Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 72: Jingling Keys

Chapter 72: Jingling Keys

As Tillian entered Aideen’s bedroom, he could not help but notice her disheveled state right away. Black ink stains adorned the flowing sleeves of her new dress and the surface of her desk. The crumpled papers and blotters were haphazardly scattered, revealing a poorly hidden mess. However, it was her unmistakably red and embarrassed face that truly betrayed her flustered condition.

"Your Highness? Is everything alright? Did I interrupt your practice?" Tillian inquired, genuine concern etched across his face.

Quickly shaking her head, the princess rushed to divert Tillian’s attention from her emotional disarray.

"No, of course not, Your Grace! You did not interrupt anything important! Is something the matter? I heard we are having guests today."

"I see you’ve already heard the news. Yes, several members of the Black Flame Guild arrived here this morning to report to Stanis, and... well, they will stay until tomorrow. So, I have decided to treat them to a little banquet here in the castle’s dining hall. After all, they’ve gone through a lot by coming here this time."

The Duke concluded his explanation, an air of reluctance surrounding him, as if bound by an unspoken prohibition from sharing additional information. Taking another step towards the lady, he finally resumed,

"Your Highness, since our union is imminent, I would be honored if you could join us for dinner tonight. These people hold significant importance in my life, and your presence would mean a lot for all of us. While I respect your feelings and won’t pressure you to do anything against your will, I kindly ask you to consider gracing us with your attendance."

Anticipating a swift rejection, the Duke was taken aback by Aideen’s unexpected response.

"I will attend the dinner, Your Grace."

At first, Tillian brushed off her response, attributing it to a possible mishearing on his part. The princess’s voice had sounded confident and decisive, creating a momentary doubt. However, as her words fully registered, the Duke arched his eyebrows, utterly bewildered.

"I beg your pardon? You will?"

The lady nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, Your Grace. I am the lady of this castle and, more importantly, your companion. As I’ve mentioned before, now that I am here, you don’t have to shoulder everything alone. If my presence at the banquet can be of any assistance to you, I will gladly participate."

Duke Valentine couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief. To him, it often felt like his unintentional efforts to bridge the emotional gap between them only widened it. Thus, Aideen’s display of trust and proactiveness brought a genuine sense of comfort to the Duke, a small but significant step in breaking down the walls between them.

With a joyous smile adorning his face, Tillian nodded in gratitude,

"Thank you, Your Highness. It truly means a lot to me."

The princess lowered her face and stretched her lips into a light smile, allowing another wave of blush to color her cheek with a subtle hue of pink.

Her presence was important to him; it meant a lot. At last, she meant something to someone.

As the heavy silence returned to the lady’s bedroom, Duke Valentine, in an awkward attempt to regain Aideen’s attention, cleared his throat and added somewhat shyly,

"Your Highness, now that this is settled... There is something of great importance that I need to show you. Would you be willing to spare some of your time at this moment?"

"There is more?!"

The woman couldn’t help but voice her bewilderment, her surprisingly loud tone tinged with concern. Tillian rushed to clarify,

"Yes, but please rest assured that there’s no need for worry or fear! It’s... Well, let’s just say it’s a surprise and, hopefully, a pleasant one."

Still somewhat anxious, the princess offered the man a cautious nod and agreed to venture out to see what else Duke Valentine had prepared for her.

As they strolled through the castle’s hallways, Tillian guided the lady downstairs to a small annexed building she had never visited before. According to Bella, it was deemed abandoned, cold, and empty. The Duke’s mysterious silence, coupled with this unfamiliar territory, only added to the princess’s growing sense of uneasiness.

’Why are we going there? Bella mentioned that the building has been abandoned for a long time and is now standing empty. What kind of surprise could be waiting for me there? Despite my conviction that His Grace wouldn’t do anything to harm me, I still cannot help but feel anxious.’

Preserving an air of quiet mystery, Tillian finally halted before the tall door of the small annexed building that resembled a separate castle on its own. Retrieving a bunch of metal keys, he jiggled them, attempting to find the right one that matched the lock.

The clinking sound of the keys sent cold shivers down the woman’s spine, triggering a relentless avalanche of unpleasant memories. The chilling noise resembled a warning, akin to the ominous signal that led her to the cold and drafty basement in Count Crueder’s manor—the place she considered her personal prison cell, her own punishment room.

Aideen clasped her trembling hands in front of her stomach, the vivid memories of pain and humiliation flooding back with the jingling of the keys. The recollection was too fresh, and she couldn’t help but succumb to the haunting sensations.

And it all instantly rushed back to her—the Count’s cold, dry hands mercilessly tearing apart yet another of her dresses, revealing her already scarred back; the coarse rope tightly wrapped around her wrists and ankles, leaving painful, stinging marks on her tender skin; the unsettling mixture of his shallow, heavy breathing intertwined with the predatory sounds of approaching footsteps; and, ultimately... her punishment. The one that carved long and deep scars on her porcelain skin.

Closing her eyes, the princess felt her body giving up as her knees, too, began to feel like they were made of ropes instead of bones and flesh. She was frightened. She was nauseous. She could not help it.

Suddenly, all the fear dissipated at once. Though still rough, Tillian’s hand, gently placed on top of the woman’s joined trembling palms, seemed to absorb the tormenting fear, replacing it with a newfound sense of comfort and warmth.

With deliberate care, the Duke slid his right hand between the woman’s hands, interlacing his fingers with hers. Leaning closer to her face, he brushed the back of his left hand against her cheeks and whispered,

"It’s alright, Your Highness. You are safe here, I promise. Whatever awaits behind that door, or any other door in this castle, will never be able to hurt you. I’ve made sure of that."

As if to provide an additional layer of reassurance to Aideen, Tillian slowly brought her hand to his face and planted a light kiss on her soft skin. Strangely, that seemingly small gesture of genuine affection worked like a charm. Both the bone-crushing tension and the all-consuming fear that had been devouring the princess’s body seemed to dissipate, as if erased by a powerful magic spell.

With his free hand placed on the door, the Duke tightened his hold on the lady’s hand and inquired,

"Should I open the door, My Lady?"

Aideen took a deep, comforting breath and nodded.

"Yes... yes, Your Grace."