Chapter 9

“If you’re not going to tell me, I’ll go find her myself.”

As the Grand Duke stood up as if he were ready to storm out of the parlor, Rex deliberately gave him a pointed look.

“Not only have you arrived unannounced, but now you want to barge into my sister’s bedroom? Our father will be here shortly, so please wait.”

“Ha.”

Diego let out a short, mirthless laugh. The tension in the room, once tolerably calm, turned cold in an instant.

“I’m here to see my bride. What right do you have to stop me?”

His voice cut through the room like ice, and Rex’s expression hardened.

“She’s not your wife yet, and she’s still an Orelcian, Your Highness. You seem to have forgotten that.”

“I think you’re the one who’s mistaken.”

With a faint, amused smile, Diego fixed his gaze on Rex. His crimson eyes were so sharp they looked ready to tear him apart.

“The Viscount’s house gains no rights or benefits from this marriage.”

Hearing this unexpected statement, Rex furrowed his brow and looked at his mother, Jade. But it seemed she didn’t know anything about it either.

“From what I’ve heard, the Viscount already received a large dowry weeks ago as payment for that condition. Not only from the Grand Duchy but also from the Imperial Palace.”

“….”

“And after all that, wasn’t it rather unjust to send away the knight I assigned to guard Lady Anais?”

Finally stating the official reason for his unexpected visit, Diego’s expression turned cold, and all traces of a smile vanished from his face.

“Now that you understand, bring Lady Anais here. I want her in front of me.”

The sharpness in the Grand Duke’s command left Rex with no choice but to comply. If those words were true, it meant their father had essentially sold Anais off for a hefty price long ago.

Gritting his teeth, Rex finally spoke.

“…Please wait a moment.”

He sent a maid to fetch Anais, while Jade stood frozen in shock.

‘Nectar didn’t tell me something this important?’

Still in a daze, she eventually gave a brief greeting to Diego and left the parlor.

Meanwhile, Diego, who had just lit the first spark of discord within the Viscount’s household, watched the door without the slightest sign of concern.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Not long after.

Still keeping his gaze fixed on the doorway, Diego finally saw Anais come into view.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

Unlike before, when she had been dressed in extravagance, Anais now wore a simple indoor gown. Her fluttering silver hair was neatly pulled back and styled as primly as she could manage. When he saw her without a single piece of jewelry or ornament to decorate herself, his expression hardened with quiet bitterness.

He clenched his jaw, then relaxed it, adjusting his demeanor before striding toward her.

“I’ve been wanting to see you again, Lady Anais.”

As if confirming something, he studied her slowly before slightly curling his lips into a smile.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

Then, he took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

“….”

Anais, who had finally raised her head to meet his eyes, spoke in a calm voice without letting down her guard.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

Instead of answering, he turned his head toward Rex Orelcian, who had been glaring at him the entire time.

“I’d like to speak with Lady Anais. Would you excuse us?”

Frustrated by his constant condescension, Rex clenched his jaw, gave a curt nod, and walked out of the room without another word.

With the unwanted guest gone, Anais and Diego were left alone in the parlor.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Sitting at the table in the parlor, Anais broke the silence first.

“Have you made your decision?”

She was referring to the contract marriage. Even though the parlor was empty, Anais still spoke obliquely, just in case a servant might be nearby to overhear. She hadn’t yet told her father about the contract marriage, so she needed to be cautious. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke looked at Anais with unwavering red eyes, so different from when they first met, and spoke.

“Before anything else, may I ask why?”

It seemed he understood her intentions as he continued the conversation without mentioning it directly. However, his unexpected question made Anais pause, and she quietly chose her words before answering slowly.

“Simply… for my own sake.”

“….”

When the Grand Duke remained silent, Anais narrowed her brows slightly and asked in return,

“Is that not acceptable?”

“No, not at all. That’s more than enough of an answer. I accept your proposal.”

She had thought he had come here to turn her down. The swift agreement caught her off guard, and she blinked in surprise.

“Then, may I officially propose to you now?”

“Not yet. I’ll accept your proposal once the papers are signed.”

Anais, who placed more trust in a written contract than a spoken vow, shook her head with unwavering certainty.

The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment, then nodded and replied,

“Very well. Let’s proceed as you wish.”

With a smooth lift of his lips, he somehow appeared more relaxed than he had at their first meeting. Maybe that was why Anais watched him more warily than before. Then, as if continuing a casual conversation, he asked.