The Duke's Passion

Chapter 340 - A Punishment That Is Honestly Devastating

"Everything." He answered, eyes on me. "I think you're not dumb enough to think you can beat me if we butted heads right now."

"Take that face off and see what I will do." I leaned forward, taunting him.

"Unfortunately, I can't. Why don't you just accept that this face is my face?"

"Hah... bold." I chuckled, rocking my head as my eyes fell on my unbound feet. "I like your attitude, can't expect anything less from someone who disrupts the peace of my land and abducted me here.."

I bent my knees closer to me, stretching my ankle in a circular motion. There was this part of me that wanted to reconsider his offer. However, with someone who used my husband and his trusted men's faces, how the hell did he think I would forgive them?

"This person I was talking about... is very important to me. Much more important than this world." He spoke, breaking the silence between us. "If peeling my face off will make you agree with this, or even if I had to offer my arm or leg, I will. Just say it."

My eyes veered back to him, staring at him and seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "It seems this person is truly important to you, but why do you think I will protect him or her?"

"If you agree with it, I will let you go."

A brief chuckle came from me. "Does this mean I have no choice but to agree?"

"You always have a choice, Lilou."

"Don't call my name with that face." My voice pitched as my eyes widened slightly. "Just don't or I will cut your tongue and make you eat it."

His expression was solemn, as his eyes never left mine. He parted his lips, but no words came out.

"You are asking the wrong person's help." I diverted the subject as I looked around this room and noticed how old and dusty it appeared. "It's foolish for you to think that I will accept this offer after using my husband's face. And even if I agree with an alliance with you, do you truly believe I won't betray you?"

"You don't tell people you will betray them if you plan to do so."

"Fool." My eyes were on him, feeling a little calmer the more I talked to him... or a lot more furious. "You look like you trust me too much... that is very unlikely to the person whom you're copying so hard. That person never trusts me and now he's dead."

Silence ensued as I flung my legs out of the other side of the bed. For reasons unknown, I knew he wouldn't hurt me, but even if I thought wrong, I could escape from here this time for sure.

"Do you hate him?" I stopped at his question, feeling his gaze on my back. "If he, your husband, comes back alive..."

"He won't." I cut him off before he could continue with a seemingly ridiculous idea. "He will never come back to me. The dead will always be dead. Stop feeding me ideas because you're wasting your time."

"Time... I have a lot of time to waste."

I looked back. "I don't."

"You don't have time to waste, or were you running out of time?"

"Think whatever you like, but I'm leaving." This time, I stood out of the bed and faced him, who remained on the other side of the mattress. "If I were you, be on your guard and leave this place before I slit your throat."

Giving out a warning for someone I wanted to kill was unordinary for me. However, he had undone the rope and let me go. I didn't want to feel indebted to him, even though they were the ones who tied me up in the first place.

"I was wrong," came out a murmur, catching my attention while I massaged my wrist. "This punishment is honestly devastating, but... just."

I pursed my lips as I couldn't take my eyes off of him the second I laid them again on him. He hung his head low and just staring at him brought this tension to my throat.

Was it rage? Sympathy? Hope? I had no idea. But seeing him act so melancholic brought pain to me.

"Just how will I make you believe me?" he raised his head, storming over the bed while I instinctively took several steps back until my back hit against the wall.

He planted his palms on either side of me, eyes glistened with... tears. "It's me, love. I'm here, I'm real, I said, I'm back, and I'm sorry. Just what kind of language should I speak for you to understand that, Lilou?"

My breath hitched as my heart suddenly pounded against my chest; it beat so loudly it rang in my ears. Those words he had uttered... those were the words Sam told me when he first confessed.

I'm here, I'm real, I said I like you, and I want you. Just what kind of language should I speak for you to understand that, Lilou?

Those were his words before, and hearing him say almost similar words broke the last straw of rational reasoning in my head. And yet, the emotion that dominated my heart was hate; I detest this person even more for showing me a sliver of hope. For reminding me of a wish buried deep in my heart. That was... Sam was alive, and he finally returned to me.

"Cruel." Tears came as if at last long, my accumulated ocean of brine trickled through. "I hate you, Sam."

"I'm sorry if your husband is neither good nor bad," he leaned in, whispering in my lips. "I'm just... selfish."

And I closed my eyes, melting in the warmth of his lips that I longed for so long. Before I knew it, my arms slid over his shoulder, standing on my toes as I pressed my lips against his, deepening our kiss.

My mind told me this was wrong; that I was stepping into a trap.

But my heart said: "If this was a dream, I'm begging you, please don't wake me up."