My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 66
Chapter 33.2 — Honeymoon Night (6)
She glared at his fine, graceful palm.
Eventually, they had to talk about it at least once. It wasn’t something she could avoid or refuse forever, even if it meant pretending to play along with his plans.
And… the dance…
Riette clenched her teeth, extending her hand.
And then…
Thud.
Neither of them expected another hand to reach out in that short period of time. All of a sudden, a large hand clad in a white glove protruded from the side… grabbing Narkissis’s hand.
“….”
“….”
It was Cain.
Narkissis’s languid mask crumbled as soon as he realized the situation.
Tak!
Cain withdrew his hand as he forcefully pushed it away.
“What kind of crazy stunt is this, Cain? Have you been drinking too much?”
Narkissis was so displeased that he even lost his characteristic laid-back tone of speech for a moment as his eyes narrowed and he trembled slightly. It was a reaction that sent shivers down the spine even when Riette recalled it later.
“The one who should exercise restraint from drinking is you, Your Highness. I didn’t have any alcohol.”
Cain casually replied while removing his gloves one by one. Then, he neatly folded the gloves he had taken off, aligning each fold precisely. It was a meticulous tidying up that, even watching it happen, made it difficult to comprehend how gloves could be folded like that in midair.
He looked down at Narkissis as he shoved his gloves into the inside pocket of his evening coat.
“Your Highness, I’ve committed a rude act out of concern that you might dance with Princess Lariette, so please forgive my impoliteness with your generous understanding.”
“Ha.”
Narkissis let out a sneer in disbelief.
Even if others didn’t notice, Narkissis, who had been observing Cain for a long time, knew exactly. He knew how unfamiliar that gaze was.
…Eyes that were clearly trying to suppress the searing blue heat.
“Cain. Before Lariette was the woman who stole your heart, she was my best friend of fifteen years. Considering the dignity of the ducal family, it would be wise to refrain from actions that would tarnish your honor. She hasn’t even become your woman yet…”
“Shouldn’t you become an emperor?”
As Cain stabbed at him about Helios, Narkissis’s smirk froze in an instant. As their red and blue eyes clashed in the air, a spark flickered.
“….”
The broken smile and the red gaze seemed as if they would pierce into Cain’s throat like an awl at any moment. It was like scraping away layers of paint on a steep cliff where poison had seeped in. Even the guests who were subtly eavesdropping nearby fell silent. Despite the fact that the music drowned out any spoken words, the precarious atmosphere, like a blade hanging over a guillotine, was palpable enough for anyone to sense.
Cain looked down at him with the indifference of a hunting dog observing a petulant puppy.
“As a loyal subject of the empire, I can’t allow the man who will be the next Emperor of Helios to suffer the stigma of not even knowing basic diplomatic etiquette.”
“….”
“It looks like Princess Beatrice still needs some rest, so it would be appropriate to invite Her Majesty Queen Chalonné to dance.”
It was a well-worded statement that left no room for rebuttal, but at the same time, it was a web that Narkissis couldn’t escape. His goal wasn’t the Crown Prince… that position was merely one of the important steps to seize the throne.
The more intensely you desire it, the less you reveal it.
Cain was well aware that it was Narkissis’s distinctive strategy.
“Your loyalty always moves me, Cain. However, unlike Thesil, I don’t have such ambitions. I can only trust that His Majesty the Emperor will make the right decision in due course.”
Saying so, he then turned to Riette and responded with the fluid tone of Chalonné, with words flowing like a stream of water.
“In order to dispel such an absurd misunderstanding, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to invite my friend to dance first?”
“If you’re a close friend, then it’s all the more reason to respect proper etiquette and honor that etiquette. It would be more appropriate to resolve misunderstandings through friendship rather than exploiting it.”
Cain extended his hand to Riette.
“I would like to have the first dance with you. Will you allow me, Princess?”
“Ung, of course!”
Riette clasped Cain’s hand, a radiant smile spreading across her flushed cheeks.
“How long I’ve been waiting for this, to dance with the Grand Duke!”
“….”
Narkissis’s red gaze fell upon the hands of the two people clasped in front of him.
Cain’s blue eyes swept over him once. Then, as if declaring something, he kissed the back of her hand.
As he stared at her and pressed his lips firmly against her white glove, a ripple of boisterous exclamations spread among the guests.
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