The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 80: Throw the Bait

Chapter 80: Throw the Bait

As they entered the grand halls of the Eastern Duchy’s estate, the steward led Adeline and Dimitri to a set of comfortable guest rooms overlooking the gardens.

Looking at all the furniture and design, Adeline fell deep in thought. The steward was talking about something but she didn’t listen

With Dimitri here, why worry? He will tell her.

Once the steward left, Dimitri decided to go to his room and clean up. He looked at Adeline who was lost in thought. He called out to her.

"Adeline, what are you thinking?"

She was looking intently at the furniture, the carpets and the curtains.

"Hmm? Nothing much. I thought of hiring the Duchess as the interior designer for my room back at home. Just look at this. It’s beautiful!"

Dimitri was left speechless. Well, that was Adeline for you. Only she would think about asking the Eastern Duchess to design her room.

Adeline didn’t think much of her comment, she absolutely loved the aesthetic. She could see that her room was designed with her in mind. She peeked at Dimitri’s room, it was very different.

The Duchess had great taste indeed.

After settling in, the steward returned to inform them that the Duchess was currently preoccupied with business matters, and the Duke was away at the moment.

Dimitri had to agree with Adeline. Everything was so... Elegant. It was just so pleasing to look at.

Adeline nodded, glancing out of the large window that lit up the entire hallway. "The Eastern Duchy is known for its art. This estate is practically a museum."

Beautiful paintings lined the hallways and there was a beautiful marble state at every corner.

They heard some commotion coming from downstairs. They looked at each other once before slowly making their way to the source of the sound.

Adeline looked over the railing to see a tall, well-dressed man. He mostly had black hair but had a few grey hairs sticking out. He stood like a proper aristocrat as if trying to tell the world that nobility was in his blood.

At the same time, the man looked up meeting Adeline’s eyes. The man was clearly startled. His eyes widened in surprise.

His gaze was calculating, his brows furrowed as he took in the sight of the two children standing in his home. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then hesitated.

Adeline and Dimitri exchanged glances, there was some kind of silent communication between them.

Adeline whispered to Dimitri, "This has to be the Duke."

He nodded in response. His mind was elsewhere. His gaze stayed on the Duke. He had a bad feeling about this man. He would say it was intuition but the way the Duke looked at them... It was obvious. This man didn’t have good intentions.

He would be right. He whispered, "He doesn’t seem to like us too much. I could be wrong though."

He could be wrong, couldn’t he? He was the Eastern Duke, someone the Duchess held in high regard... Maybe he was overthinking things.

If Adeline knew what he was thinking she would sigh and say, "Oh you sweet summer child..."

The Duke wasn’t too happy with these two children in his house. However, what he thought was very different from the reality.

His wife hadn’t told him about the guests, to him, these were two kids his wife brought in. And that didn’t bode too well for him.

Adopting children was something he and the Duchess had discussed over the years, though they’d never made a final decision.

She was insistent on adopting a child and raising them to be the heir before they got too old. She was getting too impatient... And now, she just brought in children!

He gritted his teeth and tried not to jump to conclusions. He wanted his bring in his son... He was so close to accomplishing it...

As he continued to study them, footsteps echoed from the staircase in front of him. The Duchess descended, moving with a sense of purpose.

She descended from the staircase opposite to Adeline and Dimitri. She took a good look at the Duchess who so kindly agreed to take them in for a month.

She had beautiful white hair, like snow. Her eyes were green like emeralds, she looked like a fairy. So beautiful.

’What the hell is wrong with this guy?? Look at her! How could anyone cheat on her?!’ Adeline thought.

She was wearing a black dress, usually, the nobles wouldn’t dare to wear such an ominous colour that is reserved for funerals.

But she was such a woman. Daring, brilliant and smart.

Without much thought, Adeline jumped down the stairs to appear in front of the Duchess.

Upon reaching the bottom, her gaze landed on her husband and the two children, her eyes warming slightly.

The Duke, sensing her presence, turned to her, his confusion clear. "My dear," he began, gesturing toward Adeline and Dimitri, "I... did you...?"

"Hmm?" She didn’t like his mumbling, she liked it when people got to the point. She frowned and checked the time. She had an urgent matter to tend to. It was related to an important business deal. She had to leave right away.

She leaned closer to Duke and whispered. "This is Adeline, the daughter of the Western Marquess. I trust you know how to treat them."

The Duke was originally from a noble family but they didn’t have a title. He eventually caught the eye of the Duchess with his intelligence.

The Duchess valued intelligence more than anything. She liked everything done in a certain way and rarely anyone met her standard.

But, the Duke did. After a few months of courtship, they finally got married.

The Duchess reminded him out of kindness. The Marquess was her friend and someone of equal standing. She wanted to make sure the Duke wasn’t caught off guard.

But due to his own insecurities, he took this remark in the wrong way. As if she calling him incompetent. Reminding him of this child’s status made him sneer on the inside.

A five-year-old has an equal standing in society as him? What a joke.

He smiled and nodded at her ’advice’. The Duchess hadn’t clarified the situation any further because she was in a rush.

As the Duchess turned to leave, Adeline curtsied deeply. "Thank you, Your Grace," she said politely. "We’re grateful for your hospitality. I’m especially excited to learn from you"

She turned to Dimitri and Adeline. "Welcome to our residence, Lady Adeline," she said, her voice calm and polite. The Duchess gave a slight smile, "I look forward to speaking with you soon, Lady Adeline."

She nodded briefly to Dimitri without further acknowledgement. This kept the Duke on his toes, speculating the identity of the boy.

The Duchess continued, "I regret that I must leave immediately, but I’m certain you’ll both be comfortable here. My steward will take care of any needs you may have."

At this moment, Adeline had an idea to bait the Duke.

Adeline turned her attention to the Duke. She didn’t miss the dissatisfaction on his face. He clearly didn’t like them being here. Time to cause some chaos, Adeline smiled evilly.