-27-
“How long are you just going to stand there and stare? Come on! Go hold hands and stand face to face!”
Pushed forward by her, Lucious awkwardly took my hand as he stepped right in front of me. His hand felt noticeably warmer than earlier, and I felt my face flush as I instinctively looked away.
“…Tiana.”
“…Yes.”
“You’re so… beautiful. Truly… beautiful…”
“Lucious…”
He kept repeating the same words in a slightly trembling voice, unsure of what to do. His face reddened as he met my eyes, gripping both my hands tightly as if he didn’t want to let go.
“Can you two get just a little closer?”
“…Closer than this?”
“Close enough to feel each other’s breath! Closer!”
“Wait, isn’t that too close?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you kiss right now!”
“What kind of comment is that…!”
“You have to save the kiss for the wedding day! Oh, unless… you’ve already kissed? Looks like you took my advice seriously!”
“…What?”
Advice? What advice? I stared at her in confusion, and she quickly averted her eyes and changed the subject.
“Someone bring me the veil!”
Responding promptly, a waiting maid handed over the veil. She came around behind me. I stared at her, but she pretended not to notice and placed the veil on me, then pushed my back to make me get even closer to Lucious.
“Ah… wait a moment…!”
“Don’t turn your head! Stay just like that! Foreheads touching—perfect, hold it!”
“Alexandra…!”
I couldn’t believe how infuriating she looked pretending not to notice a thing. As she busily adjusted my veil, her eyes scanning for corrections, I let out a sigh.
So she really did give Lucious some advice. But when did they even meet? They’ve both been busy. Ah, maybe it was through letters—that would’ve worked.
He was so bold back then… Turns out it was because Alexandra advised him. No wonder it seemed odd.
Looking at Lucious’s face quietly, I noticed him shyly avoiding my gaze. His slightly red earlobes and bashful glances were so cute, I almost laughed.
Getting advice from his little sister and following it to the letter—wasn’t that exactly the kind of thing a romance newbie would do? I was excited thinking I’d discovered a new side to him, but I guess I was wrong. That’s a little disappointing.
Still, wow… this is really close. Even closer than before.
Last time, I was looking slightly down at him, but this time he was looking down at me, and I could feel his breath more clearly.
We were close enough that I could hear his heartbeat thumping—thump, thump. I’d never been this physically close to someone before. Especially not to a man.
I’d never dated anyone, never even had a crush, so I’d never had a reason to be this near a man.
Even with the people I once called family, I never held hands. But ever since I became Tiana, skinship—giving and receiving—had become a lot more common.
I’d always wondered what it felt like. It was more comforting than I expected, more peaceful… full of warmth.
Alexandra, who had been silently adjusting my veil for a while, finally spoke.
“By the way… did you actually kiss?”
“…No, we didn’t.”
“Then why were you so flustered? You really had me thinking you already kissed! Jeez, so you didn’t listen to my advice.”
“What exactly did you say to him?”
“Do you really want me to say it in front of him? Looks like my brother’s about to pass out from nerves. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. I didn’t say much. Just told him to be ‘more assertive!’ That’s all.”
“Really? You didn’t tell him anything specific?”
“Nope. That was it. Oh, except I did tell him to practice holding hands a lot. Other than that, I didn’t say a word. I mean, your relationship is moving along nicely, and I don’t want to meddle too much.”
“…”
“Why? Did he do something really specific?”
I avoided her sparkling, curious gaze and looked over at Lucious. His ears, which had just been tinged red, were now fully flushed, spreading all the way across his face. Watching his eyes tremble, I pursed my lips tightly.
So that’s why he was desperately avoiding my gaze. While it’s true he got advice from Alexandra, the things he actually did—those were his own instincts.
Acting like that just from hearing “Be more assertive!”… This guy—maybe he’s not a gentle lamb at all but a hidden baby wolf.
…I might start looking forward to how he’ll be at night.
***
People began to gather one by one, taking their seats around the round table. Once Edwin confirmed that the Marquis of Calvino was the last to arrive, he signaled to the attendant by the door.
The attendant left, shutting the door behind him, and the marquis looked around at those in the room before speaking.
“Let us begin the meeting.”
In the silence that followed, the marquis kept his eyes on Edwin and spoke first.
“It seems things will progress faster than expected. Make sure everyone is thoroughly prepared.”
“Has Lady Celeste’s entry into high society been confirmed?”
“Yes. She’s quite eager herself. Which is good for us—if she performs well, His Majesty’s reputation will rise in no time.”
“But will things really move that smoothly just because she joins high society?”
“That might be the case for an ordinary young lady, but she’ll soon become the Grand Duchess. And the Imperial faction currently lacks a lady who can dominate the social scene. It seems she’s rekindled ties with Princess Alexandra as well. If she lends her support, high society will soon be within our grasp.”
Though he had originally planned to begin later, the marquis wasn’t the type to miss a good opportunity. Watching him smile in satisfaction, Count Russell finally spoke up.
“I only hope we don’t rush things and ruin them.”
“…Are you saying that to me, Count, or to the lady herself?”
“I’ve heard that the lady hasn’t fully recovered. Even if she’s doing better, I worry about lingering aftereffects. There’s still time, so instead of hurrying—”
“Count Russell. Anyone hearing this might think the young lady is your daughter. Even the Duke hasn’t spoken up, so why are you interfering?”
“….”
“If anyone’s going to ruin this, it’s you.”
Glaring at Count Russell, the marquis clicked his tongue and continued.
“A man who doesn’t know his place, yet received help to get where he is, ought to start learning some humility by now. You really show your outsider origins.”
As the marquis cast a sneering look, Russell turned red and started to rise. But a low voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Let’s refrain from saying anything excessive, former Duke Calvino. Oh—my apologies. You’re a marquis now, aren’t you?”
“…!”
The nobles around the table instantly turned pale as every eye focused on Edwin. Mentioning the marquis’s previous title was an unspoken taboo in this room.
The marquis’s face twisted in fury as he stared at Edwin. This was something he never would’ve dared do before. Even Count Russell looked at him in shock.
As the stunned nobles sat frozen in silence, the marquis finally spoke, his expression dark as thunder.
“…Duke Celeste. Have you lost your mind?”
“I’m perfectly sane. I just thought I should speak up since the marquis seems to be crossing the line, as usual.”
“Your Grace!”
“Your Excellency…!”
The marquis leapt from his seat, but Count Russell, seated to Edwin’s right, quickly stepped in to calm him down. Edwin glanced reassuringly at the worried count before continuing.
“Everyone here knows that Count Russell isn’t of imperial blood, but he earned his seat through merit. We also know how hard he’s worked to maintain it.”
“….”
The nobles on the marquis’s side pressed their lips together at Edwin’s firm words. None dared meet his eyes. Edwin turned to the marquis again.
“You of all people should know how difficult it is to maintain such a position.”
“…And what exactly are you trying to say? I’m curious what’s driving the duke to speak so rashly.”
His face still red, the marquis sat down again, but with an even grimmer expression.
Until now, everything had gone smoothly for him. Even when disagreements arose, the marquis always held the upper hand.
Now, just as the engagement talks were progressing well, Edwin’s open defiance caught him off guard—and he didn’t like it one bit.
Edwin calmly looked around at the marquis and those seated near him before speaking again.
“Whatever your plans may be, we need to first confirm the most important thing—rather than charging ahead unilaterally.”
“The most important thing? What could be more important than our grand endeavor?”
“I believe I’ve said this before. First and foremost, we must have His Majesty’s will. Has His Majesty ever explicitly said he supports your actions?”
The marquis scoffed at the question. So that’s where this was going.
“This is all for His Majesty and the future of this nation. And I am his grandfather—who better to represent his interests than me? I know His Majesty better than anyone.”
“Has His Majesty personally given you that authority? Has he ever said, ‘What you say is what I want’?”
“He hasn’t said those exact words, but he’s also never once said, ‘No.’ That means he trusts me completely.”
“But neither has he ever said, ‘Yes.’”
“….”
Meeting the marquis’s fierce glare head-on, Edwin didn’t back down in the slightest. The marquis bit down hard on his lip, clearly displeased, and spoke with force.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I just believe it’s time we clarify this once and for all. Who exactly benefits from this ‘great plan’ of yours? Is it really what His Majesty wants?”
“…His Majesty is about to receive a fine bride—your daughter, Lady Celeste. With such a wonderful partner, it’s only natural that he’ll aim higher. And as his grandfather and loyal subject, I’m only working to help him rise.”
“The one aiming higher is you, Marquis—not His Majesty. Everyone here, all the nobles of the empire, even… His Majesty himself, knows that you are not content with your current position.”
Even members of the emperor’s own faction, as well as neutrals, knew the marquis longed for more power.
Having once held a higher title, he couldn’t forget the view from the top. His thirst for prestige and authority remained insatiable.
