the woman back then was my mother?" asked Atallie.
"Yes, based on her spoken words, I'm supposed to marry her daughter and only her daughter can help me to open this locket when the right time comes," Duke Calex said.
"If that's the case, I conclude that between you and I, it is you who is truly aware of this predicament that we're currently in. And yet how audacious of you to keep blaming me for something that I'm obviously unaware of," Atallie retorted with a colder tone.
Duke Calex dangerously fixed his eyes on Atallie with a sneer. "I'm still not sure whether you are truly unaware, my wife."
There it is! That word again! Who is your wife, huh?
"I am terribly disappointed on how you reason, duke. In your eyes, I'm just another useless pawn right now that you definitely can't trust, am I right? Then, if you were right about this locket and me, what am I supposed to be after your confirmation?" asked Atallie. On the inside, she was truly mad.
It's not just you who is caught up in this trouble!
Suddenly, Duke Calex pulled out a scroll from his pocket. "Weren't you aware of this?" he opened it and show it to the duchess.
Atallie was slightly taken aback.
That scroll –
"What is that?" Atallie asked.
"It's an engagement letter. An oath at the same time," the duke answered.
"May I take a look?"
Duke Calex gave it to the duchess although he was still suspicious of whether the duchess weren't really informed of this engagement between them.
After a few seconds of reading through it, Atallie laid it down on the table and looked straight to Duke Calex.
"According to this document, we have been promised to marry each other?" Atallie asked.
"That's right. According to this, my mother and yours have been best friends and later on became sworn sisters. Then they decided to drew up an engagement for both of us and not just a simple engagement. This is also the proof of their oath by blood," Duke Calex said. "I'm sure you are aware of what an oath of blood signifies, am I right?" he asked.
"Of course, I am." said Atallie.
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A/n: Aiyoo! Will have to cut it here ((>,~)). See you on the next chapter!
Xoxo!