“Of course, I did.”
My declaration made a stir around me.
“As expected, Duke of Baloa.”
“How did you do it?”
I focused on the emperor, ignoring the whispers.
“My only goal and meaning of life is to give you satisfaction. I implore you to keep your faith so that I can prove the value of my existence.”
Cardan’s eyes folded very slightly as if he had heard something funny.
“Prove it to me.”
“I dare to offer you a 102-year-old port wine produced in the Mornean region in 896.”
‘Don’t tell me you’re going to blow your throat just because it’s two more years older than what you ordered?’
I flicked my finger in a hurry before the emperor complained.
The door of the venue was opened with a squeaking sound, and Count Young-ae of Linoa came in with a light step with a wine bottle and a wine glass on a golden tray.
With her long honeyed hair, she was wearing a bright cream dress contrasting with me.
The dress gently enveloped her curvy figure.
The cool open shoulder line highlighted her slender neckline while subtly emphasizing her voluptuous body shape.
I smiled inwardly as Count Young-ae stood next to me.
We were the only women in the conference room, so it was obvious that people would be comparing us both unknowingly.
So I was willing to choose Young-ae’s clothes and styling to contrast with me from head to toe.
A black jacket that makes my face look even more pale.
A cream-colored dress that brightens the shy lady’s cheeks.
The Count Young-ae standing next to me was the warm spring itself that came after a harsh winter.
Standing a little stiff seemed a little nervous, but even such foolishness seemed lovely.
Cardan’s eyes sparkled with interest like a jewel in the sun.
As expected, women reveal themselves.
I smiled inwardly at the smooth start.
When Cardan nodded slightly, Count Young-ae picked the cork with an elegant hand gesture and poured the wine carefully into the glass.
It was a secret between her and me that she had practiced this move more than a hundred times before the meeting for a perfect move.
Cardan, who relaxedly smelled the wine, raised his glass and took a sip of the wine in his mouth.
I watched Cardan slowly toss the wine over his throat, hiding his palms that began to sweat in his clothes.
Cardan did not say a word for a moment, just spinning the wine glass.
Does the wine taste bad?
Honestly, it was weird to expect wine to taste good when you asked for wine that was about to rot.
The tension began to dry my mouth.
By the time the blood in her blood vessels was drying up, Cardan finally opened his mouth.
“As expected, the duke doesn’t disappoint me.”
The last traces of the wine disappeared when Cardan scanned the red lips with his tongue.
“It’s by far the best wine I’ve ever tasted.”
I shook to my knees when I relaxed all at once, but I bent down in a gentle motion.
“I am deeply moved to be able to give you a little pleasure.”
I’m glad. I guess his taste is as bad as his personality is rotten.
Cardan’s smile deepened.
“You must have gotten a good drink. I’ll have a drink with the Duke soon.”
He was an emperor who said something bad.
At this rate, I’m going to go to ‘next’ without moving.
I scraped up my empty courage and opened my mouth with difficulty.
“Your Majesty, may I venture to say something?”
“Sure, I’m feeling good thanks to the Duke, so let’s hear it.”
Cardan smiled after beckoning for a new glass of wine.
“As a loyal servant to His Majesty, I feel like I lack loyalty whenever I see many empty palaces in the Imperial Palace, so I have no face to see His Majesty.”
Cardan’s eyes narrowed, but instead of cutting me off, he took another sip of wine.
I bent down 90 degrees to avoid his gaze.
“Your Majesty, I beg you to bring Young Lady Linoa as your concubine to consolidate your affairs.”
Lady Linoa, who had an intuition of what she’s saying, straightened her waist more upright next to her.
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