Claude X Lia

Chapter 34

Lia’s face crinkled into a frown. Tilting her head away from him, forcing a note of confusion into her voice, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“How did you manage it?” He asked, closing the remaining distance between them.

The principal reached towards her, his hand nearing her breast. In astonishment, she clutched the book she had been carrying to her chest, effectively stopping him from grabbing her. This, however, did not deter him, as he grabbed the hem of her dress instead.

“I’m curious, is your underwear perhaps also that of a woman?” He whispered, his voice low. The putrid smell of his last meal, still on his breath, washed over her, invading her senses.

Lia breathed in sharply, clenching her fist. She thought of the dagger Claude had given her, safely strapped to her ankle, and wondered if she would need to use it.

“Eddie Kirkham fancies men,“ she recalled Claude’s rich voice informing her.

He had sounded unusually affected when informing her of the information. Lia desperately wished she had listened to him. But she hadn’t believed it would affect her. Oh, how wrong she had been.

She wondered internally if the Duke knew that the aid she was going to meet in the library would be Eddie Kirkham?

“Stop,“ Lia growled, the threat in her voice apparent.

“There is no need to be ashamed. I only wish to become acquainted with the intimacies of men. I don’t mean to harass you,“ he said, his silver words dripping with velvet.

“Sir!” she threatened, her voice low, murder in her gaze.

As his hand moved towards her inner thigh, she heard the deep baritone voice of the Duke.

“It’s over,” he stated, touching a dagger to Eddie Kirkham’s neck.

Lia’s mind went blank at the sight of Claude. He was drenched, his hair plastered against his forehead, his uniform clinging to his well-muscled frame.

Blood welled from where the cold metal touched Eddie’s neck. The flustered principal lifted his hands and smiled obsequiously.

“I seemed to have caused offense,” the principal said placatingly.

“Didn’t I tell you never to touch a student again?” the Duke inquired, his tone empty of all emotion.

“I wasn’t harassing Sir Canillian. It was only a joke,” he said, trying to play it off casually.

“It didn’t seem like much of a joke,“ Claude responded coldly.

The Duke’s gaze fixated on Canillia, who looked terrified. She saw something in his deep blue eyes, an unidentifiable emotion, shoved down, subdued, and restrained.

Claude moved the tip of his dagger from Eddie’s neck to his groin, declaring, “It’s just hard enough for me to cut.”

The principal blanched, his face draining of all color.

“Please. Duke… That’s too far. Stop,” the pitiful man begged.

“Apologize,” the Duke commanded.

“Please excuse me, Sir Canillian. I didn’t mean to harass you,” Eddie said, a glimmer of forced sincerity reflected in his voice.

Realizing where they were, Lia came back to her senses. She grabbed Claude’s hand, the one holding the dagger.

“Sir Claude, stop. There are people watching,” she implored.

“I thought you would be more grateful,“ he accused.