Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Leo could not believe that the girl just slapped him. He was in stupor. He was sure that it was his imagination but when he felt that the sting on his cheek, he realized that it was reality.

He could not be that he, who has killed hundreds of robbers and criminals with a single strike of his sword yet never even one got a minor scratch, was slapped by a girl who could get blue just by a strong breeze or storm.

His eyes wide open and then he turned his head sharply at the culprit who was giving him a smug look.

"…..What?" she asked with a smirk on her face making him fume further.

Though Evan was trying her best to behave calmly, her soul screamed and left her body when she saw him gritting his teeth. It was clear that it was the first time that Leo was being slapped by someone. He was giving her a look as if he was stripped of his clothes in public. Her heart burst open with that thought.

But she kept her face calm, she still had an act to play.

"Who are you to order me all the time? Why would I listen to you? And what's with these narrowed eyes, you are ugly to begin with, if you continue to glare and look at others with narrowed eyes, others would run away whenever they see your face. Then forget about me, no one would ever marry you and your lineage will end with you right here. Ordering everyone like you is superior to us. Are you not afraid that others would beat you when their day would come? It is not that difficult to behave nicely to others, you know!" knots started to form in her stomach yet she continued to act smug and berated him badly!

She said everything she wanted to say from the first time she had met him under the pretense of acting as she knew she would never get this golden chance again. But now that she was done, she realized that he could kill her then and there and bury her under their personal graveyard and no one would ever know what happened to her.

So, she looked at the man in question who was still standing there with shocked eyes.

""Uh, ah… that was all I could perform." she replied as she laughed awkwardly and held her dress tightly in her both hands.

Leo blinked when he heard her. He was so astonished that he forgot that she was acting and he was the one who had ordered her to do so.

He cleared his throat and nodded and her soul started to return in her body slowly, and her stiff body relaxed slowly. She clapped her hands with enthusiasm.

"This is just the start. I promise I will perform much better next time. Forget about your father, even your sisters and other nobles would also think that I am the most wicked woman they have ever encountered" she started selling her acts like she would be paid! Wait! Her eyes gleamed again with that thought.

"Good, then I would look forward to your act. But you will not touch my cheeks again." he threatened but instead of being afraid, she felt that he was too adorable at the moment. She forgot what he was capable of for a second when she saw his embarrassed red face.

"Aww, i would not do that, i promise." she replied as she caressed his cheek making his eyes widened again but she moved with the speed of lightning and removed her hands when she felt his murderous aura.

'Oh my! Evangeline! What are you doing?! Do you not want to live anymore?' she laughed awkwardly again as she pointed at his cheeks.

"There was a mosquito. A mosquito! I was just helping you." she replied with a sheepish look but to her relief that he just nodded his head.

"You are good at acting. It will work for now." he replied, nodding his head. Even did not know where he was talking about the slap or the lie about mosquitos, she was not a fool to dig her own way to ask me this question. So she nodded and let the matter go.

"Then I will let you handle the matter." he added as he turned to the left but she was not done yet.

"Umm, do you know that actors get paid for the show they play on the stage!" his steps halted and a smirk formed on his lips. The girl was doing all that so that she did not need to marry him yet she was trying to negotiate the terms and earn from that. He was amused at her bravery.

He could feel that she was afraid of him like others, and changed the fact for her survival yet she did not leave a single chance to let go of her benefit.

"You mean wage?" he asked and she nodded her head like a rattle drum.

"True, they are paid for their hard work and you would be paid too." her face bloomed like a flower after the rain and her eyes could see gold all around.,

"They only earn some silver or gold coins once in a while. But you my lady, you will earn the rarest thing in the world in exchange for your act." the words have not even left his mouth when her brain has already started doing overwork. Was he generous enough to offer her rarest gems, what could it be ruby or sapphire. It must be because of his lover whom he would be able to marry when she would be gone from his life.

But she was not greedy to wish for them. She wanted some gold coins to hire a carriage to return home and survive until find another way to earn when she left. But before she could deny him, he added.

"You will get the freedom, my lady."