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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Had I ever drunk with Adele before? The answer was, of course, yes.
But if she asked if we had ever drunk together alone… I would have to say no.
In the past, we had realized our feelings for each other a little too late. This time, those feelings were present from the start, making it a slightly different experience.
It was only natural that our gazes wavered when they met.
Perhaps we were both seriously contemplating what the other was thinking.
In the past, our relationship as Grand Duchess and subordinate had been quite comfortable. But now, as Grand Duchess and Duke, we were almost equals.
I wasn’t her subordinate, and we hadn’t spent much time together in this life.
That was why this moment was special. It was a drinking session with just the two of us, no one else present.
I took a deep breath and sat down. Adele, who had been staring at me intently, chuckled softly.
She had neatly tied her long hair back and was holding a bottle of alcohol.
It was a strong liquor, not often found in the capital but quite common in the North.
I had agreed to this meeting because Adele was a heavy drinker. I wouldn’t have taken the risk of coming here if I couldn’t hold my liquor.
“Can you handle your alcohol? You always seemed to drink in moderation at banquets.”
“I can drink moderately. I’m not a complete lightweight.”
“I see. That’s good to hear. I was going to take it easy on you if you couldn’t.”
It seemed she was trying to provoke me, but I wasn’t so easily swayed by such taunts.
Alcohol? I couldn’t even get drunk when I drank alone.
Moreover, I had received divine power from the Saint, making me immune to intoxication. How could I possibly get drunk?
While I didn’t dislike being drunk, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be inebriated in my current position…
Adele poured alcohol into my glass.
She was wearing a comfortable, thin outfit, different from her usual attire. Her collarbone was slightly exposed, and I averted my gaze to avoid staring.
It wasn’t much, but it was more revealing than her usual clothes.
Was she wearing pajamas? I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to wear such clothes in front of a man.
While I wanted to say something, I had come here to simply spend time with her.
I carefully lifted the glass Adele had given me and took a sip.
I frowned for a moment at the burning sensation before exhaling softly and opening my eyes.
The strong liquor made my body feel warm. Adele chuckled at my reaction and took a swig from the bottle.
She emptied half of the bottle before taking a breath.
She didn’t seem affected at all. She looked at me for a moment and shrugged.
“Not bad. I haven’t had many opportunities to drink in a quiet setting, so I was a bit concerned. But this isn’t so bad.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hold a banquet. Did you do this on purpose?”
“I wanted to talk to you alone. There are things we can’t discuss with other people around.”
Her words made me realize she wanted to talk about “memories.”
Had she remembered something I didn’t know? My expression hardened, and Adele waved her hand dismissively, pouring me another drink.
“But I’m not going to talk about it now. It’s fine to just drink quietly.”
“…How have you been?”
I realized I hadn’t asked Adele how she was doing since arriving.
How had she been? What had she been up to?
I had a vague idea, but I didn’t know the details.
Everything was diverging slightly from my memories.
Hadn’t a lot changed since I witnessed the start of the new year in the North?
I had become Duke, the subjugation that should have been ongoing had ended cleanly, and…
I had assumed there would be changes in the North as well, but Adele didn’t answer my question immediately. She simply stared at me.
I noticed her lips, glistening with alcohol.
Unlike her pale skin, they were a bright red. She shook her head slightly and took a sip of her drink.
“I haven’t been well. Thanks to someone.”
I smiled wryly at her blatant accusation.
I resolved to contact her more often in the future. And I realized Adele cared about me more than I had thought.
She continued when I didn’t respond.
“Because of someone who promised to contact me often but didn’t send a single letter for two months, who claims to be busy but meets with other people just fine, and who appears in my dreams constantly despite all that… I haven’t been well.”
“I apologize for that.”
“I’ve remembered more than what came back before. It’s still hazy how I died, but I vaguely remember what I was thinking while I was with you.”
If she could recall those emotions so vividly, it meant she had regained most of her memories.
However, it was strange that she didn’t remember the moment of her death.
I thought she would have remembered that intense memory instantly, but perhaps it was the last thing she would recall.
My appearances in her dreams meant the rest of her memories were returning.
We had spent almost our entire lives together in those lifetimes, so I couldn’t refute her words.
It was my fault after all.
I hadn’t given much thought to the North. I had assumed Adele wouldn’t mind if I didn’t contact her for a while.
Adele scoffed at my apology and emptied the rest of the bottle, grabbing a new one.
Her face was slightly flushed, but she didn’t seem drunk.
I assumed she was simply more comfortable expressing her emotions now.
“But I’m not going to scold you for that. I figured you must have had your reasons. But I’m curious…”
Adele glanced at me, then hesitantly spoke.
“Why were you with the Saint?”
“…Adriana? Are you talking about when I became Duke?”
“Yes, I heard you held hands and walked out together.”
I nodded, realizing my mistake.
I had acted that way to demonstrate that the Taylor House would change now that I was Duke.
The nobles had interpreted it that way as well. No one except Count Yugress had questioned my relationship with the Saint.
But I hadn’t considered how Adele, who had received no news, would feel.
As I was trying to figure out how to explain it to her, Adele sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Her furrowed brows seemed to urge me to explain myself.
She looked like she was about to explode if I didn’t give her a satisfactory answer, so I quickly spoke.
“I did that to demonstrate the House’s renewal. There were no personal intentions or-”
“Your hand.”
Her response was unexpected, and I tilted my head in confusion, looking at her.
My hand?
Adele sighed in exasperation and pulled my wrist, placing my hand over hers.
“I asked for your hand, didn’t I?”
I flinched at the warmth of her hand intertwined with mine.
I wasn’t resisting, but I was surprised by her sudden action.
Adele stared at my hand in hers.
She wiggled her fingers, tickling my palm, then wiped the back of my hand with her sleeve and chuckled softly.
“I can’t let anyone else hold your hand when I’m not looking.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m telling you not to hold hands with anyone else. If you do, I… I get uncomfortable. It makes me anxious, and I can’t sleep.”
Adele’s cheeks were flushed as she chuckled.
I noticed two empty bottles beside her and realized she was slightly drunk.
She wasn’t completely intoxicated, she was simply being more honest.
I had experienced this before, but it was the first time Adele had acted this way in this life.
I was a bit flustered.
“We’ve held hands before, haven’t we?”
If my memory served me right, we had held hands when the new year arrived. Didn’t we hold hands when the bell rang?
Adele nodded nonchalantly and chuckled.
She rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on her knee, and looked at me with amusement in her eyes.
“We did. I just held it this time because I want you to cherish yourself a little more.”
“I already cherish myself enough.”
“No, you wouldn’t have tried to inherit the Dukedom without contacting me if you did. Didn’t I tell you? I’ll help you if you ask for it.”
Adele stood up and strode toward me, poking my chest with her finger.
Her hair, cascading down her shoulders, brushed against my cheek.
Her scent clouded my mind, and I bit my lip, speaking softly.
“I thought it would be a burden.”
“If you had made even the slightest mistake, you would be dead. You said Yuria is still alive? Why didn’t you consider the possibility that it could have been you?”
Adele smiled wryly, seemingly annoyed.
But her anger was closer to concern.
She was finally expressing the anxiety she felt while I was gone, the sleepless nights she endured because of me.
She pushed me down onto the bed.
“…I was upset.”
I didn’t ask what she was upset about.
Adele straddled me, looking down at me.
Her flushed face revealed her slight intoxication, but her words were sincere.
I listened quietly, and she continued, poking my forehead.
“Did you think I would consider it a burden if you asked for help? Was I that insignificant to you?”
“…That’s not-”
“Then… what am I to you?”
I couldn’t answer easily, so I looked at her silently.
Her usually cold eyes were wavering slightly.
I didn’t know what the right answer was. Even after dying 100 times and living through 101 lives…
A woman’s heart was difficult to understand.
Adele spoke when I remained silent.
“Answer me. What am I to you?”
She leaned closer, her shoulder exposed as her clothes shifted.
As the distance between us narrowed, our breaths mingling, Adele whispered in my ear.
“I won’t let you go until you answer me.”
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