The moment Damian loosened his grip on her head and waist, Eilika quickly scrambled back to give them both space. She fanned her hands across her heated cheeks while Damian sat up, resting his arms over his knees and looking out at the water.

"My father gifted me this place when I turned ten," Damian confided, his voice nostalgic. "Back then, it was just a small, one-story cottage. I would come here whenever I needed time to myself, away from the expectations of the palace."

She tilted her head, resting her hands in her lap as she listened to the history of the hidden estate.

"When I turned eighteen, I decided to reconstruct it. I wanted it to be a sanctuary for me and Liliana," Damian asserted, his gaze hardening slightly. "It hurts that the meaning of this place has changed so entirely. But even if the building is gone, the serenity of the scenery remains. That is what I want to hold on to."

"Who could have imagined your trust would be broken in such a manner?" Eilika murmured. "But you must know that none of this was your fault."

"If my mother finds out, she will be devastated," Damian admitted. "Louis and Maurice already suspect parts of the truth, and they are waiting for me to say more. I have to credit you; with you as the Duchess, the secret has been kept. It’s not that I want to hide the truth out of shame, but..."

He took a brief pause, his gaze drifting toward the lake, but Eilika finished the thought for him.

"The people would gossip, and it would directly affect Roman," she stated, meeting his eyes firmly. "Children are sensitive to those things. Besides, I believe it is wrong to defame a person who is no longer alive to answer for themselves. Now, you should try to stop thinking about all of this."

She then pinched his cheeks, making him wince slightly in surprise. Eilika was quick to scramble to her feet, laughing lightly as she moved out of his reach.

Damian noticed the dust and dry leaves clinging to her gown and gestured for her to stay still. He reached out and carefully dusted them off from the skirt of her gown, focusing mostly on the hips where she had landed. "It’s done," he said, finally standing up himself.

"Your father sent a guard to ask about you. I forgot to mention it amidst everything else today," Damian stated, his expression becoming more serious.

"He must be wanting to know why I lied and where I actually went. Rosaline was trying her best to uncover the truth, but she couldn’t find anything," Eilika answered, thinking of her sister’s prying nature.

"I’ll call for your father tomorrow. You should have a talk with him to clear his doubts. I suppose you can handle his questions well enough," Damian said, showing a clear trust in her intellect and ability to navigate the situation.

"Sure," she agreed.

"Shall we go back then?" Damian asked.

"Yes, if you don’t have any more work here." She took one last look back at the residence.

"It’s done." He hesitated for a fraction of a second before catching her hand and interlacing their fingers. A genuine smile graced Eilika’s lips as they began the walk back toward the mansion.

"Do you wish to go somewhere tonight? Perhaps for dinner or something else? I heard a musical is being organized at the city’s theatre," Damian suggested.

"I actually get bored at musicals," Eilika admitted with a playful tilt of her head. "Do you want to go to my kind of place instead?"

"What’s your kind of place?" Damian mused, a look of genuine curiosity crossing his face. Before she could even answer, he added, "I would be happy to explore the things you like."

"Alright. We can go after lunch if you don’t have any work," Eilika pointed out.

"I have officially taken a day off today," Damian replied. "Why not go out now? That way, we will have an entire day to explore what you love," he suggested.

"Okay. But we need to change our outfits first. We can’t go among the people wearing these flashy noble clothes. We are going to be among the commoners," Eilika answered.

"I suppose they already know our faces, so changing our attire won’t really hide who we are," he opined, looking down at his fine embroidery.

"You’re right. But we can dress more comfortably I mean, like the commoners do. What do you say?" She stopped walking, holding his hand to bring him to a halt as well.

Damian looked at her, considering the idea of shedding his heavy ducal robes for something simpler. "If it makes the experience more authentic for you, then I agree."

She smiled and nodded at him.

~~~~~

Damian looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting the collar of the simple white shirt. The fabric was lighter than the heavy silks he usually wore, and the black trousers allowed him to move with an ease he wasn’t accustomed to.

He decided to leave the top button undone and rolled up his sleeves, leaning into the casual look.

As he ran a comb through his hair, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He realized with a start that he hadn’t felt this sense of anticipation in years.

It was a simple, nervous eagerness to see the world through Eilika’s eyes.

He stepped out into the hallway just as Eilika emerged from her dressing room. She had swapped her elaborate gown for a modest, breathable dress in a soft earthy tone, her hair tied back more simply than usual. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"You look... different," Damian remarked, his eyes tracing the change in her.

"You too," Eilika admitted, admiring the way the simple shirt highlighted his broad shoulders.

Damian held out his hand to catch hers. She gently placed her hand in his palm and he drew her closer, his gaze lingering on her face. "You could have left your hair open. That would have looked much better on you," he remarked softly.

"I’ll do that next time," Eilika said with a smile. "We shall go by horseback."

"That will be risky," Damian countered. "The car will be better for us; it’s faster and offers a bit more privacy."

She didn’t argue and followed him outside to the waiting motorcar. Once they settled inside, Damian started the engine and drove through the large estate’s gates.

"Teach me to drive the car someday," Eilika said suddenly, watching his hands on the steering wheel.

"Sure." He kept his gaze on the road ahead, a hint of amusement in his voice. "So, in which direction are we going? You need to guide me."

"Umm... Have you heard about the local school?" Eilika asked him.

"No. Where is it?"

"For now, just drive straight," Eilika guided him, leaning forward to watch the passing scenery. "I’ll tell you when to turn."

After two hours, they pulled up outside a school that was in noticeably poor condition. As soon as the car came to a halt, the guards at the gates rushed forward, their eyes widening as the Duke stepped out.

"Eilika, why are we at this school?" Damian asked, his brow furrowing as he took in the weathered building. "Don’t tell me you want Roman to study here. I want him in the best academy for nobles."

Eilika came to a stop beside him, her expression calm. "I studied here," she replied simply.

Before he could respond, the two guards bowed low to them. Eilika greeted them back with a warm, familiar smile.

"It has been a long time since the Duchess last visited," one of the guards remarked.

"Yes, I believe it’s been two or three months," Eilika replied.

Damian watched the exchange in silence, surprised by the ease with which she spoke to them and the genuine recognition in the guards’ eyes. He looked back at the crumbling facade of the school, seeing it in a completely different light now that he knew it had shaped the woman standing next to him.

"Let’s go inside. The kids are going to be happy seeing the Duke," Eilika said with a warm smile at Damian, who nodded instantly and followed her in.

As they walked through the corridor, the principal came running toward them. He was an older man in his fifties, looking slightly out of breath.

"Your Graces," he said, bowing humbly alongside his assistant. "You didn’t inform us of your arrival. We would have made much better arrangements had we known."

"This is the Head of the school, Mr. Patrick Varselli," Eilika said, introducing him to her husband.

Damian shook hands with him. "The Duchess wanted to surprise me with a visit, which is why we arrived unannounced, Mr. Varselli."

Patrick smiled warmly and gestured for them to follow him toward the office.

"Sister Eilika!" a girl’s voice called out from behind, causing them all to turn around.

"Hanna!" Eilika waved back at her, her face lighting up.

"The Duchess isn’t your sister anymore. Show some respect, dear," Patrick said, lightly scolding the teenage girl.

"It’s alright, Sir," Eilika assured him, dismissing the formality.

"Your Grace, what are you doing here?" A masculine voice suddenly joined the conversation. It belonged to an old friend of Eilika’s, who stood nearby watching them with a surprised expression.