The Grand Duke Who Wants Me Dead Is Surprisingly Kind - Chapter 4

Chapter 2.2

Anais now understood what the Emperor sought through this marriage: a hostage to stifle the kingdom’s rising influence. The kingdom had grown formidable, forging alliances with neighboring nations, and it had become a threat the empire could no longer ignore. Now, she and the Grand Duke were mere pawns trapped in the crossfire of their rivalry.

Understanding the situation, Anais finally spoke the words she needed to say.

“I… I’m nothing to the kingdom.”

It was a painful admission, but it wasn’t a lie.

She looked straight into the Grand Duke’s eyes as she continued.

“You’ll gain nothing from whatever outcome you expect.”

“I’m sure His Majesty already anticipated that much, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Though his response seemed to reassure her, Anais still felt afraid. Now, she finally understood why this marriage would end in her death.

“You know very well how much damage this marriage has caused for both me and the imperial family. I won’t change my mind about the divorce.”

The words he had spoken in her dream echoed in her mind. He was the man who would mercilessly kill her once she was no longer of use.

Anais, who had been clenching her hands tightly under the table since earlier, didn’t even realize how numb her fingers had become.

“….”

Barely holding on to reality while the images of death from her dream flooded her mind, she forced out a reply.

“An imperial decree… I had no idea.”

“I only just heard it from His Majesty on my way here.”

At the Grand Duke’s reply, Anais furrowed her brows and impulsively asked,

“Did you come here just to tell me this?”

She felt as though she could only feel at ease if she found even a flicker of affection from him. The future was still unwritten, so for now, it was alright. She wanted to confirm that there was still a chance.

However, the reply she received was completely unexpected.

“I came because I wanted to see you.”

His tone was firm, as though he truly meant it, not just empty words.

Anais froze under the weight of his unblinking crimson gaze. The disconnect between his words clashed violently with the future she knew. The man who would one day kill her was now saying he had come simply because he wanted to see her. The dissonance made her stomach churn and left her dizzy.

Overwhelmed, she shut her eyes tightly.

“….”

It was a rude gesture, and worry immediately crept in, but the Grand Duke said nothing.

Thanks to that, as her vision was cut off, the world around her grew quiet.

With her eyes closed, Anais finally realized that a heavy summer breeze was cautiously swirling nearby. The wind, carrying the full heat and humidity of summer, tugged gently at the ends of her hair and the hem of her dress, swaying them slowly. As she felt it, strangely, even her heart, which had been wildly racing, seemed to sink heavily and settle.

After a moment, she carefully opened her eyes.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

The Grand Duke, as if he had been waiting, asked with concern, his gaze scanning her for any sign of injury.

Maybe that was why.

Anais impulsively opened her mouth to speak once again.

“Have we ever met before? I mean, enough for you to want to see me this much?”

His answer didn’t come until a long pause.

“…No. We haven’t.”

However, in that moment, the emotion that welled up in the Grand Duke’s eyes was reminiscent of what she had felt when their eyes first met. It was something so deep and suffocating as though he wanted to cry but couldn’t. A sorrow so vast it felt like drowning.

Though it passed in an instant, leaving no trace behind, Anais couldn’t stop replaying it in her mind.

After a brief silence, the Grand Duke spoke again, his expression softening into a gentle smile as if nothing had happened.

“But it’s true that I wanted to see you. I’ve been interested in you for a long time, Lady Anais.”

“….”

Anais found herself speechless, stunned by his candor. As she blinked in confusion, the Grand Duke hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“If you… would allow it, may I propose to you now?”

“No!”

Her eyes widened as she answered immediately.

The Grand Duke, who had been sitting there blankly, soon seemed to understand her rejection and wore a lonely expression—strangely so. On the other hand, Anais, still confused by all of this, blinked a few more times before opening her mouth again.

“Actually, there’s something I need to say first.”

Once she began speaking, Anais, now feeling nervous, squeezed her sweat-dampened hands tightly and set her face with determination.

‘Right. If I want to survive, I have to do something that wasn’t part of the future I saw in my dreams.’

Resolving herself, she spoke in a firm voice as if pushing away the death that had crept so close.

“I would like to propose a contract marriage. When this marriage no longer holds any value, I hope for a divorce.”