Stella promised to give a whole day of next week as a gift.
'Well, status isn't the only thing to take away.'
This time, Stella intended to ask for an item Kendrick cherished. Whether it was because he had been born with so much or simply his nature, Kendrick wasn't materialistic. After all, even if one thing were lost, he could simply buy something better.
"Sia, which of these is Kendrick's favorite drink?"
So, she looked for someone else who could help. Stella was at Kendrick's wine cellar with Sia.
"Hmm... Lord Kendrick likes this Gorista Red Wine the best. So much so that he drinks it sparingly, only on special occasions."
"Yes?"
Stella, who doesn't drink much, didn't know his wine preferences.
'Good...'
Because he always came back after drinking somewhere else.
"Is there anything else Kendrick particularly cherishes?"
To Stella, Kendrick didn't seem to have any particular possessions he cherished. Then, what would it be like in Sia's eyes when she sees Kendrick outside or in the office?
"Well, I suppose he isn't the type to be greedy for material things."
Sia also seemed to share the same thoughts as Stella.
"Ah!"
Stella's eyes sparkled.
"It seems he particularly liked the fountain at the Duke's mansion."
"Fountain?"
"He was disappointed last time when the fountain didn't work due to a water supply issue."
"I see."
Stella looked at Sia with a look that asked if there was anything else she was curious about.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure anymore. That's a pretty difficult question. What Kendrick likes..."
Stella agreed with her. No matter how hard she tried to think, nothing specific came to mind. Just that he valued time, checked his wristwatch frequently, and wore dark clothes more often than bright ones.
Stella was having various thoughts in a short amount of time when Sia suddenly came in.
"Because the only person Lord Kendrick likes and cherishes is Lady Stella."
"Yes?"
"Rumors are going around these days among the Duke's retainers. They say that whenever the atmosphere is tense, the Duke's expression softens considerably if someone brings up something good about Lady Stella."
Stella blinked.
"Did you mean it was that obvious?"
No, this wasn't Stella's problem. The bigger problem was Kendrick, who couldn't shake off his doting boyfriend vibe even when Stella wasn't around. Sia smiled faintly.
"As expected, Lady Stella, you know best what Kendrick likes the most."
Stella couldn't deny Sia's words. What Kendrick cherished more than anything right now was Stella herself.
'Yeah. It’s a problem that I know too well.'
Because she can't be by Kendrick's side forever. For some reason, her heart was pounding. There was still no answer to the problem regarding Kendrick.
It was time for Kendrick to return. As soon as Stella heard Kendrick's footsteps, she happily approached the door. Kendrick smirked, perhaps pleased to see Stella's face as soon as he opened the door.
"Were you waiting for me?"
Stella nodded. The luxury watch on Kendrick's wrist caught her eye.
'Yes. Here first.'
Kendrick loosened his tie as if he were tired. A gold-tinged watch gleamed. Stella quietly pointed at the watch.
"Give me this watch."
"This?"
Stella nodded.
"Yes."
Kendrick moved the hand that was untying his tie and immediately took off his wristwatch.
"Here."
His wristwatch fell into Stella's hand all too easily.
"Why did you give it to me so easily? Without even asking for a reason."
"Wasn't it something you wanted?"
Stella fiddled with the watch. It was obvious at a glance that it was a product meticulously crafted by a famous artisan.
"I'll give it to you, and just get an identical watch made."
"Why?"
"Because it will be a matching couple watch."
As expected, Kendrick, having taken the potion, was a formidable opponent. Stella decided to become even more childish.
"I'm talking about your suit."
"My suit?"
"Can't you give me all the black suits?"
"What are you going to use the men's suit for?"
"I'm going to give it as a gift to the children at the orphanage. I want to replace the curtains at the orphanage, and I think the material of Kendrick's suit is perfect."
"Do as you please. I guess I'll have to wear bright-colored clothes for the time being."
Stella even wondered if Kendrick was doing this on purpose, knowing full well what was going on. She gritted her teeth for no reason.
"And you know the fountain in the garden."
"I do."
"Please put that land in my name."
"Adrian is 'our' anyway, isn't it?"
"Please transfer that land to my sole name."
"Do as you please with that, too."
"Then I'll talk to Sia and go through the paperwork."
Kendrick nodded.
"I won't let you see that fountain again. Because I'm the only one who will see it."
"Then from now on, whenever I want to go for a walk, I'll have to go to your study instead of the garden."
Stella demanded various other things besides this. A villa, the Duke's family's famously beautiful flower garden, and so on.
...However, Kendrick’s answer was consistently, ‘Do as you please, Stella.’ He didn’t change his expression at all.
'I guess this isn't the right method after all...'
Stella decided to ask for Kendrick's wine as a last resort.
"Is there anything else you want from me?"
He smiled with a relaxed expression. Stella nodded.
"I really wouldn't mind giving you anything."
Stella went down to the wine cellar with him. Then she stood in front of the Gorista wine that she heard Kendrick liked.
"Can I drink all of this wine?"
Kendrick looked slightly surprised.
"Why did you choose this of all things?"
"That..."
Stella could not say that she asked Sia to take away what he cherishes.
"It's just because I have a good feeling about it."
At her words, Kendrick stared at Stella without moving.
"Kendrick?"
He slowly reached out his hand and hugged Stella.
"We really are soulmates. This is my favorite wine."
Stella's eyes widened as she heard Kendrick explain that it was a very aromatic wine aged for 100 years in the western region famous for wine.
"A hundred years?"
If it is such an expensive and rare wine... if Stella drinks it all, it will be hard to find the exact same one.
"But it would take a year for you to drink all of this, Madam."
A strange smile formed on Kendrick's lips.
"Why?"
"It has a pretty high alcohol content. If you have a low tolerance for alcohol, even a single drop will probably make you feel dizzy.
Stella bit her teeth slightly, realizing that Kendrick was teasing her.
'Where would you find such a thing?'
And Kendrick brought back the wine he was holding.
"I'll drink it all tonight, so give it to me."
"That's going to be tough."
His face was still full of smiles.
"I'm not going to give you a single sip. If you want to drink with me, bring a different wine."
Stella hugged the wine tightly to her chest and took a step ahead, bouncing along.
"Ugh."
As Kendrick clutched his heart and groaned, Stella turned around in surprise. She then reached out and took his hand with an apologetic expression. Only then did Kendrick's heart pain disappear. He seemed to have become somewhat accustomed to the pain by now. Kendrick grinned and picked up the wine beside him.
'It's been a while since we raised our glasses.'
Kendrick was excited at the thought of going on a wine date with Stella.
On the other hand, Stella slightly changed her plan.
'If I get drunk and act up, Kendrick might cool down.'
Stella's wish did not come true. She deliberately gulped down her alcohol as if to show off. However, no matter how drunk Stella was, Kendrick still looked at her with eyes dripping with sweetness. Her face turned red, and her eyes glazed over from the alcohol.
'To think I'd find out even when she's drunk, she looks cute.'
He heard she drank even at Roy Andra's Marquis succession ceremony. The thought that a stranger had seen her like this made Kendrick grind his teeth. Stella smiled brightly for no reason at all. Kendrick felt a tingling sensation in his heart.
'I guess laughing like an idiot is my drinking habit.'
Things were going exactly the opposite of her plan. Moreover, even though a drunk Stella had completely trashed the room, he wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, he found himself laughing, as if he had seen an unexpected side of her. Stella is going around poking at things while drunk—what a sight.
She nodded her head, having not even drunk half of the wine. Kendrick was nervous, worried that she might hit her head on something.
"Why did you try to take it away when you weren't even going to be able to drink it?"
Kendrick thought he couldn't go on like this anymore, so he tried to put Stella to sleep. Stella swatted away the hand reaching out to her as if she found it ridiculous.
"No!"
"Stella?"
"I can drink more. Don't try to put me to sleep."
Stella gulped down the wine again. Kendrick hurriedly snatched the glass away. A drop of red wine trickled down Stella's lips. Her lips became red and moist. Unconsciously, Kendrick stared intently at Stella's lips. The scent of grapes emanating from her was fragrant.
"I won't touch it, so finish drinking tomorrow. You'll ruin your health at this rate."
Stella shook her head.
"Why have you become such an idiot, Kendrick?"
Then, out of the blue, he burst into laughter.
"Doing everything they asked."
This was the first time Kendrick had seen Stella this drunk. Although they had shared drinks at banquets many times, Stella did not enjoy the bitter taste of alcohol and had only pretended to drink.
'I absolutely must not let her drink too much outside.'
Kendrick pulled Stella's hand toward him and kissed her fingers, the back of her hand, and her wrist in turn.
"It's because I love you.'
Even before that, Kendrick wanted to let Stella do whatever she wanted. That was his heart. However, Stella did not try to gain or take many things. She wanted only Kendrick, and she was just as obsessed. At that time, Kendrick found Stella's suspicion and obsession overwhelming.
"Love?"
He felt dizzy when he found out she had attempted suicide, and he couldn't even begin to guess where things had gone wrong. Because Stella had changed noticeably since then.
"I don't believe in that kind of thing anymore. I can't believe it."
Stella grumbled, her tongue slurred from alcohol. For some reason, Kendrick felt a pang in his heart. He felt as though her changing like this was entirely his fault. Stella now prioritizes writing over Kendrick and no longer clings to him. The situation has reversed. If only he had loved her more back then. If only he had tried to understand Stella's feelings a little more.
'Stella wouldn't have said something like she doesn't believe in love.'
So Kendrick was glad to see Stella deliberately asking him for something and acting unreasonably.
"If you want to bully someone, go ahead."
She was deep and wary, but there were times when her intentions were completely read. This was exactly one of those times. Kendrick had realized a long time ago that Stella was deliberately trying to torment him.
'Well, status isn't the only thing to take away.'
This time, Stella intended to ask for an item Kendrick cherished. Whether it was because he had been born with so much or simply his nature, Kendrick wasn't materialistic. After all, even if one thing were lost, he could simply buy something better.
"Sia, which of these is Kendrick's favorite drink?"
So, she looked for someone else who could help. Stella was at Kendrick's wine cellar with Sia.
"Hmm... Lord Kendrick likes this Gorista Red Wine the best. So much so that he drinks it sparingly, only on special occasions."
"Yes?"
Stella, who doesn't drink much, didn't know his wine preferences.
'Good...'
Because he always came back after drinking somewhere else.
"Is there anything else Kendrick particularly cherishes?"
To Stella, Kendrick didn't seem to have any particular possessions he cherished. Then, what would it be like in Sia's eyes when she sees Kendrick outside or in the office?
"Well, I suppose he isn't the type to be greedy for material things."
Sia also seemed to share the same thoughts as Stella.
"Ah!"
Stella's eyes sparkled.
"It seems he particularly liked the fountain at the Duke's mansion."
"Fountain?"
"He was disappointed last time when the fountain didn't work due to a water supply issue."
"I see."
Stella looked at Sia with a look that asked if there was anything else she was curious about.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure anymore. That's a pretty difficult question. What Kendrick likes..."
Stella agreed with her. No matter how hard she tried to think, nothing specific came to mind. Just that he valued time, checked his wristwatch frequently, and wore dark clothes more often than bright ones.
Stella was having various thoughts in a short amount of time when Sia suddenly came in.
"Because the only person Lord Kendrick likes and cherishes is Lady Stella."
"Yes?"
"Rumors are going around these days among the Duke's retainers. They say that whenever the atmosphere is tense, the Duke's expression softens considerably if someone brings up something good about Lady Stella."
Stella blinked.
"Did you mean it was that obvious?"
'I told you to be careful.'
"As expected, Lady Stella, you know best what Kendrick likes the most."
Stella couldn't deny Sia's words. What Kendrick cherished more than anything right now was Stella herself.
'Yeah. It’s a problem that I know too well.'
Because she can't be by Kendrick's side forever. For some reason, her heart was pounding. There was still no answer to the problem regarding Kendrick.
***
It was time for Kendrick to return. As soon as Stella heard Kendrick's footsteps, she happily approached the door. Kendrick smirked, perhaps pleased to see Stella's face as soon as he opened the door.
"Were you waiting for me?"
Stella nodded. The luxury watch on Kendrick's wrist caught her eye.
'Yes. Here first.'
Kendrick loosened his tie as if he were tired. A gold-tinged watch gleamed. Stella quietly pointed at the watch.
"Give me this watch."
"This?"
Stella nodded.
"Yes."
Kendrick moved the hand that was untying his tie and immediately took off his wristwatch.
"Here."
His wristwatch fell into Stella's hand all too easily.
"Why did you give it to me so easily? Without even asking for a reason."
"Wasn't it something you wanted?"
Stella fiddled with the watch. It was obvious at a glance that it was a product meticulously crafted by a famous artisan.
"I'll give it to you, and just get an identical watch made."
"Why?"
"Because it will be a matching couple watch."
As expected, Kendrick, having taken the potion, was a formidable opponent. Stella decided to become even more childish.
"I'm talking about your suit."
"My suit?"
"Can't you give me all the black suits?"
"What are you going to use the men's suit for?"
"I'm going to give it as a gift to the children at the orphanage. I want to replace the curtains at the orphanage, and I think the material of Kendrick's suit is perfect."
"Do as you please. I guess I'll have to wear bright-colored clothes for the time being."
Stella even wondered if Kendrick was doing this on purpose, knowing full well what was going on. She gritted her teeth for no reason.
"And you know the fountain in the garden."
"I do."
"Please put that land in my name."
"Adrian is 'our' anyway, isn't it?"
"Please transfer that land to my sole name."
"Do as you please with that, too."
"Then I'll talk to Sia and go through the paperwork."
Kendrick nodded.
"I won't let you see that fountain again. Because I'm the only one who will see it."
"Then from now on, whenever I want to go for a walk, I'll have to go to your study instead of the garden."
Stella demanded various other things besides this. A villa, the Duke's family's famously beautiful flower garden, and so on.
...However, Kendrick’s answer was consistently, ‘Do as you please, Stella.’ He didn’t change his expression at all.
'I guess this isn't the right method after all...'
Stella decided to ask for Kendrick's wine as a last resort.
"Is there anything else you want from me?"
He smiled with a relaxed expression. Stella nodded.
"I really wouldn't mind giving you anything."
Stella went down to the wine cellar with him. Then she stood in front of the Gorista wine that she heard Kendrick liked.
"Can I drink all of this wine?"
Kendrick looked slightly surprised.
"Why did you choose this of all things?"
"That..."
Stella could not say that she asked Sia to take away what he cherishes.
"It's just because I have a good feeling about it."
At her words, Kendrick stared at Stella without moving.
"Kendrick?"
He slowly reached out his hand and hugged Stella.
"We really are soulmates. This is my favorite wine."
Stella's eyes widened as she heard Kendrick explain that it was a very aromatic wine aged for 100 years in the western region famous for wine.
"A hundred years?"
If it is such an expensive and rare wine... if Stella drinks it all, it will be hard to find the exact same one.
"But it would take a year for you to drink all of this, Madam."
A strange smile formed on Kendrick's lips.
"Why?"
"It has a pretty high alcohol content. If you have a low tolerance for alcohol, even a single drop will probably make you feel dizzy.
Stella bit her teeth slightly, realizing that Kendrick was teasing her.
'Where would you find such a thing?'
And Kendrick brought back the wine he was holding.
"I'll drink it all tonight, so give it to me."
"That's going to be tough."
His face was still full of smiles.
"I'm not going to give you a single sip. If you want to drink with me, bring a different wine."
Stella hugged the wine tightly to her chest and took a step ahead, bouncing along.
"Ugh."
As Kendrick clutched his heart and groaned, Stella turned around in surprise. She then reached out and took his hand with an apologetic expression. Only then did Kendrick's heart pain disappear. He seemed to have become somewhat accustomed to the pain by now. Kendrick grinned and picked up the wine beside him.
'It's been a while since we raised our glasses.'
Kendrick was excited at the thought of going on a wine date with Stella.
On the other hand, Stella slightly changed her plan.
'If I get drunk and act up, Kendrick might cool down.'
***
Stella's wish did not come true. She deliberately gulped down her alcohol as if to show off. However, no matter how drunk Stella was, Kendrick still looked at her with eyes dripping with sweetness. Her face turned red, and her eyes glazed over from the alcohol.
'To think I'd find out even when she's drunk, she looks cute.'
He heard she drank even at Roy Andra's Marquis succession ceremony. The thought that a stranger had seen her like this made Kendrick grind his teeth. Stella smiled brightly for no reason at all. Kendrick felt a tingling sensation in his heart.
'I guess laughing like an idiot is my drinking habit.'
Things were going exactly the opposite of her plan. Moreover, even though a drunk Stella had completely trashed the room, he wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, he found himself laughing, as if he had seen an unexpected side of her. Stella is going around poking at things while drunk—what a sight.
'That's just Stella, I guess.'
"Why did you try to take it away when you weren't even going to be able to drink it?"
Kendrick thought he couldn't go on like this anymore, so he tried to put Stella to sleep. Stella swatted away the hand reaching out to her as if she found it ridiculous.
"No!"
"Stella?"
"I can drink more. Don't try to put me to sleep."
Stella gulped down the wine again. Kendrick hurriedly snatched the glass away. A drop of red wine trickled down Stella's lips. Her lips became red and moist. Unconsciously, Kendrick stared intently at Stella's lips. The scent of grapes emanating from her was fragrant.
"I won't touch it, so finish drinking tomorrow. You'll ruin your health at this rate."
Stella shook her head.
"Why have you become such an idiot, Kendrick?"
Then, out of the blue, he burst into laughter.
"Doing everything they asked."
This was the first time Kendrick had seen Stella this drunk. Although they had shared drinks at banquets many times, Stella did not enjoy the bitter taste of alcohol and had only pretended to drink.
'I absolutely must not let her drink too much outside.'
Kendrick pulled Stella's hand toward him and kissed her fingers, the back of her hand, and her wrist in turn.
"It's because I love you.'
Even before that, Kendrick wanted to let Stella do whatever she wanted. That was his heart. However, Stella did not try to gain or take many things. She wanted only Kendrick, and she was just as obsessed. At that time, Kendrick found Stella's suspicion and obsession overwhelming.
"Love?"
He felt dizzy when he found out she had attempted suicide, and he couldn't even begin to guess where things had gone wrong. Because Stella had changed noticeably since then.
"I don't believe in that kind of thing anymore. I can't believe it."
Stella grumbled, her tongue slurred from alcohol. For some reason, Kendrick felt a pang in his heart. He felt as though her changing like this was entirely his fault. Stella now prioritizes writing over Kendrick and no longer clings to him. The situation has reversed. If only he had loved her more back then. If only he had tried to understand Stella's feelings a little more.
'Stella wouldn't have said something like she doesn't believe in love.'
So Kendrick was glad to see Stella deliberately asking him for something and acting unreasonably.
"If you want to bully someone, go ahead."
She was deep and wary, but there were times when her intentions were completely read. This was exactly one of those times. Kendrick had realized a long time ago that Stella was deliberately trying to torment him.
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