TGDWDS 21

Chapter 21

“It’s a wedding gift, Anais.”

Essel spoke quietly.

Anais had no idea what he meant. She looked at him in confusion.

He lifted the transparent glass in his hand. She could see the bright red wine gently swaying inside. Beyond the glass, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

“This celebratory drink is the gift I’m giving you. Congratulations on your marriage.”

His tone was playful. He immediately swallowed the red wine without leaving a drop.

Even then, Essel’s brown eyes remained fixed on Anais.

“……”

Anais felt strangely uneasy and set her glass down. On top of that, she could feel the alcohol gradually taking effect, making her breathing unsteady. She felt that she shouldn’t drink any more.

Straightening her posture, she said,

“I think that’s enough congratulations for now. Diego will be coming soon.”

She deliberately called the Grand Duke by his name. In doing so, she was making it clear once again that she was now his wife.

Fortunately, Essel readily nodded in agreement. With a friendly smile on his face, he said,

“I’ve taken up far too much of the newlyweds’ time on their wedding day. Then I’ll be going now.”

His attitude was straightforward. Only then did Anais feel relieved.

She had come to believe that the proposal he had made at Count Francis’s party had simply been an act of sympathy toward her as a friend.

“The glasses. I’ll take care of them.”

Essel picked up even Anais’s glass from the table. Watching him, Anais slowly opened her mouth.

“Count. From now on, I’d like us to communicate only through Diego.”

“Is there a reason it has to be that way?”

Essel tilted his head. He seemed puzzled by the idea that even private letters asking how she was doing would have to go through the Grand Duke.

Anais answered him more honestly than usual.

“Because I want to get along well with Diego without keeping anything from him.”

Essel paused for a moment before replying.

“……All right.”

Then, looking at Anais, he spoke lightly.

“Go to the Grand Duchy and stay healthy. And don’t forget that I’ll always be there by your side to help you. Contact me whenever you need me, Anais.”

After that, Essel bowed politely once more and smiled.

“I’ll be going now, Your Grace.”

Soon, Essel disappeared from Anais’s sight.

It was a clean, graceful departure.

Left alone, Anais felt all the tension drain from her body. Perhaps because of that, the effects of the alcohol suddenly hit her much harder, and she became dizzy.

In the end, she sank into the chair and tried to regain her composure.

She had been so focused on maintaining her distance from Essel that she hadn’t noticed. Until just moments ago, she had been able to endure the alcohol reasonably well, but that was no longer the case.

I only had one sip. Is it because it mixed with the white wine I drank earlier……?

Heat spread across Anais’s face, and her breathing began to quicken. On top of that, drowsiness slowly crept over her. Anais took several deep breaths.

“Phew.”

But she found it increasingly difficult to stay conscious. Her rapidly beating pulse thudded loudly in her ears.

Thump. Thump.

As she began to feel overheated, Anais unconsciously started fanning herself with her hand. However, her hand wasn’t moving as quickly as she wanted. It only grew slower and slower.

Just as Anais’s body was becoming limp and heavy with drunkenness, Diego returned.

His steps toward the Grand Duke’s table were confident and without hesitation. The moment he spotted Anais, he strode toward her.

But the closer he got to the table, the stranger something seemed.

He stopped beside Anais and carefully spoke.

“……Anais?”

Fortunately, Anais lifted her head at the sound of his voice.

“……”

Diego froze for a moment.

Anais looked at him with wide, round eyes. Then she tilted her head to the side before her eyes curved into soft crescents.

Her cheeks, which were usually as white as snow, were flushed red. The corners of her eyes curved gently, and her pale pink lips were slightly curled upward.

She was already sitting as though she were about to collapse onto the table. As if trying to bring her blurred vision into focus, she even squinted at him.

The sharp scent of wine tickled Diego’s nose.

Anais, enveloped in that scent, was much more disheveled than usual.

It was the first time Diego had ever seen her like this, and for several reasons, his mind simply stopped working.

Only after a long while did he think to himself,

……Just what kind of bastard brought her alcohol?

Coming to his senses, Diego looked around.

But there was no one nearby.

His brows furrowed deeply before his gaze returned to Anais.

And once again, he went blank.

“……”

The flushed cheeks of Anais’s face had dimpled.

She had smiled even more deeply.

Her half-closed violet eyes glittered as though they were filled with moisture.

……I need to move her somewhere quickly before people start staring.

Diego unconsciously clenched his fists.

For now, he decided, he needed to take care of Anais.

“Anais. Let’s go. We can go upstairs to your room now. You need to rest.”

Diego approached Anais and held out his hand.

“Can you walk?”

But all of Diego’s efforts and judgment were rendered useless in an instant.

Anais pointed at him with her finger and exclaimed brightly,

“Huh? It’s Diego!”

Anais leaned forward, bringing her finger toward his small head.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that her head, which kept bobbing forward, was following her finger.

“Uh-huh. That’s strangeee. You were far away just a moment ago. Phew.”

Anais frowned and let out a sigh.

Then she covered and uncovered her eyes with her hand, as if checking whether Diego was really standing there.

Anais’s violet eyes were normally held firmly in place by the restraints of reason.

But now those restraints had already melted away, leaving her soft and unguarded.

“You really are the real thing. When did you get this close? ……You look so big.”

Anais slowly spoke each word.

For some reason, her face looked slightly gloomy.

Seeing her expression, Diego asked sadly,

“……So you don’t like it?”

Anais shook her head.

“Then do you like it?”

At that question, she shook her head again.

Then she wrapped her slender fingers around his silver hair.

A sigh-laced voice escaped her lips.

“I don’t know……”

After that, she closed her eyes.

“……Anais. It looks like walking will be difficult, so I’ll help you.”

Anais seemed to have fallen asleep.

Diego put an arm around her shoulders and helped her to her feet.

It would be better for her to walk out somehow. Otherwise, rumors might spread that the Grand Duchess had gotten drunk on her wedding day and had to be carried out.

Fortunately, Anais’s legs still had some strength.

She supported her delicate, swaying body on both feet.

“Try walking just a little. If you can’t, I’ll carry you.”

Diego bent down closer to Anais to support her.

That was when Anais’s breathy voice suddenly entered his ear.

“Ah. Right.”

In an instant, Diego stiffened from his ears all the way through his body.

With an awkward expression, he checked Anais’s condition.

He had thought she had fallen into a light sleep.

But Anais was looking at Diego with hazy violet eyes.

“……”

He couldn’t say anything and simply stared at her.

Meanwhile, Anais let out a small, suppressed laugh before speaking.

“I still have one more thing to say.”

Diego, who had paused, pulled himself together and replied,

“……We’ll listen after we leave here. First, before everyone’s attention becomes more focused on us……”

“No. You have to hear it.”

Anais spoke firmly, furrowing her brows with determination.

And in that state, she didn’t move even a single step.

Diego could have simply picked her up and carried her out.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

It was because this was the first time he had ever seen Anais with such a resolute expression, her lips pressed together in determination.

With no other choice, he sat the completely immobile Anais back down in the chair at the Grand Duke’s table.

There weren’t any other tables nearby, and with Diego sitting there, no noble would be foolish enough to approach them.

He turned Anais as much toward himself as possible and made her sit facing him.

He blocked her from view so that no one else could see her.

Then he looked at Anais, who still wore a solemn expression.

What could she possibly want to say to be this serious about it……?

“What is it? Why are you smiling?”

At Anais’s new and unexpectedly diverse expressions, the corners of Diego’s eyes had naturally curved upward.

But at her remark, he immediately lowered the corners of his lips.

“Don’t smile. Listen to me. I’m serious.”

“Of course. Anais. I’m listening.”

Anais even shot Diego a sidelong glance.

Then she pouted before finally speaking.

“Listen carefully.”

Diego focused on what Anais was saying.

And then the words finally spilled from her lips.

“Count Essel Amitié is just my friend. Just a friend. That’s all, so don’t ever misunderstand.”

The moment Diego heard the name Essel, his expression hardened.