the cold duke : derrick eckhart

four

The festival was well underway as the large crowds were forming, Penelope held onto you tight as the two of you were being pushed around by stronger bodies. She had reached for Derrick's hand as he pulled the both of you out of the crowd.

As the crowd grew you and Penelope could no longer hold each other and let go getting lost with the people. Derrick looked in horror as the two of you got separated and lost. You ended up near an orphanage, they were selling pastries. A little girl came up to you handing you some of her sweets, "thank you little one, here you are!" You give the girl some change as she happily runs into the home.

You began to walk around some more, this part of town wasn't as busy as the others but there was still some delicious food stands. Your mind wandered back to Penelope, was she alright? It was your first time out in the town in a while so you didn't exactly know where to go. After walking for a while your feet began to get tired.

So you decided to sit at a nearby bench to rest and then make your way back to the mansion. "Elianna Rose? Dear is that you?" A familiar voice echoes through me, you felt your body go cold as you  watched the woman, her husband and two sons make their way over to you. "Elianna! Dear I missed you so much" stepmother pulls you in for a hug. You felt her nails sinking into your skin, my father looked at me, "I hope the young duke is treating you well" he says walking away with stepmother.

Your two brothers stayed behind each sitting on each side, "Jasper look she thinks she all high and mighty because she's gonna be a duchess" your older brother Alexander says pulling your hair. "Last time I recall a duchess has a higher nobility than a viscount, so take it I don't want that silly title," your brothers give you an angry look. "Last time I check neither of you have noble blood, just some silly commoner blood pretending to be high status" you felt a sharp pain hit your right cheek. "No another word bitch," dazed you look at the two followed by a tall figure hitting them. Jasper gets up and charges at him only to stop when he take a good look, "Eckhart? Y-you" his voice trembles as my father and step mother come back, "Alexander, Jasper my boys are you okay!" She cries out to her sons.

You take a glance at Reynold who is wiping his hand with his shirt, it was the first time you had seen him with a dark look on his face. Jasper gets up charging at the pink haired boy as he swiftly dodges him giving him another blow. You felt a pair of arms on your shoulders, you turned around to see Derrick. "Reynold enough!" At the order of his brother he stops and stands next to you. "I hope I saw wrong," Reynold told Derrick. Your father walks up to you wanting to take your hand but Derrick slaps it away. "May I ask why a man places his hand on a woman of higher status?" Derrick asks the two boys.

Alexander hangs his head low while Jasper stands there looking at you. "ANSWER ME!" The two boys flinch. "Young duke I apologize on their behalf, you see they were simply playing around" stepmother says giving you a pleading look. "She's a duchess not a viscount, I will not tolerate disrespect towards my wife!" Watching Derrick defend you like this made your heart flutter. "Viscount Rose the business deal is over, however I will not hand back my wife she will stay with me" Derrick says taking you and Reynold with him.

****

You sat down at another nearby bench while Reynold went to get you some ice for your throbbing cheek. "Thank you..." you softly say. Derrick kneels in front of you caressing your cheek, "Those bastards won't hurt you anymore, and trust me me and Reynold will never treat Penelope like that" Reynold comes back placing the ice on your cheek, "Elianna those jerks are seriously related to you?" You smiled taking his hand, he blushed at the sudden contact, "does it hurt?" Reynold pulls it away. "Hmph I'm fine, now we can look for Penelope," you go to get up but Derrick takes your hand. His button was missing, must of been when Penelope was holding on to him. "Hold on tight we don't want to get lost" you smiled. it did bother you that he was acting like nothing happened especially after calling you his wife.

The three of you were walking for ever but still no sight of Penelope, everyone was starting to get worried.

Derrick looked at your tired face, "Reynold lets head back," he softly says picking you up. You hid your face blushing. "We can't she might be in danger," Reynold begins. "Or she went home" Derrick says turning around to go home. You wrapped your hands around his neck to have better balance. "If the deal is off why do you intend to marry me?" He looks into your eyes and smiles, "i don't think I can live with myself if I send you to the wolves" he says. "And unlike the other prospects I like you the most" all you could do was smile and hide your blushing face from him.

Next Morning

You stood with Derrick in the morning to talk about going back out there to look for her. When you heard loud commotions outside the office, you and Derrick made your way over to the crowd to see Penelope following her father.

Reynold was standing next to another young man who wore old and dirty clothes. He looked like he had been in war or something. "Why is this beggar here!" Reynold cries out while Derrick shields you from him just in case he pulls something. "Eckles go to the head butler please!" Penelope calls out from the office.

Everyone watches as the stranger leaves to find the head butler, "shouldn't we do something" Reynold asks Derrick who was just as confused. "Elianna don't go anywhere near him until i figure out who he is" Derrick says leaving you with Reynold. "Maybe he found her and walked her home?" Reynold scoffs, "look at you always trying to see the good in everyone" he says leaving the room.

he quickly comes back taking you with him, "he said not to leave you with him," he sheepishly says. Reynold has really grown on you, he can get angry for no reason but then try his best to make it up. That's when the two of you bumped into the stranger again.

Reynold got upset again and began questioning him, but the man still said nothing. You dared not engage with him due to be afraid that it might upset Derrick. Penelope finally arrived, "I was so worried," you cried out to the girl as she gave you an apologetic hug. "I'm sorry Eli i didn't" she stops her sentence when she notices your face. "Did my brother hit you?" She asks. "No no! I bumped into my own brother and he hit me" Penelope looked angry. "Next time I will kill them myself!" She says when Reynold rudely interrupts. "Again why is this beggar here!" You stayed quiet but also curious as to why he was here.

"He's my personal body guard," Reynold begins to laugh. "Why do you even need a slave to protect you!" she doesn't say anything but gives him a glare. "I'm going to rest" she says turning around as Reynold goes to grab her.

suddenly the slave roughly grabs him making you flinch. Although Penelope didn't seem to be afraid of the newcomer you however were. A sudden stranger coming here was not common. Penelope quickly put a stop to it, "I would have been dead yesterday if Eckles hadn't shown up," that sent shivers down your spine as Reynold stood there frozen as you both watched her leave.

There was something about Eckles

You knew you couldn't trust him.

Penelope's thoughts

Know that I realized I don't know much about Elianna's backstory, the game only made her Derrick's woman and nothing more. She got hurt yesterday because of me and by her own family too. whoever they are they will pay for this. Hopefully she can calm Derrick down a little.

Thanks for reading!