CH 48

Obviously, Elysia remembered that this wasn’t the case when she practiced dancing. She was taught to be polite to each other and dance as a sign of friendship.

“I practiced to be liked by the wife.”

It was something she had heard somewhere. When did she hear… Even though she wanted to think about it, Elysia couldn’t think of it because of the frantic dance.

“Elysia.”

“Ah…”

“Are you satisfied with my dancing skills?”

…Satisfied? It was surprising that Damon was hiding this skill rather than being satisfied.

But, even if it was too good, it was a problem. Elysia floundered at the physical contact, which was raging like a storm. It was a blatant and poignant dance. She had never danced with anyone before, but she knew that this was not a normal dance.

“How is it?”

She wanted to say it’s okay and don’t get too close… However, as Damon came closer and whispered in her ear, it was killing her.

“It’s okay… please…”

“Please, what?”

“You are too close.”

She had never imagined she would be so close to Damon. Even if it was at a dance, it was right to keep a reasonable distance from each other, and he completely ignored it. This was more of a bizarre act than a social dance.

Their body was too tight, and their breath was touching so she couldn’t come to her senses.

…The other person was Damon Raphael. He was a man who could not be rejected even if he stood still. What kind of woman can turn away when such a man is determined and seduces her…? Even Elysia, who knew everything, could not refuse.

“….”

She decided to hold on with her eyes closed. If she gave up a visual stimulus, she seemed to be able to endure it. Of course, closing her eyes didn’t change the fact that he was dangerous and alluring.

“Always the wife…”

“Uh…”

“You won’t look at me.”

If only she could look at him.

When Elysia looked at him, she was so bewitched that she could lose her mind at any moment. She had to be careful and cautious. The moment she lost her reason, she would fall for him and melt away.

Everything about Damon was stimulating to her.

A voice that seemed to melt her ears and a gesture that dripped with strangeness. It seemed that he was firmly determined to seduce her. Otherwise, Damon, who knew his weapon best, would not have acted like this…

‘…Why? What is he trying to seduce me?’

They had already finished their marriage, she was no longer of use. It was something Elysia knew better than anyone.

“It’s over.”

With a voice of regret, the song ended and his body backed away. Elysia let out a long sigh as Damon’s hand fell from her. It was such a tense time that she couldn’t breathe properly. If he hadn’t caught her, she would have staggered her body unsightly.

“Your face is red.”

“Ha, uh…”

All she could do was fill her lungs.

Elysia was angry that only she was having such a hard time while Damon was fine. Even though they danced together, only her ended up gasping. Rather, he held her in a flash and turned her around, and all she did was entrusted her body to him.

“The wife is so cute.”

“Hu… yes?”

“I can’t take my eyes off of you even if I hold my breath.”

Elysia trembled at the sharp shining blue eyes. The words ‘I couldn’t take my eyes off’ came to mean something else.

* * *

Elysia hated her own stamina, which got depleted after one dance. But, if anyone danced with Damon, so would they. How many people could be really good…?

“You look very tired.”

It was only today that she realized that a wedding was such a difficult thing. It really felt like her whole body was drained.

“If you ask me to do it twice, I don’t think I will ever do it.”

“Are you going to do it twice?”

“What?”

“I asked if you were planning on having two weddings.”

Elysia couldn’t figure out why the conversation was going there. Anyone who had heard of that would know that she didn’t mean it that way. Still, Damon was different.

“I don’t want to do it again.”

After she divorced him, she would live alone. Although it must have been an illusory marriage, Damon Raphael was her husband, could she ever meet a man who surpassed him… It seemed that no matter how many men she met, they would not be able to satisfy her eyes.

Originally, she had high standards.

Even in her previous life, her friends said that her standards were too high for her to date properly. Now, she married Damon, who was the first to satisfy her, so there would be no chance of meeting another man because the shell of this man was something she really liked too much.

“Greetings to Grand Duke Raphael and Grand Duchess.”

As she was resting on the top table, a man dressed in lavish clothes approached.

“Lawrence.”

“I have brought the Emperor’s congratulatory address.”

‘…Ah, the imperial congratulatory address that Estelle was talking about.’

The next moment, the knights came in and brought a box.

“Congratulations on the marriage of Grand Duke Raphael and the Grand Duchess, and we have sent a gift.”

The box was opened at the man’s words. Inside the box was a small tiara studded with rubies. It was a little small for an adult though it wasn’t for a child to wear as well.

“A tiara… His Majesty is doing pretty interesting things.”

Elysia didn’t know why sending a tiara was such an interesting thing.

As soon as they opened the box, she couldn’t understand Damon, who frowned in an instant, and the reaction around her. For a month or so, she had been intensively educated, yet she was ignorant of the noble society.

“Tell His Majesty I won’t accept the gift.”

“…However, it is a gift from His Majesty. If you refuse—”

“Are you telling me to look over the attempt to ignore my wife?”

Elysia didn’t know why the tiara meant ignoring her. Except it was a little small, it didn’t seem to be much of a problem.

“Get it out right now.”

“Grand Duke, I have attended as Your Majesty’s representative.”

As the imperial congratulatory address, it had been granted just like the Emperor’s authority. To expel it would be like ignoring the Emperor.

“Therefore?”

“You must not know that the Emperor will not stand still.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Elysia did not know what to do in the increasingly harsh atmosphere. She just kept her mouth shut quietly as she stood next to Damon as it was the best she could do. Since she didn’t even know why he was angry, she didn’t know how to react.

“His Majesty firmly believes that I will not make a fuss on a good day.”

“Grand, Grand Duke.”

“I think it would be good for His Majesty’s prestige to walk on his own feet. And, you have to make it clear that I don’t need a gift like this.”

In the end, to Damon’s stubborn response, the congratulatory address was sent away. No one was thinking about approaching the chilly atmosphere of the hall.

“Your… Grace?”

“I showed a bad side to the wife.”

Seeing Damon smiling as if he was never angry, Elysia sighed inside with relief. She was afraid of his smiling face, though she was more comfortable dealing with it than being angry.

…But perhaps, it was only for her.

As he smiled, she heard gasps from everywhere. Some people had their faces turned blue, and they were on the verge of collapse. She also remembered that she had reacted like that when she first saw Damon’s smile. At that time, she just knew she was going to die.

It was a dangerous and provocative smile. It was strong enough to possess anyone…

“I want to get rid of them all and go back with the wife to the Grand Duchy.”

Indeed, she herself was the only one to trust here. Estelle didn’t know Damon. The fact that he, who hated parties, was holding on was a miracle in itself.

“Grand Duke.”

“Duke Drake.”

At the word Drake, Elysia turned her head. A middle-aged man with purple hair was saying his greeting.

“Congratulations on your marriage. I would also like to extend my greetings to the Grand Duchess.”

“If the Duke is going to give me a frivolous gift, I think it would be better to go back.”

“How could that be, Grand Duke?”

He hadn’t given anything yet, but Damon’s sharp reaction was surprising in itself. Even more surprising was Drake’s attitude. Judging from the Duke’s familiar behavior, it seemed that this was not the only time this had happened.

“Congratulations on your wedding, I brought you some jewelry.”

Was it the culture to have such a dazzling celebration gift at the wedding of nobles…? The box Drake brought out was full of colorful jewels.

“It’s really little.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t satisfy Your Grace.”

…Conceivably, it was not that Damon wasn’t attending the party… Maybe, it was that everyone wasn’t inviting him — Seeing that his behavior was crooked enough to justify that.

“The Duke knows better than anyone why I’m offended, so this is enough as a greeting.”

“Understood.”

While Damon’s reaction would make Drake angry, Drake’s face didn’t change color in the slightest. The Duke only quietly bowed his head and left the party. That person was the current Empress’s father… Was it okay to treat such a person like this?

“Congratulations on the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess’ marriage.”

“Thank you.”

Since then, the Duchies greeted them in turn. The person Elysia was curious about more than anyone was Lady Armando.