"You were the one who spend the night with my daughter."
Raymond slipped off the sofa and landed on the floor with a thud. 'What did I just hear? Haha, I heard it wrong right? That's right. She couldn't have known.' He mentally consoled himself and calmed his facial expression. "Whatever do you mean madam Ayles."
The old madam raised her delicate blond brow. "Do you think I won't know if you both hide it. I saw you both last night."
Raymond's still heart woke up with a start. He nervously sat on the sofa. 'did she really see us? It's not true, right? I don't think she knows even Eloise doesn't know. How can she? She is just bluffing.'
He cleared his throat. "I'm sure you are misunderstanding me, madam Ayles. I didn't spend time with lady Eloise. I must have been someone else. I can ask around…"
"don't even try lying young duke. You are just a young sapling while I have seen years. I know what I saw last night. You both embracing and dancing under the moonlight."
Raymond's cheeks heated up instantly at this statement. He lowered his head apologetically. "I'm sorry..."
"it's okay. It was likely my daughter threatened you to lie to me." She scoffed. "That young girl thinks she can fool me? Not even in a million years." She wrung the kerchief in her hand.
Actually, she had a small clue who it was when Eloise came back with that suspicious coat. that inner silk layer was made up of white silk. The kind of silk that only royal and rich mechanists have access to. She only had a small piece of the said silk and she had made a kerchief out of it.
How could she not identify that cloth?
The two suspects were the young prince and the duke. No one else was as well settled as they were.
She had cut out Dom as the suspect as she had watched him leave the hall drunk. As for the duke she saw him and her daughter dancing in the balcony. Actually, she didn't see her daughter's face, but she was able to connect the dots.
Duke Raymond had spent the night with her daughter Eloise.
She gazed at the young man who looked at her with a bright blush on his face. 'Ah look at these two. one is obliviously in love but the other is completely obvious…' she narrowed her eye at him.
Raymond tightly griped the chair seat. His heart was pounding like crazy at being caught at their small act last night. If it was anyone else, he would have been able to deal with the, but this was madam Ayles.
"Madam… we… she…she doesn't want to marry," he said with a slight grimace. It still hurts to say that out loud.
Madam Ayles nodded. "I know. And it's okay."
"it's okay?" Raymond gazed at her surprised. 'Then why is she here? is she here to reprimand me? Maybe….'
Madam Ayles cleared her throat. "I'm asking you this once again mister Raymond. What are your intentions with my daughter."
"I..." he stuttered, trying to articulate his thoughts.
"And I also know that you love her secretly."
Raymond paused. With his head lowered in defeat he nodded. "y-yes… I am…"
"Good. I want you to seduce her."
This exact word from her made Raymond freeze up like a doll. He did not know what to even say to this. This was the first time a lady had even made such a weird request to him.
'Me? Seduce Eloise? What is she… why?!'
madam Ayles smiled charmingly. "My Daughter is quite slow when it comes to love. but if you seduce her sincerely, she will fall for you. Keep in mind the seduction must not progress to a physical level. You, both must remain pure before marriage. That is my only contain. Other than that, I am very much happy with you both together."
Raymond found the blood wine and took a big swing at it.
'She is giving me permission! Oh my god… oh my god…. She actually approves of us.' He soon snapped out of his excited state. 'no, I can't get too excited. Eloise still doesn't love me. But it's not impossible right? If I try hard, maybe I can….'
As he was thinking of this the pure taste of blood hit his tongue.
'I'm a vampire. do I even deserve love."
'no.'
'I don't.'
Raymond sighed massaging his brows. "we don't have a future together. You see, I have a siltation which makes it impossible for me to be with someone... I can't love Eloise. I can't marry her either."
Madam Ayles frowned deeply. "What reasons? Are you sick in any way young duke? Is that why mister Fred is always on close call to you? Gasp, y-you're so young…" she looked shell-shocked by his revelation.
Raymond grimaced. 'it's better she thinks I'm terminally ill. This way she won't push her daughter towards me and Eloise… will find someone who suits her needs.'
Madam Ayles stood up and started prancing around. "But you both have spent the night together. What will I do? I thought I had it all figured out. What about her dignity?"
"Madam nothing happened that night. We danced and drank a bit but nothing else. I actually left the balcony before things got too… out of control." He said adjusting his tight collar.
"What is the use of that! my daughter was still out of our room till late last night! And people have started to notice it! which gentlemen would even marry her after this!" she groaned loudly and plopped back down on her seat. "What am I going to do?"
Raymond wordlessly gazed at her.
Madam Ayles peered at him with a slight glare. If this young man was healthy, I could have had my daughter marry him. But what now? I have no plans. Eloise might end up a spinster if this goes on. I must do something.'
Her daughter would never listen to her about this issue.
'But if a find can introduce her to good men…' she looked at the duke with a slight mischievous glint in her eyes.
Raymond shrunk in his seat. 'What is she going to do now? It's okay if she slams this bottle on my head after all I have tarnished her daughter's dignity.'
"Young duke, you know a lot of gentlemen, right?"
"Right," he did not know where she was going with this.
"Can you introduce Eloise to a few of your friends?" Madam Ayles looked at her hopefully.
"w-what?"
"Introduce her to exceptional men. you are a duke I'm pretty sure the men around You are all well-established and good gentlemen. Push some of them her way. Maybe she can find love. this is the only hope I have to salvage this situation right now. You must agree to this duke. You must."
Raymond gulped. 'Eloise with another man…'
He couldn't even image that situation.
He did not wish for it to happen even in a thousand years.
At least not in front of his eyes.
Raymond gazed at her with her jaws clenched. "Madam Ayles I can assure you lady Eloise is averse to the thought of marriage. I can't force her to do things she doesn't want to."
Madam Ayles frowned. "that's bulls. Yes, she is against marriage but she is not against love. I've seen the way that girl looks when she sees a young couple. I knew that longing duke. She is open t love. I just want an exceptional man to convince her to marry. You, as her friend, must help convince her decision." She narrowed her eyes. "Or do you not want her to marry someone? Are you that mean of a person, mister Raymond? Would you deprive a young lady of her life just because of your selfish desires for her?"
Raymond sighed loudly massaging his brows. "I'll…. I'll introduce her to some people I know…. That's is all I can do madam Ayles. That is all I can do. Don't ask more of me please."
Madam Ayles gently patted the top of his head. "I know I'm asking too much out of you, but this Is for my daughter's future. I don't want my child to be husbandless at her young age like me. I want to see them old and grey and live a happy long life."
Raymond gritted his teeth silently. "She… she will be happy. I will make sure she is happy all her life. so please… can I get some privacy."
Madam Ayles stood up patting her skirt. "I'll be off then, young duke. Please refrain from drinking too much as it is not good for your health." Saying so, she exited the room with a swish of her skirt.
Raymond sat there like a frozen statue, holding his head.
He felt empty.
He chugged down the blood wine down in a gulp. "I'll make her happy... I'll do anything to make her happy… but will I be happy…."