TGDHC Chapter 109

Chapter 109 – Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp

I spoke in a tiny, embarrassed voice.

“It’s only because I drank way too much that time. I don’t get drunk from just one glass.”

In the end, I coaxed Loic into filling my glass all the way again.
The sweet wine slid down my throat with a refreshing fizz that cleared my head.

“Where in the world did you even find something like this?”

“To the north of Arcen there’s a mountain called Pogen,” Loic said.
He explained that he had visited a temple there and happened to discover this fruit wine.

“They say the underground spring in that area naturally has a sparkling taste.
The villagers brew this drink themselves using elfberries.”

It was Loic’s first time tasting it too. He thought I’d like it, so he brought a few bottles back.

“There’s nothing like this in Rondoris, right?”

“Probably not.”

Loic nodded after thinking for a moment.

Carbonated water from the northern mountains?
This kind of sparkling taste is unforgettable after a single sip.
If someone turned it into a real product, it could make a fortune.

While I was idly thinking that—

Something soft slipped between my lips: a strawberry topped with whipped cream.
Loic had suddenly held it to my mouth.

“I thought it would taste good together…”

Delicious!

I nodded with satisfaction, and Loic, looking shy but determined, kept dipping strawberries in cream and offering them to me.

Just as I was chewing like a baby bird,
Loic’s thumb gently brushed the corner of my mouth.

“You had some cream on you.”

“Ah, thanks.”

The sudden warm touch on my lips made me freeze.
Then Loic brought his thumb to his mouth and licked off the cream.

“W-Why would you—!”

Why eat it!

Heat flooded my face as Loic calmly tasted the cream.

“It’s sweet,” he said.

Then his gaze slowly dropped to my lips.

The feelings I’d been trying to forget these past few days came rushing back, vivid and sharp.

“This isn’t nearly as sweet as something else, though,” he murmured.

Loic’s lips moved slightly as if about to say more.
My heart pounded as I stared at the faint quiver of his red lips.

“Does it… still hurt today?”

The words slipped out of me before I realized.

“Yes, a little,” Loic replied.

As if he’d been waiting for that, he rose from his chair.

“So please…”

He laid his large hand over mine on the table, interlaced our fingers, palm against palm, and then his soft lips pressed gently against mine.

The fruit wine turned out to be stronger than I expected.

By the time Loic carried me to bed that night, my memories were already a blur.

The next morning, when I went to work early,
Cecilia told me what had happened overnight—news she’d heard from Sir Perel.

Janet had been thrown into the dungeon.

Bernie was also confined to his room for failing to guard the kitchen properly, but Cecilia said it was only a formal punishment and nothing to worry about.

Apparently, the guard who had been with Leta in the kitchen gave a detailed testimony, which helped a lot.

The knights searched Janet’s room thoroughly.
They found some suspicious powders, but nothing as dangerous as Black Caribein.

Cecilia mentioned that the Marchioness seemed badly shaken, but as long as Raphael was safe, I didn’t really care.

“Noona, are you okay?”

Raphael, walking beside me, suddenly asked.

I hadn’t said a word,
but the quick-witted boy must have guessed that Janet’s absence meant she’d caused serious trouble.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay?
How about you, Raphael?”

“What about me?”

“Aren’t you bored?”

I tried to spend time with him—walks, tea, lunch, dinner— but for a boy his age, the Grand Duke’s castle must feel terribly dull.

“I’m fine, but…”

Raphael trailed off.

“Why? Is there somewhere you want to go?”

I’d already promised to take him along when the envoys visited the shopping district, so his hesitation puzzled me.

“…Can we go to the training grounds again?”

“The training grounds?”

“When I was at the academy, I never skipped practice.”

His sparkling eyes told me how much he’d enjoyed our last visit.

The knights probably won’t like it, I thought.
Even when I’d gone before, Loic had hesitated.

Raphael was still young, but as the son of a marquis, the knights might feel uncomfortable.

But seeing him ask so carefully with such a hopeful face…
I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

Maybe I should at least ask first.

“All right, shall we go take a look?”

I took Raphael’s hand and headed toward the training grounds.

“Annette?”

Most of the knights, including Loic, were gathered for group training.

The moment he saw me, Loic’s face lit up.
He closed the distance between us in a few long strides.

“What brings you here?”

“Raphael…”

I began cautiously.
“He really liked the training grounds.”

Before I could suggest letting him watch for a bit—

“Oh? Isn’t that Young Master Raphael?”

“Sir Dremich!”

At the shout from the center of the grounds, Raphael happily ran toward Dremich.

“Raphael!”

I looked around nervously, but the knights welcomed him without a hint of displeasure.
Some even greeted him playfully, as if he were an old friend.

“It’s fine. Dremich will take care of him,”
Loic said softly, guiding me to a shady spot.

Raphael was already holding a wooden sword, training with the knights under Dremich’s guidance.

I’d never seen him look so purely excited before.

Seeing Raphael so happy warmed my heart.

“If he wishes, he can come train anytime while you’re in Blenheim,”
Loic said kindly, noticing my expression.

“Really? But…”

Do you remember he’s the Marquis’s son?

“It’s only basic training. It’s fine. And…”

Loic rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Raphael is also my brother-in-law, isn’t he?”

Brother-in-law?

The unfamiliar word made my throat tickle.

“Huh?”

That’s when I noticed the bandage wrapped around Loic’s hand.

“What happened to your hand?”

I reached toward it, but Loic quickly pulled back.

“It’s dirty.”

“Um, I just washed my hands, though?”

Feeling a bit wronged, I muttered under my breath.

“Of course I meant my hand is dirty,” Loic said quickly.

“Oh…”

“I touched the men rolling around in the dirt earlier.”

Loic rushed to explain.

“Annette’s hands are always holy, pure, and clean—”

“Okay, okay!”

I hurriedly rose on tiptoe to cover his mouth with my hand.

Not far away, I saw Hedrick lower his eyes discreetly.

Loic’s eyes curved into happy crescents as he looked down at me.

When I finally removed my hand,
he said as if nothing had happened,

“I just rode for a long time yesterday, so it’s only a slight scrape.”

“If you keep hurting your hands like this every day, what will you do?”

I scolded him seriously.

“You should at least wear gloves.
And who rides a horse so long they scrape their hands raw?”

“I said it’s scraped, not—”

“A scrape or a cut, same thing.”

“This much is nothing.”

“Who said I’m worried about you? I’m worried about the horse!”

“…Ah.”

Loic fell silent, clearly out of arguments.

“From now on, no more riding after dark.
What if the horse trips and breaks a leg?”

“A Sword Master doesn’t trip or anything like that…”
Loic muttered, looking wronged.

This man is hopeless.

He climbs terraces, cuts his hands, stays up all night…
He’s reckless with his body.

No surprise, considering the first day we met, he was bleeding all over his arm and insisted he was fine.

At least if I scold him, maybe he’ll pretend to be careful.

When I glared harder, Loic finally nodded reluctantly.

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Hedrick was now staring off into the distance.

Feeling slightly embarrassed for making a fuss, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“Anyway, have you met the envoys yet?”

“…Not yet.”

“Why not?”

Loic pouted.

“They came early and made things difficult for you, didn’t they?
Let them experience the same.”

At that, I smacked his arm.

“Ah!”

But the cry came from me.

“Are you all right?”

Startled, Loic grabbed my hand.

Why did my hand hurt when I was the one who hit him?!

His arm felt like a stone wall.

“I’m sorry, Annette,” he said quickly,
gently rubbing my palm so it wouldn’t hurt.

“I should have a body that’s easier for you to hit.”