Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 43: Irresistibly Adorable

Chapter 43: Irresistibly Adorable

Tillian’s voice thundered inside the greenhouse and it seemed like the ground itself shook when he rushed inside.

In a single, forceful motion, he hugged Aideen from behind, effortlessly pulling her away from Valon. With a chivalrous gesture, Tillian took her hand, tarnished with dirt from the Prince’s unexpected "gift." From the inner pocket of his uniform jacket, he retrieved a sleek black handkerchief and meticulously wiped every trace of dirt from the lady’s palm, ensuring not even the tiniest speck remained.

Still in shock, the princess instinctively clutched the Duke’s wrists, seeking his unwavering support as her own legs threatened to buckle beneath the weight of consuming fear.

"Wow, how rude! Neither of you seems to grasp the concept of showing basic appreciation for the efforts people make on your behalf. It appears you two truly deserve each other after all."

Valon carelessly lifted the tiny lifeless body that Aideen had dropped just moments ago, taking a nonchalant step closer to the couple. He grinned once more, mockingly waving the small body before her face.

"Who would have thought you’d exhibit such disrespect for the deceased, Aideen? And not just anywhere, but right here in the very place your poor mother was laid to rest. Moreover... You used to like puppies, yet now you toss their bodies around with such disregard? If you were to wed Duke Valentine, does that not imply your offspring would be akin to puppies? After all, he is a Mad Dog."

"I don’t have to endure this undignified yapping."

Tillian swatted Valon’s hand away from Aideen’s face, promptly seizing the handle of his black sword. However, the Prince, expressing disapproval with a click of his tongue, proceeded to snap his fingers, unleashing a tiny silver spark. This spark swiftly traversed the distance to the Duke’s hand, and upon contact with his black leather glove, it ignited the fabric in an instant. Tillian winced, hastily retracting his hand from the sword and shaking off the orange flames from his glove.

"Exercise caution, Your Grace. Had I permitted that hand to advance further, it might have been severed from your wrist the very next day. I doubt you can fight just as well with your other hand."

Caught off guard by the abrupt disturbance and the scent of burning leather, the princess pressed her body even closer against Duke Valentine’s and whispered,

"What is happening? What did you do, Your Grace?"

Tillian swiftly concealed his right arm behind his back, ensuring the acrid stench of burnt leather wouldn’t assault Aideen’s senses. He tightened his embrace with his left arm and finally spoke,

"Even sacrificing a single glove for someone like you isn’t worthwhile. My apologies, Your Highness." The Duke then took the princess by the shoulder and added, "It seems you won’t be able to spend time with your mother tonight. A malevolent vulture appears to be hovering over this place. Let’s depart; I fear the noxious aura of death he carries may linger if we stay any longer."

Without uttering a single word, the princess nodded, still trembling from her encounter with someone as frightening as Valon Ruan.

The Royal Prince watched as the two of them disappeared behind the door of the greenhouse, then crouched before the forgotten bouquet of wilted peonies, plucking a black flower from the bunch. He slowly inhaled its scent, stretching his thin lips into an ominous grin.

"Enjoy your fleeting freedom, little Aideen. All good things eventually come to an end."

***

"Are you alright, Your Highness? You’re still trembling."

Tillian enveloped the princess in a new thick blanket they had acquired during their "shopping date" and resumed the task of cleansing her hands with a clean towel and hot water.

Each time the Duke attempted to stop, Aideen persistently thrust her hands back into the water, as if, no matter how meticulously he cleaned them, it remained insufficient to wash away the unsettling touch of death Valon Ruan had imposed on her palm nearly an hour ago.

"I’m sorry, Your Highness, but if I continue washing them like this, there will be no skin left on your hands. It’s alright now; they are clean, I promise."

Finally, the princess withdrew her red hands from the small basin of water, bringing them closer to her face. Indeed, there was no discernible smell; they were clean. Yet, the persistent feeling of disgust refused to release its grip on her senses.

Attentive to Aideen’s condition, Tillian retrieved a small pink porcelain box from the heap of purchased items and deftly twisted its lid open. It revealed a hand cream that the lady had personally chosen, drawn to its peculiar vanilla scent that offered a comforting allure.

Extracting a generous portion of the cream onto his own hands, Tillian massaged its silky texture over his palms. With care, he enveloped the princess’s hands, gently spreading the cream and rubbing her skin. The air was soon filled with the intense fragrance of vanilla, creating an atmosphere of soothing tenderness around them.

Fortunately, this simple yet intimate gesture seemed to have a calming effect on Aideen. She closed her eyes, allowing the sweet scent to envelop all of her senses. The once tightly pressed lips now gave way to a soft, content smile, indicating a welcomed sense of relief.

"You seem to be quite fond of this scent. All the perfumery we purchased has a somewhat similar fragrance."

Somehow, his observation elicited a sense of embarrassment in the princess. Blushing uncontrollably, she shrugged her shoulders and responded in a somewhat guilty tone,

"You probably think it’s childish of me to enjoy sweet scents... I just can’t help it; I am very sensitive to smells and they warm up my heart and evoke pleasant emotions. You know... I used to sneak into the kitchen all the time when I was a child. One of the kitchen maids would leave the window open for me while I hid in the bushes outside, just sitting there and inhaling the delightful aromas of the pies and cakes they were baking. It is one of the few cherished memories from my childhood."

Tillian could no longer suppress his emotions. With a broad smile gracing his lips, he enveloped Aideen in his strong arms, gently stroking her soft, wavy hair. The woman buried her face into his broad chest, finding solace in the familiar musky scent of his body and the quiet, steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"I don’t perceive you as childish at all, Your Highness. If anything, I find you irresistibly adorable. Whether it’s the fragrance of flowers, the aroma of freshly baked pies, or the taste of exquisite cookies... I’ll ensure you can savor everything you enjoy."

The princess lifted her head, fixing her glowing eyes where she believed the Duke’s face to be. She attempted to discern any subtle changes in his breathing or the rhythm of his heartbeat, but everything about Tillian seemed perfectly unchanged.

He was a genuinely good man. And he was good to her.

"Why are you so kind to me, Your Grace? Whenever this side of you surfaces towards me, I can’t help but feel that I don’t deserve this warmth."

Duke Valentine momentarily narrowed his eyes as Aideen’s innocent words felt like sharp needles jabbed between his ribs. However, he couldn’t maintain his irritation for more than a fleeting few seconds.

Concealing his subsiding annoyance with an awkward cough, Tillian curled his lips into another smile and said,

"Just because others have never shown you kindness doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it, Your Highness. Even if this is merely a marriage of convenience for mutual benefit, my future wife deserves everything my life has to offer. I want you to remember this."

His stern yet affectionate reply stirred a whirlwind of emotions inside Aideen’s heart.

She yearned to believe that Tillian was right. Throughout her life, she had received nothing but discrimination and hate. Yet, in the same breath, nobody had ever assured her that she didn’t deserve anything more.

Until now.

Until she met Duke Valentine – the man who asserted that she deserved the world, including his own life.

’If he is so kind to a woman who will be his wife only in name, I cannot even imagine what he will do for the woman he sincerely loves. She will definitely be the happiest woman in the world.’

Convinced that his words had instilled more confidence in the princess’s heart, Tillian gently released her from his embrace. He then turned his attention back to the pile of items acquired from the Shopping District, continuing,

"I’ll use your old blanket tonight, Your Highness, and you can take the new quilt in addition to the blanket we purchased today. The nights can be quite chilly here, and I want to ensure you are comfortable and warm."

Aideen arched her eyebrows and rushed to retort,

"No, Your Grace, I cannot allow this! We now have two new blankets, so we should each take one. I assure you, one is more than sufficient for me; it’s incredibly warm!"

"Your Highness, I’ve spent countless nights sleeping inside frozen caves back in The North; I don’t need––"

"But this is not a cave!"

The princess interrupted Tillian but had to pause, surprised by the loud sound of her own voice. After all he had done for her, after everything he promised to do in the future, how could she continue being so selfish and merely take things without giving anything in return?

As the moment of her frantic self-reflection passed, she parted her lips again and started,

"Your Grace..."