Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

And you.. You can come with me." his face turned red and he looked away as he whispered the last line.

Hannah gritted her teeth as he did not pay attention to her words about Eli. she was expecting him to feel enraged and tell everyone about himself so that Eli had to leave the palace.

If she was thrown out from the family of the duke, she would not be able to ask for the position of empress anymore.

"Come with you?" she asked as she raised her head and stared at him. Was he going to announce her as the new duchess?

If he asked her to marry him even in private she would accept it. Since he was the one and only son of duke, he was bound to take the position back from Leo. then she would be the duchess.

Her eyes twinkled while thinking about all the properties and wealth that would be at her feet. Then she did not need to feel blackmailed by anyone or worry about money.

She could buy a lot of jewels and gowns and she would be able to attend high end balls. She would be the queen of social societies. She could already imagine how beautiful her future would be.. Just the thought of it brought a beautiful smile to her face.

"Yes, with me! What if those thugs returned? There is no one to protect you. If you come with me, you will be safer in the palace.

And when the time comes I will introduce you to your father and ask for his permission to marry.`` The bright smile on her face froze when she realized how he was expecting her to come with him.

"You mean.. Till then.."

"You can work at the palace as my personal maid or my teacher or any post you want. Just be closer to me." he took a visible sigh as he remembered the chaos the family was in.

Everything was a mess!

"The condition of the family is not good right now. The moment it improves and my father will be better, I will tell him about us.\'\' He was sure that if he explained about Hanna right now, she would be thrown out of the palace too.

His father was already too raged by Eve. not to forget that the death of Aunt Gabriella is still a mystery.

He wanted her to be the maid? Even in this palace.. She had never worked as a maid. She was hired to keep an eye on that fallen princess by his majesty and since the time Adele had been thrown out of the palace, this palace was given to her for her hard work and intelligence.

And now he was asking her to leave her own palace and live as his maid? Was he out of his mind? Her teeth clenched hard and she stared at him with desire to beat him and tell him he was a fool! A trash. But she took a deep breath and controlled her emotions.

If she did not brainwash him against his family and created hatred in his heart then his majesty would take everything back. He was the key to her success and she still has the time to.. Wait! What if she gets pregnant by him while living as his personal maid?

If that happened then the duke\'s family would be forced to marry both of them. Then she would ask the duke to throw Leo out and make Ethan, the actual heir as the duke.

Suddenly working as his personal maid did not sound so bad.

"I know you might think that I am not sincere enough about you to ask you to be my maid. But trust me, as soon as other matters are solved, I will announce you as my future wife, I promise." he tried to assure her since she went silent when she heard that he was going to make her his maid.

She must have thought that he was playing with her since she was so innocent and she had nowhere to go but he wanted to assure her that that was not the case.

He loved her and would only marry her.

"I.. I trust you." she whispered as she hugged him again trying to seek his warmth over her body when he held her tightly in his arms and swirled her.

"Oh my, thank you! I knew that you will always understand and support me even when no one will do." he swirled her again as she laughed with him.

They stayed in each other\'s embrace for a bit long before she left to pack her clothes and necessary belongings and they left the palace together.

​ "You do not need to worry, my family would not mind your presence." he rubbed her palms when they sat together in the carriage and started to leave.

"......." mind? You are taking me as your maid not as your wife, what was there to mind? Do not tell me that you did not have this much control that you can hire a maid? She had trouble nodding her head as she was so pathetic? Just what kind of a man he was!

"And I assure you that you will be treated well. The servants of the palace are all good natured. They take good care of me. And Theo.. he is more like a father figure to me than the duke… if only i were his son rather than duke.." she wanted to shout at him. How foolish could he be to pray that he could be the son of a servant rather than a duke..

"I will assure that you live well there."