Chapter 24

A long silence passed.

Eventually, he pulled his gaze away, a bitter expression crossing his face. His reflection faded from the window, and only then did Anais find herself staring blankly at the rain.

All she could see outside was a blurry gray world, everything washed out by the storm.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Crystal Hall, Imperial Palace.

A grand space often opened up and rented out for noble gatherings.

They had both arrived early and were left waiting, but the hall was still nowhere near ready. Anais sat quietly, trying to pass the time, and glanced out the window again. The rain had turned into a downpour, and the wind howled outside.

Whoosh—

The sharp whistle of the wind mixed with the pounding of the rain echoed into the waiting room.

“Oh no, the rain’s coming in!”

“Shut the window!”

Palace servants scrambled to fix the situation, but the room was already a disaster. Puddles had formed on the soaked floor, and the carpet was completely drenched. Although they hurried to mop up the water, there was nothing they could do for the ruined carpet.

Turning away from the chaos, Anais caught her reflection in the mirror.

Now, she was dressed in a white gown. On the surface, it looked elegant, yet that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“….”

The dress the palace had prepared was way too heavy. It didn’t even fit her right. In the end, they had to pin the fabric in several places just to keep it from falling apart, and it made the wedding feel even more uncomfortable.

‘I just want this to be over.’.

As that thought crossed her mind, she heard the Duke’s voice.

“I’ll be back shortly after visiting the Emperor’s Palace.”

“….!”

Somehow, he had appeared beside her without her noticing. Startled, Anais blinked, then answered.

“Oh. Alright. I’ll stay here, I won’t run away.”

She was thinking of the contract he’d handed her, the one where he made her promise not to disappear without saying anything.

Anais nodded.

In return, the Duke curved his lips faintly into a smile.

“I trust you will.”

With those parting words, he left the waiting room.

Her gaze lingered blankly on the spot where he had been. She didn’t trust him. She only trusted the contract they’d both signed.

And yet, he had said he trusted her.

The walls she had carefully built around her heart began to ripple like disturbed water. Her violet eyes wavered violently.

“….”

Pressing her lips together, she remembered the cold, prophetic dream she’d had.

‘…Liar. In the end, you’re going to hand me a cup full of poison.’

As soon as she closed her eyes, the memory of her death in the dream became painfully vivid. With a gasp, Anais’s eyes flew open.

Once she had steadied her breathing, she smoothed out her shaken expression, alone in the silence.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Inside the audience chamber of the imperial palace.

The floor was covered with rich red carpets, and every surface gleamed with extravagant gold trim. The Emperor lounged at the head of the room, looking completely at ease. Even with his son’s wedding just a day away, he acted as if it had nothing to do with him.

The Emperor’s sharp red eyes landed on Diego. The faded blond monarch watched as his son, with his black hair, approached and bowed. 

He hadn’t spoken a word until then.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Only after Diego offered the proper, deferential greeting did the Emperor finally speak.

“Haha. Yes, congratulations on your marriage.”

A satisfied smile curled on the aging Emperor’s lips. Diego, watching, couldn’t help but scoff to himself.

‘How predictably consistent. Always the same, smiling without a clue.’

But what came from his mouth was the voice of polite deference.

“Thank you. Because of Your Majesty’s grace, we’re able to hold the wedding at the Imperial Palace. I won’t forget it.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Good.”

The Emperor looked him up and down, openly sizing him up as if checking for any hint of ambition toward the throne. But Diego had long mastered his true feelings in front of the Emperor. Like a bird crouching low before a hunt, he kept his face completely blank.

Naturally, the Emperor found nothing. Satisfied with his own assessment, he spoke again, more cheerfully.

But his next words caught Diego off guard.

“Ahem. Since we’ve invited representatives from various nations, you’re to attend tomorrow’s schedule. With your new Grand Duchess.”

“….”

A faint twitch flickered across Diego’s face, but the Emperor, oblivious, continued with a gleam in his eye.

“The kingdom declined to attend, but they sent enough flowers to fill the hall. It seems the future Grand Duchess may prove more useful than expected.”

His tone was dripping with greed. It was obvious he intended to use Anais as a tool against the kingdom.

“Not a bad return, considering what she cost us.”

Disgusted by the Emperor’s repulsive demeanor, Diego’s face hardened.