The Duke extended his arm towards me again and I stared at it for a long time. I looked up at his knights and noticed that everyone was staring. Was he still pretending in front of his men? Why would he? He didn't care about their opinion and they hated me anyway. They weren't glaring at me like before but they weren't very happy to see me either.
I shrugged and accepted the arm. I didn't care about his reasons really. I followed Payne to the door and he held it open for me before entering behind me. The woman behind the counter smiled when she saw me but when she recognized the Duke, her whole demeanor changed. She immediately ran around the counter and came up to us to bow:
"I am honored to have the Duke of the Empire inside my small home."
I waited for Payne to tell the woman to stand up but instead he snapped at her:
"What kind of Innkeeper doesn't greet the young Marquis?"
The woman immediately started shaking and she fell to her knees:
"I am so sorry! Have mercy on me. It was so dark that I didn't recognize the young Marquis."
Payne was just getting angrier:
"You should get used to darkness because after this that's the only thing you will see."
I tapped Payne's arm and he flinched. He turned to me and pinched his lips.
"It's okay. No one knows what I look like anyway."
My answer didn't seem to please Payne but that was just the truth. I ignored his grumbling and helped the woman up:
"Stand up. You didn't do anything wrong."
The woman clung to my arm with tears in her eyes:
"Thank you. Thank you... Your Grace is really generous."
I shook my head. Wanting to change the topic, I looked at the room keys:
"We have a long journey ahead of us."
The woman rushed back behind the counter:
"Right. You must be very tired. I will give you my best rooms."
She looked at Adaranth before grabbing two keys:
"My two biggest rooms are available. They are next to each other and have an incredible view on the ocean. Please follow me. "
We followed the woman up the stairs and she opened the two rooms before handing me the keys:
"I hope that they will be to your taste.
-Thank you so much. Have a good night."
I handed one key to the Duke:
"You could have one of the rooms and I'll sleep with Ranti in the other one."
Seeing the Duke's reaction made Adaranth flinch:
"I can sleep in the carriage. I don't mind.
-How can you say that? You will catch a cold. It's fine just sleep with me, I don't care.
-But...
-I won't let you sleep outside."
Seeing how immobile the Duke was made me tilt my head:
"Is something the matter your Grace?
-Please call me Payne."
I was so surprised that I froze. Why was he acting so weird? I thought that he would drop the act after we left my mansion. Then why was he still acting this way? Was it because of Adaranth? I really didn't want to care about him but he didn't make any sense and I didn't like that. I liked easily readable people.
"I wouldn't possibly dare.
-Please..."
Had I ever heard him ask for something so pleadingly before? Why was this so important to him? I had no idea what was going through his mind but to be honest I couldn't care less.
"I will call you your Grace."
His head dropped:
"Are you perhaps uncomfortable around me? If I have wronged you in any way, I sincerely apologize."
I smiled:
"How could you have wronged me? We just met."
The Duke did seem disappointed but I ignored it and wished him a good night. I slept like a log contrary to the Duke judging by the huge dark circles under his eyes when I saw him the next morning. They were so visible that I couldn't help asking:
"Are you okay?"
Payne immediately turned away:
"Let's eat. You must be hungry."
I was so hungry that I literally jumped on the food. I completely forgot about the Duke's presence and only noticed when he laughed. I was so surprised that I almost choked on my food. Payne immediately handed me a glass of water.
"Thank you.
-Eat slowly. We have time.
-Don't you want to leave as soon as possible? You must miss your home already."
The Duke hated traveling before. In those 5 months I spent with him, he only left the Dukedom when he had to fight monsters or when the Queen called for him. He really was a homebody.
"A few more hours won't change anything. It is not worth you choking over."
I blinked a few times having no idea what to answer. I was bored of guessing and wanting to make conversation, I asked directly:
"Why are you nice to me? "
He flinched:
"Did you expect me not to be?"
I laughed:
"What kind of person answers a question with another question? But yes. I didn't expect you to be nice to me. Especially knowing that I am the Marquis' son."
The Duke's face turned very dark suddenly:
"I don't care about such things."
I almost choked again:
"What? But my family has been your family's enemy for generations.
-That has nothing to do with you."
I frowned. He was suspicious. Way too suspicious. Did he have some plan involving me? Did he want me to lower my guard? Seeing me frown made the Duke explain himself:
"I am not lying. Moreover, I saw the way you were treated by your so-called family."
I raised my eyebrows:
"And how was I treated?
-No loving parent lets their child go with a smile."
I shrugged:
"We are indeed not the loving type of family."
He looked sorry for some reason.
"Don't look at me like that. I don't need your pity.
-I am not pitying you. I plan on giving you the loving family that you deserve.
-What?"
Did everything change because he saw that my family hated me? Was this the reason he was nice to me? It made me angry for some reason. In the past would it have been enough for me to talk about my family to gain his sympathy? It showed that he didn't care about me at all. Everyone knew that I was the disposable piece of the Gnash family.
The Duke went back to eating as if nothing and he didn't clarify anything more. Having realized that he was there, I also realized that Payne was staring at me. He was staring so much that I started touching my face:
"What is it? Do I have bed hair?"
Payne cleared his throat, looking away:
"No. You look good."
I dropped my bread:
"What?"
Had he ever complimented me before? Where was this coming from? I started pinching my skin thinking that I was asleep. I didn't have time to ask questions because the Duke stood up:
"I should check on my horse. Take your time."
I didn't even have time to answer that the Duke was already far away.