INWY~27

Chapter 27

Riena bit down hard on her helpless lips.

It was because of the blond man who had appeared at dawn and taken the seat with the best view of the sea.

Even if he simply sat still, he drew every eye in the café. 

His striking hair and eye color weren’t the only things that set him apart. 

Whether he noticed the glances or not, Dante had fixed his gaze solely on the sea beyond the window from the very beginning.

Riena forced herself to ignore Sharon, who kept darting panicked looks between her and the duke.

And then, all at once, his golden eyes turned and met Riena’s dark brown ones.

She tried to avert her gaze as though she hadn’t seen, but he was quicker.

Tap, tap.

With his fingers lightly drumming the edge of the table, Dante spoke.

“Order.”

Riena swallowed a small sigh and took a reluctant step forward. 

She had barely managed to blur her focus until now, but the closer she came, the sharper his face became, and the heavier her feet felt, as if weighted with lead.

“…Would you like to order something?”

“Recommend something for me.”

Truthfully, she wanted to snap that this wasn’t one of the banquets or bars he frequented.

But she swallowed the impulse and set a menu down before him.

Instead, she listed off a few things he might actually enjoy.

“In particular, the herbs are grown here in Florian, so I’d recommend one of the herbal teas.”

“Unimpressive. Anything else?”

“…If you’re not interested, we also have flower teas, made by steeping dried blossoms.”

Flower tea. 

Dante rubbed his chin, his nasal hum laced with amusement, though his eyes never left the menu.

“Which of those is most popular?”

“Marigold. The scent is light, the color clear and pretty… many customers order it.”

“Mm.” He made a thoughtful sound, then lifted his head.

Their eyes tangled once more. 

Dante studied her gaze, then curved his lips smoothly and gave his order.

“Black coffee.”

Riena clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to let her irritation show. 

Snatching up the menu, she retreated quickly from the table.

“Miss Riena … why is he just sitting there like that? When’s he leaving?”

“No idea.”

Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

“You don’t think he’s going to accuse you of insulting royalty and drag you to trial, do you? What if they lock you in one of those underground dungeons?”

“That won’t happen. Don’t worry, Miss Sharon.”

Sharon had been fretting and hovering around her from the very start—and as always, the reason was none other than Dante Venachert.

But Riena was no less uncomfortable than Sharon. 

He had promised to turn a blind eye, but here he was again. 

She had been a fool to take his words at face value when he claimed he would honor her request.

Of course, back when she had demanded divorce, he had done something just as unexpected… granting her plea, though in a way she had never anticipated.

As she prepared the duke’s coffee, Riena unconsciously bit her lip.

Soon, the coffee was ready. 

She poured it carefully into a cup, then lifted the tray with deliberate steadiness.

If she could have, she would have shoved the serving duty onto Sharon—but that was impossible. 

It wasn’t worth it anyway. 

Knowing his fickle moods, this torment wouldn’t last long.

She stole a glance at Dante, who was lazily flipping through some papers, before setting the tray at his side.

“Your black coffee, as ordered.”

His eyes, which had been fixed on the documents, flicked toward her briefly before dropping back down.

“You made it yourself?” he asked.

“…Yes, I did.”

The sudden question furrowed her brow, but after a beat of silence she gave a small nod.

Dante lowered the papers and lifted the steaming cup. 

The bitter aroma reached her nose. 

He tilted the cup to wet his lips, then set it down again.

“Again.”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s hot.”

He picked up the papers once more, resuming his reading.

Riena blinked, stunned. 

Had she heard that right?

This was absurd. 

She stood frozen, staring down at Dante’s calm expression, before finally picking the tray back up.

“There’s too much water in this,” he added, not even touching the black coffee again as he nudged the tray with his fingertip.

Riena’s jaw tightened. 

She clenched her fists at her side, taking a slow breath to suppress the bubbling anger inside.

It was already the third time. 

The first cup, he’d said, was too hot. 

The second, too bitter, as though it had been brewed wrong. 

And now this.

Even with Sharon growing more bewildered by the minute, Riena had forced herself not to show her emotions. 

But when Dante tapped the cup with his finger, giving yet another ridiculous excuse, her brow finally furrowed.

“…I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t make it again.”

“Is that so? The service here is poor.”

Dante smiled faintly, wearing an expression far too innocent to be genuine.

“I’ve already remade your coffee three times, but the reasons you’ve given are becoming unreasonable.”

“If I’ve drunk three cups and it’s still like this, then it’s just your lack of skill. Everyone else must have a very forgiving palate.” His eyes lazily swept the room as he replied.

“So then—after spending money and an hour of my time here and still not having a drinkable coffee—how do you plan to compensate me?”

“…Compensate you?”

“My wasted hour is worth more than your entire day working here. Shouldn’t you repay me for that?”

“You’re the one being unreasonable. Why should I take the blame—or pay for it?”

It was pure nonsense. 

Riena snapped back at once, her voice rising without her realizing. 

A few nearby customers began sneaking glances at their table.

“Well, well.”

Noticing the attention, Dante’s lips curved slowly. 

He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance, and dropped his voice so only she could hear.

“Keep your voice down, Riena. They’re all watching.”

His whisper carried a mocking laugh that brushed against her ear.

“You don’t want them finding out you were my wife, do you?”

Dante gave a soft chuckle, then leaned back again, his golden eyes lingering on her stunned expression.

Sharon had been right. 

He was insane.

Riena’s lips parted, but no sound came. 

At last, she shut her eyes tightly. 

She had never experienced such humiliation in her life.

***

“You worked so hard, Miss Riena…”

Sharon crept close, her tone hesitant as she offered quiet consolation. 

She glanced at Riena, whose face had grown hollow in just half a day, and let out a long sigh.

Thinking back on it made Sharon’s blood boil. 

Truly, he was mad. 

Who demanded coffee to be remade three times, or called staff over to wipe down a spotless table? 

Watching him pick at every little thing had been exhausting even for her.

And yet Riena had borne it all without a single outburst. 

That thought alone reignited Sharon’s anger. 

She clenched her teeth, then finally exploded.

“He’s gone too far! I don’t care if he’s the duke—that was nothing but abuse of power!”

“You’re right.”

Sharon blinked in surprise. 

She had expected Riena to soothe her as always with calm words. 

Instead, Riena nodded in agreement.

“Wait… you mean—”

Sharon faltered, taken aback by the unfamiliar response. 

Could it be… had she realized something?

Riena forced a strained smile, her lips twitching stiffly.

“Miss Sharon, thank you for worrying, but…”

She needed to end the conversation before it went further. 

She shook her head and tried to insist she was fine.

But in that moment, Sharon’s eyes lit with sudden resolve, and she seized Riena’s hand.

“You’re being threatened by the duke, aren’t you?”

“…What?”

“I knew it! The atmosphere was strange that day. He’s making bizarre demands, blackmailing you, isn’t he?”

That bastard really is the worst! 

Sharon burst out angrily, her expression twisting in outrage.

Where was her imagination running now? 

Stunned, Riena rushed to deny it.

“No, it’s not like that, Miss Sharon. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“Don’t say that, Miss Reina! I can really help you. Even if I’m not as powerful as the duke, my father is the mayor! I can help you escape in secret!”

But of course, she wouldn’t listen.

“Judging by his attitude, I bet he threatened to kill you if you disobeyed. Don’t worry, Miss Reina—I think of you like an older sister. I’ll make sure you get away!”

Her words rang with fierce determination.

At that, Riena finally let out the long, weary sigh she had been holding back all day.