fiance chapter 21

After breakfast, they strolled through the gardens, searching for the perfect spot for tea. Solid held Sophia’s arm as they meandered past vibrant beds of tulips and daffodils. Sophia, lost in thought, replayed the dream she’d had the night before.

The chilling air, the Duke’s possessive touch coiling around her ankles, the fiery kiss—it was enough to leave a young woman unsettled for the entire day. Furthermore, the Duke’s cryptic words echoed in her mind, demanding her attention.

“[It’s no use, Sophie. This isn’t your body. Don’t you remember? Your body fell into the fiery hell of Halas long ago.]”

‘The fires of Halas…’

The fires of Halas were the stuff of legends. A place created by the gods to punish humanity during the time they still walked the earth. Hero Ezekiel had battled a monster and sealed it away, so why had the Duke mentioned it in her dream?

“Sophie.”

Solid’s soft voice startled her. Sophia realized she’d been blatantly lost in thought and quickly turned to him.

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night… What is it?”

Solid shook his head, his expression unreadable. Sophia recalled his quiet, contemplative demeanor during breakfast. He clearly wanted to say something but seemed hesitant.

“Actually…”

Solid began, a look of resolve on his face, but he was interrupted.

“My Lady!” a maid called, running towards them. “The Duke has arrived!”

Solid turned towards the main gate. They were standing beneath an arched walkway connecting the front and back gardens. Turning her head, Sophia saw several servants hurrying towards the gate to greet the Duke. Soon, his figure emerged from between the fountains. He nodded dismissively at the chattering servants, brushing past them and striding towards the Earl’s manor as if he owned the place.

“Goodness,” Solid breathed, his tone implying, “So it’s true, you really are betrothed to the Duke.” The Duke. The Duke’s presence was so commanding, so effortlessly self-assured, that such a reaction was inevitable.

Yet, Sophia was struck by how much he resembled the man in her dream. Of course, they would look alike, she thought, considering she’d dreamt of him. But the aura, that chilling presence, remained the same, a sharp point of cold even amidst the warm spring sunshine.

“[Sophie. You will never leave this place.]”

The Duke’s words from her dream echoed in her ears. And then, as if reading her mind, he turned his head towards her.

Her eyes met his pale blue gaze across the expanse of the gardens. Their eyes locked, and Sophia felt a sense of exposure, just as she had in her dream. Her heart pounded, a dizzying rush, and a wave of heat flushed her neck and palms.

The memory of the Duke’s soft lips on hers, his hands gripping her body, felt startlingly real.

“I… I… just a moment…”

“Hmm?” Solid, finally snapping out of his own thoughts, questioned her. But when he turned back, Sophia was gone. All he saw was her retreating figure.

“Sophie!” he called out, bewildered that she would run from her fiancé. But it was no use. Sophia was already fleeing like a child escaping a fearsome teacher.

Her childhood knowledge of the estate’s hidden pathways proved invaluable. Sophia ran, her mind racing, searching for a place to hide.

However, her grown frame no longer fit into the small spaces she’d favored as a child. Her hurried escape left a trail of startled gasps in her wake.

“Oh my, My Lady!”

“Goodness, My Lady!”

The same exclamations followed her. Sophia, desperate to silence them, placed a finger to the lips of every maid she encountered, pleading for their silence.

Her heart pounded from the exertion. She reached the deepest part of the garden and squeezed herself into a small space at the back of an old, foreign-style gazebo, a familiar hiding spot from her childhood.