Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Andrew turned to look at Eli with anxiety when she screamed. Her face grimaced and filled with pain. She winced as her hands moved to hold her legs. Her ankle was bent and the heel had pressure on it. Her face was filled with pain but Andrew could see the relief in her eyes. It took him only a second to realize that she had done it knowingly to avoid dancing with him.

So, their relationship had reached to the point where she was ready to hurt herself to not to dance with him. To avoid him! That thought made him suffocate. He felt a tightness in his chest; it made air feel like razor blades moving through him, cutting him into small pieces. All of his energy was taken up. He fought the urge to wind himself in a ball and let the pain unfurl around him. Never in his life had he felt this helpless. 

While everyone saw the pain of Eli, his knight saw his struggle and misery. He moved forward but Andrew shook his head. He could not let others know what happened. He smiled as if nothing happened, as if he did not feel anything when she looked at the stubborn girl standing in front of him.

Eli felt guilty for what she had done. She knew it was wrong but she did not want his arms around her waist. She did not want to hold that hand tightly again. On the person, she had no rights, she did not want to get entangled with him anymore. She bowed her head when she felt his gloominess but her eyes widened and a dagger pierced her soul when he kneeled in front of her.

"Your royal highness." The knights came forward with aghast face but he raised his hand high in the air and stopped them right there.

Eli's face continued to turn redder from embarrassment until it started to drop blood. She tried to take two steps back but it did not happen as he held her ankle tightly. 

"Do not move or it would hurt you more.'' His stern voice was no less than an ordeal which she could not deny. She cussed herself which still could not defy his voice. His effect on her did not change at all.

But what was he doing? 

"Your royal highness, you do not need to do that." she tried to convince him when his hands reached for the strap of her heels. Her eyes widened at the shock. She could not believe that he was going to take her heels. Did he forget that he was the future emperor? The crown, the star of the empire!!? She wanted to dig a hole and hid herself in it. Yet there was a storm of emotions that were drowning her in emptiness she could not describe. Why was he doing that for her? Why was he doing it now when he did not love her anymore? Why? Why was he playing with her emotions?'

It took all her strength to not bend and clutch his shirt in her hands. Do not ask him what his intentions were!

Andrew opened the strap of her heels and took off them. His actions earned a lot of gasps from the audience. He even heard a few glasses being shattered but he did not care at all.

Her ankle had turned red. There were marks on the straps of heels and her skin had swollen due to the bending of ankle.

She winced and held his shoulder to maintain her balance when he pressed it right there. She had thought that she would tell him she was hurt and would sit on her seat again. But not even in her dreams had she thought that he would try to treat her in a room full of nobles. Her hands scaled when she touched his shoulders instinctively.

She tried to move her hands away. But he covered them with his other hand.

He looked back into her eyes. "It is okay," he nodded his head to assure her that she could hold him for as long as she wanted. She did not have the courage to defy him in front of everyone, so she nodded meekly and did not move her hands away.

"Bring some ice." all the knights ran to bring the ice, listening to his orders. They don't even dare to waste a second looking at the future of the empire kneeling in front of a girl under the scrutiny of everyone. Even taking breaths were becoming unbearable for them.

"I.. I am fine.`` She tried to speak again but he did not budge. Eve moved and held the shoulder of Eli. She looked at her with a concerned face but Eli shook her head, telling her that she was fine. She could not worry about her family that was already too tense with her breaking marriage.

Finally a knight brought the ice and Andrew rubbed it on her ankle. His actions were gentle, like he was touching the most fragile treasure of the world. She felt the pain but tried to endure it. Her face turned red blank again devoid of any emotions. Millions of emotions could be seen in the eyes of Andrew that were deeper than oceans. He wanted to tell her so many truths, he wanted to ask her so many questions, yet only silence ensued. 

The silence was deafening for both of them who were suffering but proud enough to not ask others or let others know about it. The room that was full of love and passion turned gloomy due to the scene.

If Evan and Leo were looking like a breathtaking picture showing love and passion then Eli and Andrew were looking like a breathtaking picture showing the pinnacle of love and pain that was undeniable part of it.. Yet it could touch the heart of the onlookers with the way no one has ever touched it.