Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"If you win, I will accept that you are greater than me and will not come in your way between you and Leo. But if you lose you will leave Leo and return to where you belong!" 

"Tsk! Who cares about him! You can keep him without betting too. I want to bet 1000 gold coins!" Evan had already given the treasure back to Leo as he had promised her that he would return her gold and silver but he had not given her anything yet. 

But the way he had behaved today, she wanted to be prepared to leave if the situation arrives.

"Ha! So, you think that I would believe your words that the 1000 gold coins were more important than the only heir of the family of thwayne?" Olivia faked a shock on her face and shook her head.

"Are you not underestimating him too much or is this a trick to change the stakes?" she asked again but Evan just shrugged.

"Then, if i won give me 1000 gold coins but if you win, you can have leo for yourself?" Evan replied nonchalantly as if she did not care if Leo was there or not at all.

"........" her nonchalance made everyone stunned that none of them replied to her.

  Though Olivia did not accept the bet yet, Leo's face had already turned black,

Though Olivia was having doubts about her intentions, Leo was sure that she had chosen money above him,

In her eyes, he was not even worth 1000 gold coins. She would rather lose him than losing coins!

'This damn girl! She would rather have coins than having me at the stake!!' He felt furious but did not say a word and looked at the painting with confused eyes.

Though he had learnt painting too, he was not that profound in it to be sure whether the painting was real or not. But then how was the girl so sure, even he did not understand what was the difference between the real and imitated one! Then how!?

"Fine! That is a good deal. If you win I will give you not only 1000 but 2000 gold coins right here but if you lose it, then you have to leave from here and never look again towards the palace of Thayne!" Olivia demanded in a sharp tone, she had thought that the girl would back down but Evan's eyes were glowing with the shine of gold.

The smile was looking so bright that it was blinding as she nodded her head hard, afraid that Leo would not be able to notice it at once.

"Good! Now tell me what right do you have to prove that the painting is real but not imitated!" asked Olivia with a hint of curiosity though disdain could still be seen on her face.

Just when she finished her question, all the eyes turned to look in her direction. 

"Evangeline, you better give a proper answer to her!" muttered Leo as he glared at the girl too.

Though Raymond was silent all this time with that warm look on his face, traces of curiosity could be seen in his eyes too as he did not even blink while continuing to look at her.

Evan gave a blank look to him and then avoided his glance.

"Even when the other artists copied the design and painting of others, the law of empire did not let them copy the name of the original painter.

If the painting is a copy then there would be no name on it. Only the real copies had the name of the painters to show that it is their work.

If you look closely, there is a name written here.'' She moved forward and traced her hands on the corner of the painting where a small red flower was made and a fine name was written over it.

  "I was still not sure if the painter was famous or just an ordinary one! but when the lady here," she pointed casually at Olivia and continued, "remarked that it was an imitation of a famous painting of master Caprio, I matched the name here, and that is what is written here too!" When she pointed there once again, all of them came forward and checked the name.

As she said, the name of "lord de Caprio" was written in bold letters with fine strokes.

Once she finished she looked at them with a proud face as her hands already started itching to count the money when her eyes met the stunned faces of all of them.

Evan beamed when she looked at the admiring gaze of Raymond and confused gaze of Leo. but the best was the ashen face of Olivia.

In reality, even she was not sure about the authenticity of the painting as she had never seen one in reality. 

But she had recently read in the book that Eli was teaching her, every painter left his name on the painting so that he could be remembered by the future generations. 

So, when her eyes fell on the painting, she tried to search for the name. She had to give to the painter how skillfully he had hid it but when Olivia blackmailed it, that was the last thread of her sanity that had been broken.

She looked back at the girl who was looking like she had seen the ghost.

"Tsk! Have you ever felt bad after putting Leo on the stake again and again and losing him!

You say that you love him yet you take him for nothing but a piece that can be given or taken. Now that you have lost him again.. Would you accept your defeat or not!!

Anyways, I did not care about it. All I need is my 2000 gold coins."

"How could this be!" Olivia shook her head and looked at the painting and then at her face. 

That was the biggest slap on her face and the words left her with further embarrassment.