Chapter 15

“This is a marriage forced by imperial order, even at the cost of a great deal of money. So why are you being so kind to me?”

The sweet chocolate the Grand Duke had given her left a faintly bitter aftertaste, as if warning her that this warm, comforting moment could crumble at any second. Just moments ago, she had thought she would never be able to trust anyone again, and yet now, she was feeling the warmth of the Grand Duke beside her.

Even though she knew this path could only end in death.

Or perhaps, despite knowing that, she still wanted to lean on him. She was that exhausted. Maybe that was why she found herself wanting to understand why he was treating her with such tenderness.

When she hesitantly voiced the question, the Grand Duke answered shortly, as though swallowing his words.

“…Because it’s you.”

The words, sounding almost like a confession, made Anais quietly study his face.

The night was dark.

The soft moonlight rained down like scattered lanterns in the distance, gently illuminating his face wherever it touched.

The warmth she discovered in the man she had once thought so cold was something Anais had never learned how to resist. The tender care and comfort he offered were things she had never once received before, making them feel uniquely precious to her. Yet she couldn’t easily step closer, unsure of what he might be hiding behind the shadowed parts of himself.

As her mind slowly unraveled the tangle of thoughts about him, Anais finally opened her mouth.

“There’s something you should know first.”

After a long breath, she continued slowly.

“I’m not the biological daughter of Viscount Orelcian. I’m… the illegitimate child of my mother, abandoned by the Kingdom of Renium.”

Suppressing the tremor in her voice, Anais confessed the truth of her birth, something she had only discovered today.

She had revealed it because hiding the truth from the Grand Duke would only give him more reasons to kill her. It was also to make him understand there was nothing about her worth considering special.

“If His Majesty learns of this, it could harm both you and the Grand Duchy.”

She spoke quietly, her voice sinking low.

“If you inform His Majesty of the truth and call off the engagement, I’ll accept it.”

“….”

Diego, who had been silently listening, had at some point hardened, his face cold and unreadable.

“Act in a way that protects the Grand Duchy. If you continue with the marriage like this… it would be no different than deceiving everyone.”

Anais, watching the Grand Duke grow increasingly icy, closed her mouth and lowered her gaze. As she had suspected, his kindness had only existed while the marriage to her still held value. Even the words, ‘Because it’s you,’ must have been part of that calculation.

Now that she had seen his true self, she felt strangely calm.

Like someone finally freed from confusion, she simply waited for him to make his decision.

But after a long silence, the words that finally came from the Grand Duke’s lips were nothing like what she had expected.

“Every family has its own secrets and circumstances.”

His voice, free of anger, was just as gentle as before. It even sounded as though he was choosing his words carefully, as though pleading for her not to misunderstand.

“….”

Startled, Anais lifted her head to look at him, and as if he had been waiting, he continued speaking.

“Since we aren’t yet married, Lady Anais, you’re still legally an Orelcian. You haven’t acted against the imperial decree.”

“….”

“Therefore, there’s no reason for me to suffer any consequences, nor will I have any reason to inform His Majesty of this.”

She had expected him to get angry, to raise his voice.

She had expected him to call off the marriage altogether.

She had spoken up, thinking the imperial palace might issue a furious punishment once they learned the truth.

Anais, unable to believe what she was hearing, could only ask in a daze.

“…Does it truly not matter to you that I’m illegitimate?”

“Well, my own birth wasn’t exactly something to celebrate, either. If you’re asking for my thoughts, my decision hasn’t changed.”

The Grand Duke said with a soft smile, as if it were nothing of importance.

“If it would ease your mind, should we draw up a contract now?”

Because he treated it so lightly, Anais couldn’t help but feel that maybe her status as an illegitimate child didn’t matter at all. But was that truly alright? Was it really okay to move forward with a contract marriage like this?