Damian and Louis turned sharply, only to find a young lady standing before them, clutching a bag tightly in her hands.
"Who are you? And who permitted you to intrude upon this wing of the palace?" Damian demanded, his brow furrowing as his jaw tightened with simmering fury.
The woman offered a curtsy. "Pardon my lack of introduction, Your Grace. I am Rosaline Astellian, the younger sister of Eilika."
Louis scanned her face, his expression skeptical. "There is not a single point of similarity between the two of you," he remarked dryly.
"Eilika is my stepsister," Rosaline clarified.
Louis leaned in, his voice dropping to a low whisper against Damian's ear. "She feels suspicious. Her timing is far too convenient."
Damian didn't break eye contact with the girl. "She is no longer your sister. You will address her as Duchess Eilika," he pronounced, his voice echoing with authority. "Did the servants not inform Lady Rosaline that the Duchess is not in my company, but with my son?"
"Ah, they did, Your Grace. My sister refused to talk to me, so I thought to leave this present I brought for you in your care. I was also curious to meet my brother-in-law. You didn't come to the wedding hall last night, so Mother and Father asked me—"
"Leave," Damian interjected, not allowing her to finish.
Rosaline was flabbergasted. She had heard rumors of the Duke's icy temperament, but she hadn't anticipated such blatant arrogance. Realizing that any further argument would be futile, she lowered her gaze and quietly retreated from his sight.
"That was harsh," Louis remarked, stepping closer to the balustrade.
"She is cleverer than she looks," Damian muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Her words were a transparent attempt to instigate me."
Before Louis could respond, a peal of bright, melodic laughter drifted up from the gardens, a sound Damian hadn't heard from his son in four years. He looked down from the balcony as he watched Eilika embrace the boy with an easy, natural affection, as if she were truly his mother.
"Why don't you go to them?" Louis suggested. He studied his friend's silent, stoic profile for a long moment before finally bowing. "I'll take my leave, Your Grace."
Left alone with his thoughts, Damian eventually turned to return to his quarters, only to find his mother, Georgia, waiting for him in the drawing room.
"What is it now?" he asked, his voice weary as he sank into the sofa across from her.
"I am suggesting that you take Eilika to Avelry County for a honeymoon," Georgia stated firmly. "I watched her with Roman earlier. I have already finalized the arrangements for your departure, and I have no desire to hear your protests."
"And what of Roman?" Damian countered.
"Take him with you," Georgia insisted. "The boy has already claimed Eilika as his mother. It is high time you did the same and began building a relationship with your own son."
"My plate is full enough as it is," Damian replied, his tone hardening as he rejected the offer. "Besides, Mother, I have asked you repeatedly to stop interfering in my life. You have already done what you deemed best; bringing Eilika into this house was your design, and I only conceded for Roman's sake. A honeymoon, or a trip of any kind, is not something I desire. Let this be the last time I have to ask you to stay out of my affairs."
Georgia looked at her son in disbelief, her hands tightening in her lap. "Fine. Do as you wish. But I warn you, Damian, do not hurt Eilika."
"When did I ever do that, Mother?" Damian asked, his gaze hardening into a cold, accusing stare. "In fact, weren't you the one who wounded her by commenting on her scar? Why must you judge a woman's worth based on a mark she cannot change?"
Georgia's lips quivered, and she shook her head in a frantic, defensive gesture. "When did I do such a thing? I merely told Eilika that if the scar were not there, she would find it much easier to win your heart."
"Mother, do you truly know me so little?" Damian countered in a sharp voice. "When have I ever been swayed by a woman's beauty? In the past, many have tried to entice me with their looks, and not one succeeded. Eilika cannot win my heart because there is simply no room for her inside me. You are aware of the walls I've built, yet you fill her head with these impossible lessons."
He rose to his feet as he prepared to leave the conversation behind.
"Your first wife is dead, Damian. Eilika must take her place, and soon," Georgia declared, rising to her feet to match his intensity.
Damian paused, his frame tensing as he turned back to her. Before he could retort, the valet announced Eilika's arrival. Georgia shifted her gaze toward the door as Eilika entered, her hand firmly grasped by Roman.
"Why are you so worried about entering your father's room?" Eilika asked Roman softly, her head bowed as she focused on the boy. "You should tell him about your lessons today. That is how your father will come to understand you better."
She trailed off abruptly, her heart skipping a beat as she realized both Damian and Georgia were standing in the center of the drawing room. She shot a quick, confused glance at the valet; he hadn't warned her that the Duke was also present. 'Did they hear what I said?' she wondered.
"Good afternoon, Father. Good afternoon, Grandmother," Roman said, offering a humble bow.
"Good afternoon, dear," Georgia replied warmly, moving toward her grandson to bridge the distance. "Did you enjoy your time playing with your mother?"
"Yes, Grandma!" Roman chirped, his eyes lighting up for a brief second before he looked toward his father. Damian, however, had already averted his eyes, his gaze fixed on a distant point out the window.
"Let your father and mother speak. Come with me," Georgia said, holding Roman's hand and taking him outside. The valet had disappeared too, leaving both the Duke and Duchess alone.