My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 60

Chapter 30.2 — Best Bridesmaid (14)

When she raised her head slightly, his face came into view. He was pretending not to care. With an indifferent expression on his face that seemed to be a bit of an exaggeration, as if he didn’t even know that she was there, he quietly held out his handkerchief.

Riette, who had been staring at him blankly, lowered her gaze again.

“…Thank you.”

“It’s alright.”

After she carefully accepted it, he quietly withdrew his hand.

She gazed out over the Virgin Road with him, wiping away the tears that had dripped down her cheeks with a handkerchief scented with his scent.

“Today…”

A tight bass voice, as though he had bottled it up and then finally let it out, made her glance back at him.

Cain, as if obeying a command from someone, continued to gaze resolutely ahead, even though Beatrice and Jacques had long left the cathedral. His white-gloved fingers twitched a few times, and then he let out a deep, low-pitched that was even quieter than before.

“You look quite beautiful.”

Riette, who had been completely absorbed in wiping away her tears, finally turned to him. As always, his handsome profile was austere, and he wore a dry, rigid expression, but…

His earlobes… turned bright red.

She let out a gentle laugh at the profoundly unusual sight.

‘I shouldn’t be laughing while crying…’

“Of course, it’s a wedding!”

Beatrice, in a wedding dress, no less. Even if he was the grand duke, it seemed that it must be hard to refrain from saying something at that appearance. The next moment, Cain suddenly turned to Riette. His expression was subtle as he looked down at her as she proudly straightened her neck.

“I’m talking about the Princess.”

“…Huh? I know.”

Cain furrowed his brows slightly.

“The princess I find beautiful is Princess Lariette.”

As she walked down the Virgin Road in her bridesmaid’s dress, she was so breathtakingly beautiful that it took his breath away.

“…Uh… yes?”

Even her forehead was turning bright red as she flustered with embarrassment.

˚ ･: * ✧ * :･ ˚

‘I’ll love the Princess from this day forth.’

He had said that…

It was only now that Riette realized the subtle and important meaning contained in that sentence.

He said, ‘I.’ It wasn’t ‘me and the princess.’

There was a nuance as if he was going to act one-sidedly as if he were unilaterally burning for himself. Depending on how you interpret it, there was enough room for it to be understood like the former…

He was someone who preferred clear definitions that minimized the margin for error. If it meant they were doing it simultaneously, he would have surely added a clarification. Something like, ‘So, Princess, you also need to act your best as if you love me.’ Even so, it was just the way it was. People couldn’t adapt to a complete change in a day…

…Wasn’t this the man who had said about an hour ago that he would pay for the munitions factory in exchange for a kiss?

….

‘…Yes. He’s the kind of guy who would sincerely do his best to fulfill the responsibilities he was given. This was also an obligation to fulfill the duties of a contracted husband. Don’t forget that.’

That was the end of the tears and the confusion.

In fact, there was no other option.

The real work is starting now.

Riette returned to the palace with a sense of unease as the wedding limousine departed for the streets of Montbéliard. After changing into her reception dress quickly, she hurriedly made her way to the main palace’s garden.

The garden was in the process of being prepared to resemble the wedding reception venue under the direction of the royal court. The highlight of Chalonné’s wedding was the wedding reception that continued all night from the evening after the ceremony. Since all the guests were royals and nobles, security was paramount as no one in the high society would want their unruly behavior to be displayed in the newspapers.

Not to mention the reporters, even the security forces and staff had to achieve the most efficient results with the minimum number.

Riette touched her forehead.

“Count! Why did you change the tables so they are all in one place? The tablecloths are too long as well. With this length, someone could hide a bomb, and no one would know.”

“Her Majesty the Queen ordered us to reinforce security with the Helios guards, so she instructed us to make changes with confidence. She also requested that it be of a length that would allow guests to cover their feet so they could comfortably enjoy their meals…”

‘Still, no matter what. It’s just been a week since the opera house terror attack, and changing the setup like this so recklessly…’

“We completed a search once before the structures were set up. There shouldn’t be any issues now that the guards have taken their positions and started placing the fixtures.”

Riette turned her head hurriedly at the low, deep bass voice, and her round eyes slowly grew in size.

“Grand Duke? What are you doing here instead of resting at your residence?”

It appeared that Cain had come straight to the garden right after the ceremony, as he was still wearing the same attire as he had at the cathedral. His gentlemanly appearance, neatly dressed in an evening coat, was dazzlingly handsome.

“I came out early because I wanted to see the princess as soon as possible.”

In response to his unwavering answer without any hesitation, the court ladies dropped the silver tray they were holding with a loud crash.

Crash!

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