Part XX

A tomato would be jealous about Joel's face color this very moment. The duke was a shameless bastard, right now it sounded as if Joel was the one who was doing it all out of his one initiative. That fucker! Joel was boiling from rage inside him.

"I don't have much time now so do your job any shows can be postponed for later." The duke smiled genuinely and Joel wanted to hit his smug face. Just ignore him, do the job and leave.

"Your grace what do you want to wear?" Joel went into a small room with duke's clothes.

"White shirt, black tunic and black pants." Joel looked through the clothes and brought the one the duke ordered placing them on the bed.

"Help me to get dressed. Joel had to stand on his toes to put the shirt on and struggled with the lacing. Duke put his pants on and was helped by Joel when it came to the tunic.

"Today a dress maker will come to take your measures." He announced suddenly to stunned Joel. "As my private servant I want you to look presentable and wear your hair a bit up, showing those pretty curls." Saying that he touched Joel's strands sticking out from under the wrap.

"You do realize sir that as a man, I don't care about dresses." Joel replied coldly.

"You may not care but I want you to look pretty, for my own pleasure and don't forget that you represent me and my house." He stretched his arms and looked indifferently at the breakfast.

"Take it back to the kitchen, I'm not hungry." Joel took the tray and was about to leave when heard the duke saying "Bring me some more herbal tee and you know what Joel or is it Joy now?"

"Joy." He replied dryly.

"I enjoyed last night's view. Does Gerd know that you are such a pervert and love cumming when someone is watching you? Hmm." Joel just wanted to wipe out that fucking smile out of his face.

"Well, sir you were leaving my room in such a rush, was I giving you, how did your grace expressed it last nigh? A right hard time just by looking." Joel smiled sweetly and left cursing that fucker deep in his heart.

The dress maker was a fine looking middle aged woman, she knew her job and in no time the measurements were taken.

"The duke is very generous." She winked at Joel and gave him a meaningful smile. "He has ordered five dresses for you from the best materials I have. I must say I have been waiting for a moment like this and I'm happy for him and you too."

Joel said nothing. He has been branded as duke's lover. Just like that.

"The dresses will be ready in a week. I'll bring them personally."

"Thank you madam." Joel smiled as nicely as he could and went out of the keep to look for Francine. He found her in the garden taking care of the flowers.

"Hi Francine." He greeted her thinking how to start a conversation about Gerd.

"Oh, hi. I'm still not leaving." She answered hastily.

"Yeah I know the handsome Gerd. You should be careful you know, I was talking to other guards and he is a player." Joel bowed and started to help Francine.

"They are wrong about him or jealous." She looked angry.

"How can you know? You didn't even talk to him." Joel was pushing his luck.

"As a matter of a fact I did." She looked so triumphant at him. "He talked to me first."

"Really? What did he say?"

Francine blushed and wiped sweat from her forehead making her face dirty with the soil she has been working with.

"He asked me about my name, where I'm from and made me a complement about my beautiful eyes." Her face brightened with a big grin.

So typical, thought Joel, nothing fancy. Apparently it was enough for Francine.

"Wow, sounds like he got interested in you." Joel smiled too, but for different reasons.