Chapter 23

Anais tilted her head.

‘Was there a title I was supposed to start using?’

She was already calling him ‘Grand Duke,’ and just because she was now the Grand Duchess didn’t mean she had to stop calling him that.

But then his next words made her pause.

“Diego. Please, call me by my name.”

“….”

“It’ll look better both officially and for anyone watching like we’re actually a loving couple.”

He wasn’t wrong. As long as they were married, they had to act the part. She needed to cooperate as much as possible because she needed to make sure he had no reason to kill her.

So, Anais accepted the situation without complaint.

“Alright. Diego.”

“And what should I call you, Lady Anais?”

Since she had just allowed him to use her name, she couldn’t very well ask him to use something else. After a moment’s hesitation, she replied.

“…Call me whatever you prefer. My name, or just wife. It doesn’t matter.”

‘Yeah. It’s just a name. No need to overthink it.’

She brushed it off.

What truly mattered was that the contract marriage paperwork was now finalized. With all that sorted out, Anais had only two goals left in her mind: surviving, and making sure she could get a safe divorce.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

The wedding day finally arrived.

Instead of heading to the Grand Duchy, the two of them were brought straight to the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t their choice. The entire event was orchestrated for appearances, just as the Emperor intended.

“There will be a lot of exhausting moments today. The whole kingdom and all the officials are probably invited.”

“Then, I suppose by the end of today, everyone will learn I mean nothing to this kingdom.”

Anais let out a bitter smile.

She hoped the Emperor, who had forced this lavish wedding despite the cost, would come to regret it. His goal was obvious: keep the kingdom in check. By tying up Anais, someone with royal blood, as a political hostage, he was making sure the kingdom stayed under his thumb.

She hoped this marriage would lose its usefulness as soon as possible.

Her expression hardened as she turned her head toward the window. Out in the lonely dusk, people hurried past beneath their umbrellas.

Pitter-patter.

The light drizzle was turning into a steady downpour, leaving trails on the windowpane. The view beyond, already blurred by moisture, faded even more into a watery haze.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The ceremony will be held under the High Priest’s blessing.”

The unexpected comment made her turn her head toward the Grand Duke again. With the rainy window behind him, he was clear and sharp in her vision.

Neatly swept-back black hair. A face that was almost frightening in its coldness when he wasn’t smiling, and those crimson eyes, so chilling, almost like death itself. He was wearing his usual black ceremonial uniform, though the silver embroidery made him look more formal than usual. Maybe that was why he seemed almost like a stranger to her right now.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke just looked at her in silence. When their eyes finally met, the corners of his eyes gently curved.

“….”

In contrast, Anais’s face stiffened. She recognized that smile. It was an expression so gentle and familiar from the Grand Duke.

Still, she’d never let herself be fooled by that kindness and walk willingly toward death.

Anais steeled herself. She turned her gaze away from him and spoke in a deliberately light tone as if nothing was wrong.

“Will the High Priest be attending as well?”

The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment before replying.

“…Yes. Thanks to that, we won’t need to travel to the Holy Nation.”

His gaze remained fixed on her. She could feel his eyes on her, even if she didn’t look back.

Anais grew tense, her senses sharpening under the weight of his attention. As tension coiled within her, the Grand Duke continued.

“Once the ceremony is complete, we’ll be officially recognized as husband and wife.”

The words stole her breath. To suppress the rising pressure, she slowly closed and opened her eyes.

She knew what his words implied.

The Holy Nation, run independently by the High Priest and not belonging to any country, was in charge of every noble’s marriage and divorce. Normally, newlyweds would have to travel there themselves, paperwork in hand, to get the High Priest’s blessing. But this time, they were skipping all of that.

Finally, Anais managed to answer, her voice calm and steady.

“What an extraordinary blessing. For him to come here personally.”

“I guess you could call it that.”

After that, silence filled the carriage again.

Anais didn’t have the strength for any more conversation. She turned to look out the window once more, as if fleeing.

With her silver hair tightly pinned up, not a strand moved. When she finally looked again, the world outside the window was drenched in rain. The Grand Duke’s reflection was just barely visible in the glass. He was watching her from behind, but she didn’t turn around.