It was a new day.
Inside the secret white room.
Two figures, with disheveled clothes, could be seen sleeping side by side. If only not for the distance between them, one was on the farthest left and the other one on the farthest right, one could tell that these two people lying on a single bed had a steamy and passionate night.
Before the sun dawned on the horizon and before the sky brightened up from it, Atallie, who had slept on another bed - the duke's bed, quietly and carefully got up from the bed and fixed her unkempt appearance before going out of the white secret room, without even looking back.
Left alone just like that on the right side of the bed, Duke Calex abruptly opened his eyes after Atallie walked out.
He stared dazedly at the closed door.
He could not tell what he was currently feeling when his thoughts reared back to the scenes of last night.
Just thinking about it, Duke Calex could feel a mixture of exasperation, excitement, regret and delicate warmth and bliss from deep within. It was an incredible experience yet a ridiculous one as well.
No one could tell that after spending the whole night together, that Duke Calex only managed to kiss and feel the woman he wanted to fully devour.
Yes, the duke and the duchess, both tangled up, only kissed and felt each other - fervently, wildly, incessantly and hungrily as they tumbled around the bed all night.
It was not as if that was the only thing they could do, especially the already impatient and irrational duke, it was just that, the duchess was firm in holding her port and was not too forgetful of her set conditions.
As for the duke, he could only grit his teeth while enduring the suffering as he tried to control his rationality and remind himself not to lose himself as he played with fire.
It was just that, while they were busy fumbling and kissing, Duke Calex had to excuse himself every now and then to relieve himself from the torment - in which Atallie quietly allowed and understood.
And just like that, the cycle went on and their first night sleeping together on a bed was spent away.
From the very beginning until the last, Duke Calex seemed to be more drunken by lust and desires than Atallie - the duke himself could tell. After all, his deep and dark eyes were intensely gazing at the duchess during those moments.
Thinking about it, Duke Calex could not help but think that maybe there was something wrong with his wife.
During those raw and vulnerable scenes playing in his mind, Duke Calex could not deny that his wife was different from her usual coldness and indifference. There was a certain glint of sharpness and lust reflected in her eyes and her aura was dangerously seductive.
However, the duchess seemed to be holding herself back for some reasons, it was that or she was just too apathetic and unfeeling.
This was the only conclusion the duke could come up with.
Because for him, recalling what he was like last night, he was a bit ashamed of himself for losing his rationality and appeared to be completely wrapped around the fingers of the duchess.
The experience was so intense for Duke Calex that he felt vexed that it seemed to not be the same case for his wife.
With a deep sigh, Duke Calex finally got up from the bed.
No matter how he thought or felt, in the end, he still had to endure and press forward.
"There's still a lot of days ahead of us..." Duke Calex murmured to himself as his eyes shone with a determined glint on them.
At the Crystal Diamond room.
Atallie was sitting in front of her study table.
There was a pile of letters on a silver tray in front of her.
It was the compiled invitations from different noble and aristocratic families residing within and outside Kargaz.
With her deep gaze fixed on those piles of letters, no one knew what she was thinking about.
Then, a knock came. It snapped Atallie back to her senses.
Leonor walked in with another silver tray in her hands. There was nothing but a plain brown envelope on it.
But when Atallie looked up as Leonor reached her, she abruptly stood from her seat and beckoned Leonor with her hand to hurry up.
Leonor was bewildered. This was the first time she had seen the duchess act out of her usual indifferent demeanor, and for a simple letter at that.
Nevertheless, she quickly handed the letter to Atallie.
Atallie received it and without any word, she waved her hand again to make Leonor leave the room.
Now, Leonor was even more puzzled.
There was no information written outside the envelope, thus Leonor could not tell anything from its exterior.
If it were not for the constant instructions of the duchess to look out for any brown envelope, Leonor would not just simply hand the letter to the duchess for it might be from a suspicious or malicious sender, given that there was no any symbol or information that could be seen from its exterior.
But alas, no matter how plain and suspicious looking the letter was, seeing the urgency from the duchess, Leonor could only keep her mouth shut as her thoughts wander around.
Closing the door behind her, Leonor decided to consult with the duke about this matter.
The next following days, both the duke and the duchess were in constant company of each other.
Both were having their meal together and there were even rare occasions of them walking around the garden.
The people around them noticed these little yet tremendous changes.
The servants of the estate were, of course, glad about the changes. For them, when the masters were happy, their lives would always be blissful as well. But if not, they were the first ones to be affected as well.
But just as the servants were feeling content with the peaceful atmosphere between the duke and the duchess, it was not the same for the other ladies still residing within the estate.
Atallie had received a few invitations from the different ladies within the estate, but that was all they could do.
As long as Atallie didn't want to entertain them, they could not do anything about it.
However, a day arrived when Atallie came out to shop for new sets of dresses.
Along the way, in one of the shops she went in, a few of the ladies were also coincidentally shopping in that place.
Lady Janette Terav, the daughter of the Marquis, together with the two other ladies from the estate were choosing ready-to-wear dresses not too far from where she was currently standing.
But of course, the place was large, yet the moment the bell from the door rang and the voice of the welcoming attendant echoed, few of the customers were expected to turn their heads casually and for some random gossip.
Hence, Atallie could only receive their curious and inquiring gazes.
Some of the ladies of aristocratic families and a few noble ones didn't have any idea who she was.
It was only until Leonor arrived behind her, after quickly booking a private room for her choosing of dresses, that the few ladies got the idea of who she actually was.
After all, being at the side of the notorious Duke of Kargaz for a long time, everyone knew who Leonor was.
Of course, Atallie could have booked prior the scheduled day of her shopping, yet she decided to do it spontaneously.
After all, wasn't doing it right here and there would be better?
Duchess Atallie surely had her own thoughts by doing it.
Coincidentally, this boutique was famous for their tea party dresses, those which were simple yet glamorous, elegant yet not gaudy.
Thus, most people who were likely to attend semi-formal tea parties were frequently shopping in this boutique. The cost ranged from average to expensive, and of course, there were also those which were only reserved for private viewing and selection for important customers.
Atallie didn't book a private room prior to the day of her shopping, yet because she was the duchess, such a perk of quickly booking a room without any reservations only needed a word from her and it would happen right away.
When Leonor did the task of speaking to the manager of the shop through the back door for convenience's sake, Atallie purposefully stood near the door, at the receiving area as she waited. Although she just quietly stood there, her very existence was exuding high level elegance and grace that not a normal lady from a noble or aristocratic family could possess,
Thus, even before Leonor arrived, a few of the ladies inside were already expecting that Atallie had a higher background than most of them.
But they didn't expect that it was actually the famous new duchess who's public appearance could not be counted in one hand.
Other than shopping out on rare occasions since her arrival at Kargaz, most of the ladies were aware that the duchess was most likely living her life like a bird kept in a cage inside the duke's estate.
After all, who among them was not aware that the duke was housing several women under his estate?
Because of this fact, the ladies could only come up with these thoughts in their minds. And because of this, they could only conclude that the duchess was not in a favorable position and could be living her life in sadness and grievance.
However, even with these mixed thoughts and opinions, some of them wanted to get to know, or more like, sound out who the duchess was and how her standing in the duke's estate actually was. Thus, they could only try to send tea parties invitations.
But to their disappointment, until now, not even one of their invitations was accepted.
And looking by the graceful bearing that the duchess was, it seemed that she was not simple and just a nobody as they thought.
Of course, Atallie being in the limelight was clearly seen by Janette and the two other women.
"Lady Terav, look who just came in, isn't that the duchess?" whispered the woman with curly mustard hair that looked ridiculous at first sight.
"That's right. It's her. What is she doing here?" said the other woman with an updo bun that made her face full of thick make up even more pronounced.
Lady Janette Terav could only tolerate the incessant whisper of the two while she was observing what was going to happen.
But she had questions as well. However, she knew it herself that she could not just confront the duchess. After all, His Grace already warned her sternly about not touching the duchess. She was indignant about it yet she could not do anything as well.
Lady Janette could only play her part well as she tried to keep the reins in her favor.
The manager went out and came to greet Atallie right away.
"Your Grace, it is an honor to have your noble presence in this humble shop of mine," said the manager who was in her mid 40s. A sincere smile was on her face.
Atallie didn't respond but simply nodded as an acknowledgement to the greeting.
Dina, having had enough experience in her life and after being told by Leonor, was already aware of the seemingly cold demeanor of the duchess and that she should not take it to heart. Besides, it was her cold bearing that made her grace even more pronounced.
Thus, after seeing the curt nod of Atallie, Dina's smile didn't falter.
"Then, this way, Your Grace," Dina politely led Atallie together with her entourage Leonor and Lila to the private room.
It was a long day for the three of them.
After finally returning back from a whole day of shopping, Leonor and Lila were slightly taken aback as to why the duchess seemed to be so keen on shopping these days.
Besides new sets of dresses, the duchess also bought new shoes, ordered new sets of jewelry and other trinkets, as well as other things that were not meant for her.
It was like these for several days when the duke had also gone away from the estate once again for official business.
And when the weekend arrived, Duchess Atallie finally stopped with her daily outing.
It was yet another night when the wind was cold and there she stood alone in a dimly lit room with a bottle of wine on one hand and glass of wine on the other one.
Atallie was quietly looking at the starless night sky, but her gaze seemed to be looking and focusing somewhere and something beyond that. She poured herself a glass of wine and put down the bottle on the railings.
Her thoughts were running wild and free as she gently and beautifully swirled her wine.
Atallie was so lost with her thoughts. She even casually hopped onto the handrails of the balcony and sat down there. Her nightgown and her long and wavy platinum blonde hair swayed along as the wind blew against her. It was as if the cold wind was nothing to her.
She took a sip after sip from her glass and later on, as her thoughts drifted away and as the wind made her skin grow cold and numb, she continuously poured herself glass after glass of wine until the entire bottle was almost finished.
With a scorching warmth from the alcohol and the numb feeling from the cold wind after sitting idly on the balcony for too long with nothing but her nightgown, Atallie finally felt retiring for the night.
Her thousands of thoughts and cares seemed to be in a blur now that even her eyes also became misty, red and in a daze.
Atallie's amber eyes looked particularly dreamy and even dangerously alluring at this time. Her gaze was still indifferent yet one could see vulnerability underneath.
Her head already began spinning before she could even finish the entire bottle.
Atallie stumbled her way back inside. She wanted to go straight to her bed and sleep yet when she missed a step, she only managed to reach the soft and fluffy sofa in which she thought, in her drunken state, was her bed.
Already too dizzy and too sleepy, Atallie just casually lay down on the sofa in the most comfortable position she could find.
Afterwards, darkness consumed her and she quickly drifted off to sleep.
Not long after Atallie fully succumbed to sleep, quiet footsteps sounded across the hall outside the Crystal Diamond room. The footsteps were clearly headed towards Atallie's room.
It didn't take a while before the door of the Crystal Diamond room was quietly opened from the outside.
Looking inside, there was only darkness and faint light.
The person stepped inside with a frown.
It was none other than Duke Calex.
His eyes darted straight to the bed yet upon noticing there was no one on the bed, his already furrowed brows even became more furrowed. He quickened his steps as he went further inside.
But when his deep and dark eyes swiftly roamed around, he easily found the one he was looking for.
It was only then that his seemingly chaotic and perturbed heart finally heaved a sigh of relief.
Yet before he could even relax his senses, he smelled a strong scent of alcohol lingering around after walking further into the room. And this only became stronger when he finally reached the woman, Atallie, who was sleeping soundly on the sofa.
Looking down on Atallie's even more charming sleeping face, the man's heart softened, yet looking at the frown on Atallie's face, an indescribable pain seemed to pierced through his heart.
Duke Calex leaned closer as his hand moved and softly caressed the little frown between Atallie's brows. His hand lingered as he tucked her hair behind her ear.
Under his soft caress, Atallie stirred and as if finding warmth with the duke's hand, she leaned toward the large and callused hand of the duke.
That seemingly small action from Atallie sent ripples down the already disturbed heart of Duke Calex.
Upon touching and caressing Atallie's face, Duke Calex shortly noticed that she was already so cold and all the windows and even the door to the balcony were wide open.
Without waiting further, he gently picked up Atallie and carried her like a princess.
Gazing down at the soft and charming woman in his arms, it was still a wonder for Duke Calex that he was fully attracted to a woman.
His hardened heart and callused hands were both cold to touch yet at this moment, his every action was filled with gentleness and warmth.
And all of it was only for this woman, his wife, who was still not yet fully within his grasp.
Reaching the bed, Duke Calex slowly and carefully put Atallie down. He grabbed the blanket and made sure that she was fully covered so as to prevent being cold.
With unusual gentleness underneath his dark and deep eyes, Duke Calex leaned closer.
"Sleep well, my dear wife," whispered the duke as he planted a soft kiss on Atallie's forehead.
At the duke's study room.
An eerie silence hung inside the spacious room.
There were only two men inside.
One was the duke who was looking stern and rigid as his cold and terrifying aura permeated the atmosphere around, and there was also Estian, who was seated across from him.
"Tell me what happened." It was only a sentence from the duke, yet the weight of this sentence was something Estian knew that could not just be taken lightly.
The events in the estate were, of course, known by the duke. Thus, he was aware of what the duchess has been doing lately.
He knew her well enough that his wife was not fond of spending and going out without any rhyme or reason.
And tonight, he even saw his wife drunk and knocked out while sleeping on the cold sofa.
Who could tell how he was feeling at that time?
He knew there was something amiss.
There could be.
No, there should be.
Thus, in the middle of the night, Estian had to report to him.
Estian, who was the butler of the estate and who was also well aware of all the things happening in the estate, knew where the crucial matter could be.
There was only one thing he could conclude.
"A brown envelope arrived before Her Grace started acting out," said Estian.
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A/n: Hey! That's it for this chapter!
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This story is progressing well and as much as I wanted to update every now and then, I can't with my busy schedule. I'm even finishing this chapter while I'm having my lunch break. So please, bear with me.
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🖤 Elle Dee