Fated Eclipse: The Illegitimate Princess And Her Alpha Suitors

Chapter 284: A Rather Poor Musician

Lyria’s POV

A very undignified sound escaped me as I nearly stumbled backwards.

Brayden reacted instantly.

His hand flew to the sword at his waist, the blade halfway drawn before I had even fully turned around. The maids were equally startled.

I spun around.

Duke Valenridge stood there. His lips tilted upward in amusement.

He did not appear remotely concerned by the sword pointed in his direction.

Instead, his attention shifted lazily toward the training grounds below.

”Alistair has a nice body,” he remarked conversationally.

I froze at his words.

He continued as though he had not just nearly caused a small disaster.

”Julian’s isn’t bad either. Though his is more of a scholar’s body.”

My face grew warm.

For some reason, hearing someone else comment on it made the entire situation far more embarrassing.

”W-what are you d-doing here, Your Grace?” I asked.

Duke Valenridge straightened slightly, and then he yawned, a hand covering his mouth as he did so.

Afterward, he wandered toward the cushioned bench and dropped onto it with all the elegance of a sack of potatoes.

”I was taking a nap.”

I stared at him.

”You were t-taking a nap in the library?”

He nodded.

”For some reason, I like this exact spot. It’s quite... comforting.”

I wondered what exactly was comfortable about this spot.

Before I could ask, though, he spoke up.

”How are you doing?”

I paused.

The question caught me slightly off guard.

”I am d-doing fine.”

”Your injuries?” he asked me.

I glanced down instinctively.

”It is h-healing well,” I said. ”Kathryn says I should f-fully recover soon.”

The Duke smiled, then he relaxed visibly, closing his eyes.

I found myself studying him. Something about him seemed different today. He looked... tired? I wasn’t certain. There was just something about his eyes that felt dull to me.

”Y-your G-grace?” I called out.

”Hm?”

”Is e-everything a-alright?”

One of his eyes opened, then a smile spread across his face.

”I am touched that you care about me, Curious Wolf.”

I immediately regretted asking and looked away. I still did not understand how I got the name Curious Wolf from him.

”I am doing well,” he told me. ”At least as well as one can be whilst residing in this palace.”

Then his gaze shifted.

Toward my maids and toward Brayden.

More specifically, toward the sword Brayden still had half drawn.

The Duke blinked.

”Must that remain pointed in my direction?” he asked.

Brayden did not move, though.

Duke Valenridge sighed tiredly.

”I do not intend to harm the Princess. You can put your sword away.”

Still, Brayden remained unmoved.

The Duke looked at me instead.

”Would you kindly inform your guard that I am not planning an assassination?”

Brayden’s eyes shifted toward me.

He was clearly reluctant to do so.

But I gave him a nod.

For some reason, I believed the Duke.

If he had wished to harm me, I doubted a library would have stopped him.

Brayden finally lowered his sword.

Though I noticed he did not move his hand very far from the hilt.

Duke Valenridge, though, looked pleased.

”Excellent.”

I moved away from the window and returned to my seat.

Duke Valenridge watched me. Then he rested his chin atop his folded arms on the table.

”It has been a while since we have seen each other.”

I blinked.

”I saw you d-during the c-competition.”

”That was two days ago,” he said.

”That is n-not very long.”

”It felt long.”

I decided not to question him further, but once more, before I could say something, he spoke up.

”What did you think of my singing?”

I stared.

Surely he could not be serious.

”Are you s-serious, Your G-grace?”

He nodded.

”I am.”

His expression was perfectly solemn.

”What did you think of it?”

I looked at him.

Then I looked at my maids.

Then back at him.

”You truly w-wish me to a-answer?”

He nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

”I am sure you enjoyed it, right?” he said. ”After all, I am the best musician in my territory.”

I could not help it, a laugh slipped out at his words. Surely he was joking.

”I d-doubt that, Y-your Grace,” I said. ”If you are the b-best musician i-in your territory, then I c-can only i-imagine how everyone e-else sings.”

My maids chuckled, then they immediately tried to cover it with coughs when the Duke looked at them.

He sighed dramatically.

”You can laugh,” he said. ”I know very well my singing was as trashy as Marquess Hale’s beauty.”

The maids stared at him with wide eyes.

Then they all burst out laughing.

Duke Valenridge chuckled too, the sound warm and genuine, and I found myself smiling despite everything. I did not understand where that comparison came from, but I had to admit I absolutely loved it.

But I was going to pretend I did not for a little bit.

”Y-your Grace, you k-know that the M-marquess is...”

”Curious Wolf, you may be good at pretending you do not dislike the Marquess, but I know you do. Let us stop the righteous act, shall we?” he told me.

I could not help it. I chuckled again.

”How is it that s-someone of your s-standing does not know how to c-compose or even p-play a m-musical piece?” I asked.

He shrugged.

”I refused to take any musical lessons as a child,” he said. ”It was too boring. I managed to take dancing lessons, but composition was something I would not agree to.”

He paused, a nostalgic look crossing his face.

”Instead, I spent my time sneaking off with my older sister,” he said. ”She was a bad influence. And she taught me some rather useless skills.”

I was intrigued.

”Like what?” I asked.

He smiled.

”How to be a watchman while she sneaks off with her lover,” he said. ”How to haggle with her to pay me or do me favours just because I helped her. How to fight with her. How to scream at the top of my lungs just because she behaves as though she is deaf sometimes.”

I laughed again as he spoke.

”It m-must have b-been fun,” I said.

I wondered what it felt like to have a sibling.

Duke Valenridge gave me a sad smile.

”It was fun,” he said. ”Most times.”