My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 61

Chapter 31.1 — Honeymoon Night (1)

It was the first mistake the young chamberlain had made in twenty-one years, but no one was shocked.

It was because such a trivial mistake wasn’t the problem. The diligent servants, who had been tending the garden like ants, all froze in place simultaneously. As if their souls were trapped in a group photo, not a single movement came from anyone.

And the same was true for Riette.

“That… uh…”

A flush of heat crawled up from her chin to the tip of her forehead.

It was fortunate that it was a dress designed to cover her neck. If it had been a dress with a plunging neckline, the area around her collarbone and shoulders would have turned bright red. She was dressed in a forsythia-colored Edwardian dress that meticulously covered her up to the neck, and her loosely braided hair was adorned with various flower petals.

Ironically, the very person responsible for tossing the giant bomb into the garden had a calm, almost nonchalant demeanor. It was the expression of a gentleman delivering a morning greeting with courtesy—calmly, casually and modestly, as if he had uttered something insignificant…

“I took the liberty of lending a hand without seeking your permission since I had time left, but I apologize if you’re offended.”

“Yes? Oh, no! The Grand Duke is a guest. I’m sorry to have troubled you with such a hassle!”

“Princess.”

Riette lifted her head slightly at the low call. As he was gazing down at her with his head tilted slightly, his gaze seemed somewhat displeased…

“It seems like you didn’t review yesterday’s lesson.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t I tell you to do so, Your Highness?”

“Uh…”

Her neck gradually turned peach as he tilted his head, trying to recall a memory. As Riette gripped the layout plan tightly with both hands, it crumpled with a soft sound. Her face flushed as red as a ripe tomato, and she whispered in a lowered voice.

“Well, you shouldn’t say that here. No, you can’t…!”

“Wouldn’t speaking informally make us appear more intimate? From now on, we should appear to have a considerable rapport with each other in order to convince them of a sudden marriage.”

“Ah…”

Right. That was right…

It felt embarrassing and awkward as if she was the only one with a wild imagination. As his tone seemed to firmly establish their marriage was nothing more than a contractual one, the heat that had risen up to the back of her head slowly dissipated, and a strange sense of emptiness and regret crept into that void.

“Hm. Well then, I suppose it’s better if the Grand Duke helps. That way, we’ll appear closer to each other, right?”

“That’s right. We’ll soon be closer than anyone else.”

After he emphasized his words, he extended his gloved hand before Riette naturally took his hand in a gesture that seemed like an escort.

Cain’s eyebrows twitched.

“….”

“….?”

He gazed down at her hand, holding his own and then slowly shifted his gaze to her face.

“I meant to ask you to show me the layout plan you are holding in your hand.”

“Ah!”

When Riette quickly lowered her hand and handed him the layout plan she had been holding, there was a momentary flicker of regret in Cain’s younger pale blue eyes.

He continued in his characteristic indifferent tone as he glanced over the plan with his eyes.

“Once the setup is over, we’ll dismiss the servants and search the area once more, after which we’ll frisk the servants one by one before allowing the guests in so there will be no need to worry about explosives. Chalonné and Helios guards have been placed in pairs at each route, so it should be difficult to deceive anyone.”

“Uh… when did you plan all of this?”

“It’s a simple matter. I’ve replaced all the reception escort personnel with people I know, so there’s no need to worry about His Highness’s henchmen.”

He glanced sideways at Riette.

Her round, rosy cheeks were like apples, with gentle eyes the color of a green summer, her wheat-colored hair adorned with flower blossoms, creating a precious palette of rich and vivid colors like that of a skilled artist.

The task of organizing the movements of around a hundred servants and over three hundred guards was nothing more than a sneeze to him. If he could catch a glimpse of her in the midst of such mundane tasks, even for just a moment, it would be worth hosting wedding receptions a hundred times or more in a year.

“Princess. Your Excellency the Grand Duke. You’ve arrived before us!”

“Oh, Princess Lariette. You look especially charming today….”

As a few Chalonné nobles entered and greeted her, Cain took a step closer to Riette, narrowing the distance between them.

There was absolutely no space between them, a close proximity seldom seen even among lovers in high society, except when dancing. Despite the absence of physical contact, like holding hands or placing a hand on the waist, what was being expressed was clear.

The two of them were closer than anyone could have imagined.

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