--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Idris, as if finally making up his mind, opened his mouth, but hesitated a few times.
In the end, he closed his mouth without saying anything.
Then, he poured the remaining wine into his glass and drank it neatly.
Watching him, a plaintive sigh escaped from Leticia's lips.
"Tch, no fun..."
Idris, watching Leticia, whose eyes were already half-closed, swallowed the answer he couldn't bring himself to say.
'In that state, she won't even remember tomorrow.'
He didn't want to confess like this, caught off guard.
He didn't want to push Leticia with the help of alcohol either.
Idris rose from his seat and offered his hand to Leticia.
"It's better to stop drinking and go to bed now. For the sake of the Lady's dignity."
"I want to drink more..."
Leticia grumbled, but obediently got up with him.
Seeing Leticia staggering, he realized that her condition was much more serious than he had thought.
As he put his arm around the swaying Leticia, she buried her face in his shoulder and mumbled something.
"...No."
"What?"
Then Leticia straightened up, pushed him away, and said.
"This won't do."
"Why?"
"If you keep doing this... I'll want to lean on you."
Idris paused at those words.
Even in this situation, unable to control her body due to intoxication, Leticia was desperately holding on.
Trying not to collapse, trying not to show a weak side.
Idris, gazing at Leticia for a moment, hugged her again and said soothingly.
"It's okay. It's alright."
"No."
But Leticia's attitude, shaking her head and pushing him away, was very firm.
He couldn't completely let go of her staggering figure, so Idris instead held her hand tightly.
"Then is it okay if I hold your hand?"
Fortunately, Leticia nodded slightly.
In the end, Idris took Leticia's hand and brought her to her room.
Of course, because Leticia was staggering so badly, he was almost hugging one of her arms.
"Gasp. Ah, Miss?"
Erin, who was tidying up the bedding, was startled to see the intoxicated Leticia, and quietly stepped back upon seeing Idris with her.
Idris laid Leticia, who was almost asleep while standing, on the bed.
'Thank goodness she washed and ate dinner.'
Sitting next to Leticia, who was lying on the bed, checking on her condition, Leticia mumbled.
"Shoes... have to take off..."
Only then did he notice that she still had one indoor slipper on her foot.
Idris chuckled at Leticia's passive request, and obediently took off her slipper.
He also pulled down the pajama pants that had ridden up, revealing her fair legs.
Only then did Leticia become quiet.
However, Idris couldn't leave her side, and quietly gazed at her sleeping form.
Then, he furrowed his brow. Her tousled hair was covering her face.
Carefully brushing away the hair, her clear face was revealed.
The eyelids that concealed the blue eyes that had once captivated him, her straight nose, and...
Her reddish lips, emitting a sweet wine scent.
Leticia, who he thought was asleep, opened her eyes at the moment when a strange heat began to stir in his golden eyes.
"...Idris?"
The moment he heard her name coming from those lips, Idris felt like something holding him back had snapped.
He wanted to be closer.
...No, if he could, he wanted to swallow her whole as she was.
Idris leaned towards Leticia, who was defenselessly looking at him.
Even though he thought it wasn't right, he couldn't stop his body, his desire, from approaching Leticia.
What stopped him was Leticia's hand, which stretched out slightly.
"Those eyes... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before."
As her white, soft hand touched his cheek, Idris froze like someone struck by paralyzing poison.
Then, he barely moved his lips.
"...Where?"
Leticia slowly blinked her half-unfocused eyes, as if trying to recall her memory.
"There's no way I could forget such a handsome face... Did I see it in a dream?"
Leticia, muttering to herself, chuckled softly and fell asleep again.
In the reality where she had fallen asleep, Idris was left alone again.
Like that day when his whole life was bound to her.
He looked at Leticia with bitter eyes, stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, and gave a late reply.
"It's not a dream."
"..."
"I was always stopped at that time, waiting for you. Leticia."
For you to wake up from the dream.
For you to open your eyes and look at me.
Still, even now.
A sunny morning.
"Ugh..."
I woke up feeling a burning thirst.
But the moment I opened my eyes, a splitting headache washed over me.
And at the same time...
"It's delicious, so I have to drink it all!"
Memories of last night also.
It was a time of regret and repentance, to receive the karma I had built up last night.
"Gasp."
Memories poured out like a dam collapsing, and my face began to heat up intensely.
Talking to the wine and the cake that came with dessert, demanding more alcohol from Idris.
And even suggesting a truth game to him and just drinking the alcohol!
'...Am I crazy?!'
After that, my memory was spotty, but I remembered returning to my room on my own two feet, supported by Idris.
Judging from the fact that my memory cut off after lying down on the bed... I probably fell asleep right away.
'Ugh! What kind of disgrace did I commit!'
I knew I was weak with alcohol to begin with.
So I was careful not to show a disgraceful side before the wedding, and to maintain my dignity as a Duchess after the wedding.
But I never thought that the alcohol I was enjoying so much would cross the line...
Recalling Idris's expression as he chuckled at me, only one thought became intense.
'...Should I die?'
Knowing his personality, he would definitely tease me about yesterday's events for a long time.
'I absolutely must not leave the room until Idris goes to work.'
Of course, avoiding the situation is not a solution, but it would be good to avoid it for today.
Not to avoid his teasing, but because I needed time to distance myself from that memory...
But my throat was too dry and my head hurt too much to fall back asleep like this.
But then, I felt a presence near the table.
'Did Erin come to check on my condition?'
In the fragmented memories, there was Erin's face, surprised to see me intoxicated.
'I showed Erin an unsightly sight too...'
As a confidante who has been close to me for a long time, I know that we know each other's wounds and inner selves well, but...
Still, there is such a thing as the dignity of the lady she serves.
I swallowed a sigh and called Erin in a small voice.
"Erin, could you bring me some water?"
Soon, I heard the sound of water being poured, and a quiet presence approached.
I stretched out my hand from under the blanket to receive the glass of water. It was lukewarm water, cooled to a perfect temperature to drink.
"Thank yo―"
Raising myself to drink the water, I was so surprised by the owner of that presence that I almost screamed.
"Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?"
"Idris...?"
Barely managing to grip the water glass that I almost dropped, I blinked my eyes.
"W-Why are you here...?"
Then his beautiful brow furrowed slightly.
"...Don't you remember, Leticia?"
Comments
Post a Comment