Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 42: Twisted Favoritism

Chapter 42: Twisted Favoritism

"Did you have fun, Your Highness? I expected you to give up after the dress boutique, but you sure did surprise me when you asked me to make a day out of it. I think there is not even a single shop or restaurant left that we have not visited today."

Tillian reclined in the leather-covered seat of the coach and fixed his curious red eyes on Aideen’s face. The princess pressed her throbbing forehead against the cold glass of the carriage window and closed her eyes, allowing the stinging fatigue to subside, at least for a little while.

She was utterly exhausted. She could not recall the last time she was out for so long, if she ever had, and now she was yearning to get some much-needed rest.

Meeting Prince Yanad affected her more than she expected. Aideen didn’t inform the Duke that she talked to the Crown Prince and pretended that her newfound enthusiasm for shopping emerged from the depths of her timid soul due to the incredible service at Lady Florence’s Dress Boutique and the little errand Tillian had to run while she was trying on the wedding dress.

The result of that errand was now warmly embraced in the princess’s arms.

"You seem to like the flowers a lot; I’m glad. It is now too cold for them, but the florist informed me that he keeps a little greenhouse outside his house just for them."

The lady lightly touched the lush, soft petals of the flowers carefully arranged into a large bouquet and offered Duke Valentine a content smile.

"Peonies were my mother’s favorite flowers. My nanny told me that Utar has entire meadows covered with blankets of colorful peonies that bloom during spring. I did my best to preserve the little greenhouse my late mother left behind in our quarters, but my disability did not allow me to do much... If you don’t mind, Your Grace, I would like to bring these flowers to my mother’s grave instead of keeping them to myself."

Tillian raised his eyebrows for a moment. He was not against the idea of honoring the memory of Aideen’s late mother, Yuliana. On the contrary, this suggestion only proved how wonderful the princess’s heart was. However, while he knew the tragic story behind Yuliana’s untimely death, he had no idea where she was buried because both her last months in the abandoned palace and her death were kept secret from everyone outside the Royal Family.

After all, Queen Consort Yuliana was banished to the old palace quarters, accused of having an affair with her personal guarding knight by Queen Fleur Ruan.

Aideen interpreted Tillian’s silence as a sign of confusion.

Unlike the Valentines, the former reigning family whose bodies were cremated right after their execution, Yuliana died shortly after giving birth to her daughter and was secretly buried inside her greenhouse, as per her final request.

"My mother is buried under the bed of dead peonies. She wanted to rest in the meadow, under the blossoming blanket of her favorite flowers, but she was robbed of that too. The whole Kingdom believes that she is resting together with other Ruans, but it’s a lie. Finding peace under peonies was the King’s final mercy to her."

Upon hearing the princess’s explanation, the Duke could not help but feel anger welling within him. Recollections of the wasteland that the greenhouse had become, with Valon’s horrifying "gifts" strewn about, surged to the forefront of his mind. These memories alone compelled him to clench his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his skin, leaving tiny red marks.

’I need to find a way to bring her mother to The North. I can’t let them humiliate her like that. I need to find a way to let her rest under the blanket of colorful peonies, as she always wanted. She needs to go back home.’

***

"Are you sure you want to go there alone, Your Highness? It is quite late already; I will be worried."

Tillian adjusted the hood over Aideen’s head and handed her the large bouquet of peonies that he held for her while she descended the carriage steps.

The princess accepted the flowers and pressed them carefully against her chest, offering the man a reassuring smile as she retorted,

"I appreciate your concern, Your Grace, but I know my way around here pretty well. Besides... Nobody ever comes here, so there is really nothing to be worried about."

"Nevertheless," the Duke shook his head and placed his hands on the lady’s shoulders as he added, "I will bring the things we purchased to the room and then come to get you. I cannot just sit and wait while you are out here all alone."

Aideen could not resist such genuine concern any longer. She stretched her pink lips into a wide smile and nodded,

"Alright, Your Grace. I will be waiting for you inside the greenhouse then."

...

The lady walked quietly and confidently, her body still recalling the path to her mother’s greenhouse. The evening autumn air was cold, and with every step she took, Aideen heard a peculiar crunching sound of frozen leaves crushing under her weight.

However, even the very air changed the moment she stood before the broken doors of the old greenhouse, one of the few things left by her late mother Yuliana.

Slowly, as if afraid of causing further damage, she pushed the door away and listened as it greeted her with a long, loud screeching noise resembling the ominous shriek of some dark presence that possessed it.

Taking a deep breath that filled her chest with courage, Aideen stepped inside the greenhouse and immediately recoiled as the unexpectedly strong stench of rotten flesh and dirt attacked all her senses at once, as if her entire body was enveloped in a disgusting veil of death.

’Valon... Only he would be cruel enough to sully this place like this. Everywhere he goes, everything he touches... He brings death to all.’

As if to play a cruel joke on her, the revolting stench intensified as its source drew closer to the princess.

Light footsteps of a sly predator, a subtle humming melody – a distinctive sign of boredom; the familiar jingle of the tiny golden chains attached to the ornamented buttons of his outer jacket... It was Valon Ruan himself.

And he was standing next to Aideen.

"I knew you would turn up eventually, little runaway princess. But I did not expect you to bring more trash with you."

The Prince stood right before her and brushed his fingers over the flowers. Even though he did not touch them, their once bright, vibrant petals instantly turned black and dry. He then snatched the bouquet of now-dead flowers from the princess’s hands and tossed it on the ground, releasing a loud scoff as he leaned in closer to her. Then, Valon took a lock of her long, wavy hair in his right hand and planted a light kiss on it.

That action alone made Aideen’s skin crawl.

Prince Valon, just like his older brother Yanad, was one of the few people she knew by touch. And she hated the fact that she did.

His touch was always humiliating and painful; it always left her feeling less than human. It was the touch of a true monster.

"Your Highness... I did not expect to meet you here."

"Really? I am truly hurt, little Aideen. I come here often, you know. I work really hard trying to revive this place, and yet, it feels like it misses your gentle touch. Nothing grows here without your love."

Valon slid the index finger of his gloved hand over Aideen’s cold cheek, his deep green eyes firmly fixed on hers. After a few moments of savoring her silent distress, the prince finally moved away from her and released another loud scoff.

Aideen was lost. If there was one thing she was grateful for when the King sold her into the marriage, it was moving away from Prince Valon.

Sly, cruel, scheming, sadistic, and what’s even worse – exceptionally smart, he was the epitome of evil in her eyes.

Despite being adored by his mother, he knew no love or kindness himself. He wanted to dedicate his life to being a scholar and an alchemist; thus, the world around him turned into his playground, with every living being in it becoming the subject of his ruthless experiments.

And Aideen could not escape such a fate as well.

If she were his doll, one would definitely say she was his favorite, but when someone like Valon favored something, that something had no choice but to suffer from his twisted favoritism.

"You are as kind as always, Your Highness..." The princess started in a trembling voice, scared to say something that would make Valon angry. Carefully selecting every word, she continued, "Thank you. If only I knew that you had been doing this the whole time, I would have expressed my gratitude sooner. I am truly sorry for being late."

Valon grinned as the princess’s words failed to convince him of their sincerity.

He took a big step to the side, picked something from the cold ground, then returned to Aideen and continued in a somewhat singing tone,

"Well, if you indeed want to express your gratitude, my dear Aideen, how about helping me here tonight? Here, why don’t you take this and help me with my new spell? I have crafted it specifically for this occasion!"

With an evil grin still playing on his thin lips, Valon took Aideen’s trembling hand in his, turned it over, and placed something small and soft into her open palm.

Instantly realizing what she was holding, the princess rounded her eyes in shock and withdrew her hand, a loud scream escaping her mouth and echoing through the dead gardens outside the greenhouse.

"Your Highness!"