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When I returned to the mansion, it was a bit later than my usual dinner time.
I hurriedly finished my bath and went downstairs, where Idris was waiting in the dining room.
Feeling apologetic, I smiled awkwardly and spoke.
"I'm sorry, Idris. Did you wait long? Aren't you hungry?"
"Not at all. Waiting for a lady is a gentleman's pleasure."
As I sat down, dishes began to appear as if on cue.
The table, which was always filled with generous portions, seemed to be laden with even more carefully prepared dishes than usual.
'Perhaps I'm just feeling that way because I'm hungry...'
While I was waiting for the food to be served, mindful of my lady-like dignity, there was a knock, and the butler entered.
In his hands, he held an exquisitely wrapped bottle of wine.
'That's... an incredibly expensive wine!'
It was a Rembarr Mountain wine, famous for its exquisite bouquet.
The wines I had tasted so far were those supplied to the Grand Duke's residence, and of course, they were precious and expensive.
But the wine before me now was even more valuable and rare than those.
It wasn't so much that it was too expensive to drink, but that it was hard to obtain even if you had the money.
So much so that it was often auctioned among wine connoisseurs.
I watched the butler skillfully open the wine and asked.
"It's a toast, but isn't it too precious to drink today?"
Idris received the wine that the butler poured and replied.
"When else would we drink it if not on a day like this? To celebrate my partner's victory, it has to be at least this good."
Then, my glass was filled as well.
"From what I've seen, you don't seem to enjoy alcohol much, but what's your tolerance like?"
'Hmm, not very strong...'
No, to be precise, it was rather weak.
But I couldn't refuse my partner's gesture of opening an expensive wine for me, so I equivocated.
"Well, I can enjoy it in moderation."
More than anything, I also wanted to have a little bit today.
As I lifted my glass, Idris gently touched his glass to mine.
"Drink as much as you like. This gentleman is paying."
Everything in this mansion belonged to Idris, and everything I had eaten and drunk in this mansion so far had been provided by him.
Mentioning a fact that was hardly new was purely out of playfulness.
I chuckled at his remark and tilted my wine glass.
And then...
"Delicious...!"
I exclaimed without realizing it.
I wasn't particularly fond of alcohol, especially if it was bitter.
When I said things like that, people would say, "That's because you haven't experienced the bitterness of life yet."
'What nonsense! I've seen enough of life's bitterness, so I only want to eat sweet things.'
So today, I was drinking the wine without much expectation, simply to get into the mood.
Perhaps it was because it was an expensive wine, or perhaps Idris had chosen it with my taste in mind, but the sweet fruit aroma and the wine's bitterness blended together to create a delightful taste.
As I continued to sip it appreciatively, Idris chuckled as he watched me.
"I'm glad you seem to like it. But don't let your guard down just because it's delicious. Sweet alcohol can make you drunk in an instant."
"I'll be fine with this much."
I brushed off Idris' warning and reached for the dishes that had just been served.
I was enjoying a small happiness while eating delicious food and drinking delicious wine when Idris, who had been watching me, asked.
"So, what are your thoughts?"
"Thoughts on the victory?"
Idris nodded in response.
After thinking for a moment, I opened my mouth.
"Hmm... it's not as refreshing as I thought it would be."
"Is the end of revenge always empty?"
"No. That's something that only good and upright people think."
Then, Idris frowned with a stern expression and retorted.
"You always seem to underestimate yourself, but you are one of the few good and upright people I've met."
Anyone who heard that would think I had criticized him.
I looked at him, desperately defending me, with a slightly surprised expression, and then laughed as if surrendering.
"Thank you for thinking so highly of me. But I didn't say that because of any deep meaning. It's just because the final goal is still left."
"The final goal... Duke Farnese?"
I nodded slightly.
It takes two to tango.
Even if Elise had seduced him, if Peydan hadn't wavered, their affair wouldn't have happened.
'So, it's unfair to place all the blame on Elise.'
My ultimate goal had remained unchanged from the beginning.
Without giving up my life, I wanted to drag Peydan and Elise down to the bottom in a miserable way.
'But there's no need to rush.'
The magic stones were being mined smoothly, the boutique was thriving day by day, and wealth was accumulating even at this moment.
And if the young ladies who witnessed today's events spread the rumors as they should, public opinion would soon be turned around.
However, even though everything was going smoothly, the uneasy feeling I had was not only because of the Peydan incident.
'The Countess Cloel didn't attend today's tea party.'
Countess Cloel.
The woman who caught my father's eye when my mother was on her sickbed.
My stepmother—though I didn't want to admit it, legally speaking—was from a fallen noble family, but became Countess Cloel after my mother passed away.
Perhaps because of her background, she had a great desire for high society, and as such, she tried to attend social gatherings at any cost.
But for her not to have come down to the capital so far, and even to have been absent from the Empress's tea party, which could be seen as a major social event?
'In my past life, I was too preoccupied with my own situation to even think about finding out.'
Moreover, in my past life, I was outwardly getting along well with Peydan, but now there were rumors of discord with Peydan and a scandal with Idris.
The news must have spread to the Cloel estate, but the fact that it was still quiet was unsettling.
'By now, she would have asked for money, or begged me to connect her to Idris after hearing the news.'
Just as I was gripped by a sense of unease like the calm before a storm, Idris's voice pulled me out.
"Leticia."
He raised his glass slightly and spoke in a rather serious voice.
"Enjoy today's victory."
"......"
"You deserve it."
I stared blankly at him, and suddenly realized.
The reason why Idris had prepared the wine.
'He was being considerate because he was worried that I might be trapped in the emptiness of revenge.'
When I thought about it, it was his kindness that had kept me from being mired in anxiety every time.
'Having a partner is a good thing.'
Even if it was just a business partner.
When I was with Peydan, I always had to try so hard to do better so as not to disappoint him.
I realized now that a true partner was not one who 맞춰가 the other's standards, but one who simply encouraged and cheered on the other's path.
'I vowed never to trust anyone again...'
Whether it's love, family, or friends.
Why is it that even after being hurt like that, I want to believe in people, in that possibility, once again?
Idris, who had been watching me lost in thought for a while, touched his glass to mine.
"To the infinite glory of Leticia Cloel."
I looked at the man who was shaking my resolve, and then laughed as if I had surrendered.
I decided to put aside the worries and confusion in my head for today and enjoy the joy of victory as he said.
"To the wealth and honor of Idris Dellua."
As I touched my glass to his, the sound of the glasses clinking rang out clearly.
At the same time, I heard the low laughter of Idris, who burst out laughing at my materialistic toast.
I laughed along with him as I watched him.
Was it because it was a precious wine, or because it was a toast to victory?
The aroma of the wine lingering on my lips felt particularly sweet today.
...I wish that's how the day had ended.
The sweet wine brought about a disaster.
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