INWY~46

Chapter 46

Dante parked the car in a quiet spot where the sea stretched wide before them, untouched by crowds. The sunset had already slipped beneath the horizon, and twilight wrapped the coast in shades of deep blue.

Was there anything more beautiful than a sea changing colors every passing second?

Riena sat outside the car, gazing at the view, when Dante strolled up to her with unhurried steps.

“Cold.”

“I’m fine. The ocean’s just too beautiful right now…”

“Not you. Me.”

Her lips snapped shut. She tried her best—truly tried—to keep from flaring up.

But then his quiet, stifled chuckle brushed against her ear.

“I told you to stop teasing me!” Riena snapped at last.

“Don’t.”

“Yes.”

She glared, repeating herself with furrowed brows. He nodded easily, without the slightest trace of sincerity. His face, still softened by a teasing smile, made her shake her head.

Really. Since when did he start acting like this?

The once cold and sharp Grand Duke Venachert had begun making jokes around her, provoking her like some sly trickster. She considered asking him why, but knew he’d never give her a straight answer.

Long ago, back in Behern Palace, the managers used to whisper among themselves:

If you speak with the Grand Duke even once, you’ll inevitably fall under his spell. He’s a master of words.

Was this the same? Were his strange words and behavior just another example of that infamous talent?

While she mulled over the thought, Dante studied her quiet profile and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“…Why? Can you see it all again?”

“Your comebacks have gotten sharper, Riena.”

His voice was soft, touched with an ease that felt unfamiliar coming from the usually cold Grand Duke. He sounded not like a noble burdened with duty, but like an ordinary young man on an evening drive.

“I was just reminded of a rumor I once heard about you,” she said, her tone edged with a pout.

“A rumor?”

Tilting his head, Dante looked genuinely curious.

“The palace managers used to say… Grand Duke Venachert is such a gifted speaker, anyone who talks to him will end up enchanted.”

“Is that so.”

With a short laugh, he opened the car and slipped into the backseat.

“If that were true, I wouldn’t have made so many enemies.”

“…Enemies? Do you have that many?” she asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity.

“Of course. I’m a half-blooded royal, after all.”

His self-mocking words stabbed at her chest in a way she didn’t understand.

“Don’t say things like that. Why would you?” she protested.

He studied her for a long moment, then suddenly looked away.

“It’s not bad, though. Smile, Riena.”

His lazy voice, drifting through the night air, left her ears strangely warm.

After that, silence settled between them, natural and unforced. The spring wind carried the salt of the sea, the faint touch of grass, and the cries of early summer insects.

To Riena, it felt unreal—like a dream she’d wake from, already fading at the edges. Because truly, wasn’t this strange?

Only a month ago, when they met again, he’d greeted her with unrestrained fury. She remembered every detail as clearly as a photograph. And yet now… now they were sharing the sea, without insults, without hate.

When did this change?

Maybe when she slapped him and three weeks later they exchanged apologies?

“Ah…”

She bit down on her lip, recalling it. Slowly, she turned her head.

And met his golden eyes—brighter than moonlight, already fixed on her.

How long has he been looking at me like that?

“…Did your cheek hurt?” she asked suddenly.

The question startled him. His brows twitched.

“Where did that come from?”

“I was just… curious.”

“Enough to sober me up.”

A short laugh escaped him.

“…Then, when you saw me again—how did you feel?”

The words tumbled out before she could stop them. Her shoulders stiffened, regret flooding in.

“What are you trying to ask, Riena?”

His voice was sharp now, cold enough to pierce her ears.

“N-no. Nothing. That was a mistake.”

“Are you curious?”

The teasing lilt in his tone made her falter. She raised her eyes, fighting down the unease twisting in her chest.

You know what he’ll say. You already know. Why did you ask?

Dante tilted his head, watching her carefully.

“Want me to tell you? Do you really want to hear, Riena?”

“…No. I don’t.”

His lips curved faintly. Don’t, huh.

“Fine. Then don’t ask again. …Let’s go.”

He stood, returning to the driver’s seat. The drive back was quiet, cut short when they reached the darkened café.

“Thank you,” Riena said softly, stepping out.

She hadn’t told him where she lived, so he hadn’t pressed. He could easily find out if he wanted—but whether he truly didn’t know, or was simply pretending not to, she couldn’t tell.

“Go in,” Dante murmured.

“Yes.”

The awkward silence was suffocating. She bowed politely, forcing composure.

“Thank you for today, Your Highness.”

He leaned against the car, watching her.

“Mm.”

His single syllable scattered into the night wind.

Riena hesitated, lips parting as if she had more to say, but closed them again. Turning quickly, she walked away.

Dante lit a cigar, the smoke mingling with the sea air as her figure blurred in the distance. He narrowed his brows, irritation flickering in his golden eyes.

“…Idiot.”

The curse dropped like a sigh, steeped in bitterness.

‘When you saw me again?’

Her question had dragged him from fragile calm into the depths of memory.

What were you hoping for, Riena? What answer did you want?

The truth burned in his chest.

When he saw her alive again, standing before him—Dante hadn’t felt relief. He hadn’t felt joy.

He had wanted to kill her with his own hands.

It wouldn’t have mattered if she begged for forgiveness, if she ran, if she lied and claimed she remembered nothing. Any of that would’ve stung less than the betrayal he felt.

But now, it was too late.

Whatever life she thought she’d reclaimed, it wasn’t hers alone. It was his as well.

And for that, Riena would pay the price.

She would never again escape him.