ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 184: Someone doesn’t want to come back

Demian fell silent.

For a moment only a moment doubt flickered in his eyes. Not because of threats. Not because of the price. But because of the image of a woman standing on a green hillside, breathing freely without him.

And for the first time that night, Demian said nothing.

The great hall of Morvex Castle sank into a suffocating silence.

The torches along the walls burned with a dull yellow flame, crackling softly, as though they too were witnessing the tension thickening in the air. The shadows of the three men Demian, Kaiser, and Vedseel stretched long and overlapping across the marble floor, like destinies entwined yet refusing to merge.

Vedseel slowly turned his staff, its tip tapping against the stone floor tok... tok... the sound deliberately unhurried. His face still carried a faint smile, the smile of a sorcerer who had lived too long among secrets and regrets.

"Do you truly think," Vedseel repeated in a tone that bordered on casual, "that I would summon something from the abyss, only to send you home with an empty shadow that merely resembles Lady Valerie?"

He shook his head lightly. "No, Duke. If I find her, what returns will be her the same soul, the same blood. No less. No more."

Crown Prince Kaiser stepped forward half a pace. His ceremonial cloak brushed softly against the floor, but his gaze was hard, unmoved by magic or threat.

"That is not what I meant," he said calmly, each word measured and sharp. "I am not speaking of her body."

He turned his eyes directly to Demian.

"I am speaking of her will."

Demian stood rigid. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck tensing. For a moment, only the sound of his heavy breathing filled the hall.

"What do you mean?" he asked coldly.

Kaiser did not look away. "It is entirely possible that the Valerie you find... is a Valerie who no longer wishes to be with you."

The words fell like a hammer.

Vedseel halted his movement. Even his sly smile faded, replaced by a wary expression. He knew the statement was not mere provocation. It was a very real possibility.

Demian let out a short laugh. The sound was dry, almost fractured. "Desire is something that can be shaped," he said. "Broken. Rearranged."

Vedseel lifted a brow. "Ah. The classic creed of nobles who have lived too long with power."

Kaiser exhaled not in weariness, but in disappointment. "No, Demian. Will is not conquered land."

Demian stepped forward once. A cold aura spilled from him, making the torch flames tremble for a brief instant. "I saved her life. I gave her a name, a place, protection. Without me, she would already be dead."

"And with you," Kaiser shot back, "she stopped living."

The hall seemed to freeze.

Vedseel studied Demian for a long moment, this time without mockery. "Duke," he said quietly, "I will be honest with you something I rarely do. A seeking spell can find location, not consent. If her heart has decided to leave, forcing her return through bonds will... damage her."

Demian lowered his gaze to the floor. His hand clenched.

"If that is the price that must be paid," he said low, almost a whisper, yet heavy with dark resolve, "then I will pay it."

Kaiser closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his gaze held restrained sorrow. "Then prepare yourself," he said softly. "Because what you may find is not only a Valerie who has moved away... but a version of yourself that has been lost."

Silence fell once more heavier than before.

Far away, beneath a clear, star-filled night sky, Valerie sat before a nearly extinguished campfire. Lena’s blanket rested over her shoulders, and she cradled a cup of warm herbal drink in both hands.

She did not know what was unfolding within Morvex Castle. Yet her chest felt tight as though something were being slowly pulled from afar.

And for the first time in a long while, Valerie asked herself, If he truly comes looking for me... do I still want to be found?

Demian lifted his head.

The tremor of anger was gone from his gaze replaced by decision. Something cold, solid, and utterly non-negotiable.

"Whatever happens," he said quietly, yet his words echoed through the empty hall,"Valerie must return."

Vedseel narrowed his eyes. He had seen countless nobles force their will upon the world but Demian’s tone was different. This was not merely the desire to possess. It was obsession, grown from loss and left to harden.

"You speak as though the world will collapse if she does not," the sorcerer said.

Demian curved his lips into a faint smile one that never reached his eyes."Not the world," he replied. "Me."

Kaiser drew a long breath. "Demian," he said, no longer as Crown Prince, but as someone who had witnessed ruin firsthand. "Your marriage, your choices, the way you treated her those are what drove her away. You cannot pull her back simply because you have finally realized what you lost."

Demian turned sharply. "You know nothing about Valerie." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"It is precisely because I do," Kaiser answered softly, "that I am saying this."

Silence fell again.

Vedseel spoke at last, his voice low and careful. "There is something you must understand, Duke. If she is among the witches especially the wanderers then she is no longer merely hiding. She is protected. Not by walls, but by choice."

Demian stepped closer until only inches separated them. His dark aura weighed heavily on the air.

"Find her," he commanded. "Whatever you require blood, gold, oaths take it. But bring her back to me."

Vedseel held his gaze. For the first time, there was no mockery."And if what you find is a woman who looks at you without love?" he asked quietly. "If she asks you to let her go?"

Demian was silent for a moment.

Then his voice dropped deep, dangerous. "Then I will make her remember who I am to her."

Kaiser clenched his fists. "That is not love, Demian."

"I never said it was," Demian replied without hesitation. "It is a bond."

Vedseel released a long sigh. "Very well," he said at last. "I will begin the seeking ritual. But remember magic takes no sides. It only opens the path. What follows... will be your responsibility."

Demian turned away. His cloak swung sharply as he strode off. "If that responsibility means destroying anything that stands in my way," he said coldly, "then so be it."