Free Web NovelChapter 73: One Bed, Your Grace
"A divorce," he repeated, his voice dropping into a rough whisper, "Did you just mention a divorce?"
The Evelina he knew all along... could never have. Being with Ace was her highest dream, having achieved that, she would never be ready to throw it all away.
"Like I said, you did not want this marriage in the first place. On the wedding night itself, you made yourself clear again," Evelina spoke in a calm voice even though her wrist was burning from his grip, "I am simply granting your original wishes. Let’s not make a public scene out of something that was bound to happen anyway."
"Bound to happen?" Ace let out a short, broken laugh.
His gaze dropped to her lips, then snapped back to her cold green eyes.
The possessive madness in his expression flared to life with twice its previous intensity, "You know nothing about my wishes."
Before she could reply, the blue words in the corner of her vision flickered wildly.
The screen turned to scrambled lines before disappearing completely. The system had choked again, visibly due to intense and unpredictable range of Ace’s emotions.
Evelina was on her own, staring at a man who looked ready to tear the palace apart just to keep her from stepping away.
"We are done speaking of this here," Ace rumbled, his voice thick with absolute command.
He abruptly released her wrist, the sudden loss of his scorching heat leaving her skin feeling strangely numb.
Without a single look back at the whispering crowd or the watching eyes of Isabella, Ace turned on his heel. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
His heavy black cape billowed behind him as he strode toward the palace exit, his posture rigid and unapproachable.
Evelina stood alone under the brilliant crystal lights for a single breath, smoothing down the midnight emerald linen over her ribs, before she gracefully followed him out.
The carriage ride back to the guest estate was an absolute nightmare of silence.
Ace sat in the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed out the window.
He didn’t look at her once, but the air inside the small carriage was so thick with tension that Evelina found herself counting her own shallow breaths just to maintain her composure for a few minutes before she realized she was just taking him and this... too seriously.
When they arrived at the estate, a true disaster awaited them.
The servants bowed them, shivering, "Your Graces... I must beg your understanding. Because the military high command and the ministers are staying in the main wing for winter emergency meetings, the estate’s primary rooms are completely full. We... we have only been able to prepare the master suite for your stay tonight."
Evelina paused on the threshold, her emerald gown catching the dim light. "One room?"
Ideally, one room should have been the norm had Evelina tagged along with Ace to some place. Because they were a couple, it only made sense that one room was prepared for them.
But this time, Evelina was the crown prince’s main guest. Ace was the plus one that had tagged along.
On top of it, the servants around Ace and Evelina could more or less feel the tension between the Duke and Duchess, which made them unsure if they would get rewarded or punished for arranging one room for them.
"And... one bed, Your Grace," A servant swallowed hard, casting a terrified glance at the Duke, "The side wing is entirely occupied by General Isabella’s officers. We did not have the authority to move them without the Duke’s direct order."
Evelina turned her head slightly to look at Ace, expecting him to demand the officers be kicked out into the stables.
But Ace simply stood there, his dark hair falling over his forehead, his expression masked.
"Leave it," Ace commanded bluntly, "Tonight, we rest."
"Yes, Your Grace," the servant squeaked, bowing quickly before vanishing down the corridor.
Ten minutes later, Evelina stood in the center of the massive master suite.
A single, grand bed sat against the far wall, draped in dark velvet blankets. The fireplace was already roaring, casting a warm amber glow across the polished wood floors.
Ace was standing by the fireplace, his back to her. frёewebnoѵēl.com
He had unbuckled his heavy sword belt, tossing it onto a nearby armchair. He began unbuttoning his high-collared black uniform jacket deliberately, his broad shoulders shifting under the fabric.
"You can take the bed," Ace said, his voice flat, "I will take the couch by the fire."
Evelina walked over to the vanity, her fingers systematically removing the silver pins from her hair, letting the long waves cascade down her shoulders and over the emerald linen of her gown.
She watched his reflection in the mirror. "There is no need to do such things. This is not a romance book where sharing a bed becomes a huge thing. The bed is large enough. We are adults, and as we discussed before, we are business partners too. We can share a mattress without making it a dramatic affair."
Ace’s movements froze.
He slowly turned around, his uniform jacket hanging open, revealing the scarred skin of his chest beneath his shirt. His dark eyes locked onto her reflection in the glass.
"We are a legally married couple."
"Which is a great thing because it helps us with many day-to-day troubles," Evelina spoke like she was talking about the weather, "But, you should know when to not involve emotions in this. Your jealousy... Your actions tonight were a liability. You almost ruined my business because the of Crown Prince’s attention."
"He wasn’t caring about any business there and you know it!" Ace snapped, his control finally fracturing.
He strode towards her, twirled her around and leaned down, his face inches from hers, "He was looking at my wife. He was looking at my woman. You think I should have stayed put and pretend it did not happen? Would you have liked it if the Crown Prince kept flirting with you there?
You feel it too, Evelina. You feel everything I do, but for someone who keeps talking about investments all the time, you treat your own heart like a bad investment!"
