ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 81: Nothing more than a beggar

Valerie finally stepped forward, placing herself half a step in front of Jester.

"Stop," she said firmly." I will not allow you to speak like that about my family, or about me."

Ivanka studied Valerie for a long moment.

Then she smiled cold, satisfied.

"You’re free to be angry," she said. "But in the end, you’re still here because of the Duke’s generosity."

She tilted her head.

"And don’t misunderstand generosity doesn’t always last."

Silence fell.

Jester looked at Valerie, then back at Ivanka.

"If you think stepping on others will secure your position," he said quietly, "you’ve chosen the wrong targets."

Ivanka did not respond. She merely looked at them both for a moment, then turned and walked away with calm, measured steps as if she were the one who had won the exchange.

Only after Ivanka had gone did Valerie realize her breath was shaking.

Jester looked at her.

"Does she do that often?" he asked softly.

Valerie did not answer right away.

She only gave a small nod.

And for the first time since morning, something changed in Jester’s eyes not mere suspicion anymore, but anger.

"Val," he said low, "you’re not alone."

Valerie swallowed.

She wanted to believe that.

Valerie returned into the castle with steps slower than when she had left.

The long corridor was empty. Only the sound of her shoes echoed against the stone floor, colliding with thoughts still crowded by Ivanka’s words. She lowered her gaze, intending to go straight back to her room to retreat, as she had learned to do.

But as she passed Demian’s study, her steps slowed.

The door was slightly ajar.

Just enough to reveal a shadow inside.

Valerie had no intention of spying. She only... saw it. A glance. Unprepared. Unprotected.

Demian was standing near his desk.

And Ivanka was there.

Too close.

Ivanka’s hand rested at the collar of Demian’s coat, her fingers curled as if it were a place she was used to touching. Demian leaned down his movement familiar, unhesitating and their lips met.

Not a brief kiss.Not a formal one.

But something gentle. Intimate. As though the world outside that room did not exist.

Valerie stopped breathing.

Strangely, her first thought was not anger.

It’s fine, she told herself. This is normal. He has the right.

She even thought it shouldn’t hurt.

But her body disagreed.

Her chest felt as though it were being crushed from the inside. Something cold crept slowly through her, then turned into a sharp, piercing pain that blurred her vision. Her throat tightened, and the air she tried to draw in felt unbearably heavy.

She stepped back half a pace.

And that was when—

CRASH.

She collided with a servant who had just turned the corner, carrying a tray of porcelain cups and a silver teapot. Everything fell at once, the sound of shattering deafening.

Porcelain broke across the floor. Hot tea splashed. Metal struck stone with a harsh clang.

The noise shattered the moment.

Demian and Ivanka turned at the same time.

Demian’s gaze found Valerie instantly.

His expression changed shock, tension flashing across his face.

Ivanka saw her too and in a fraction of a second, the look in her eyes shifted into something difficult to read. Not surprise. More like... awareness.

Valerie froze.

For one second that felt far too long, their eyes met.

Valerie saw everything at once, Demian’s shock, Ivanka standing still far too close, the open door of the study as if the world itself had chosen to expose it to her.

The servant dropped to their knees in panic, apologizing over and over.

But Valerie heard nothing.

She took another step back.

Then she turned.

And walked away.

Her steps were fast too fast to be called calm. Her skirt fluttered as she moved down the corridor, her breaths short and uneven, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

She did not look back.Did not stop.Did not wait for any explanation.

Behind her, Demian called her name.

Valerie did not answer.

She only kept walking leaving the broken shards on the floor behind her, leaving the study now thick with air she could no longer breathe, and carrying with her one bitter certainty, That some wounds still hurteven when we have tried to convince ourselves that they shouldn’t.

Demian moved out of his study on instinct.

One step.Two steps.

Valerie’s name was already on his lips when—

"Ah...!"

Ivanka stumbled.

Her hand lifted, clutching Demian’s arm in a movement that looked spontaneous. Her face paled instantly, color draining from her lips as her body tilted, as though it could no longer support itself.

Demian stopped.

"Ivanka?" He turned quickly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ivanka let out a soft groan, her breathing uneven. "I’m sorry... I suddenly feel... dizzy." Her voice was weak, fragile, trembling at the edges. "I don’t think I’m well."

Demian glanced toward the corridor.

Valerie was already gone.

Only the edge of her skirt perhaps, or perhaps only a shadow in his mind seemed to vanish around the distant corner.

Demian’s jaw tightened.

"Ivanka, I have to—"

Ivanka nearly collapsed if Demian hadn’t caught her in time. Her head rested against his chest, her fingers gripping his coat more tightly.

"Don’t leave me now," she whispered softly. "I really don’t have the strength."

There was a brief pause.

Very brief.

But long enough for a decision.

Demian drew a deep breath, then nodded slowly. "All right. Sit."

He guided Ivanka to the nearest chair, calling for a servant in a commanding tone. Water was requested. A doctor summoned. The curtains were partially drawn to soften the light.

Everything was done quickly. Efficiently.

Yet in between, his gaze flicked back toward the empty corridor where Valerie had disappeared.

Ivanka, her head lowered, hid the faint curve of a smile at the corner of her lips.

"I didn’t mean to cause a scene," she said softly, her voice still sounding weak. "I was just... startled earlier. Perhaps I’m too tired."

Demian gave a brief nod. "Rest."