Alena found herself waiting, almost with bated breath, for the duke’s response. But the general talked again, as if he wasn’t even expecting any word from the duke at all.

“Alright, I’ve said my piece.” Elkhart said, and just like that, he immediately started a different topic. "I also came to report about the lurkers, my lord. Their numbers have significantly increased, if not tripled, since your wedding. We've already apprehended many, but it appears this problem isn't going to subside anytime soon. They are also taking drastic measures to avoid interrogation. Committing suicide before we can extract any meaningful information. However, with your permission, I’m planning to use our method to get information –"

“No,” the duke spoke at last. “There is no need for that. Just make sure none of them could manage to breach the palace.”

“Understood, my lord.” The general immediately replied, and just as Alena thought the man was finally leaving the room, his voice echoed again. “Oh, and one last thing… your poor old secretary begged me to tell you to finish your already long-overdue paperwork, Duke Donovian. If you want me to finally stop talking and leave you in peace, please finish those papers first. All you have to do is sign them anyway, so…”

And just like that, the duke started working with the paperwork Elkhart mentioned as if nothing happened, causing Alena's frustration to continue growing with each passing moment. It was as if he had completely forgotten her presence under his desk. How could he act so nonchalantly, as if holding a ghostly person under his desk was an everyday occurrence? And it was impossible for him to forget because he was still gripping her hand like a vise!

She felt a surge of exasperation. Her earlier resolve to disrupt the Duke's life was resurfacing. But she was in a dilemma. Struggling to escape his grip might not be successful, given his almost inhuman strength. More importantly, any commotion could attract General Elkhart's attention, revealing her presence.

Alena was no longer just worried about what General Elkhart would think of her if he saw her in this situation. She was so much more troubled now after realizing that if General Elkhart saw her, it would only validate the Duke's claim that she was indeed alive and well, and just confined to her chambers. The last thing she wanted was to inadvertently support the Duke's narrative!

So she needed to remain hidden, to keep the Duke under a cloud of suspicion regarding her absence.

But the thought of just passively remaining under the desk until General Elkhart left was unbearable to Alena. She felt trapped, both physically by his unyielding grasp and strategically by the situation itself. She had vowed to disrupt the Duke's life, but how could she achieve that when she was literally under his control right now? How could she allow this damn Duke to have such control over her and continue with his day as if nothing unusual was happening?

Clenching her fist, she wracked her brain for something… anything… that she could do to trouble the duke in this particular situation of hers. She simulated scenarios rapidly, but each idea seemed to lead to the same dead end – her being seen by Elkhart, and with no guarantee of even eliciting a flicker of reaction from the stone-faced Duke. Curse it!

That was when her gaze accidentally fell to his crotch for the second time that day.

In that moment, a daring and audacious plan began to take shape in her mind.

Despite the reputation of purity and innocence that had followed her in life, Alena was well-versed in the world of erotic art and literature, courtesy of a lady-in-waiting who had introduced her to such 'forbidden' knowledge. This exposure had stripped her of the naïveté others assumed she possessed, revealing a side of her that was curious and aware of the more carnal aspects of life.

Staring at the duke’s crotch made her remember the scenarios she read and even the erotic illustrations she’d seen. One particular scene in a novel she once read stood out—an obscene, scandalous scenario that made her swallow and even blush at the sheer shamelessness of it.

The scene had been bold, but now it has sparked an idea. What if she could use such a tactic to unsettle the Duke, and finally break his infuriatingly unbothered facade?

The thought of employing such a bold move was intimidating and something that was just…too much for a princess…

A defiant thought struck her. She was a ghost now, beyond the reach of societal norms and expectations of nobility and propriety. Why should she cling to the image of the demure Princess Alena when she is already dead? She was no longer bound by the constraints of her former life. The demure Princess Alena was gone; in her place was a spirit driven by vengeance!

Her expression shifted from reluctance to decisiveness, and she reached out toward his crotch. But before her fingers could even touch him, her wrist was caught in a firm grip.

Their eyes locked.

But Alena did not waver.

Maintaining eye contact, she moved her head forward and kissed him there through the fabric of his pants.