Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Leo did not realize when his eyes filled with pride as he listened to the subtle praises the old lady was giving for Evangeline. His lips curled up and his eyes shone with a spark, he did not even notice himself. But his whole aura had changed, as if finally spring came in the north pole. But it only took a few seconds to turn the spring into a snow blizzard when he heard that she had to stay at the academy! A glare formed on his face as he raised his hand high in the air. He glared at the man who did not even find it necessary to ask them and asked in an icy chilled voice

"Wait a minute. When did I permit that my finance would live here?"

The count froze at his place when he felt the cold emitting from Leo's body and looked at the three ladies helplessly.

The eldest lady coughed and finally Leo turned back to look at her. The count took a breath of relief. Leo's voice was so low and full of coldness, that he felt that he had been called from Netherlands.

"It is the rule of the academy that the students stay here and devote their full time to learning. It is also a great source to make contacts and friends they would need when they would start working or handle their estates. For women, it could be a way to make her social standing and for men it helped in making strong contacts all over the empire. After all, the academy did not have students only from the capital but even from different lands and estates. We even have some students from the nearby empires which have peaceful relationships with our empire.'' The lady tried her best to explain to Leo, who already knew about it. Since his sisters had got their education here too.

"But as you said that more than half of the year had already passed. And it would only be a matter of months when the year would end. So, how would she make the contacts and improve her social standings? The groups had already formed and others would only be jealous of her if she was given special treatment by entering in the middle of the year!" his tone was confident as if he was sure that she would not be able to get the desired results. 

"But if you still insist us to let her stay here then you have to give me in written form that she will be able to make a lot of noble friends and her status and social standing would improve by living in the academy." his lips formed into a sneer as he folded his hands while sitting lazily on the sofa.

Even his simple posture was full of regal aura. His authoritative tone was clear even when he spoke the words leisurely. The light from the window was falling on his side face, making his face shone in the room. He was looking like a sculpture made by gods to show the world what was the true definition of handsome and masculinity.

Evan, who was still lost for words when she saw all four of them deciding about her even without asking her even once, did not know how to react! She was looking back and forth at the both parties who were deciding their future. She looked at Leo to tell him that it was better that she live here than in the duke's palace as she had to leave it soon anyway. But when her eyes fell on his face, she fell into a daze. She forgot what she wanted to say as she looked at the royal god in front of her. There was no denial that he was a sex god! She could understand why Olivia was so bent on being his wife. Even her heart beats turned abnormal when she looked at him for too long.

No! She shook her head. She could not think of him that way! He already had a lover or more. And he did not like her at all! He was ready to pay her all his treasure to get rid of her. So, she better keep this budding feeling out of her mind. She closed her eyes and repeated these words a few times in her mind. Finally her clenched hands loosen, and started regaining her composure.

"....." three of them looked at Leo tongue tied. They were of higher status in the nobles society, so even when Monique did not tell them, they knew that Evan was not a noble but a commoner. Of course, it would be too difficult to make one noble friend for her in such a short period of time. Let alone be two or three! And how could they guarantee the social standing of a commoner. If it had been any noble, they could have helped her but there was hostility among nobles for commoners who try to gain equal standing among them.

They call them opportunists who were trying to mimic them. No matter how hypocritical it sounded, it was a plain truth that they could not change, even if they tried.

A sneer formed on the lips of Leo when he saw their lips pursued into a thin line. He knew the dreams they were showing to his father were hollow. He had no doubt that Evan was talented in the field of music but he knew that music was not the base on which the noble society worked. If she had been any noble from a higher family, she would have been treated like a rare treasure. 

But as a commoner she would only get jealous and hatred for her skills and talent. And their silence was confirming his suspicions.

He stood up and adjusted his dress, 

"Since there is nothing left for discussion I will take my leave. If you change your mind about her stay in the academy, do write a letter to the duke palace." 

"Wait! I want to stay here!"