Married to the Villainous Duke

Chapter 20

"I believe you."

"What?! I mean- Are you sure? You don't think I'm crazy?" Estelle questions Nikolaidis with a bewildered face.

"Yes." He cocks his head to one side. Did she think I wouldn't believe her?

"But why?!"

"Estelle, all kinds of strange magical unexplainable things happen in the world. Why wouldn't I believe in what you just said?"

She stares at the sky, a strange look in her eyes. She smiles then starts quietly chuckling to herself which slowly turns to maniacal laughter. What is wrong with Estelle? The Duke could only stare at his wife.

"My love, if you laugh like that, I might start to think you're crazy," he tells her.

She stops immediately but her cheeks are flushed red from embarrassment. He reaches out to stroke the side of her face. My wife is so cute, it's driving me insane...

It's so strange though. If she became another person, I think I would have felt differently when I saw her after I returned from my mission at the western border. The people who knew her, especially her family and friends, would have felt it too. Even more so than me since they were much closer to her than I was.

"Was this the reason why you were crying alone at the balcony when I returned?" 

She nods in response without speaking. How much did she suffer from loneliness? Waking up alone in a strange new world. Knowing no one. Forgetting even your own name. It's painful to think she endured this by herself for the past two months.

"Do you wish to go back home?" He asks, his voice coming out weak.

I've only gotten to know Estelle for a short time but my feelings for her have grown to the point that I don't know what I'll do without her beside me. I'm afraid of her leaving me. However, I don't want to hold it against her if she wants return to her own world. She must have had family, friends, dreams, goals, a different lover...

She smiles, a bitter-sweet one, "I don't know how... But I'm not going to leave because you're here, Niko. You're my home now."

"Estelle..." He holds her small face in his hand and leans in, "I love you."

He closes the space between their lips. Hers feel soft and warm against his own. He kisses her, expressing the love he feels that no words could suffice. It's an intense emotion that spews from his heart like a bucket overfilling with water.

She pulls back, "your feelings for me haven't changed?"

"Why would it change?"

"Because I'm not Estelle..."

"It's true that I loved the Estelle from before but I only fell for her beauty and never got to know her. Now, I'm in love with you. The person who I'm slowly becoming closer to. The woman who I'm making memories with. The lady I wish to hold and protect. The you who loves me in return."

Tears begin to form in her honey colored eyes as she gazes at him. It makes his chest swell with a happiness he's never felt before.

He embraces her and whispers in her ear, "I know in my whole being that you are the Estelle that I love and will always love."

~•~ ~•~ ~•••~ ~•~ ~•~

"My lord, here's the report on the coming trial that will be held in 3 days," Stefano says.

The orange haired assistant hands Nikolaidis a couple of papers. They're in the Duke's office, going over the work for the new week. Nikolaidis is seated in front of his desk, the usual mountain of documents surrounding him.