Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Who.. who are you?" Evan hid her daughter behind her as her eyes trembled.

She could feel the pressure coming from the fading woman. Could she be a ghost! She had never seen anything like that..

The eyes of the woman softened. It was not the first time that others had been scared of her.

"I am an undead spirit. I am alive and my body is imprisoned almost on the verge of dying. But I have a way to leave it and come for help for my child." she explained with a patient look on her face that did not match her stature.

"I apologize for barging into your room. I am the birth mother of Leo, my name is Hazel. When I was caught after the death of my husband, I had left Leo in the carriage of your aunt.

But I never knew that he would take your place and was relieved that you did not resent him for that." she sighed, as she looked at Evan with a grateful look but did not take a step further.

She could see the fear dancing in the eyes of Evan termoring her.

"Is it.. If you are so afraid then I will leave. But before going, can I see my granddaughter, even if it is from afar?" asked Hazel with misty eyes.

She could not see her face clearly but Evan felt the pain in the voice of the woman who looked helpless.

It might be a trap too. She knew, a black magic! She had heard about it in the town. How witches and wizards exist in the woods and eat humans.

How many nobles used black magic to get rid of their enemies. What if it was a trick from his majesty? Then she would place her daughter in danger.

But looking at the face of the woman and hearing her voice, Evan felt warmth and pain, not hostility or threat.

But she did not dare to trust her instincts and soften her stature.

"Only from afar. If you try to take a step closer, I will call others." the woman laughed. She knew that Evan was a sheltered child when it comes to physical strength.

All her time, she had spent looking at both of them, yet she was a brave one. How she never gave up, no matter what she faced in her life.

Hazel nodded her head. It was fine if she saw from afar, she did not have the body to hold the child anyways.

"What are you naming her?" asked Hazel as the baby smiled while looking at her as if the little child was acknowledging her presence.

Hazel's eyes soften again. She wanted to cry but had no tears to shed.

"We are still having a war about it." Evan shrugged as she spoke the truth. Hazel raised her head and then nodded.

"Everyone wants to name such a sweet child. But.. you should name her Renata."

"Renata?" She had never heard this name before. Was it even part of their language.

"Well you can be called Renee in your culture. It means the ability to get reborn. If you will give her that name, I will be able to give her all my blessings." though the woman was still talking sweetly, Evan could feel a hint of worry in her voice.

The ability to be reborn? What kind of ability was that? Evan had no idea about what Hazel was talking about but she could not let her guards down.

"You are too scared of me. Aren't you? If i will explain to you, it will take ages. So, why not I will show you?" asked hazel as she took a step closer.

"Leo! Come here! Leo!" Evan turned vigilant and she immediately called for Leo in a loud voice.

"Oh my! This is worse than I had expected. You are scared of me." The woman took a step back with a hurtful look in her eyes but Even did not budge.

She picked up a sharp object though she was not sure if it would work but then she did not know what else to do.

She looked at the woman with cold eyes.

"I do not know how much truth is in your words. But it is the matter of my daughter, I will go to any lengths to protect her." it was a threat, she cleared it with her eyes when the woman sighed and nodded her head.

"Your child is indeed in threat. There are many who wanted to kill her, mortals and immortals both. So protect her well. And think about my words, give her name Renata. I promise she will not die then and save you too." the woman said as the door of the room opened and Leo came in with hurried steps.

"Do not tell me that you only want me to change her nappies!" He complained in a playful voice as he leaned on the door but his eyes turned vigilant and his body turned straight when he felt the presence of someone else in the room.

He looked around and found a fading woman whose body was clear but her features were nothing but a glowing light without anybody standing in front of his eyes.

"It is you, again." he whispered, making Evan frown. Leo never told her that she had ever met such a strange creature!

"Yes, I wanted to see my granddaughter but your wife is suspicious one. She did not trust easily." said the woman looking at the floor when Leo sighed.

"She was not like that before." he said in a soft voice, as he remembered how the woman had helped him in reaching the palace on time when it was attacked by assassins.

From that day, the attacks never stopped. But if not for her, his family might have died.

He walked closer to confused Evan and shook his head while taking the baby from her hands.

"But.." she looked very hesitant to give her child when Leo shook his head.

"It's ok. Trust me at least!" she could only nod at that.

Leo took the child and walked towards the woman who called herself his mother.

"You can not hold it. Right?" he asked when the woman extended her transparent hands.

Hazel laughed but nodded her head. For some reason her laughter sounded more painful than her disappointed face.

"Leo, it is not easy for me to come here all the time. It takes a lot of my soul energy so I would not be able to come here again." she said when he nodded.

"It must be painful too." for the soul to be detached to the body, he was sure that it would not be any easy process.

Hazel blinked and she was surprised that Leo cared about it and thought about her. She had always been deprived of the warmth of her single child.

But she always told herself that if for his own good. But that did not mean she did not want his love.

For him to even say that, she felt touched.

"Mm, it does. That is why, please listen to me. Name this child Renata. She will be yours and her savior."