Episode 6. Are You Drunk?

One bottle, two bottles, five bottles. The wine they’d been exchanging without a word had already surpassed five bottles.

“Young Duke.”

Brienne, her cheeks flushed pink, held an empty wine bottle close to her chest and tilted her head to the side.

“Did I… did I tell you? That Kaiden got engaged.”

“…Yes, this is already the twentieth time.”

Hereis, wearing a faint smile, supported Brienne’s head as she nearly tipped over. Brienne blinked and suddenly lifted her head, glancing around.

“Oh, really? That can’t be right…”

At what point had it begun? Her words had gradually increased, and in the end, she ended up like this. At first, Hereis hadn’t even realized she was drunk. He didn’t know her well enough to tell if she was or not.

“Still, though. Isn’t it awful? He didn’t say a single word to me…”

But now, it was impossible not to notice. Brienne seemed completely drunk. One moment crying, the next laughing, then going blank-faced. Watching her, Hereis couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.

Brienne Ford had this side to her?

The more she drank, the clearer her pronunciation and voice became. He hadn’t heard anything about her drinking habits, but it wasn’t a bad thing to learn.

“Lady Ford, perhaps it’s time to head in. You’ve had a lot, so you should rest.”

The problem was, even when he tried to decline like this…

“Not yet. There’s something I must find out from you, Young Duke.”

…She was determined to open a new bottle with that resolute face.

‘Was she planning to get me drunk?’

What on earth did she want to know so badly?

Whatever it was, Hereis decided to grant her wish for now.

“Would it please you if I drank more?”

“Yes…!”

He didn’t mind, because her eyes sparkled every time he emptied his glass.

Hereis glanced at Shiloh, who had long since passed out on the sofa, then emptied not only his own glass but also Brienne’s. Brienne, who had been giggling aimlessly, furrowed her brow as if trying to read his thoughts.

“But Young Duke, you know… you’re really suspicious. It makes no sense that you came all the way here on trading business in this weather.”

“What exactly are you curious about?”

At that question, Brienne took a deep breath. Lowering her gaze, she hesitated with her lips, then whispered, “Are you drunk?”

“Well, I suppose I’m moderately drunk.”

Hereis rested his chin on his hand and squinted. Seeing Brienne sigh openly in disappointment, he thought he ought to change his answer.

“…Truthfully, I’m very drunk but pretending not to be. And I’m terribly afraid you’ll catch on to that.”

“Really?”

“Yes, that’s the voice of my heart.”

Brienne blinked a few times. It looked like she was finally going to ask the question she’d been so eager about. Picking up the half-empty bottle, she filled his glass and glanced at him.

“Then… then, um. Did Kaiden tell you to come see me?”

“No.”

Hereis answered concisely, without a moment’s hesitation. Brienne gripped her glass, her gaze shifting.

“Then… are you just here to watch me?”

“……”

But this time, Hereis’s brow furrowed slightly. He couldn’t understand why she would ask something like that.

Though he had passed by Brienne Ford many times before, this was their first real conversation.

“Watch you… I don’t understand why you’d say that. Did I do something to offend you, Lady Ford?”

“……”

“Lady Ford.”

“…No, not at all. Forget I said anything.”

Brienne gave a faint smile and lifted her glass to her lips. She quickly returned to her earlier tone and began repeating the same story, but now that Kaiden’s name had been mentioned, Hereis couldn’t smile as he had before.

***

Three days had passed since the announcement of Young Duke Bannon’s engagement to Lady Bailey.

Kaiden Bannon’s morning was busier than anyone’s.

Though both families had agreed to forgo an engagement ceremony, Melosi’s whims had overturned that decision overnight, and preparations had resumed.

Kaiden, having stayed up all night writing invitations, scanned the next names on the list with weary eyes.

His blue eyes paused on one spot. After staring blankly for a moment, Kaiden set down his quill and rubbed his face in fatigue.

…Brienne Ford.

Come to think of it, not a single letter had arrived from her. Normally, she would have come crying to him, demanding to know what was going on.

Something felt off. Just thinking about it dried his lips and made his chest burn; it felt like anxiety. Yet Kaiden couldn’t explain why.

Why?

Wasn’t this what he had always wanted? So why did it feel… wrong?

Fidgeting with the stationery for a long while, Kaiden finally decided it must be because of Hereis. If he hadn’t shown up spouting nonsense that day, none of this would have happened.

“Kaiden?”

Melosi, who had been sitting on the sofa, noticed that he had paused, so unusual for someone who rarely rested. She turned her head.

Only after she closed the engagement dress catalog with a snap did Kaiden snap out of his thoughts and pick up his pen again.

“Is something wrong?”

Melosi stood and walked over to him. Her pale blue eyes, studying Kaiden’s face, dropped to the guest list on the desk.

“It’s nothing.”

Kaiden replied with a gentle smile and casually slipped the list beneath a pile of papers.

But it was already too late.

Melosi’s eyes, which had been calm, sparkled sharply for an instant. Smiling sweetly, she laid her hand gently on his shoulder.

“You look exhausted. Let me handle the rest. I’ll write the invitations to the remaining guests myself.”

***

At the same time.

‘Ugh, my head…’

Brienne, who had waged a war with alcohol through the night, had just barely finished breakfast and stepped into the study. A splitting headache surged through her, and she had no recollection of how much she drank.

‘How did I even get back to my room?’

Did Shiloh bring her back?

When she asked Marie what happened during the night, Marie only smiled shyly and avoided her. Brienne sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

Having failed to uncover Hereis’s true intentions, all she wanted now was to read something to clear her mind.

‘What should I read to feel more clear-headed?’

A romance novel she could fall into for hours? Or perhaps a work of philosophy to inspire broader thoughts?

Brienne strolled leisurely among the bookshelves, brushing her fingers along the spines. She liked the different textures that brushed against her fingertips. It was a habit she had since childhood.

‘All the lower shelves are ones I’ve read over and over. Back then, I couldn’t reach any higher…’

Her cautious steps came to a stop. Brienne, lightly grasping a shelf, stood on tiptoe to examine the top row. Her pale green eyes landed on Tales of Roeta Mythology.

‘…That was the book Kaiden and I read at the bookstore that day.’

As if entranced, Brienne reached for it. But no matter how she groped around, her hand couldn’t reach. Just as she was about to leap up—

“Do you need help?”

Her eyes met those of Hereis Belif, who had been leaning against the innermost bookshelf—since when, she had no idea. Startled, Brienne took a step back.

“…Don’t tell me, you followed me here?”

“Of course not. I’ve been here since before you came in.”

Hereis held up the book he had been reading. Judging by how far he had gotten through that thick tome, it didn’t seem like a lie.

“I see…”

…Why does he look so perfectly composed?

Feeling strangely self-conscious, Brienne cleared her throat and took a step back. Hereis closed his book and took a step forward.

“Allow me to get it for you.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. I can manage.”

Brienne waved her hands in refusal, but Hereis reached for the shelf without the slightest sign of embarrassment. Watching his broad back, Brienne bit her lip and stepped forward.

“…Thank you, but it’s not that book. It’s this one.”

Was it out of spite for being the only one who had gotten drunk? She didn’t want to accept his kindness so easily. Glancing around quickly, Brienne stepped onto the bottom shelf and pulled out a book with a red velvet cover.

It was the closest to the one he had just retrieved, and more than anything, it stood out.

But the next moment, a quiet chuckle escaped Hereis’s lips.

What?

Brienne furrowed her brow and glared at him. His gaze had landed on the book cover.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Did you really mean to pick that book?”

“Of course. I came here to read this book.”

Unexpected situations always unsettled one’s composure. Normally, she would have checked the title first, but Brienne stubbornly thrust the book toward him. His dusky gray eyes softened as he lowered his gaze. A mischievous smile appeared on his lips.

“I see… I’ve learned something new about your tastes, Lady Ford. You’ve been surprising me since yesterday. I never imagined you’d read ‘that sort of thing’ first thing in the morning.”

…’That sort of thing’?

Only then did Brienne glance down.

Immediately, her cheeks—and even her neck—flushed bright red.

100 Erotic Positions for Real-Life Bedroom Technique

No, seriously! Who leaves a book like this in a study…!

Brienne, utterly flustered, frantically shoved the book into the nearest shelf. Rather than placing it back, it was more like she hurled it.

“Ah, th-this is…”

“This is?”

Hereis tilted his head slightly toward her, lips parting in amusement. Brienne, on the verge of tears, gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

“This is, um…”