Life Becomes Duke's Beloved
Appreciation

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Armand looked at Abela with a proud look. Bizarrely. Abela was not happy at all to see that. Abela felt very upset by Armand's behavior when they had already entered his castle. Armand acted at will. He knows that everything here belongs to Abela. And always ask him about anything. Make everyone look at him.

"What is this for?" again, Armand asked while holding an ordinary stick to fix the wood in the fireplace.

Abela rolled her eyes, "That's to fix the firewood inside." Abela answered indifferently and continued on her way.

Cesar silently watched the interaction of his uncle and his uncle's lover. Of course, he and the others realized something was wrong with their relationship.

Cesar raised his eyebrows when he saw Calix passing by him to approach Abela and talk to her. The Estonian duke is also very suspicious. He's the one who danced with Abela at the dance. He was also the one who shouted that he would protect Abela in the first expedition. He also looks like a madman when Abela is kidnapped.

"What do you think of uncle?" cesar asked Armand who was staring at Abela's back sharply as if he wanted to make a hole there.

"There is nothing between them" said Armand coldly. Makes Cesar shudder.

"The words don't match uncle's current expression," Cesar replied warily.

"You know, sometimes not knowing anything is a blessing. So don't try to figure out the truth you don't really want to hear." Armand said long.

"What does uncle mean?" Cesar honestly didn't understand what Armand was saying.

Armand smiled and closed his eyes for a while.

"You're right. Those words are for me" Armand said, leaving Cesar even more confused.

"Just give it up then." Cesar's surrender. Only his father always understood what his uncle was saying.

Armand stared at Abela's wide smile but not for her. Except for Calix who seemed to have comforted him.

"Uncle is not jealous?" ask Cesar. Cesar was still watching Abela and Calix, the two people looked very familiar.

"Jealous ... But I can't do anything about it" Armand replied beyond Cesar's expectations. Cesar looked at Armand in disbelief. He had not expected Armand to confess his feelings.

"In hindsight, since yesterday Uncle's attitude towards Madam Abela was very annoying. I'm not the one who's upset either. Especially him." Cesar begins to understand why Abela prefers to walk side by side with Calix rather than his uncle in his own words.

"He doesn't seem to mind" said Armand coldly. Cesar turned his head quickly towards her.

"Uncle knows, when Uncle sounded like he was destroying your room at the time ... The palace ... When Uncle screams lost his mind ... Bastian's at the door." Cesar said carefully.

Cesar remembers that moment he forced Bastian to come with him. Hoping that his cousin's sister did not fall into a fight between his father and his favorite madam.

"What did Bastian tell you?" armand asked, sounding not curious.

Cesar looked at the expression of what his uncle was showing. His face looked stiff, very obvious there was an emotion he was holding back.

"Bastian just said, he wished he didn't know anything," Cesar replied, he no longer looked at Armand as he looked at a large portrait at the end of the hall.

Calix just pulled down his curtain. No one tried to ban it. Everyone knows Calix is the man most entitled to this castle. Considering that the witch was his ancestor.

Cesar was stunned to see the face of the witch, for seventeen years of his life. He thought the most beautiful woman he had ever met was his uncle's lover. Cesar never knew if the witch had a charming face. His hair was the color of a burning fire, while his green eyes were staring intently behind the flickering eyes.

Cesar glanced at Armand with the corner of his eye. Feeling if Armand is stunned or not. Cesar wished that Armand's stiff face was still there like that. What he saw opened his mouth slightly. His uncle, looked at the painting with a smile on his face.

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"I wish I could bring this painting," murmured Calix softly, to which only Abela could hear.

"She, this witch is my ancestor madam" Calix replied.

"I know about that Duke, I'm just asking why do you want this portrait?"

"Of course, I just want to appreciate it," Calix's cup was still staring at the portrait of Arabela intently.

"I'm amazed by your loyalty to something you didn't know before."

"And what does that mean, madam?" Calix turned to shift his attention. Back on the side of Abela's face that lost her smile.

"I don't mean anything. But it'll be hard if that appreciation turns into an obsession." Abela said regardless of Calix's serious look at her.

"I still don't ...."

"If you were brave enough to come to this castle back then and hear what your ancestors wanted. I think all the bad things may never happen." Abela cut Calix's words with her heart that she had never spoken to anyone.

Abela smiled with her mind, she never spoke to anyone else because she did not have anyone to discuss with.

"But even since this witch left the Estonian castle. No one dared to approach him. That's inversely proportional to the appreciation we're talking about, Duke." Abela sighed and smiled.

"You don't even know what he wants. He just wanted to leave this world. Maybe in addition, his body was destroyed," Abela said calmly.

"What makes you think so madam?" Calix seems a little offended but he manages to keep his tone.

"Just put yourself in her position" Abela replied as she looked directly into the young man's eyes.

Calix smiled again as their eyes met, "I think you're right" he said.

Not far from where Calix and Abela were, Armand and Cesar stood hearing their conversation. No one is talking or interrupting. After all, even coming to this castle, they did not know what they would get.

Abela somehow felt Armand's sharp gaze behind her head. Spontaneously turned his head and found Armand visibly irritated to cross his hands in front of his chest. They stared for quite a long time, blue and brown making an imaginary line of communication between them.

Armand blinked both of his eyelids before smiling faintly. He approached Abela and called everyone's attention.

"The figure we're looking for has a face like this, even if it's just next door. Next to it like an old grandma. But maybe this time it's almost perfect like this" Armand points to the portrait of Arabela.

All answered Armand simultaneously. And the captain began to divide them into teams to split up.

"Abela and the crown prince will be one team with me" Armand told the captain.

The captain did not argue that, he knew very well that Abela and the crown prince's safety was entirely Armand's responsibility.

Calix was already about to present himself to one team with Armand, before he withdrew his intention from seeing Abela shake her head. Calix doesn't really understand why Abela stopped him. But somehow he wanted to obey what the madam ordered.

"And the Duke of Estonia, you can bring this portrait with you when our mission is over. The size is big enough for you to carry with you when doing missions," Armand said with an annoying smile.

Calix replied with a stiff smile, "Of course your majesty, I understand about that."

"Abela," called Armand and gestured with his head for Abela to make another way.

Abela sighed before doing her job. Apparently Armand chose the most dangerous place in this castle. And it looks like Armand knows exactly what that place is for. But he chose it intentionally. Making Abela again have to hold back her anger.

Before Abela went any further, her steps suddenly came to a halt as someone held her hand. Abela looked at who did it. And what he saw was Calix's face filled with a red hue. The man scratched his nape and smiled.

"I hope you're careful" Calix murmured softly.

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