DTSML 07

Chapter 07

I tried to wave my hand dismissively, intending to refuse. After all, there was no point in any of this if Alferen didn’t see it.
“No, I can go by myself……”
At that moment, as I staggered unsteadily, Nanael slipped her arm through mine and smiled sweetly.
“How could I possibly let a duke’s daughter who can barely stand go alone? What if something terrible happens to you?”
No, thank you. I think going with Your Highness is the most terrifying thing in the world.
Unfortunately, my body had already been half-consumed by the effects of the alcohol.
In the end, I couldn’t shake off the princess’s hand, so I staggered alongside her toward the garden.
Then, when I suddenly came upon the stairs stretching out before me, I rubbed my eyes without thinking.
There seemed to be twice as many steps as usual.
‘Were there always this many stairs?’
At that moment, the ground seemed to sway beneath my feet, as though I were experiencing an optical illusion.
I stopped walking, realizing that if I tried to descend the stairs like this, I would almost certainly fall.
That was when I spotted Alferen and Adrian approaching from a distance.
The moment I saw them, I was about to wave at them in delight.
“Can you manage on your own from here?”
Nanael’s quiet voice came from beside me as she gave my back a gentle push.
“Huh?”
It was only a light nudge, but my drunken body easily tipped forward.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
“Ahhh! Lady Delly!”
Nanael’s shrill scream came too late.
Only then did I realize I was tumbling down the stairs, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘She definitely pushed me on purpose!’
I was wearing high heels, and my cumbersome outfit made it even harder to regain my balance.
The fact that it had happened when I was off guard left me utterly helpless.
‘I’m going to hit the ground!’
I had suspected something was wrong ever since Nanael offered to accompany me, but I never imagined she would actually push me down the stairs.
She would undoubtedly claim it was an accident afterward!
Everyone had seen me drinking heavily, so it would be all too easy to make it look like my own fault.
Meanwhile, Nanael, who had been the one to ply me with alcohol, would escape all blame.
Just as I covered my head in preparation for the pain to come—
“Delly!”
“No!”
I heard Adrian and Alferen shout.
Crash! Thud, thud, thud!
With a series of deafening bangs, my body rolled down the stairs.
I finally came to a stop on the landing and gasped for breath.
“Hah…”
After tumbling down so violently, I felt nauseated. But the strange thing was that I didn’t feel any pain at all.
‘What?’
Confused by the absence of the agony I had expected, I belatedly realized that someone was shielding me with their body.
I slowly opened my tightly shut eyes.
And there was one person before me.
“Brother Ren?”
Alferen, whose neatly styled hair had become thoroughly disheveled, was looking down at me.
His expression seemed somewhat angry.
As though swallowing something back, he composed his features before asking,
“Are you all right?”
I stared blankly at him as he examined me from head to toe.
‘Did he really throw himself all the way over here to catch me?’
I could have sworn he had been quite far away.
Far enough that even Nanael hadn’t noticed the two of them approaching…
I was in no state of mind to remember that he was a mage.
I simply blinked while cradled in his arms.
My heart was pounding wildly, but I couldn’t tell whose heartbeat I was hearing.
Our bodies were pressed tightly together, and the thundering of our hearts felt like an earthquake.
Feeling as though the alcohol had suddenly left my system, I hurriedly pulled away from his embrace and stammered.
“Y-yeah. I-I’m f-fine.”
“Are you sure you’re really all right?”
Just as Alferen was checking on me again, Adrian finally stepped between us, making a fuss.
“Delly, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, Brother Ren rolled down the stairs in my place…”
I was about to check on Alferen when—
“Sir Alferen!”
Nanael came rushing toward us, her voice pitched high like an actress delivering a dramatic performance.
Hurrying down the stairs, she pushed me aside and began examining Alferen.
“Are you all right? Oh my, your wrist is swollen!”
Rendered speechless by her impeccable performance, I stared at Nanael in disbelief.
Her expression, as though she had nothing whatsoever to do with what had just happened, was absolutely infuriating.
“I’m fine.”
Alferen frowned and knocked Nanael’s hand away.
At the mention of his injury, my face went pale.
“Brother, are you okay? This is all my fault…”
Just then, Nanael stepped between Alferen and me, feigning concern with all the sincerity of a hypocrite.
“Are you hurt anywhere, Lady Delly? Thank goodness Sir Alferen happened to be nearby.”
“Yes, well…”
When I answered reluctantly, the princess let out a sigh of relief.
“That could have been a terrible accident. I did tell you we should go together, but you rushed ahead on your own. I had a feeling you were an impatient sort when I saw how quickly you were drinking…”
“Excuse me?”
“Still, we should be grateful it wasn’t any worse, shouldn’t we?”
Nanael smiled shamelessly, and for a moment, I was left speechless.
So you’re just going to sweep this under the rug?
I wanted to argue, but my stomach was churning too badly.
It was probably the hangover.
Noticing how unwell I looked, Adrian muttered in confusion,
“How much did you drink?”
“Ah, Her Highness kept offering me drinks…”
“What?”
Adrian turned to Nanael with a cold expression.
Startled, Nanael feigned innocence.
“You kept accepting the drinks I offered, so I assumed you had a high tolerance.”
“Unlike her, Your Highness seems perfectly sober.”
“That can’t be true. I’m drunk too!”
Nanael deliberately swayed from side to side, pretending to be intoxicated.
Then she leaned against Alferen and said,
“That reminds me, could you escort me to my carriage? I must have been so frightened that my legs are trembling.”
The person who should have been frightened was me, yet she had the audacity to act like this.
Recognizing her obvious scheme at a glance, I glared at Alferen.
I was hoping he wouldn’t actually agree to it.
‘Don’t go. Don’t go. Don’t go.’
I desperately tried to send him a telepathic message with my eyes.
But—
“Very well. Let’s go.”
To my surprise, Alferen readily agreed to Nanael’s request.
He rose to his feet and extended his hand to her, as though offering to escort her.
Nanael accepted his hand with a triumphant smile, making sure I saw it.
“Delly, take care on your way back. Make sure you treat the wound on the back of your hand.”
After glancing at me briefly, he bid me farewell and left with Nanael.
All I could do was watch Alferen’s retreating figure with a forlorn expression.
‘I drank myself into oblivion and tumbled down the stairs because of you, and this is how you repay me…’
Had he really failed to notice that Nanael pushed me on purpose?
It was frustrating to think I had just let the perfect opportunity slip away.
Just then, Adrian scooped me up into his arms and said,
“Come on, Delly. Let’s go too.”
“Okay.”
Like a dog that had chased a chicken only to watch it escape, I slumped against Adrian, utterly dejected.
It looked like I would need a Plan B.

Meanwhile, after arriving at her carriage, Nanael thanked Alferen.
“Thank you, Sir Alferen.”
“……”
“I’m rather drunk, you see. Would you mind accompanying me all the way to my chambers?”
Even as she deliberately leaned against him and spoke in a coquettish voice, Alferen showed no reaction.
Puzzled, Nanael looked up at him.
At that moment, she found herself pinned beneath his icy gaze.
Overwhelmed, she parted her lips, but Alferen stepped away from her.
“Surely there are plenty of people besides me who could accompany Your Highness to your chambers, aren’t there?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s no need to flutter your eyelashes at me and make advances you don’t mean.”
At Alferen’s blunt words, the smile on Nanael’s face began to crack.
It was an open secret that she kept several lovers.
However, this was the first time anyone had brought the matter out into the open, and she was taken aback.
“Are you saying this is because of the men I see? If the Duke had treated me with a little more affection, I wouldn’t have needed to look elsewhere.”
When Nanael tried to turn the blame back on him with such shameless logic, Alferen gave a derisive smile.
“To be honest, Your Highness, I have no interest in your romantic affairs.”
He had agreed to maintain the engagement in the first place simply to avoid troublesome complications.
The Imperial Family’s monopoly on holy water had not stopped him from pursuing his father’s work.
If his secret experiments proved successful, he intended to break off the engagement.
Nanael, completely unaware of this, still appeared as confident as ever.
Normally, he would have paid little attention to any of this. But…
Remembering what had just happened, Alferen murmured coldly,
“However, I cannot overlook what you did just now.”