Chapter 64: Whispers Under the Moonlight

The banquet had finally ended, leaving the grand hall bathed in the soft flicker of candlelight and the faint scent of wine and roses. Guests slowly trickled out, but Theodore and Verbena lingered at the edge of the garden terrace. The cool night air brushed against Verbena's skin, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

"Are you cold?" Theodore's voice broke the silence, low and velvety, almost too gentle for the terrifying villain duke he was known to be.

"I'm fine." She lied, wrapping her arms around herself out of instinct.

Without a word, Theodore shrugged off his cloak, draping it over her shoulders. It was far too big, the heavy fabric nearly swallowing her whole, but warmth radiated from it — and from him.

Verbena tried to suppress the flutter in her chest. This was just basic gentlemanly behavior, right? He wasn't being… affectionate. Not really.

"I noticed you didn't enjoy the prince's company," Theodore remarked casually, his gaze locked on the moon hanging above them.

She stiffened. "What's there to enjoy? That prince thinks the world revolves around him."

"Much like you believed the world revolved around divorcing me," Theodore said, his tone light but with that signature Hellgrave sharpness.

Verbena opened her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she sighed, leaning her elbows on the stone railing. "You make me sound so foolish."

"You were," he said bluntly, "but… you're my foolish wife."

Her heart skipped a beat — stupid heart. "You're oddly sweet tonight."

"Am I?" He stepped closer, the space between them narrowing until his arm brushed against hers. "Or are you just finally noticing?"

Her breath caught. Verbena wanted to change the subject, to crack a joke or retreat back into her usual defensive sarcasm, but his closeness made it impossible to think straight.

Instead, she found herself blurting out, "Did you always intend to keep me by your side?"

Theodore's expression softened, though only slightly. "I did," he admitted. "Even when you tried to escape me in every ridiculous way possible."

Her face heated, memories of fake illnesses, false letters, and the amnesia act flooding back. "You could've stopped me sooner," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

"And miss the entertainment?" A smirk tugged at his lips. "I'm a villain, remember? I take pleasure in tormenting my enemies… and my beloved wife."

The word "beloved" rang louder in her ears than it should have. Beloved. Was he joking? Or… did he mean it?

"I…" Verbena hesitated, clutching the edges of his cloak tighter around herself. "I don't understand you, Theodore Hellgrave."

"That makes two of us," he said, his fingers gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "But I'm willing to spend a lifetime figuring you out."

Before she could respond, the soft sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway. The head maid cleared her throat, trying to suppress a knowing smile. "Your Graces, the final guests have left. Shall I prepare the chambers?"

Verbena's face burned. "Y-Yes! Of course!"

Theodore, however, remained calm, offering his hand to his flustered wife. "Shall we retire, my dear?"

Her fingers hesitated before slipping into his, her heart hammering in her chest as they walked back inside together. The banquet may have ended, but the story of their slow-burn romance was just beginning.

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To be continued...