TGDWDS 12

Chapter 12

Anais tilted her head in confusion.

Was there another form of address we needed to settle?

She already called him “Grand Duke.” Even after becoming the Grand Duchess, there was no reason she couldn’t continue calling him that.

However, at his next words, Anais froze.

“Diego. Please call me by my name.”

“……”

“I think it would be more appropriate both in accordance with His Majesty’s decree and for us to appear to be a close married couple.”

He wasn’t wrong.

While they were living as husband and wife, they needed to cooperate as much as possible.

She had to make sure he wouldn’t kill her.

Anais readily accepted the situation.

“I will. Diego.”

“What should I call you, Miss Anais?”

She couldn’t give him another form of address after he had allowed her to call him by his name.

Forcing herself to speak, she answered,

“……You can call me whatever is comfortable for you. Wife, or my name. I don’t mind.”

Right. What’s in a name, anyway?

She decided not to make a big deal out of it.

The most important thing was that they had finalized the marriage contract.

Now that all the preparations were complete, the only things left in Anais’s mind were a safe divorce and survival.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived.

The two of them headed not to the Grand Duchy, but to the Imperial Palace.

Their opinions had not been taken into consideration when that decision was made.

It was simply the result of the Emperor ordering a ceremonial wedding meant entirely for show.

“There will probably be many exhausting things today. The Kingdom and all its close associates have been invited as well.”

“Then today, everyone will learn that I am no longer anything to do with the Kingdom.”

Anais gave a bitter smile.

She hoped the Emperor, who had gone so far as to spend money on this wedding, would regret it.

The Emperor had only one objective.

To keep the Kingdom in check.

He had bound Anais, who carried the Kingdom’s bloodline, as a hostage.

I hope the value of this marriage disappears as quickly as possible.

Anais hardened her expression and turned her head toward the window.

Through the glass, she could see people passing by beneath umbrellas.

Pitter-patter.

The light rain gradually grew heavier, leaving trails of water across the window.

Because of it, the scenery outside was blurred behind the rain-streaked glass.

“There shouldn’t be anything in particular to worry about. This is a wedding that will take place under the blessing of the High Priest.”

It was an unexpected statement.

Anais turned her head back toward the Grand Duke.

With the murky window behind him, he appeared clear and distinct.

His black hair was neatly swept back.

His face was chillingly cold when he wasn’t smiling.

And his red eyes resembled death itself.

As usual, he wore a black formal uniform.

However, perhaps because of the silver embroidery woven across the fabric, he looked more splendid than usual.

Is that why?

For some reason, he felt a little unfamiliar to her.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke had been silently watching her.

He seemed unusually vivid against the blurred background.

When their eyes met, his eyes curved slightly.

“……”

Anais’s expression, on the other hand, stiffened.

She knew that smile.

It was the Grand Duke’s familiar, gentle expression.

She would not be fooled by that kindness again, only to meet her death.

Anais steeled herself.

Her gaze moved away from the Grand Duke and settled straight ahead.

In a light tone, she asked,

“Will the High Priest be attending as well?”

The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment before answering.

“……Yes. Thanks to that, we won’t have to travel to the Holy Nation.”

The Grand Duke’s gaze remained fixed on Anais.

Even without looking at him, she could feel it.

Feeling uncomfortable, Anais heightened her senses.

While she was becoming tense without even realizing it, the Grand Duke spoke.

“With the wedding, we will officially become husband and wife.”

The words made her breath catch.

Anais slowly closed and opened her eyes, trying to suppress the pressure building inside her.

She knew what he meant.

The Holy Nation belonged to no country and was independently governed by the High Priest.

It was there that the marriages and divorces of nobles from every country were administered.

Therefore, after their wedding ceremonies, newlyweds were required to visit the Holy Nation with their documents and receive the High Priest’s blessing.

But this entire process was essentially being skipped.

Finally, Anais spoke in a calm, composed voice.

“What an incredible blessing. For him to come all the way here himself.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

With those words, silence returned to the carriage.

Anais no longer had the energy to exchange words with him.

As though escaping, she turned her gaze toward the window again.

Her silver hair had been tightly pinned up, so not a strand moved.

Outside the window, the entire world was soaked with rain.

The Grand Duke’s figure was faintly reflected in the glass.

He was looking at Anais’s back.

But she did not turn around again.

After quite some time—

The Grand Duke finally withdrew his gaze with a bitter expression.

His reflection disappeared from the window, and only then did Anais stare blankly outside.

Beyond the glass, the heavy rain blurred everything into a hazy mess.

The Crystal Hall of the Imperial Palace

It was a space that was relatively often opened and rented out for nobles.

The two arrived early and were waiting.

However, the hall itself had not yet been fully prepared.

Anais sat quietly, letting time pass, until she happened to glance outside.

The rain had grown even heavier.

Now, violent winds were blowing along with it.

Whooosh—

Along with the eerie sound of the wind, the dull pounding of rain poured into the waiting room.

“Oh my. Rain is getting inside.”

“Close the windows!”

The Imperial Palace servants belatedly began rushing around.

The room was already a mess.

Soaked carpets and puddles of water had formed across the floor.

The servants hurried to wipe everything up.

But there was nothing they could do about the carpet, which had already become filthy.

Anais turned away from the chaotic scene.

Her reflection appeared in the mirror before her.

Unlike earlier, she was now wearing a white dress.

It looked presentable at first glance, but the reality was completely different.

“……”

The dress prepared by the Imperial Family was far too heavy.

It didn’t fit Anais properly, either.

In the end, she had no choice but to secure various parts of the dress with pins.

Because of that, the wedding had become even more uncomfortable for her.

I wish this would just end quickly.

Just as she was thinking that, the Grand Duke’s voice reached her.

“I’m going to the Emperor’s Palace for a moment.”

“……!”

At some point, he had approached her side.

Startled, Anais blinked before answering.

“Ah. All right. I’ll stay here and won’t run away.”

It was an answer based on the clause in their contract that the Grand Duke had requested.

He had asked her not to disappear without telling him.

Anais nodded.

The Grand Duke slightly lifted the corners of his lips.

“I believe you will.”

With those words, he soon left the waiting room.

But Anais’s violet eyes remained fixed blankly on the spot where he had disappeared.

She didn’t trust him.

She only trusted the documents they had drawn up together.

Yet he had told her that he trusted her.

The heart she had firmly fortified began to stir like waves.

Her violet eyes trembled violently.

“……”

Pressing her lips tightly together, Anais remembered the chilling prophetic dream.

……A lie. In the end, you’ll still hand me a poisoned teacup.

When she closed her eyes, the death she had seen in the prophetic dream became even more vivid.

Anais’s eyes snapped open in horror.

She steadied her breathing and composed her hardened expression while she was alone.

The Audience Chamber of the Emperor’s Palace

The chamber was covered in lavish gold decorations and furnished with luxurious red carpets.

The Emperor sat leisurely in the highest seat.

His son’s wedding was just around the corner, yet he behaved as though it had nothing to do with him.

The Emperor’s bright red eyes fixed on Diego.

Diego, his black hair contrasting against the Emperor’s faded blond hair, approached and bowed his head.

The Emperor remained silent.

“I pay my respects to Your Imperial Majesty.”

Only after the formal greeting, which clearly established their respective ranks, did the Emperor speak.

“Hoho. Yes. Congratulations on your marriage.”

A satisfied smile appeared on the old Emperor’s lips.

Watching him, Diego inwardly scoffed.

Just as expected. He hasn’t changed at all. All he can do is smile without knowing anything.

Contrary to his thoughts, however, a respectful voice came from his lips.

“Thank you. Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, we are able to hold our wedding in the Imperial Palace. I will not forget this.”

“You’d better not. Now, then.”

The Emperor openly scrutinized Diego.

His expression was one of suspicion, as though he were checking whether Diego had developed any ambitions toward the Imperial throne.

Diego, however, had become exceptionally skilled at hiding his emotions in front of the Emperor.

Like a flying beast lowering its body just before the hunt, he concealed every trace of emotion from his face.

Naturally, the Emperor found nothing.

Satisfied with his own inspection, the Emperor happily opened his mouth.

But what he said was something Diego had not expected.

“Ahem. I have invited representatives from various countries, so participate in tomorrow’s schedule. Together with the Grand Duchess.”

“……”

A faint crack appeared across Diego’s expression.

The Emperor, unaware of it, continued with gleaming eyes.

“The Kingdom sent a flower to fill the hall in their absence. Perhaps the future Grand Duchess may prove to be more useful than I expected.”

Greed filled the Emperor’s voice.

He was clearly intent on using Anais to manipulate the Kingdom somehow.

“The result isn’t bad, considering what I spent to bring her here.”

At the Emperor’s disgusting attitude, Diego’s expression finally hardened.