TGDWDS 18

Chapter 18

She had taken in someone else’s daughter, sold her off for a hefty price, and now she was trying to use her once again.

Anais had still believed that some affection remained between them because he had raised her. After all, he was someone she had regarded as her father for a very long time.

But only belatedly did Anais realize that it had all been a foolish hope of hers alone.

“Heh heh heh. It won’t be long now before the viscount’s house rises again. I thought we were destined to rot in the mud after your mother died.”

Nectar Orelsian rubbed his hands together like a man sitting before a sumptuous feast. The corners of his mouth stretched into a broad grin.

There was no trace of Anais’s happiness in that greed-soaked smile. It contained nothing but calculations for the sake of his own family.

“……”

Because of that, the violet eyes of Anais, which had always retained at least a small warmth toward everyone she met, turned cold.

The viscount no longer felt like a father to her. She felt only pity for herself and her mother, who had been manipulated by his greed.

When Anais gave no answer, Nectar furrowed his brow. After glancing around to see if anyone was watching, he lowered his voice and barked at her.

“Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you can’t even do this. Do you have any idea how I raised you? I had barely enough to get by, yet I still paid for your education and sent you to the Grand Duke’s household. You ought to repay me for that.”

She no longer wanted to hear his words, nor did she have any reason to.

Anais looked at him with her violet eyes, now devoid of even the slightest warmth.

Her voice came out flat and emotionless.

“I believe I’ve already repaid you for raising me through my marriage.”

Anais looked at the man who had once been her father and spoke coldly.

“You received more than enough.”

“What?”

Nectar had kept the large sum of money he received in exchange for approving her marriage a secret until the very end. Even after Anais pointed it out, he merely twisted his face and said,

“Did the Grand Duke tell you that? Whatever it is, that’s not true. It’s all nonsense, so you should just ignore it.”

The lie came out immediately.

Anais was dumbfounded by his reaction.

She had no intention of stepping back as she had before. Her voice grew firmer.

“His Highness the Crown Prince told me that you received quite a lot from both the Empire and the Grand Duchy.”

Although the Crown Prince had not actually said those exact words, the implication had been similar. Anais continued without hesitation.

“He genuinely wondered whether I was really your daughter. He said you seemed more interested in money than in my marriage. Is that true?”

She threw the words out bluntly, leaving him no room to evade the issue.

Nectar’s expression twisted violently.

“How dare you doubt my words? Who do you think you are? You ungrateful little—”

Breathing heavily, Nectar approached her as he always did and raised his hand.

Anais spoke in a chilly voice.

“This is the Imperial Palace. You should control yourself, if only for the sake of your family’s future.”

The words your family’s future made Nectar flinch.

He lowered his hand and looked around nervously.

A hollow laugh escaped Anais’s lips. Then her expression hardened as she continued calmly.

“Don’t expect anything more from me.”

Her voice was as firm as a hardened wick.

Nectar’s face began to turn red with anger, but Anais did not so much as flinch.

She simply stared coldly at the man she had once considered her father.

To Anais, the very idea of a father had been synonymous with fear since childhood.

Whenever her eyes met her father’s, she would instinctively lower her gaze. Whenever he shouted at her, she would tremble in fear.

And on the days when he raised his hand, she would clench her fists so tightly that her fingertips turned white, forcing herself to endure.

But not anymore.

Nectar was a stranger to her now.

Once she thought of him that way, she could clearly see that the man who had once seemed so enormous was nothing more than a greedy person. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her fists were still clenched beneath the table, her fingertips pale, but she was no longer afraid as she had been before.

She no longer wanted his love as a father. When there was nothing left to expect from someone, there was no reason to watch their every move or fear them.

At this belated realization, Anais let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

Meanwhile, Nectar’s anger reached its peak. His face flushed crimson as his voice grew louder.

“You! You ungrateful wretch! I won’t let you get away with—”

Anais cut him off.

“You seem to have forgotten that I am now the Grand Duchess. Remember that everything you do to me is tantamount to insulting His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“What?! You insolent little— You don’t even know your place!”

Unable to contain his rage, Nectar once again tried to raise his hand toward Anais.

But he failed.

“Viscount. It would be troublesome if you ignored my warning.”

It was because of the Grand Duke’s grip, which had closed tightly around Nectar’s shoulder.

Diego was returning after finishing a meaningless conversation with the Crown Prince.

As he approached the table, he noticed Nectar.

His brows drew together when he saw Nectar moving toward Anais as though he intended to strike her.

At that moment, Diego quickened his pace.

He immediately seized Nectar by the shoulder.

His grip tightened until it felt as though the bone might be crushed, and Nectar let out a pained groan.

“Urgh!”

“Anais is my wife now. You would do well not to treat her carelessly.”

If you want to live.

The unspoken words pierced sharply into Nectar’s mind.

The shoulder bone beneath Diego’s grip felt as though it were about to break. Nectar could barely breathe.

“Apologize, Viscount.”

Nectar’s mouth spilled out incoherent words.

“I-I’m sorry. I apologize for my disrespect toward Your Grace…”

“No. Why are you apologizing to me? You should apologize to the Grand Duchess.”

The corner of Diego’s mouth curled upward.

His blood-red eyes were cold and warning.

Overwhelmed by his presence, Nectar had no choice but to bow his head toward Anais.

“I-I was disrespectful to the Grand Duchess. I-I apologize.”

“It’s all right, Viscount. I trust you’ll be more careful from now on.”

Anais forced a faint smile and nodded.

Nectar clenched his teeth.

Anais had once been completely within his grasp. Yet now she was crushing him with nothing but her dignified and elegant bearing.

Damn that wretched girl. Urgh.

But Diego’s grip tightened once more.

Nectar was a man who was endlessly weak before the strong. He could offer no meaningful resistance and could only hurry backward, avoiding Diego’s eyes.

“Th-then, I’ll be going.”

“Go ahead.”

Eventually, Nectar disappeared from their sight.

But Anais could not relax.

The murderous red gaze the Grand Duke had directed at Nectar was one she knew all too well.

It resembled the gaze of the Grand Duke she had seen in her prophetic dreams—the man who was always angry as he looked at her.

That cold, terrifying gaze she had desperately wanted to avoid.

“……”

Just then, the Grand Duke approached Anais.

As she held her breath, he spoke.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?”

The murderous look she had seen in her dreams was already gone.

In its place was the gentle man she knew so well.

Only after confirming that did Anais finally release a deep breath.

“……No. I’m fine. Thank you.”

The Grand Duke removed his coat and gently draped it over Anais’s shoulders.

Then he held out his hand.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter. There are too many unnecessary eyes watching us here.”

Because of the commotion Nectar had caused, countless nobles had gathered their attention around the Grand Duke’s table.

Anais quietly rose from her seat.

As the Grand Duke escorted her, he whispered in a low voice,

“If something like that happens again, don’t hurt your hands like this. Throw a glass of water instead. I’ll deal with the consequences.”

“What?”

Perplexed, Anais followed the Grand Duke’s red gaze with her violet eyes.

His eyes were fixed on her hands.

At that moment, Anais’s eyes trembled slightly.

Whenever she stood before her father—or whenever she was nervous—she would always curl her hands into fists.

It was an old habit.

As a result, countless deep marks had accumulated in her palms over the years.

She had never shown them to him directly, yet it seemed as though the Grand Duke knew everything.

“Ah…”

Anais reflexively released his hand and tried to clench her own again, wanting to hide the marks as though they were wounds.

But he did not let go.

Instead, he gently opened her hand again and enclosed it within his own palm.

“This way, they’ll be warm.”

Warmth seeped into her cold hand.

Anais stared blankly at him.

At her gaze, the Grand Duke smiled gently.

Then, as though nothing had happened, he spoke lightly.

“Shall we go?”

As Anais followed him, she felt heat rising to her face.

And then she realized.

It was not because the Grand Duke’s hands were warm that she felt so shaken.

It was because, only when she faced him, the heart that had always been cold became warm.