Beatrice's pov
The moment Edward gave his order, everything changed. There was no more casual chatter, no one exchanged quiet looks, and no one second-guessed him. Everyone bowed quickly and left the room, leaving me completely alone with the Duke. The sound of the heavy office door closing was not just a click; it sounded like the final snap of a trap.
My mind raced, full of panic and curiosity.
Edward's face, which was usually very handsome, now looked cold and hard, like carved stone. He seemed dangerous, and I could feel a strong, hidden anger coming from him.
"Miss Beatrice, please sit down."
His voice was polite, but there was a sharp edge underneath, like a hidden knife. I could feel the low, steady anger. My legs felt shaky, and my heart was beating so fast and loud I thought he might hear it. Even so, I forced myself to walk toward the soft chairs in his huge office.
I sat on the cushioned couch and immediately tried to push my shaking hands inside the wide sleeves of my dress. I needed to hide how terrified I was. But before I could fully cover them, he was already there, sitting right across from me.
I had no idea how he moved from his desk to the couch without making a sound. Maybe I was too scared to notice anything, but his silent movement made me feel even more uneasy.
"There are two ways this talk can go," he started, his voice quiet but very strong. "The easy way, or the worst way. Your answer to the question I am about to ask will decide how the rest of our conversation goes." He waited, letting the silence grow heavy between us, wanting me to speak first.
"I will do my best to answer, Your Grace," I said. I tried hard not to let my voice tremble. I thought using his formal title was the right thing to do, but I was wrong. His face instantly twisted into a deep frown.
"We are getting married in just two days, and you call me by my title?" he asked, his voice full of authority.
I was confused for a moment, then I understood. He had used my first name when speaking to me earlier, which meant he wanted to be less formal now that we were alone. My formal address was like putting a wall between us.
"Edward. I understand. I won't make that mistake again," I quickly corrected myself. I focused on sounding calm and strong so he couldn't see how much he scared me. He nodded once, accepting my answer.
"Good. Now, can you explain why you went to the Information Guide and asked for all the private details about everyone working in my estate?"
My hope vanished. He knows everything. I couldn't just tell him the truth that I needed a secret army to protect me from being exposed.
Lying completely was also impossible, because he was clearly very powerful.
I thought about his words: The easy way, or the worst way.
My heart dropped into my stomach. I decided to tell him a truth that was only half-real, making it sound like I was doing it for a good reason.
"I only wanted to know who I could trust when I officially become your wife, the Duchess of this estate," I explained, looking straight into his eyes without blinking. "I wanted to know if any of the staff were doing bad things that I would need to fix right away when I take over my duties. I promise I meant no harm; I only wanted to make sure your home was secure and running smoothly."
I silently begged that he would believe the sincerity I forced onto my face. He stared at me, his eyes studying every part of my expression, as if checking my story against a book. The quiet moment felt like it lasted forever.
"Is that the same reason you asked for the same information from your own house?" he finally asked, his voice low and serious. "You asked for details about your family's servants, too. Was that also for security, or are you just playing a game with me?"
"My parents asked me to choose a few trusted servants to bring with me to your estate after the wedding," I quickly replied, sticking to my prepared story. "But when I tried to choose them, I didn't know their true feelings. I didn't know if they were still loyal to my family or if they would betray me or cause problems in your home. So, I decided to check their records at the same time as yours. It was all for security." I hoped he would accept my story, even though my real reason was much more urgent: to find a safe way out.
"I would have liked it more if you had just asked me directly," he said after a very long silence. He seemed to accept the part of the truth I had given him.
"But asking you directly would be like saying I don't trust your choices, and saying I don't trust your choices is the same as doubting your power," I argued, using smart words to cover my fear. "Also, I wasn't sure if you would trust a future wife with such important secrets.
But I am truly sorry for doing it without telling you first, no matter my reasons."
"I understand and I believe you," he finished, and the tightness in the air finally broke, making the weight in my chest disappear slightly. "But I still feel I should have been told first."
The huge relief that washed over me was almost sickening. I realized I had been holding my breath the whole time.
"May I ask you some questions as well?" I asked, taking a chance. I had things I needed to know, and this was my chance.
"It is only fair that you get to ask yours, since I had asked mine," he agreed, giving a small nod.
"Are you the owner of the Information Guide?" I asked immediately, choosing the most shocking question first. "The Information Guide is famous for keeping secrets. No information they give out is ever shared with the other person, unless the person asking is the actual owner and controls everything."
"You guessed right."
I felt a jolt of pure dread. I had thought it might be true, but hearing him say it made it real. The man I was marrying was unbelievably powerful. He was the secret collector of all knowledge in the empire.
"So why did you allow it…" I started, my voice barely a whisper, trying to understand why he let me ask for the documents if he knew everything already.
"You can only ask one more question, Beatrice. Only one more, and that's all," he interrupted, stopping my thoughts instantly. He looked at me, serious and unyielding. "I don't have to explain myself to you, do I?"
Suddenly, all the important questions in my head started fighting with each other. I wanted to know: Why did he shame me at the ball? Why did he ask for useless land as dowry? Why did he speed up the wedding? All these questions felt like life and death. I needed to know the political value of the land, the reason for his public cruelty, and his sudden rush to marry.
Since I couldn't choose the most important one, I decided not to speak at all.
"Then I will keep it for later," I replied, standing up with careful movements. "I have too many urgent things I need to ask, and I think that answering one question would just create ten more in my mind. So, I will save this. You owe me one free question."
"Your choice," he said simply.
"I will leave now, Edward. I should not stay here unescorted with you for too long," I said, bowing quickly. I had to leave before I lost my nerve completely.
"Be careful on your way out," he said, still watching me.
I left the office, and as soon as the door closed, the relief I had felt vanished. The fear returned, bigger than before. If Edward owned the Information Guide, and the King approved of it, then Edward was the King's right-hand man for secrets. His influence was vast. How long would it take him to find out the real, ugly truth about my life? My low birth, the fraud, my dark past.
The fear of being exposed felt like a certainty now. My only way to survive was to act perfectly like the devoted Duchess he expected.
A sudden, hard stop of the carriage brought me back to the present. We were back on the road heading to the Count's estate. I quickly told the coachman to change course and go straight to the seamstress's shop. I needed to pick up my wedding dress.
As I stepped out and entered the shop, the hushed voices and whispers immediately reached me. The rumors about me were still very much alive after the disaster at the ball.
"Is that the girl? The one everyone is talking about?"
"They say she's still marrying the Duke. He must not care about her reputation."
"How can she even show her face in public after that embarrassment?"
The rumors were sticking to my name like mud. Since Edward had so much power and was tied to the King, I could not let this bad talk hurt his status or my new Duchess title. If I was going to be his wife, I had to protect his name.
I tightened my jaw. I didn't have political power, but I was smart, and I knew how to make people pay attention.
I decided it was time to speak up and stop the rumors myself, right now.