The Duke Who's Devilish (Higher Court I)

II. Meeting the Duke of Belikov

Niklaus Dragomir, the 8th Duke of Belikov, was staring out of the room that he was taking a sip of his tea that was laced with blood. He smacked his mouth before his butler was knocking on the door. The door opened and Niklaus was glancing over his shoulder before he was regarding the butler.

"What is it now?" He asked as he was having a hard time keeping track of time when he was supposed to be balancing the ledgers and all that happened with his tenants and trying to keep the food on their table and a roof under their heads.

Belikov's responsibility was included with Royal Molftus, where the Lesser Gentry and the Higher Court resided but they must be sustained and that's where his tenants came to feed the wealthy. He was having the big responsibility to keep the tenants and gentry happy as well as serving the young queen of Niapachad Island as well.

"You have an engagement tonight that you asked me to remind you, Your Grace," the butler said as Niklaus sighed. He rubbed his face with his free hand before he turned to look at the door.

"And what is my engagement exactly?" He asked as the butler was coming into the room and carried a letter. He gave it to Niklaus before the duke opened it and read it. He arched his eyebrow. "A ball?"

"Yes, on behalf of the young queen," the butler said before Niklaus sighed. He waved his hand away before the butler was out of the room. He turned to look at the sunlight that was on the horizon before Niklaus was thinking about the decision of the Higher Court regarding his heritage.

They asked him to find a bride and produce an heir.

Niklaus' grip on the teacup tightened before he was looking at the invitation again. He thought that maybe this was one of the ways that the young queen ensured that she trusted the court to produce their lineage as soon as possible to secure the position. Niklaus put the teacup down before he strode out of the room.

Maybe it was time to secure a bride, he thought.

*****

"Why do you have to make it so tight?" Becca whined as she was trying to breathe through the corset that her lady's maid was tied behind her back.

"Sorry, mum. I don't think that it would be that tight," the maid said as Becca instructed her to loosen it up. "Like this?" The maid asked before Becca was taking a deep breath. She never thought that she would be appreciating to breathe normally through that tight corset. Even if it was for comfort and accentuate her excellent figure.

Like I need anything more of that, she thought.

"Okay, let's get moving, shall we?" Becca said as she was looking at the petticoats, 5 layers that she had to put on and she has to wear the corset cover as well before she can even get into the actual gown that she will be adorning tonight. "I think Lady Georgia was trying to kill me with those clothing," Becca joked before her lady's maid was chuckling. She was standing straight as the maid was taking the first layer of petticoats to be put on her.

"Let the torture begin," she said as she was getting ready for the ball with constant curses in her mind. Not that her lady's maid knows or heard about it, only Becca herself.

After a few hours of perfecting the perfect silhouette of the respected lady as well as the worthy status of her father, Becca was descending the stairs of her father's manor. Her parents were waiting for her downstairs before they gasped at her.

"Oh, Becca darling, you look amazing," her mother compliment her as Becca was smiling, trying to conceal the fact that she was about to fall if she did not balance herself on those shoes.

Those tight and high shoes.

"Well, thank you, I tried my best to look presentable for the ball that I care less," Becca said sarcastically before her mother was glaring at her. Becca smiled before she was greeting her father, Lord Matthew Davis. Their family has been extended to visit someone from the modern world but Lord Matthew refused since they have to leave the island. And they never did, in their entire life. Only Klara, a daughter that Lord Matthew found when she was shipwrecked and raised her like she was his own.