ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 166: A few hours earlier
In the castle’s main hall, the crystal candles still burned brightly.
Their reflections danced across the marble floor, along the towering walls carved with the family crest, and over faces that still carried the smiles of celebration. The wedding procession had ended prayers had been spoken, vows had been bound, and the bells of triumph had rung.
Demian now stood as a husband.
Ivanka held his arm with unmistakable pride. Her wedding gown remained flawless, white and radiant, silver embroidery tracing every movement she made. Her face glowed, her eyes alight with a happiness that nearly overflowed. Each time someone offered congratulations, her smile widened, as though the world had finally placed her exactly where she belonged.
She was Demian’s wife. Official. Legitimate. Undeniable.
"Look," Ivanka whispered softly as she gazed around the hall, "everyone is happy for us."
Demian nodded. The motion was calm, practiced. A faint smile rested on his lips the smile everyone had come to know as that of a perfect duke. He accepted congratulations, handshakes, and praise without flaw. Nothing seemed amiss. Nothing was missing. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
And yet, somehow, amid the laughter and the clinking of glasses, there was an empty space he could not explain.
Ivanka leaned a little closer, her fingers tightening around Demian’s arm with a sense of possession. "I’m happy," she said quietly, sincerely. "I’ve waited so long for this day."
Demian turned to her. For a brief moment, he truly saw that happiness the honest glow, the hard-won victory being celebrated with her whole heart. And as her husband, as a duke, he knew what he was expected to do.
"You deserve to be happy," he replied. His voice was even, warm enough.
Ivanka smiled in satisfaction. For her, that was more than enough.
The guests began to drift toward the evening banquet. Music started again, lighter and more joyful. The celebration would last until dawn. The wedding night awaited, and to Ivanka, the entire future now lay open and beautiful before her.
She did not notice no one did that in a quiet corner of the castle, a room that was usually occupied now stood empty. No one remarked on a door that was never opened that night. No one questioned why a certain name was absent among the servants.
Demian himself, standing in the midst of the brightly lit hall, suddenly turned for no clear reason. His gaze swept across the room, as if searching for something he did not even realize he was looking for.
There was nothing.
He let out a quiet breath, then followed Ivanka his wife toward the center of the celebration.
Outside the castle, the night continued on its course. And far from the music, the light, and the sacred vows that had just been spoken, someone had left without farewell.
The wedding was perfect.
Only one heart was missing from the celebration, and no one noticed.
On the other side of the hall, slightly removed from the bustle of the younger guests, Marquess Kosler stood with his chest lifted.His face was radiant not merely from the costly wine or the steady stream of praise, but from a single truth he had fought for at last becoming reality.
His daughter was happy.
Ivanka his own flesh and blood now stood on equal footing with a duke. More than that, she had become Demian’s wife. A position not only honorable, but dangerous, powerful, and heavy with influence. From time to time, Marquess Kosler glanced toward the main hall, making sure he could still see Ivanka smiling at Demian’s side. Each time his gaze found her, the smile on his face widened.
Around him stood figures of consequence the Emperor in his ceremonial robes, elders with calculating eyes, and old nobles who had lived too long on intrigue and the careful balance of power. Their conversation sounded light, yet every word carried weight.
"Duke Morvek seems calm," one elder remarked, stroking his white beard. "This marriage will bring stability at least on the surface."
"Demian’s calm is precisely what makes him dangerous," another noble replied with a thin smile. "He is not a man easily read."
Marquess Kosler chuckled softly, as though such worries were excessive. "He is now my daughter’s husband. What is there to fear?"
The Emperor, who had been listening more than speaking, finally intervened. His voice was calm, yet the conversation immediately subdued itself."Precisely that, Marquess. Duke Morvek is a man fiercely loyal to what he considers his own."
The words lingered in the air.
One of the elders leaned in slightly. "There is one matter we must not forget," he said quietly. "That woman Valerie."
Marquess Kosler’s smile tightened for a fraction of a second, then returned, perfectly composed. "Valerie knows nothing."
"And let us hope it stays that way," another added quickly. "If she were to find out, we all understand the risk."
The Emperor nodded slowly. "If Valerie learns the truth about this marriage about how everything was arranged without her knowledge Demian may act in ways no one can predict. He is not the sort of man who accepts loss easily."
"What would be destroyed would not be only plans," the first elder continued, his voice low but sharp. "It could be reputations, alliances even lives."
Marquess Kosler took a sip of his wine, slower this time. "Valerie is merely... a small piece. She would not dare."
"Never underestimate a woman who feels betrayed," the Emperor replied without turning. "Especially when the man who betrayed her is Demian."
Silence settled once more over the small circle. In the distance, Ivanka’s laughter rang out clear, joyous, unburdened. Marquess Kosler looked toward the sound, as if reassuring himself that every sacrifice, every carefully arranged lie, was worth that sight.
"Be cautious," one of the elders finally warned. "As long as Valerie remains unaware, everything will proceed smoothly. But if she knows... there is no guarantee that Duke Morvek will not destroy anything or anyone he believes has taken something from him."
Marquess Kosler smiled, this time more rigidly. "I will make sure she does not know."
