ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 14: Will you stay with me?

The word left him in a whisper, light, but powerful enough to ripple through every soldier present.

She was the one they searched for.The reason every knight panicked.The reason their Duke nearly lost control.

And now she stood there, alive, though trembling.

Valerie lifted her head slowly, a weak cough escaping her lips as her gaze finally found Demian’s.

"Help..." her voice cracked, barely audible.

Demian stopped just a step away from her, breath unsteady. He looked at her from head to toe, her drenched hair, her shaking hands, the soot on her cheeks.

Alive.

His jaw tightened, emotions clashing violently behind those crimson eyes, relief, fury, and fear all tangled into one storm.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion of emotion.

Valerie coughed weakly, and the moment that faint sound reached him, Demian shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow.

His expression, frozen in dread for what felt like hours, finally cracked as he reached her side. Without hesitation, he shrugged off the remaining portion of his cloak, the only part unburned by the fire, and wrapped it tightly around her trembling, soaked body.

Relief hit him so hard it almost made his knees buckle.

She was alive.

Her dress clung to her skin, drenched from head to toe. The cloak swallowed her frame protectively, shielding her from the cold night air and the dozens of eyes now staring in stunned disbelief. Around them, the soldiers who had been searching nonstop let out shaky breaths, some in gratitude, some pure exhaustion. For a moment, the entire burnt field seemed to exhale as one.

Demian cupped her face, tilting her chin up gently."How did you end up there?" he asked, his voice low but trembling, a mixture of anger, confusion, and overwhelming relief.

Valerie blinked, still coughing.

"When I tried to escape... the fire was already everywhere. There was no path left," she said hoarsely. "So I didn’t have a choice. I climbed into the water barrel. I thought... at least that way the flames wouldn’t reach me."

A stunned silence followed.

Demian stared at her, unable to decide whether to scold her, hold her tighter, or never let her out of his sight again.

Behind him, several soldiers exchanged looks, astonished, impressed, and slightly embarrassed that none of them had thought of such a simple yet ingenious solution.

Kaiser, standing a few steps away, pressed a fist to his mouth to hide the laugh threatening to escape. Not mocking laughter, just pure, disbelieving amusement.

"What a woman," he murmured under his breath, eyes glinting with admiration.Clever, quick-thinking, stubborn enough to survive.

And clearly... the one woman capable of shaking Demian, the Iron Duke, so violently.

Kaiser said nothing more; he merely observed, fascinated, as Demian carefully pulled Valerie closer, shielding her as if the world might still try to take her from him.

Valerie was temporarily placed in an emergency tent, a small shelter made of thick fabric that still carried the sharp smell of smoke.

There was no other choice; every main tent had burned to the ground, including her own. The damp night wind still drifted with the scent of charred wood, and bits of rubble continued to hiss and smoke in scattered patches.

No one could truly rest that night.

Demian stood outside the tent, his expression still hard, even though Valerie had already been found alive. Soldiers moved back and forth, rebuilding what they could, while others reported their findings one by one. From those reports, the true cause of the fire was finally revealed.

It wasn’t an accident.It wasn’t negligence.

"Fire arrows," Noel reported grimly. "We found metal fragments and feather remnants to the north. The signs are clear... it was a surprise attack from enemy troops."

Demian clenched his jaw so tightly that the muscles jumped.

"We also found tracks," Noel continued carefully. "It looks like they fired from the ridge and retreated as soon as the flames spread."

Crown Prince Kaiser, who had come to see the situation himself, let out a low whistle as his gaze swept across the ruins."They targeted the busiest section. Bold move."

Demian didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the small emergency tent where Valerie was being examined by the healers.

The enemy had shot fire arrows into his camp.Directly into the area where Valerie had been.

His anger burned hotter than the flames they had just extinguished.

"We will answer this attack," he said at last, voice low and dangerous. "For now, increase security. Double the guards."

The soldiers nodded sharply.

But for Demian, there was only one priority at the moment: making sure Valerie was safe.

Inside the tent, Valerie sat wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, still trembling slightly. She could hear the commotion outside, the hurried footsteps, sharp orders being shouted, and the tense, angry voice that carried above the rest.

She recognized that voice.

Demian’s.

And for the first time, she understood just how furious the Duke had been...not because his barracks had burned,not because his property or territory had been destroyed, but because she, Valerie, had been trapped inside it.

Demian pushed open the flap of the emergency tent, the faint smell of smoke still clinging to his clothes. Inside, Valerie sat on the makeshift cot, wrapped tightly in a blanket, her pink hair still a little damp.

She lifted her head when he entered.

"You’re not asleep," Demian said, his voice quieter than usual, though the tension in it hadn’t fully faded. "Why?"

Valerie lowered her gaze, fingers tightening on the blanket."I... I can’t sleep. Everyone outside is still running around. It’s noisy. And..."She hesitated."I keep thinking about the fire."

Demian stepped closer."You don’t need to worry about any of that. Let my men handle it."His tone softened."You should rest."

Valerie chewed her lip for a moment, then looked up at him through her lashes."Demian... will you stay with me tonight? Will you sleep here with me?"

Demian froze, just for a heartbeat.The great Duke, who never let anything catch him off guard, actually looked taken aback.

Then he nodded once, firmly."I’m not going anywhere tonight," he said. "I’ll stay with you."

A small smile tugged at Valerie’s lips."Good... this tent feels cold. Not as warm as the one that burned down."

Demian huffed a quiet breath that might’ve been a laugh. He took a step toward her, then another, until he was close enough for his shadow to fall over her.

"So," he murmured, tilting her chin up with a single finger, "is that your way of asking me to warm you up?"