Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Stunned by her sudden outburst, he froze as he saw tears forming in her eyes like a broken dam. This was the first time he had seen her crying.

She did not cry when she lost her mother, not when he was injured after coming back from war, not when their marriage broke but now.. Now she was crying like a little child who had lost the warmth of her mother.

He tried to go closer but she pushed him away again.

"I do not need you pity! I do not need your kind acts towards me.

Do you think you would be announced as a great man then! No! You will only be called a fool who did not know how to differentiate between a stone and a gem.

And do you think that I would accept that marriage out of pity! I may not have the blood of the Thawne family, but I still have their upbringing that made me a proud woman who does not need pity from a man to live her life.

From here, I am breaking this marriage. Do not come to look back for me." wiping the tears from her eyes, she replied to him coldly but more tears took place of that instantly.

Her eyes had turned red and she was looking broken, yet she was standing there with her head held high as she announced her verdict but he was not ready to accept it.

His face turned red and his jaws clenched as he held her shoulders tightly and jerked them.

"Who do you think you are? Huh! What makes you think then you can take all the decisions by yourself when it comes to us.

I thought that I was in the wrong by not telling you the truth, by hiding the reason for my acceptance of marriage with Adele.

I endured all your hatred, I endured when you pushed me away every time I tried to come closer to you.

Even when I was breaking apart, even when I was begging to you, you did not give me a single hug, not a hand showing warmth but now that you know the truth.

You are still blaming me?

Didn't you hear that I was only lying when I said that I would marry Adele. I have loved only you.

When have I treated you as a joke? You are my life, Eli and if you are a joke then how could I be any different?

I have never thought any less of you even after knowing the truth because no one knows you better than me.

You are my wife through and through. I care a damn about your blood and your lineage.

Please Eli, I beg you to stop acting. It is hurting me." She could see how his resolve was crumbling.

She knew even when he had begged her in the past, there was always his pride that he never let go of. But right now.. The man standing in front of her was not a prince but a lover.

A lover who loved her dearly! But the thought only infuriated her further. Her eyes turned colder and so did her face with no sign of warmth in them.

"Ha! I never knew you were such a fool! I wonder if you would even be able to handle the empire with that mentality.

Do you think that I love you? I only wanted to be the empress. But now that i will not be treated preciously why would i waste my efforts on someone as dumb as you.

If you did not have the heart to break the marriage, then I would gladly do that. Do not need to follow me or show me your face. Your pathetic face makes me feel nauseous!" Once again she jerked his hands away from her shoulders while her eyes filled with disgust.

"Eli! Though the circumstances were different, I still will only marry you! No matter what you say, you are going to be my wife." he shook his head as he did not believe that Eli would be behaving like that.

"You are not in your right senses, Eli. go and take a rest. Once you will sort out your thoughts and understand that I love you, you will be able to see that my efforts were only for your benefit.

We will talk again then." this time he raised her hands to hold her again but stopped in mid way looking at her cold eyes.

It only hurts him when she pushes him away or jerks him away as if he was making her filthy. He had thought that she would understand how he did everything only for her and would forgive her, but the Eli standing in front of him, he did not even recognize her.

"Tsk! Think what you want to think. A man with no backbone needs a lie to comfort his weakness.

But that does not mean I am obliged to give you a reply later.

I have already told you that I will not marry you because I never loved you.

It would be better if we did not interfere with each other's life now." with that she gave him a last cold glance and to the princess who was hiding in the dark and eavesdropping on their conversation.

The knights were too embarrassed but at the same time raged at the way she treated the crown prince as if he was nothing. As if she was doing a favor by talking to him this far.

They have always thought that she was a bit cold but now they only felt hatred for her. If only they could explain to their master.

"Thank you for finding my brother. But that did not mean that I am indebted to you or would treat you differently now. You should have more self awareness, your highness. Do not think about escorting me. I would leave on my own. This is the end of us."