The quiet of the evening deepened, but the tension between the two brothers sliced through the still air like a blade.
Christan finally broke the silence.
"So tell me, Kyle, why the rush? Is the rumor true? Did you knock up the Grand Duchess, and now you're scrambling to patch things up with a wedding dress?"
He muttered, voice heavy with sarcasm.
Kyle's jaw tightened.
"It's not like that."
Christan scoffed, a dry, humorless sound.
"Of course it's not. But you know what, little brother? That hardly matters. You can deny it all you want, but that's what the people are saying. That you couldn't control yourself, and now the duchess is carrying your bastard. And here you are, marrying her before her belly shows."
Kyle's eyes narrowed.
"Let them talk."
