The Duke's Passion

Chapter 670 It is really a problem

In the west palace...

Tilly tilted her head to the side, sitting across from the young boy across from her. The small round table between them had tea and snacks they could enjoy, but both of them didn't touch them.

"You look cute," were the first words that came out of her mouth after staring at the young Claude for quite some time.

"Thank you." Claude nodded.

Just moments ago, he had felt her presence in the west palace. There weren't many people stationed in this place. Actually, there wasn't a single maid permanently stationed in this place to serve the crown prince.

He preferred it that way, though. The reason even when Klaus offered him to ask Stefan, he refused adamantly. In other words, he would know if there was another person in this place aside from him.

So he invited this intruder inside the sitting room and prepared her cold tea and snacks since that was the only available. He hadn't asked any questions; he wasn't interested in her intention. His interest leaned more on who this woman was.

"You don't look like someone from here," he pointed out, studying the youthful face of the woman. If Claude was a little less keen, he would get deceived by the woman's appearance. She looked like someone who was in her late teens, but her aura was different. A vampire could tell she wasn't any ordinary vampire.

"Because I'm not from here," she answered in the same soft yet blank tone. "I am traveling with my relatives and dropped by here to check on something."

"I see." Claude rocked his head and didn't probe anymore. He wasn't the type to ask a series of questions; he was used to not asking more than one question or two.

"I hope it is fruitful."

"It depends." Tilly pursed her lips and picked up a biscuit to her lips. "It's hard and cold."

"It's been there for days." He blinked, watching her still chew the hard rock cookie he prepared just to make the table look more appealing. "You don't have to force yourself and spit it out. I won't mind."

"It's alright. I have strong teeth and I'm too lazy to wipe my mouth."

"..." Claude watched her chew the biscuit, listening to the loud crunch each time before her throat moved up and down when she swallowed it. "It's rotten too."

"It's still better than rotten eggs."

He once again remained silent while staring at the strange woman across from him. He thought Klaus, his uncle and the only person who had time to spare for him, was already strange. But it seemed his horizon was still limited and hadn't met a lot of even more strange people.

"It still tastes terrible, though," Tilly commented after swallowing down the piece she ate, only to take another bite. "How can you eat it?"

"I don't. That's why it's been here for days."

"I see." She nodded in understanding, continuing to eat the cookie until she finished the whole thing. "No more."

Tilly dusted her hands and then placed them on her lap. Her eyes moved towards the teacup that had a cold tea on it, wondering if she should drink it even though she preferred it hot.

"Second question and probably the last. Why are you here?" he asked when he couldn't take it anymore.

He never thought someone would bewilder him so much in this life that he was utterly intrigued about this strange visitor whom he welcomed, just because he felt like welcoming this particular guest.

"I told you," said Tilly while reaching for the cold tea. "I came here to check on something."

"Like?"

"You said that is your second and probably the last question." She pointed out, guiding the teacup to her lips. Her expression didn't change even when the bitter taste filled her mouth and her stomach felt cold from the tea she drank.

"It's not good too," she commented in the same tone. "You have a terrible taste in food."

"I don't eat anything that is served to me."

"Then what do you eat?"

"Only the ones my uncle gives me."

"I see..." Tilly nodded as she glanced over the food that looked appealing in the eye but tasted terrible. Well, anything would taste horrible if they were left untouched for days. It was not like this type was meant to be fermented.

minute of silence, gazing up at him. "You shouldn't be here."

"What?" he frowned at her blunt remarks.

"I came to check up on you," she suddenly opened up after a minute of silence, gazing up at him. "You shouldn't be here."

"What?" he frowned at her blunt remarks.

"Your existence is what I mean." His frown grew worse, thinking she was one of them who also thought he should've just died along with his parents. "Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean you should've died. What I'm saying is..."

Tilly trailed off as she raised her head, locking eyes with him. "You two can't live at the same time."

This time, her remarks threw him into an ocean of question marks. The space between his brows furrowed, tilting his head the longer he stared at her unchanging expression. The look in her eyes didn't seem like she was mocking him or anything of what he initially thought. If anything, Tilly looked like someone who was trying to figure out something she was also bewildered about.

"This is a problem," she continued after staring for a minute. "I'm concerned."

"I don't understand what you are telling me."

"Auron." His already furrowed brows creased even more upon the mention of his divine weapon. "Have you wielded it?"

"Why would you ask such a personal question?"

"To confirm something."

"I haven't recently. Why?"

"Can I see it?" Claude studied her for a moment after her request before he slid his hand inside his vest to take out a pocket watch. He placed it on top of the table, sliding it forward to where his short arm could extend. Tilly simply glanced at it before she raised her eyes back to him.

"It is really a problem." She nodded and this time, her eyes sharpen a little. "A huge one."

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