Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Evan did not know why she was feeling furious when sparring and close combats were common in knighthood. Yet she could not help but feel frustrated when she saw both of them almost trying to kill each other. She did not understand why she had taken everything to her heart.

"I should not have come here in the first place!" she stomped her foot and took a deep sigh.

  She looked around only to see no one was close by. It looked like she had come too far.

When she had left the crowd first, she did not know why she had thought that Leo would come looking for her.

She had thought that he would realise that she was angry! But who would have thought that he would not care.

She slowed her speed as her lips pursued into a thin line. A few minutes ago she had thought it would be better that he would not be around her but now when was not here anymore she had started to feel a strange emptiness in her heart.

The cold wind seemed to be extra chilly now that she was walking alone. 

"Why was I getting so agitated when he would be enjoying his praises even spending time with Olivia!" she muttered under her breath as she kicked the stone nearby with a bit of force and the stone fell on the lake at a distance.

It created ripples in the calm lake just like her heart that was rippled by the fight.

Taking a deep breath she turned to the other side looking at the flowers that were grown around the lake. She had always liked flowers and trees, nature had always been her favourite place to spend time with but even that did not curb the restlessness of her heart today.

It had been only a few minutes when she had left from there but it felt like an eternity had passed. If it continued like this, she would go crazy with her own thoughts.

"Sigh!" taking a deep breath, she decided to sit on the bench nearby and calm her mind before walking further. 

She had closed her eyes and were trying to throw all the strange thought out of her mind when she heard footsteps, her eyes sparked and a bright smile formed on her lips as she turned to see who was coming towards her,

But her smile turned stiff and her eyes turned dull again when she noticed that it was not Leo but two other knights who might be passing from here.

A look of disappointment flashed past her eyes and she took another sigh. She should just give up and return to the training area before she gets lost.

Deciding to ask the way back, she stood up and walked towards the knights when they bowed their heads first.

"Excuse me! Can you help me?" she asked in a soft and humble tone but the men stood up embarrassedly and shook their heads.

"My lady, I apologise but I can not let you wander anymore. My lord has asked one of us to stay with you while the other one would go and inform him where you are so that he could come to take you!" the man bowed his head again as he waited if she wanted to say something about it!

".........." so he had actually not forgotten about her? But why did he send the knights? Cloud did not come personally to take her! After all, she was his responsibility.

Though she was complaining in her heart like always, her face was glowing like a dying flower had finally received the spring water and came back to life again.

For a second she forgot that she was angry with him and blurted out without thinking twice, "it will only waste time if you would wait for him to come and take me back. Would it not be better that you escort me to him? This way I would be able to meet him earlier."

As soon as the words left her mouth the face of the knights turned crimson. They have been working in the training camp for so long that they hardly get time to have lovers. So, their interaction with the opposite gender was limited to their mother and sisters.

So, hearing the eagerness in the voice of a girl to meet her love makes them feel flustered.

When Evan looked at their crimson faces, she realised that what she had said was a bit..! She coughed to clear her throat as she did not feel any shame in changing her words,

"I mean we should save time and walk back to the camp early because of the dark. It would be difficult to find the way after sunset!" she ensured as she pointed at the sky.

Though it was past noon there was still time for sunset but the knights nodded their heads as they did not want to make the situation further awkward and Evan took a deep breath when they nodded their heads.

"Then, please come with us, my lady. The lord is waiting for you!" They replied, gaining their composure again and she walked between them with a man following her and others showing her the path.

Though she was a bit embarrassed, the question was churning her stomach and she would not feel relieved until she came to know the answer, 

"By the way.." she asked with some hesitation and both knights turned to her. 

"Yes, my lady!" their was strong sense of respect in their action and voice that gave her some courage and she continued,

"Why did your lord not come to take me but send you instead?" would it not have been easier and would have saved time and efforts too?

"That.." they both looked at each other hesitantly only increasing her curiosity when they could and replied hesitantly to her, 

"That, my lady, My lord is busy with lady Olivia!"