Most importantly he knew that Lyra loved him too. That was enough. He felt better now, all the frozen anxiety that nearly numbed his nerves slowly melted away, making him feel even more relaxed.
He knew Lyra was still looking at him, with a look of admiration and amazement. If only he hadn't practiced controlling his expression since long ago, maybe he would have been smiling even since she touched his face.
After a while, after she stopped muttering, he pretended to be awake. His eyes blinked, finding the moon like a huge silver ball.
"My Lord," Lyra called in a low, polite voice. "You're awake?" Her clear blue eyes flickered innocently like fawns, adorable and mesmerizing.
Duke Kleo only groaned, as a definite answer. The night wind hit his face again, sending off the intoxicating natural scent of the girl in front of him. A soothing sensation that was rare to find. He wanted to hug her, bury his face around her belly. But he knew this wasn't the time.
"It's getting late, My Lord, and getting colder. You'd better go inside and rest. It's not good to sleep outside," she suggested.
His eyes glanced at her, smiling lightly, leaving her dumbfounded and confused.
'What's so funny?' she thought.
"Sleeping in the open air is even better than sleeping in a tent or hut if you are on a battlefield," he said, still not wanting to move from her lap. "Because at least you can bury yourself in leaves so the enemy doesn't see you."
Lyra was silent. Though she did not expect a conversation like this. She just wanted to go to her warm and comfortable room, and then as much as possible distance herself from Duke Kleo before her heart lost to his charms. "I'm sorry to hear that, My Lord," she said halfheartedly. "You must have been through all sorts of battles during this time."
"Of course," Duke Kleo nodded. "And I even had that kind of experience when I had to save my mother."
BOOM!
Lyra's back tensed in an instant, stiff as wood. She remembered Ella and Gena's advice not to talk about Lady Helena, the duke's biological mother. But if he brought it up first, what should she do?
Finally, she could only respond, "I'm sorry, My Lord. You must be very sad." With a face that looked confused rather than sympathetic.
The corner of his lips lifted, amused at her behavior. "If you knew I was so sad you should have comforted me."
"W-what? I…. comfort you?"
He nodded, chuckling again softly at her nervousness. "Yes, you must comfort me. My heart hurts so much because of my mother's death. I even went through a lot of bad times because of it. Don't you even have sympathy?"
"But I don't know how to comfort you, My Lord. I…"
"Marry me!" Duke Kleo said, interrupted, firmly, to the point. "Marry me if you want to cheer me up," he continued, filling the silence for various reasons.
"But why, My Lord?" Lyra asked as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Why do you insist that we get married? Is it just because we have slept together? Quite some nobles do that with other women…"
"Do I look like them?" he interrupted, still maintaining his gentle tone. Honestly, he didn't like her talking about other men besides him. He wanted to have her, only her.
"Th-that's not it," she shook her head again, nervously. "I'm just pointing out that you have quite a few options."
"You are right. And my choice is to marry you."
Once again silence fell between them. He was waiting for an answer from her, while she was caught in the middle of the situation.
Right now he was looking quite gentle, it should be a good time to negotiate.
However, if she made the slightest mistake, she might end up in the execution fields. She shook her head imagining that.
"My Lord, is there any particular reason behind your decision? I mean, is that because of your principle or something else? You've always been punishing the women who touch you."
"This marriage is also one of my punishments," he explained. "This is the consequence of you sleeping with me."
"If it wasn't me, would you still use marriage as a consequence?"
Duke Kleo nodded.
'It's over,' Lyra thought. 'It turned out that I was trapped in the most sacred and terrible taboo. I know my life has never been lucky, but why do I have to go through all this? Marriage to Duke Kleo, a man who could have chopped off my head while we were in bed. That's not the life I want.' She felt like crying.
"But I am not a good woman, My Lord. You must have considered that right?" There is no time to give up. She would keep fighting for her freedom.
"I did consider it." He seemed to convince himself. "And that doesn't seem like a big deal."
"Nothing changes when you sleep with a woman, My Lord. Your body is still beautiful and charming. So if you keep it a secret no one will know." Her face was sad, her eyes were teary, almost crying.
This infuriated him, almost losing control. He was not a man who was good at persuading, let alone in personal matters. He prefers to impose punishments and threats that someone will obey his orders and rules. But if he did it to her, maybe he'd get nothing but another refusal from her. Meanwhile, he wants a real and happy marriage.
"Did you forget that Baron Jason already knew about it?" Duke Kleo smirked after coming up with a solid reason. Now he felt grateful for not keeping this incident to himself.
He was grateful that Lyra had come out of the hotel room at that moment and then darted out to ask Baron Jason for help. Because if not then maybe he would have no more reason to tie her, the girl who also likes him but for some reason chooses to stay away from him. What is the reason? That's what he always asked.
"Th-that…" Lyra bit her lip, clenching her fists. Her lips moved, again and again, wanting to say something, but a few seconds later her words drowned and disappeared.
"You don't have any more excuses do you?" Duke Kleo looked fixedly into her eyes, then down on her lips, caught up in reverie and fascination. "You should have accepted me from the beginning." His voice was suddenly heavy, deep, and low, like someone in love and passion. "You shouldn't have to run away so that we can get married as quickly as possible, and so that you don't have to be afraid of the terror of execution. I won't do it, as long as you marry me."
***