As Julius left, Rose tried to pour the last of the wine into her own glass, but the Grand Duke snatched the bottle away.
“You’re drunk.”
Rose scoffed and shook her head at the Grand Duke's words.
Who gets drunk on just two glasses?
She felt a bit dizzy, but Rose didn’t really think she was drunk.
“Give it to me. Who gets drunk on just this much?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Yes? Me?”
Rose snickered in amusement at the Grand Duke's seemingly insignificant remark.
It was proof that she was quite drunk.
“You’re drunk.”
Rose scoffed and shook her head at the Grand Duke's words.
Who gets drunk on just two glasses?
She felt a bit dizzy, but Rose didn’t really think she was drunk.
“Give it to me. Who gets drunk on just this much?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Yes? Me?”
Rose snickered in amusement at the Grand Duke's seemingly insignificant remark.
It was proof that she was quite drunk.
“Why don’t you drink it? What’s wrong with being drunk?”
The Grand Duke sighed softly at Rose’s words.
“That’s because I’m worried about you.”
Worried...
Rose stopped laughing, rested her face on one arm, and looked at the Grand Duke.
“So, why would our Grand Duke be worried about me?”
Somehow, Rose's drunken appearance was too defenseless.
The dress slouched slightly below her shoulders, her alluring gaze.
It was a sight he absolutely did not want Julius, that bastard, to see.
The Grand Duke decided to hurry Rose to her room.
"I'll take you to the annex. Let's go."
He stood up without answering Rose.
Rose took the Grand Duke's hand.
The Grand Duke was deeply embarrassed by Rose's touch.
She wasn't holding his hand as usual, but was stroking his hand while rubbing her face.
"Hehe..."
The Grand Duke's face flushed bright red in an instant.
She looked so cute, almost like a puppy. And how could she be so proactive in her physical contact?
Even though it was just a touch, it felt somehow provocative.
The Grand Duke glanced at Rose, his face flushed.
"Let's go. You're drunk."
"I'm not drunk."
Have you ever seen someone who claims to be drunk say, "I am drunk"?
Rose, staggering, steadfastly denied it. Then she pulled the Grand Duke's arm and forced him to sit.
She faced the Grand Duke, holding his face in her hands.
Intoxicated, Rose asked him bluntly,
"Grand Duke. You like me, don't you?"
Her direct words made Grand Duke Artaeum flinch for a moment.
Rose had expressed it many times, but he never did.
"That's why we're preparing for marriage."
The Grand Duke, unable to express his affection, indirectly expressed his feelings.
Rose burst out laughing at the Grand Duke's words.
She'd expected it, but hearing it from his own mouth made the situation even funnier.
"Oh, really. Grand Duke, aren't you being too harsh?"
Rose, who had burst out laughing, finally stopped laughing and said,
"No. How can you get married without even dating?"
She had misunderstood the Grand Duke's actions, even if she had misunderstood them.
Rose's misunderstanding that he had impulsively made physical contact was a complete misunderstanding. Not only did he have feelings for her, but he had even considered her his marriage partner.
She had expected it, but hearing it all out of his own mouth somehow felt relieved.
"Me too... I like you too, Grand Duke."
Rose smiled brightly and lightly kissed his cheek.
***
"Ugh..."
Her head began to pound and hurt.
Rose groaned and struggled to lift her eyelids.
The dark ceiling came into view.
"My head hurts..."
She was still dizzy and spinning.
But... Was it just her imagination that made the bedroom feel strangely unfamiliar?
'Was the ceiling always this dark...?'
Rose, still drunk, blinked in a daze.
'Ugh... I feel nauseous.'
She had drunk so much that her stomach churned.
Her mouth was parched from thirst.
Rose licked her lips.
'Water... Where is it?'
Her whole body felt so heavy. It was difficult to even turn her head.
As Rose looked around for water, something suddenly fell on her with a thud.
"What is it?"
It was a bloodless, white hand.
“Hand... Why is a hand here!”
Rose suddenly came to her senses. She followed the hand that had climbed onto her body. Long, strong fingers revealed a sturdy forearm. And...
“Your, Your Highness?!”
She saw the Grand Duke, naked under his shirt. He was still sound asleep, his skin clearly visible beneath his disheveled hair. The blood drained from her head for a moment.
‘Why is Your Highness... naked!’
What on earth had happened yesterday? Rose was utterly confused. She hurriedly examined her own body first.
‘W-No way. I’m not naked, am I?’
Rose fumbled and sighed in relief. Fortunately, she was still wearing the dress she had worn yesterday.
“Haa...”
For a moment, she was so shocked that she thought she had been in an accident with the Grand Duke.
‘Thank goodness nothing happened.’
She couldn’t remember how she had fallen asleep here, but...
“I have to leave before the Grand Duke wakes up.”
If he faced Rose in her naked state, it was obvious that the Grand Duke would be flustered as well.
'I should have drunk less...'
She sighed. The fact that she couldn't remember anything was incredibly unsettling. Did she perhaps do something wrong to the Grand Duke? Did she do anything unusual to Princess Mederion?
This was the first time she'd ever blacked out because of alcohol. It had never happened in her previous life. She'd been so good at drinking that she'd even earned the nickname "drunkard." No matter how much she drank, she'd never gotten drunk. Needless to say, the memories of the previous day were vivid.
'...I guess Rose's body isn't good at alcohol.'
A bottle of wine Julius had brought. He didn't remember, but he must have gotten drunk from that one bottle.
"Haa..."
Rose sighed deeply again. The lack of memory was incredibly frustrating.
'...Let's go back to our room and think about what happened.'
Rose slowly sat up. The rustling of the blankets was unusually loud today. She carefully pulled back the blanket so as not to wake the Grand Duke. And at the same time, the Grand Duke, who she thought was asleep, opened his eyes. The Grand Duke of Artaeum grabbed Rose's hand as she tried to sneak away.
"Where are you going?"
She was caught. She was trying to sneak away. Rose, unable to hide her embarrassment, avoided the Grand Duke's gaze.
"I... that..."
What should she say? Her mind went blank. A faint smile appeared on the Grand Duke's lips as he watched Rose, unable to say anything, trying to muddle through.
"Come here."
The Grand Duke pulled Rose's hand. For a moment, he held Rose in his arms. Rose, already flustered, was even more frozen by his sudden action. And the Grand Duke's next words were even more shocking.
"You said you wanted to greet the morning with me, didn't you?"
...Huh? Me? My God.
She couldn't remember a thing. Did I... really say something like that? Rose, what have you done! If only you'd at least remember.
She was stuck in a predicament. The Grand Duke gently stroked Rose's hair and locked eyes with her.
"Don't you remember what happened yesterday?"
Rose nodded, her eyes filled with confusion. The Grand Duke furrowed his brow at Rose's reaction.
"This... is so disappointing."
His low, hoarse voice cracked. He blinked slowly, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
"Shall I remind you of yesterday?"
The Grand Duke of Artaeum suddenly turned around and stood up.
'What? Nothing happened to us!'
It was clear just from the sight of himself in his dress. Nothing happened last night. But what was this significant attitude of the Grand Duke?
"Your Highness? Shall we sit down and talk?"
The Grand Duke chuckled, finding Rose's flustered appearance adorable.
He placed a light kiss on Rose's forehead. Then he lifted her up.
"If you want, then so be it."
But... She did sit down, but it was still uncomfortable. That was because the Grand Duke had placed Rose on his lap.
Rose sat awkwardly on the Grand Duke's lap.
'This isn't the position I wanted to sit in...?'
And... In fact, this position felt even more provocative.
Rose, who was facing the Grand Duke, rolled her eyes.
He spoke softly to Rose.
"You said you wanted to hold me all night, didn't you?"
Me, me...?
"You said you wanted to make me yours."
...Huh?
I said such a manly thing so casually?
Goosebumps ran down her body. The color drained from her already pale face even more.
'That's ridiculous!'
She had never uttered such words in her life.
Not in this life, not in her past life.
Of course, when she was dating Lee Do-hyun, she was the type to make the first move, but she never been this reckless.
Rose denied the Grand Duke's words.
"Lies! It's clear the Grand Duke is trying to tease me right now."
Just as she was about to vehemently deny his words,
"Grand Duke, come here."
A memory from yesterday suddenly came flooding back. The image of herself, heavily intoxicated, seducing the Grand Duke on the bed.
"This is crazy... I must be really crazy!"
Rose remembered everything from yesterday.
Fragmented memories began to resurface in Rose's mind like puzzle pieces.
"Grand Duke. You like me, right?"
"That's why we're preparing for marriage."
"No. You can't get married without even dating. Me too... I like the Grand Duke too."
Yes. We were all drinking wine, and I touched the Grand Duke's lips...!
The embarrassing memory of yesterday came flooding back.
But the problem was that this wasn't all. The kiss was nothing more than a light flirtation.
'I... I grabbed the Grand Duke's hand and led him to the bedroom!'
Rose despaired.
The atrocities she had committed while drunk came flooding back to her clearly.
"Grand Duke, do you like me?"
"You're really drunk."
"No, you didn't answer. Do you like me?"
"...I like you."
"Hehehe. But why don't you show it? Hug me, Grand Duke."
"...I'll take you to the room. Come here."
"No. I'm not going. Grand Duke, come here."
She had brought the Grand Duke, who insisted on bringing her, to the bed. And then, holding the bottle, she had said...
"Do it with me."
She remembered the things she had done to him.
She had climbed onto his bed and jumped around like a child... and said let's do it.
There was no way that he could be this innocent.
Even... This was a weak point. She had said even more embarrassing things to the Grand Duke.
"Am I not attractive? Why aren't you hugging me?"
"What are you doing with someone so drunk? Get some shut-eye. You're really drunk."
"I want to hug you all night, Your Highness."
And then... she hugged the Duke without hesitation.
"What should I do?"
Rose covered her reddened face with both hands.
She had brought the Grand Duke, who insisted on bringing her, to the bed. And then, holding the bottle, she had said...
"Do it with me."
She remembered the things she had done to him.
She had climbed onto his bed and jumped around like a child... and said let's do it.
There was no way that he could be this innocent.
Even... This was a weak point. She had said even more embarrassing things to the Grand Duke.
"Am I not attractive? Why aren't you hugging me?"
"What are you doing with someone so drunk? Get some shut-eye. You're really drunk."
"I want to hug you all night, Your Highness."
And then... she hugged the Duke without hesitation.
"What should I do?"
Rose covered her reddened face with both hands.
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