Chapter 5
Chloe’s countenance hardened. She felt the biting chill of early winter cut through her thin clothing.
“Consider this, Lady Chloe,” said the Duke. “What if the Viscount had overheard? Were I him, I would’ve severed the heads of anyone who dared sully my daughter’s name.” Even as he saw the color drain from Chloe’s face, the Duke showed no signs of relenting. “War is not a game, much less a means to indulge your misguided compassion. Those soldiers have seen dozens of their comrades slaughtered on the battlefield. Do you know what that does to a man? Or must I provide you with more examples?”
“No, that was quite sufficient.”
Chloe shook her head, her mouth dry, but the Duke pressed on.
“And what if a young woman like you were to meet misfortune while wandering alone in this secluded forest at dawn? Who would be to blame?”
“This land has been part of the Verdier estate since long before I was born. No one may enter these grounds without permission. It is safe.” Chloe forced herself to speak despite her quivering lips. She was not so oblivious that she had never considered what the Duke was insinuating.
“Safe, you say?” The Duke’s laugh was as sharp as the winter wind. Behind him, the dawn sky was tinged with purple.
“Yes! It is completely safe!”
“Would you still babble such nonsense if I were to do this?”
Suddenly, the Duke seized Chloe’s cane. Her eyes widened in surprise. Had he lost his senses? As his tall figure cast a long shadow over her, a primal fear coursed through her.
“W-What on earth are you doing?”
With a swift downward stroke, the Duke drove the cane into the ground. The sudden hiss of a creature caused Chloe to look down, only to recoil in terror. Her cane had impaled the head of a large snake. Camouflaged among the autumn leaves, it had been slithering toward Chloe with its head raised. Now, it writhed in agony with its mouth wide open, its fangs dripping with venom.
Chloe stumbled backward in shock and collapsed to the ground. The skewered snake was still twitching as it drew its final breaths, rustling the dry leaves with its dying movements. She groaned and tried to get up, but her strength failed her. Fear had drained her of energy. Her cane remained embedded in the snake.
“P-Please help me.” Chloe’s gaze met that of the Duke, who stood observing her with crossed arms.
“I thought you said it was safe.”
Hearing her words repeated back to her, Chloe bit her lip in frustration. Even considering his elevated station, she found his demeanor to be unacceptable.
“Then please, at least give me my cane.”
“Do you not have hands, Lady Chloe? The snake is dead.”
Chloe swallowed her fear and cast a tentative glance at the snake. The Duke was right; it had stopped convulsing and now lay limp. However, she could not bring herself to pull the cane out of the snake. Even if she crawled over and mustered the strength to grasp the stick, how could she possibly dispose of the carcass? The mere sight of the snake’s lifeless eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
She managed to push herself up from the ground with great effort. The Duke finally stepped forward, extracting the cane and casually tossing the snake aside.
“It is damaged, but you should be able to make it back to the castle.” He held out the stick, which had a split running down its length, a testament to the force with which he had thrown it.
“I must respectfully decline,” Chloe replied, turning her pale face away. “I would like to take my leave now. As Your Grace advised, I think it would be prudent to refrain from such perilous wanderings.”
“I see you have a bit of a temper,” the Duke remarked, smirking. “I would never have guessed from your appearance.”
As Chloe regarded him, a retort bubbled up and spilled out of her. “The same could be said for Your Grace.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I simply mean that appearances can be deceiving.”
Her heart pounded uncomfortably against her ribs. Clouds of white breath left the Duke’s crimson lips, dissipating in the frosty air. The sky, which had been dyed a deep violet just moments prior, now began to brighten in the east. The Duke observed her with an amused expression on his face.
“I do understand your father’s intentions in trying to show off his fragile daughter in front of me.”
“Your Grace.”
“He could not stop singing your praises. He had tears glistening in his eyes as he told me that if not for your unfortunate affliction, he was certain you would have excelled in the royal court.”
Chloe felt pure spite surge through her as she listened to his cold voice. She had never felt such intense animosity toward anyone since her childhood, when she had caught a maid stealing from her ailing mother.
“Lift up your skirt.”
Taken aback, Chloe paused before answering. “Pardon?”
“Let me examine your leg. Is it hereditary?”
His standing as a duke and the commander of the royal army did not excuse his audacity. His blatant attack on her most vulnerable trait was a violation of basic human decency.
“Why must you insist on being so rude?” Chloe’s voice quavered as she finally mustered the courage to speak.
The Duke took a step closer, his smile growing wider. “You are much too sensitive. I was simply asking you a question, yet you mistook it for an attack.”
Chloe’s face was now drained of all color. She found herself genuinely detesting this man. Her hands were clammy with sweat, and her heart pounded so vigorously she feared it might rupture.
“Allowing emotions to dictate your strategies will only lead to defeat, as will permitting your feelings to lead you into insubordination.”
“I am not a soldier, Your Grace. I do not fight wars.” Chloe opened her eyes wide to hold back her tears, her voice barely above a whisper.
The Duke approached her, his boots crushing the fallen leaves beneath. He bent slightly to meet Chloe’s gaze. The rising sun behind him had never seemed so oppressive. Chloe yearned for the darkness to hide herself, loath to let him see that she was on the verge of tears.
“Life itself is war. Especially for someone like you.”
His eyes, as smooth and cold as glass, scanned her from head to toe once again. Chloe felt as though the snake he had slain earlier had come back to life and was now wrapping itself around her. Indeed, this man was like a golden viper. Chloe clutched her skirt to steady herself.
“That may be, but that is still no reason for you to pry into my life.”
“Pry? I only wished to offer you advice. Your refusal to thank me tells me I’ve struck a nerve.”
The Duke’s eyes took on an even more chilling hue. His perfectly groomed blond hair, his translucent skin that was the mark of an aristocrat, and his vivid lips were all as beautiful as a work of art. He was like the devil with the face of an angel.
“How generous of you to offer such invaluable advice to the humble daughter of a viscount.”
“You have quite the talent for mockery.”
Far from appearing offended, the Duke grinned in amusement. Chloe drew a deep breath as she shot him a glare.
“I am sure you know that I am of far too lowly a station to mock Your Grace.”
“Save your self-disparagement for your journals.”
“Your Grace, with all due respect, I have two things I’d like to say to you.”
“By all means.” The Duke nodded as if he were amused.
“First, I’d like a replacement for this cane that you’ve damaged.”
“I should have just allowed the snake to bite you, shouldn’t I?”
“I would venture to say that a cane is a much less formidable weapon than a sword.”
Chloe stood erect, her gaze fixed on the long sword that hung from the Duke’s waist. His eyes lit up as he ran his tongue over his lips.
“I’ll have a word with the woodworker as soon as I return to the barracks.”
“No. I would like a cane made from the birch trees that grow on the Thisse estate.”
“What?” The Duke’s eyebrows arched in surprise. Chloe was momentarily taken aback by the sudden intensity in his gaze, but she quickly clenched her fists. Her palms were damp with sweat.
“Do you not realize that I am at war?” He pronounced each syllable with precision, a sign of agitation.
“You may send it to me once the war has concluded.”
The Duke fell silent, staring at her contemplatively. Once again, Chloe took a deep breath to calm herself, her voice small but clear as she continued speaking, “I recall you saying yesterday that you would return triumphant from the war. You swore to lead your soldiers to victory so they may return home, and that you would be among them.”
“And?”
“Once you have returned to Thisse after this is all over, I’d like you to send me a cane.”
The mass of badges on the Duke’s military uniform sparkled under the morning sun. Chloe felt his hand gently cup her chin. She did her best to hide the fact that she was trembling in fear.
“What if I were to give you something even better?” he whispered.
“No, a cane will suffice.”
“It seems your father definitely wants something more for allowing me the use of his castle.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was so eager to pair one of his daughters with me that he volunteered to provide rear support during the war, a task that no one desires. Of course, he only took such a gamble with the confidence that I would emerge victorious.”
Chloe could no longer contain herself. She turned her head to break free from his hand and limped a few steps to the side.