The Duke's Passion

Chapter 662  The descendants of the child of evil

Marrying Stefan's brother was more shocking to Lilou than Stefan being her husband. Although Stefan didn't detail her relationship with his brother, it left her with these conflicting emotions. Sitting in the mansion's garden she and Stefan had been living for the past few months, Lilou looked up at the sky full of stars.

"Samael…" she whispered and frowned. "That's strange."

To be honest, everything was strange to her. Although she believed Stefan's words as a man from the future, she couldn't deny it was still hard for her. It was just… weird. Having someone know who she would become, her relationships, and even the name of the man she married.

Never in her life had she ever thought of marrying. Or rather, Lilou had always thought of marrying a man one day. But who it was, what he looked like, what he was doing right now, and things like that were unknown to her. So, for Stefan to give her a name and know who she would end up with left mixed emotions in her heart.

"Samael…" she repeated under her breath, furrowing her brows. "Samael La Crox. I think I heard that name before…" and then realization kicked in, causing her eyes to dilate in disbelief.

"Wasn't that the name of the Duke of Grimsbanne?" she gasped, putting two and two together, regarding the relationship between the current king of the Heart's Kingdom and the Duke of Grimsbanne. They were brothers, and Lilou lived in Grimsbanne.

Although it was almost impossible for her to charm Samael with how she appeared as a peasant, she now lived under the same roof as the king! That only proved that "all things were possible" at the moment.

"Oh, my goodness!" Lilou held her head in shock, thinking of how, why, when, and what, about how her life as a peasant spiraled. "The core is already giving me a headache, and then this? Me and the duke who had been in his slumber for a very long time?!"

Lilou covered her gaping lips, trying to wrap her head around this entire situation. But alas, it was hard to really calm down when all this information was filling her head. It was too much to take in one go and to think this was simply a small part and Stefan hadn't told her everything!

"My God…" she let out a deep exhale, looking heavenward in distress. "Just what did I do to get tangled up in all this? I mean, I get it. My bloodline is somewhat special and is ought of greatness. However, this is too much!"

She closed her eyes, collapsing on her back. When she reopened her eyes, the stars that were making the night sky beautiful, along with the full moon, were still there. Another shallow breath slipped past her nostrils, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"More than those things… I'm more concerned about my relationship with Lexx. Right now, he is my one and only family, and if it turns out that he has some bad blood with this husband of mine, I will surely take his side. After all... I don't know the duke," she whispered as her eyes dropped until they were partially closed. "But somehow, just the thought of it feels... heartbreaking."

Lilou already had a vague idea of her relationship with Stefan in the future. Although the latter hadn't confirmed it, deep in her heart, she was certain her original story with Stefan was something painful. After all, Stefan, although looking at her with sincerity and affection, also has this sadness hidden in his eyes.

It was the look of someone who accepted loving someone at arm's length. She didn't love him, not romantically, at least. However, Lilou didn't have the slightest idea what it means to be tangled in a romantic affair with someone. She never felt it. All the love she had even before Stefan stepped into her life was familial.

"He's acting like Father, but he can't properly hide the emotions in his eyes." — or maybe Lilou was simply keen on observing people that even if Stefan hid his emotions well, she still noticed it. Well, she wouldn't become a notorious vigilante in her previous life if she wasn't capable.

"Whatever. Come what may, the heaven won't fall… at least, not anytime soon."

*********

Meanwhile, in Knotley, Cunningham…

"Tilly, what are the odds that Lilou is looking at the sky right now?"

Tilly paused several feet away from Samael as the latter was slumped in the garden, staring at the night sky full of stars. They have just arrived in Cunningham and everyone was now in the dining hall, accommodated by the Crawfords.

"Will it make you feel better if I tell you she's probably doing the same as you do?" she queried in her usual meek voice, gazing at him, who had been oddly silent since their arrival in the march. "If so, I place my hand on my palm and say she is lying on the grass and is staring at the night sky, just like what you are doing."

A chuckle escaped his mouth as he glanced up at her. "Come on, Tilly. Can you say that with more conviction?"

"I am being affirmative."

"Right, right…" he shook his head, peeling his eyes away from her back to the sky. His eyes softened as a subtle smile appeared on his face.

"You know, before this whole fiasco, Lilou and I were also staring at the sky after rolling around the grass."

"I do not want to hear the details."

"We were happy, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears, and just enjoying each other's company," he continued, ignoring her plea. "At that time, I didn't think this would happen. Although you warned us and we set off to seek my uncle and another auntie, we didn't think much about it since we thought we had time."

Tilly pursed her lips before gazing up. "It's not your fault, Samael."

"I know, but I still feel shit about it."

"The blood of Grimsbanne… being the descendants of the child of evil, is never a gratifying thing to live up with. However, we had lasted this long. Our gifts or this cursed blood might've played a huge factor, but our existence is at risk." Her eyes slowly fell on Samael's face as she continued. "If one of us dies, we will all die."

"I mean it. If one of the Grimsbanne died, we would all die, Samael."