Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 110: Meeting The Duchess (2)

"They’re here."

Jess said under her breath, her right leg crossed over her left and arms folded beneath her assets. The catwoman had her eyes closed, but her domain sense was honed in on the corridor right outside the door.

"Mm," Caleb nodded, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

As a form of courtesy to the duchess, Caleb and Jess agreed to not scan the entire estate with their domain sense. However, that was not an issue if it was only a radius of about 20 meters.

Who would have thought the duchess he heard so much about was this appealing? Caleb had never found an older woman more attractive than what he was currently seeing!

’The fucker didn’t say anything about the duchess being this seductive.’ Caleb chided the commander for failing to say anything about this. ’Let’s see how this plays out...’

He flashed a small grin and placed his cup on the table. Looking over to Jess, he noticed the catwoman giving him a side-eye.

Caleb was still having a hard time believing Jess could be this possessive. He hadn’t even made any active moves on her, but it seemed the catwoman had already laid her claims on him.

’This is new to me... At the same time, it makes me feel delightful.’ Caleb could feel a warmth in his heart. ’I can get used to this...’

The two got to their feet when a knock echoed through the room. The butler wasted no time and moved to open the door for the duchess and the commander.

"Ma’am."

John bowed curtly, standing to the side as the duchess and the commander walked in. The duchess slowly made her way over to her seat while Commander Fred and John moved to stand behind her.

The commander had a slight smile on his face as he stood behind the duchess. He noticed the light of interest in Caleb’s eyes and clenched his fist victoriously.

The duchess had called him over once she arrived in her chambers. She couldn’t do this without the man who had the most interactions with the mysterious Caleb Zane.

And true to what she was told, the man was breathtakingly handsome, more so than in the images she had of him. The sheer confidence he exuded already made the duchess’s mature heart beat slightly in excitement.

If not for her training as a noble, she would have behaved like a little girl meeting her crush for the first time. Silvia was self-conscious and was even wondering if her clothes were enough to leave a lasting impression.

’Fred didn’t mention his presence would be this strong!’ She was slightly panicking. ’Also, what’s with this woman? Why is she staring at me like that?’

The duchess didn’t fail to notice how Jess looked at her like she had stolen the catwoman’s life savings and then some. Naturally, she knew who Jess was, but she didn’t think she would appear this hostile from the get-go.

"Please..." Silvia gestured for Caleb and Jess to sit.

Caleb and Jess took their seat while the duchess sat in the only single chair in the chamber, showing her status as the master of the estate.

"I believe we haven’t been properly introduced." The duchess began after a moment of gathering her thoughts. "I am Silvia Erindor, Duchess of the Therindor Duchy. You already know my head commander and he is my head butler, John."

The commander and butler gave a curt nod in response, the commander going a step further to grin in Caleb’s direction. Objective one was already achieved! The only thing left was for the duchess to close him.

Hopefully, Caleb won’t be too stubborn when he hears the benefits he would be receiving should he accept the duchess’ proposal.

Caleb sat openly relaxed in his chair, one leg crossed over the other while his right hand rested on the sofa back. This was not normal behaviour for a normal person meeting a noble, but Caleb was anything but normal.

The duchess had nothing to say to that either. If what she intended for Caleb was to be realized, she had to accommodate his style. Moreover, she found his confident demeanour very domineering.

’He’s not afraid to be himself.’ Silvia noted with a soft smile. ’I like him already.’ Caleb was her kind of man.

"Caleb Zane." Caleb spoke next, his smile growing slightly. "But you already knew that. And this is Jess Retrove, my partner."

He looked over to Jess who noticeably calmed down, flashing a small smile hearing Caleb call her his partner. The Duchess looked over to the catwoman and sighed inwardly, glad the glare was gone.

"A pleasure." The duchess nodded at Jess before turning to face Caleb, her expression turning serious. "First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on clearing the sealed dungeon. Not only did you do the impossible, but you also spared my knights the trouble of periodic subjugations."

"It was nothing, my lady." Caleb interjected, downplaying his efforts with an assuring smile. "If anything, I should be thanking you. Because of that sentence, I’ve gotten more powerful than I was before."

"Then I’m glad." Silvia visibly sighed with a nod. "The paperwork for clearing the dungeon will be made available soon for your signature. From there, you’ll be officially cleared as serving your punishment."

"Thank you, my lady."

Caleb wasn’t particularly worried about the paperwork. For what he did for the Royal family, he doubted that would hinder him anywhere in the kingdom. Then again, the documents would serve as proof of his capabilities anywhere in the kingdom.

"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, there’s something else I want to discuss with you."

Silvia sat up in a way that highlighted her soft curves and assets. She had noticed Caleb stealing not-so-subtle glances at her features, making the duchess more confident in her appeal; something she wasn’t even aware she was feeling.

"Caleb Zane, I want you to come work for me." Silvia made her intentions clear as day. "From what I’ve seen of your impression, you are a man who does things in a straightforward manner. So tell me, what do you want to make this happen?"

Caleb grinned slightly, liking what he saw. The duchess was not afraid to use her charms on him. From the way she spoke directly, her sitting posture coupled with an alluring smile capable of captivating any living man resonated with his nature.

’She instantly understood my nature just from this small interaction.’ He mused. ’Worthy of a woman with her status.’

With one move, she put the ball in Caleb’s court, giving him all the negotiating power. Silvia knew who had all the power and was not afraid to acknowledge that.