The Whole Evening freaked Iris out.
It made her think that she would be kidnapped and burned alive again.
What she got instead was almost as terrifying: Four Knights in her bedroom guarding her, Few maids and Butlers on the side to assist her if she needed something. Also, six knights were guarding outside her room.
This made Iris a bit irritated and annoyed. She told them many times to leave her room, but they were not listening to her.
Iris understands that they are doing their duty since it has been just a day since she was kidnapped, and they just got home.
The Duke instantly commanded his knight to guard Iris since he wouldn't be around her that much.
But Iris thinks that the Duke was overreacting about this incident.
It's been a few hours since Iris was supposed to be sleeping, but she couldn't; the Duke suddenly entered her room to check if she was asleep or not.
Iris immediately got up and ran to Duke Echeron.
"Can you please tell them to leave?" Iris told The Duke instantly.
"why are you still awake?" Duke Echeron asked
"I'm uncomfortable of them watching me asleep," Iris whispered to the Duke's ear.
"It's for your safety," Duke Echeron told her.
"Please!!!" Iris begged The Duke
"Okay, but just a few." Duke Echeron gave in.
The Duke signal to the knights and maids to leave Iris's room.
Only Two of them were left to watch Iris.
Iris did not complain anymore since this was the best she had so far. The Duke assisted Iris to her bed. As she lay down, the Duke covered her with a blanket.
Iris really thought that the Duke was Concerned for her, that this made her comfortable around him.
As the Duke left the room, Iris immediately fell to sleep.
The Duke called for his Butler to prepare the carriage in the middle of the night.
"where are you going, my lord?" the Butler asked.
"To the palace," The Duke answered.
The Butler did not implore much and just went to prepare the carriage for the Duke's departure.
In the palace, they did not expect that the Duke would suddenly visit without advance notice.
But they can't ignore the Duke, so they let him in.
"I want to speak to the Emperor!" Duke Echeron demanded to the person at the entrance in the palace.
"the Emperor is Sick," a voice suddenly told the Duke.
Duke Echeron looked back and saw it was the second prince approaching him.
"The Nerve coming here without a notice," the second prince told the Duke as he waved to the servant to leave them.
"I don't need a notice to come here" The Duke answered.
The Second prince just looked at the Duke, pissed, they walked toward a room inside the palace, and the second prince sat on the couch and yawned.
"So? What do you want?" the second prince asked.
"What happened to the Emperor?" the Duke asked annoyingly since he wanted something from him.
"Dying," the second prince answered and laughed.
The Duke just looked at the second prince, pissed and was about to blow his head if only he didn't need him.
"What! It's true?" the Second prince said playfully.
"So tell me, what do you want? I'm in charge now! " The second prince told the Duke. Crossing his feet on the table in front of him.
"I want Marquis Bellonas Head," THe Duke said straight to the point. Walking towards the window.
"Ohh really!? What did he do to make you want his head?" The second Prince grinned
The Duke just gave him a threatening look to not ask more questions.
"Okay, fine! Do whatever you like! Geez!" The second prince said, leaving the room and waving goodbye to The Duke.
The moon was turning red as they spoke. The Duke just looked outside and disappeared from the shadow.
In an Underground Cave, there's a dungeon hidden inside, and a red moon can be seen in the center of the cave. As the animals growled from the outside, someone shouted 'Help' from the inside, but no one could hear anything from the outside.
A man and woman were imprisoned inside. It was Marquis Bellona and her daughter, Lady Catherine.
In the darkness, the Duke suddenly appeared in front of them as they looked at him outside their cell.
"Thank goodness you're here!" Marquis Bellona sighed in relief.
"Please help us," he begged the Duke.
Lady Catherine remained silent because she knew that the Duke was not there to help them since Lady Catherine knew what she did.
The Duke did not release them and just looked at them. He walked toward a chair and sat on it.
"Duke?" Marquis Bellona asked curiously since he didnt help them but sat instead
"Duke, Please forgive me!" Lady Catherine suddenly spoke, kneeling inside the cell.
"what's happening here!?" Marquis Bellona asked, not knowing anything.
The Duke got a cup of tea from a shadow on his back. He drank it patiently, not saying anything.
Lady Catherine started to cry as Marquis Bellona consoled her.
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!!!" Marquis Bellona said angrily
The Duke puts his cup on the table so hard that it breaks. He stood up enraged, walking towards them.
"Do you know what your daughter did?" The Duke asked Marquis Bellona
The Marquis did not understand. He looked at his daughter, crying and thought she just did something that offended the Duke.
"Whatever that is, it's not that big of a deal. Please forgive my daughter and release us," The Marquis told the Duke.
The Duke laughed so hard that it echoed in the entire cave. He brushed up his hair, releasing his Demon horn and glowing Red eyes.
"Did you know your daughter burned my forest?" He asked The Marquis
"It's a sign of war!!" he told Them.
Marquise Bellona saw the Duke's appearance change as the red moon shone on him. The Duke Has the Horn and tail of a Demon, his eyes are glowing red, and his hair has become long up to his waist.
"Demon!!" Marquis Bellona yelled
They crawled back, trying to escape his gaze.
"Don't worry, you won't die!" he told the Marquis.
"I'll just sacrifice your daughter." The Duke said
"Please, Not my Daughter", Maques Bellona begged as he hugged Lady Catherine, who was now terrified.
"Unless" The Duke grinned