Chapter 102
“Did you make your greetings properly?”
Unlike usual, his tone was calm, without any trace of mockery.
Riena, just having entered the office, simply nodded with a stiff expression.
Even her tone was slightly different from before—just enough that anyone, not only Dante, would have noticed.
Dante smiled faintly, pretending to organize some documents so Riena wouldn’t see.
He didn’t care about subtle changes that only he could detect; he liked it when she treated him differently in a way everyone could notice.
Pretending not to notice, Dante continued speaking.
“How was it? Holding hands, hugging… like lovers?”
Riena furrowed her brows noticeably.
It was amusing how she reacted to each of his words.
“It’s a shame I couldn’t witness such a tender scene.”
The venom in that remark hit Riena like a dull shock in her head and chest.
Could it be—
“…You’re saying Henry was suddenly assigned elsewhere… did Your Highness have a hand in it?”
“Oh, saying it like that makes it sound like I did something bad.”
“….”
“He’s fully recovered, proud as a soldier, and accomplished… as the Grand Duke, I merely rewarded him.”
Riena’s eyes trembled slightly.
So it had been this man’s doing.
She hadn’t asked Henry, but now the pieces fit together strangely.
Until now, there had been no word, and then suddenly such a transfer.
She wasn’t the only one who would find it odd.
Still, she was certain of one thing: if Henry had known, he would never have said he wanted to go with her.
Yet, separate from that, Riena’s chest ached.
Somehow, guilt gnawed at her.
No matter how good the conditions, it was as if he had been forced out.
And she had simply congratulated him, telling him it was a good thing.
Her own foolishness made her sigh.
Her stomach churned as she bit her lower lip.
Anyone could see how easily this man wielded people.
She had begged, pleaded, even grown angry, all for someone precious to her.
It seemed it had been for nothing.
If he didn’t like something, he simply discarded it.
That was how he treated matters, she realized, her mind chillingly clear.
Of course, it wasn’t because Riena was special.
Her worth, as Dante had determined, was clear even to her.
A toy to wield and enjoy, to be discarded once it bored him.
All for something so trivial.
Dante spoke slowly.
“It’s a shame I cannot have such an excellent soldier stationed at my Florian resort.”
Though no reply came, he spoke as if he had heard one.
Riena remained silent, pressing her lips together, holding in the words she wanted to say.
Hmph. That displeased him, but he only raised an eyebrow and didn’t comment further.
No reason to; the insignificant player had been removed, and the one who caused trouble now sat beside him.
Having taken advantage of the situation, he had no reason to rush.
That was also why he had sent her off to Bailey earlier.
She wouldn’t be seen again, so he allowed a final greeting.
He was generous enough for that.
Dante lifted his gaze slightly.
Riena’s expression still hinted at restraint.
It wasn’t her first time showing such a look.
Whenever he had encountered her at the Behern palace, Riena had always worn that same expression.
Yet back then, she had never dared to cross the boundaries he had set.
So surely she wouldn’t now.
That meant her divorce request and hiding here… could be seen as just a brief wandering.
Riena sat stiffly on the sofa in his office.
The very sofa where they had shared countless kisses before.
Finally, the sofa seemed to have found its owner.
Dante was clearly displeased by that.
He glanced at her briefly before looking down at the stack of documents.
He had no intention of leaving until he finished reading and approving everything.
I’ve endured you, now you endure me.
He couldn’t completely deny such childish thoughts.
A faint smile lifted his lips as he picked up his pen.
***
Riena clenched her fists, then relaxed them.
She lifted her teacup, brushing her lips against it, then set it down again, enduring the passing time.
The silence was growing unbearable.
She couldn’t do anything, and she couldn’t even sit comfortably.
It wasn’t a space made for such things, and the presence of the other person made it worse.
She wanted to leave, but this was his second demand: she was to remain here for a while.
The audacity left her flabbergasted… yet she could hardly refuse.
‘You didn’t have to go this far! I said I wouldn’t run away, that I wouldn’t meet Henry again, so why…!’
‘I don’t trust you anymore. Who knows what you’ll do out of my sight? You want Henry safe, Riena… and now you’re already ignoring me…’
Dante now treated Henry as a weapon.
If Riena refused him, he’d manipulate her through Henry.
Not wrong.
He had said to stay here for a while, but really, he wanted her within his sight.
Riena eventually complied.
Even staying here, there was nothing for her to do.
She could only quietly remain in her place.
And perhaps that was what he wanted.
Though he claimed she wasn’t his possession, Dante had always treated her as such.
A mere doll to fill empty space.
Suppressing a sigh, Riena raised her teacup once again.
It was warm.
By the time it cooled, Callis quietly came in to prepare fresh tea.
Every time, he would glance between her and Dante with a troubled expression, as if caught in the middle.
He seemed to notice the shift in the atmosphere.
Riena sipped her tea and glanced at Dante.
He had been sitting in the same position for hours, focused on work.
Occasionally, he flipped through papers, signed with his pen, stamped some documents.
Naturally, he didn’t glance at her.
He acted as if she were nothing, as if a doll were placed there.
In some ways, that was better.
The clink of her teacup returning to its saucer broke the stillness.
She placed her hands neatly on her lap, looking down.
She had nowhere else to look.
Then:
“Stand up.”
Startled by his voice after hours, Riena slowly lifted her head.
Dante, who had just been reading documents and signing them, now stood before her.
Seeing her silent hesitation, he nodded and moved first.
Follow him.
Riena, confused, followed him into the master room.
Her heart raced. Being alone with him here made her uneasy.
The office was also enclosed, but this room felt different.
Riena knew what could happen between a man and a woman in such a space.
And he had… a history.
Her lips pressed tightly as tension prickled along her skin.
Suddenly, the master room door clicked open.
Riena’s eyes widened slightly.
A line of carts laden with food, covered in silver cloches, rolled in.
Dante watched calmly, seemingly unfazed.
Riena was the only one taken aback.
She stepped back slowly, the wall meeting her back.
Servants—or resort staff—busily arranged plates on the table.
Wine glasses, water, even wine in ice buckets—all perfectly in place.
Despite the table’s size, it was filled with food in an instant.
The empty carts exited silently.
Riena realized what had happened.
…Where had he gone?
While she focused on the table, Dante had quietly disappeared.
She glanced around, bewildered, as he slowly emerged from the dress room, apparently having changed.
Seeing the prepared meal, Dante’s gaze shifted.
Riena flinched briefly, but he wasn’t looking at her.
“You may leave now.”
The man who had appeared to be waiting on them bowed politely and left without a word.
Now, it was just the two of them.
Alone with this abundant, lavish spread.
