-Amber's POV-
I returned to the estate urgently after receiving my father's letter. For the first time in my life, my father was pleading for my return—something about an important arrangement that only me could save the family from ruin. The contents of the letter were desperate and intense; it seemed I was their last hope.
When I arrived, I was surprised to see everyone, my brothers, my father, the servants, greeting me with warm smiles. No one looked at me with scorn or coldness like before. I was genuinely pleased. Maybe, I thought, they had finally come to acknowledge my strength and achievements that I had achieved.
For the first time, it felt like I had a place to return to—like I was truly useful to my family. If that were the case, I even thought about bringing Alex here, letting him live with me at the estate under my care.
Then, my father and brothers called me into the meeting room. The warm smiles from earlier had completely faded—the air inside was heavy with tension.
"Father, if Duke Gyffard wants it, then just give it to him," said my eldest brother, Riley Dacre. He was thirty-five years old, tall, slender, and sharp-witted, much like our father. Before I left the family two years ago, he served as Father's trusted assistant and was next in line as head of the household.
"Please, Father. I just married into the Lauren Family. If they hear about this, they'll sever ties with us," my second brother added anxiously. His name was Dallas Dacre, three years younger than Riley. Though shorter, he was highly skilled with a sword and held a commander's post under Father's leadership.
"I've heard some of Duke Gyffard's men are already stirring trouble within the palace. I just hope that letter never reaches the royal court," said my third brother, Ewan Dacre. He was two years younger than Dallas and had taken a government post at the palace before I left home.
"The academy won't overlook this. If they find out about that, I might even get expelled," my fourth brother, Brenan Dacre, spoke up next. He was four years younger than Ewan and had always loved magic and research. When I was still a child, I often played with him. Before I left, he had just been accepted as an instructor and researcher at one of the most prestigious academies in the capital.
I couldn't bring myself to speak. I sat silently, listening as the four of them argued. My father's face was stiff with tension, yet he nodded in agreement with their discussion.
They didn't explain the full details, but whatever it was, it sounded like something only I could do. Eventually, they all concluded, if nothing else, I could be useful to the family through this.
Then they all turned toward me with smiles—but none of them felt genuine. Even my father's expression was forced.
"Amber," he said in a single breath, "in order for our family to become more prosperous, we've decided to arrange your marriage to Duke Gyffard."
Duke Gyffard… I had never heard that name before. Marriage? What marriage? Alex's face flashed through my mind—his warm, innocent smile tightening my chest.
"...But Father—"
As I tried to protest and ask what this was really about, he slammed his palm on the table, cutting me off.
"YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT DUKE GYFFARD IS EVEN WILLING TO MARRY A SHAMEFUL WOMAN LIKE YOU!"
He was breathless, rising slowly from his chair with cold eyes.
"At least do something useful for the family…"
And with that, he turned and walked out the door.
One by one, my brothers followed, none of them sparing me a glance, not even a word.
In just a few moments, the room that had been filled with heated voices was now silent.
I was left sitting there alone.
After a few days, I was living alone in the estate once again.
This time, things were different, strict restrictions were placed on me, and the entire estate was heavily guarded. They knew I was an S-rank adventurer.
They knew escape was always an option for me, so instead of trust, they caged me in with caution.
Later on, I was assigned with a court lady sent from Westfield—the land ruled by Duke Gyffard, to teach me how to behave like a proper noblewoman and housewife.
She was old, strict, and completely ruthless.
Each day, I was forced to learn things like etiquette, cooking, brewing tea, painting—everything but swinging a sword.
The worst part was being told that wielding a blade was no longer "appropriate" for someone like me.
At night I would pleasuring myself by imaging Alex's face and his body until I satisfied myself before going to sleep. This routine continued for half a year until Duke Gyffard came for his first visit.
His full name was Gyffard Westfield, the ruling duke of the southern territory of Westfield. He was old, fat, and nearly the same age as my father, somewhere in his late fifties.
His breath reeked, and his eyes leered at me with disgusting lust. Every time he tried to touch my hand or get close, I flinched and pulled away.
Frustrated, he scolded the court lady, accusing her of failing to teach me how to behave like a proper woman—a future wife worthy of him.
Before leaving, he said coldly that he would return and escort me to his land in another half of year, expecting me to be fully trained as a housewife by then.
Everyone in my family was furious that I had angered Duke Gyffard.
They all said I should stop acting so disgracefully, that I was useless and couldn't do anything meaningful for the family.
After that, I was locked inside the estate and forced to change my behaviour and the way I acted—day by day, piece by piece.
Before I knew it, half a year had passed.
And now, in just one more week, Duke Gyffard would come to take me away.
I was lonely and depressed, but the only thing that gave me hope—the person who lingered in my mind and my heart was Alex. I hadn't seen him in a year. He would be fifteen by now... he should've received his class.
I wondered if it was the same as mine, swordsman. I caught myself daydreaming about him again, but the frustration inside kept building.
More than anything, I wanted to see his face—just once—before I was taken away by Duke Gyffard.
I snuck out of the estate, disguised as one of the servants. As I made my way toward Endora, the village where I first met him—my heart pounded with every step, and my body felt tense and stiff.
When I arrived, I waited for him at the forest's entrance, just like I used to.
I even laid out a blanket at our usual spot.
To my surprise, he came.
But something about him was different. His presence, his aura—it had completely changed. Gone was the timid, nervous boy who always followed others without question. The Alex standing before me walked with confidence, his back straight, his gaze sharp and unwavering. I was stunned.
He was taller now, his frame broader and more muscular. His face still held that familiar, handsome charm… but his long hair, now partially covering one eye, gave him a mysterious edge.
As he stood close, something stirred inside me, a heat arousing all over my body, I could feel that pussy began to wet itself. I couldn't hold myself any longer after I saw him after a long time, so I drag him to our usual spot.
When we get there, somethings wrong with Alex, he would always listen to my command and follow my order, but this time he was silents, he stare at with a grin before I could react, he began to pull down his pant, grab my head and force my mouth thrusting into his giant cock.
I almost chocked to dead because of his huge fat cock as he pushes it into my mouth until it reached to my throat, for the first time Alex was the one who take the lead. And things that caught my attention was his face, he was smiling and enjoying it, while he fucking like a toy.
He than began to fuck my pussy aggressively without giving me any time to break or time to breath, I felt like I was being torture by his cock, it was painful and pleasure at the same time, my mind began to cloud with strange feeling that I couldn't explain, it was mix of pleasure and pain that I always wanted to experience as began to fuck me non-stop.
My mind gone crazy before I know it, I was already passed out.
He carried me back to the church and, to my surprise, he even allowed me to stay here.
But even then, I could feel it—he was always on edge around me.
It wasn't that he hated me, but there was a wall between us, a distance he refused to close.
He spoke to me with sharp words, always sounding aggressive…
Yet strangely, they didn't feel hostile.
It was as if he was trying to protect himself and everyone around him—from me.
And deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was the reason.
That I was the one who made him keep his guard up.
However, when I heard him say that he would deal with Duke Gyffard for my sake, my heart overflowed with joy.
It wasn't just empty words—there was conviction in his voice, and in his eyes, I saw a promise I could believe in.
For the first time in my life, someone was willing to fight for me.
Right now, the only thing I can do is prove myself worthy of his trust, is to protect everyone in this church and show him that I've changed.