The First Night With the Duke Chapter 19-27 dives deep into Ripley’s emotional rollercoaster as she finally accepts her feelings for Duke Zeronis. From confessions of love and passionate kisses, our beloved characters finally unite. Their connection grows stronger as Zeronis admits his emotions and Ripley begins to see herself not as a background extra, but the heroine of her own story. Meanwhile, Ripley starts trying to fix the broken pieces around her. She tries to set up Etoile with Mr. Wright, clashes with Rose (who still thinks she’s the main character), and even steps in when Etoile receives creepy letters from a stalker. From jealousy to redemption, this arc shows Ripley embracing her chaos, but with a heart full of good intentions.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 19: Matchmaker in a Tiger Mask
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 19 begins with Sylvia poking fun at Ripley’s latest change of heart. All the plots to avoid getting married, and Ripley all of a sudden says, “How to ask the duke to marry me as soon as possible.” Sylvia’s jaw drops. Ripley maintains that she has much to accomplish before getting to the altar, and time is running out.
Afterwards, Etoile makes another visit. Ripley is glad to inform her that the ointment did wonders, no scars, no worries. All thanks to her. To begin atoning for her past mistakes, she then offers to volunteer and serve at Etoile’s orphanage, Children of Light.
But what was the true mission of Ripley? Matchmaking. She also asks Etoile the question of her ideal type in men casually. Etoile blushes and says, “I like a handsome man”, and she will get to know about their personality during dating. Ripley instantly overthinks it–Was she into the Duke simply because he was good-looking?– and immediately consoles herself: Wright is good-looking also!
Oh, well, then, the new scheme: match Etoile off with Mr. Wright. In that manner, Ripley will be able to be with Zeronis without feeling guilty. She even goes ahead and suggests inviting Mr. Wright to come over to meet in the orphanage with them.
In order to remain unnoticed and spice things up, Ripley requests Sylvia for a disguise and receives a tiger mask. The crazy process of matchmaking is officially launched as she grips it with nervousness. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 19 ends with Ripley clutching the tiger mask, determined to rewrite everyone’s love story—including her own.
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 20: Matchmaking Mission
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 20 begins with Ripley going full undercover—in a tiger mask. She comes to the orphanage as a disorderly cartoon superhero. The children are immediately mesmerized, and refer to her as Ms. Tiger Mask, and Ripley laps it up.
She assists Etoile in feeding the small children and quickly locates her ideal romantic scene, finding Etoile and Mr. Wright together, working side by side with dreamy eyes and soft smiles. Ripley stands and looks on, her heart swelling with emotions. This is it, she thinks. She originally thought that, after all the sufferings that Etoile had to endure, the tender love of Wright appeared much superior to an indifferent, possessive male protagonist. It is as though one is watching a love story that could have been.
The three people, Ripley, Etoile, and Wright, sit down to lunch later. Ripley starts her sneaky matchmaking. “You really are handsome, Mr. Wright,” she says bluntly. Wright almost chokes and blushes hard. Etoile also agrees, rosy-cheeked. They both embarrassingly smile at each other and confess that they would like to go to the orphanage once again.
Ripley observes them flustering and chatting. She believes that all of them can now be destined to have a happy ending. Until Duke Zeronis later appears in her room. He looks at her suspiciously and asks, How come her legs are healed already? The physician had cautioned that it was permanent damage. Ripley freezes. The tiger mask cannot save her anymore. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 20 ends with Ripley sweating bullets as Zeronis demands answers—and she realizes her matchmaking disguise may have just exposed her biggest lie.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 21:Lies Unmasked
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 21 begins with Duke Zeronis confronting Ripley—his expression unreadable, but his words razor-sharp. He starts off calmly by asking her whether she had fun as a volunteer at the orphanage. “I have eyes and ears everywhere”, he says. Ripley makes an effort to remain calm, but fear knots her stomach.
Then Duke Zeronis looks Ripley in the eye and sees that her legs have healed really well. Ripley panics. She snaps that he is not allowed to get into her room without permission, but it is late. He takes off her hat, and he sees a face that is neither scarred nor bandaged, without a sign of any damage. She stammers and says that she got well soon, but the voice of Zeronis becomes cold. Then there is the knife: “You deceived me. You fooled me.” Ripley shakes in horror when he looks down upon her in pain.
Hearts Shattered
“What should be the punishment for your sin?” he asks, before turning away and calling her, “A villainess with the tongue of a viper.” Ripley breaks down into tears.
In comes Sylvia and makes an attempt to console her. She comforts her by saying she got what she originally wanted, not to marry the duke. Tells her to think of it in a good light. Ripley is not able to stop crying. She wonders why it should be so wrong. Attempting to persuade herself, she says to herself, “This resolves everything”. It’s over. She is free, finally. A few days pass in silence. Then one morning, Etoile comes with a letter. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 21 ends with Etoile saying, “We received a notice… from the House of Duke Zeronis.”
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 22: Apologies and Accusations
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 22 begins with Etoile explaining a troubling development: her family had hoped for investment from the Inglid family, and Duke Zeronis had even attended her birthday party as a show of alliance. However, a single day later, following Ripley’s visit to her orphanage, they were informed, the Duke is pulling his investment away.
Ripley is angry and remorseful. She thinks he is punishing Etoile on her account! She rushes out of the house and goes to the Duke’s estate, and asks to see him. A cold thing in comparison with the warm greetings which she used to get. Firmly, she sends Sylvia back to the carriage. This conversation must be confidential. Time passes. A lot of it. Looking through the window, Ripley observes Rose walking out of the estate and thinks resentfully whether she and Zeronis dined together. She is hungry and wonders if he is starving her intentionally to punish her.
Ripley ultimately falls asleep–only to be rudely awakened by Zeronis, who is stroking her cheek. She moves and mumbles about him making her wait too long. And then, courageously enough, she tells him: “You are a coward, Duke.” She admits to her wrongdoing and states that she is willing to pay the cost of lying to him. She even blames him- Was taking investment out of the family of Etoile his revenge? Zeronis’s eyes narrow, “It seems like you are mistaken,” he says in a low voice. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 22 ends with tension thick in the air—Ripley confronting him with the truth, and Zeronis about to reveal his.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 23: Counterplans
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 23 begins with Zeronis coldly staring down at Ripley. He explained that even if he had pulled out because of her, she should have begged. He reminds her she’s the wrongdoer—not the victim—and that showing up without remorse was bold, to say the least. Yet he reveals the truth. The fact that he called off the investment was not because of her. The sea route suggested by Baron Hailey is heavily infested with pirates and is too dangerous. Instead, he opted for the safer, lucrative way given by Count Jenkinson. He says he strictly differentiates between his private and public life.
Ripley regrets and is humbled. She reveals she had lied because she did not want to get married to him, and she says, with a sigh, at last, “I’m sorry”. When he asked her to take responsibility, she confessed that she could not even remember their night together.
Zeronis looks at her with tenderness. “I already knew you didn’t want to marry me,” he says. She had all her eccentric plans and tricks, and he was aware of them all–and yet he had not interfered. Since he did not want to leave her. He tenderly kisses her, “Why do I still want you?” he whispers.
Confessions
Ripley and Etoile later talk over an invitation to a shipping announcement event. Ripley cautions her–in the original script, this takes a turn to the ugly. However, Etoile is demanding to go because Baron Hailey will be present.
Plan B: Ripley takes out her fashion weapons and performs a wardrobe makeover on Etoile. When they come to the event, Etoile is beautiful enough to make Rose not have a chance. And then comes Zeronis… and gazes straight at Ripley. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 23 ends with her wondering, “Why is he looking at me like that?”
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 24: A Splash of Trouble
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 24 begins with Ripley feeling awkward under Zeronis’s intense gaze at the event. He remarks that she is tactful, but this further disturbs her. When she turns to leave, she sees Rose approaching the Duke. Seeing them together—so close—stirs something bitter in her chest.
In an attempt to shake it off, Ripley takes a drink and then another. Drunk and light-headed, she begins to wander and roam about–then runs full into Zeronis once more. He scolds her gently and says she should not drink anymore. Instead, she takes a cupcake, but the drink loosens her tongue. Tears fill her eyes as she blurts out, “Why did you let me go, even when you said you wouldn’t?” Zeronis freezes. “Don’t let me go!” she cries. He looks at her in shock.
“…Are you jealous?” he asks. Ripley nods. “Yes. I’m jealous.” Before he can react, Count Jenkinson appears out of nowhere, breaking the moment. Then Rose comes fluttering like a vulture. She makes fun of Ripley with her typical venom and accuses her of flirting with the Duke. Ripley tries to defend herself, but Rose gets angry. Too angry to the point of pushing Ripley off the ship. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 24 ends with Ripley plunging into the water, drunk, heartbroken, and betrayed.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 25: Drenched in Love
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 25 begins with Ripley sinking into the water, panicking. Her heavy dress drags her down, and she is unable to breathe or swim. Just as everything is about to turn black-Zeronis plunges in after her. He draws her up, and their faces are an inch apart. She gasps, and he kisses her underwater. Coming up, he puts his arms around her and asks if she jumped because he ignored her. Ripley is unable to answer and just shivers due to the cold. He holds her close to his arms.“I don’t care about your plot,” he whispers. Afterward, when they are floating in a small boat, Ripley is still shaken and leans in. “Words wouldn’t be enough, I would have to kiss you right now, rub your neck and…,” he says.
Later, Zeronis tells Sylvia that Ripley is going to be staying at his estate once they reach the shore. There are things they need to discuss. Later, after a warm bath, Ripley flops onto the luxurious bed, enchanted by the comfort. Then, Zeronis enters. He confesses everything. “I wanted to punish you,” he says. This is why he did not call her after the investment scandal. And he failed to do it–not rightly. He was confused, unable to punish her for her lies.
Then, in a gentle voice, he says what she never dreamed of hearing, “I was just madly in love with you.” The First Night With the Duke Chapter 25 ends with Ripley staring at him, stunned by the raw honesty she’d been yearning for all along.
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 26: I Choose You, Zeronis
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 26 begins with Ripley overwhelmed as Zeronis confesses, “I was just madly in love with you.” She quietly answers, without any hesitation, “I love you too.” Zeronis smiles and embraces her with a real, warm kiss. He picks her up and brings her carefully to the bed, where he requests that she address him by his name. She says, in a breathless tone: Zeronis… The garments drop, and the passion lifts. By gazing into her eyes with his eyes filled with devotion, Ripley finally loses all her fears and decides that this man is her everything.
The following day, Ripley turns back into a warrior as she visits Rose. Ripley immediately reminds her of the night before. Rose attempts to dismiss it, attributing it to the alcohol. Ripley does not take it lightly, though. She snaps, yelling that she nearly died, requiring a serious apology. Rose is cornered, and she gives out a stiff sorry. Then Ripley does what is not expected, kindness. She tells Rose to give up her chase of the Duke. Because she is very beautiful, she can even find another great man. Anyway, when the original plot and characters have been altered… why not the villainess?
But Rose reacts in shock and anger. “Did you come all the way here to tell me such nonsense?” The First Night With the Duke Chapter 26 ends with Ripley wondering if maybe—just maybe—everyone deserves a chance to rewrite their own story, including Rose.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 27: Letters and a Love Plan
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 27 begins with Rose lashing out. She says she had always thought that she would be married in the family of Zeronis and that only a person from a strong family, Jenkinson, would make an acceptable match. Her speech stinks with pride and desperation. After being cautious, Ripley wonders whether this obsession of Rose is going to become something dangerous. She goes away, choosing not to antagonize the villainess anymore.
Etoile is radiating with joy when she presents Ripley with a pile of love letters that she has been getting. Ripley was impressed further after she learns that her styling tips worked magic. However, then… she sees a red flag. The letters are written by one person. What about the gifts? Undergarments. Creepy. Ripley and Sylvia take up a hiding position with the intent of catching the stalker.
Feran: Stalker or Lover?
In a moment, a timid man comes up with another letter. He presents himself as Feran, the second son of Viscount Philips. Ripley confronts him on the issue of sending such personal gifts without revealing his face or even seeking permission from Etoile. He admits that he was too cowardly, that he had been cursed with a body that he describes as despicable, but that he was full of genuine love.
Hearing about Etoile’s embarrassment, Feran goes away, heartbroken. Ripley wonders if the problem is over or not. However, after a couple of days, she and Etoile see him standing at the gate in silence, waiting to receive her answer, even though it was negative. Ripley is already scheming. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 27 ends with Ripley getting an idea—and when Ripley gets an idea, someone’s fate is about to change.
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