His Duchess is a Ghost (Novel) - Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Alena was taken aback. His words were unexpected, almost nonsensical. What in the afterlife was this man trying to… No, this must be another mind game of his, right?!

"Oh, pardon me for not being up to your standards, Duke." Alena's tone was laced with biting sarcasm. “I'm not accustomed to taking lives, unlike you. But go ahead, underestimate me as much as you like... In the end, I'll be the one to finish you."

A ghost of a smile seemed to have appeared on his face, momentarily shocking Alena. Did he really just… smile? This stone-faced man? Smiled? No way… that might just be her imagination!

“You might find this hard to believe, Duchess, but you are among the few who have managed to injure me,” he admitted. “And that's precisely why I'm telling you this.”

Alena’s brows creased tighter, confused. What the hell was this man trying to say now?

“Because next time, if you attack me and fail to kill me again, I’m not going to just let you go like nothing had happened.” He continued, and this time, Alena’s gaze at him became sharp as a blade. “You do understand what happens to assassins who get caught, don’t you?”

Alena fixed him with a defiant glare. “How many times must I remind you that a dead woman like me fears nothing? You can try to torture me, but since I'm already dead, I won't die, regardless of what you do. Pain and death won't stop me. Unless you prove yourself innocent, nothing would ever stop me from coming for your head, Kaztiel Donovian! Nothing!”

“I know…” he replied in a voice so deep and gravelly. Something in the way he looked at her as he uttered those two words unnerved her in a way she could not quite explain. How could he be so calm, no matter what she did or said?

And then his fingers were suddenly on her face. His thumb wiped away something wet that was splattered on the corner of her lips.

In that moment, Alena’s face inexplicably heated up, instantly reminded that his semen was still on her face! And just like that, the image of him looking so utterly hot as hell as he climaxed right in front of her filled her mind. Oh… curse it…!

Alena wanted to slap herself. She was truly infuriated at herself now for being so easily distracted like this. She was never this easily swayed! She had prided herself on being the one who had the best concentration, not only among all the nobles, but she was even better than her brothers! So what has happened to her now? How was she suddenly like this before this infuriating duke? And how could her body react so intensely even with the faintest of his touch, especially in such a tense situation, and especially with him, of all people?!

“But worry not... you are my duchess, so I assure you, you won't be punished like other assassins. However…” His thumb brushed her lips, parting them slightly, which made her heartbeats race harder against her will. “I will be 'punishing' you in bed, Duchess.”

What he said echoed in her head. W-what did he just…

Her eyes belatedly widened in shock, her face turning a deeper shade of red. “Y-you… pervert!!” she exclaimed.

“I felt that…”

“W-what…?” she stammered.

“You twitched…”

“Huh? What the hell are you –”

“You just twitched… down there.”

Her face burned hotter than before. “You freaking… pervert!” she exclaimed, burying her face into his chest to hide her flushed cheeks. In her mind, a storm of confusion raged.
How was it possible to swing so wildly between a thirst for vengeance and unwanted arousal in just a blink of an eye? Was there something broken within her? How could she, intent on bloodlust, find herself swayed by such primal desires at the same time? What in the afterlife was going on with her? Was she really broken?!

In the midst of her utter mortification, Alena finally realized the intimacy of their position. She abruptly became aware that she was straddling him, her only protection being the thin undergarment under her wedding dress, preventing direct contact between their sexes. Curse it! No wonder he felt that!!

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CHAPTER 26>>