I said matter-of-factly. Alcohol helps when people are getting closer.

“You can’t drink until you’re drunk!”

Sorean waved his hands frantically.

“That won’t happen.”

Sorean and Kanarosa walked to their assigned rooms. I was about to go to my room too, but Luden followed me.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

At my question, Luden smiled.

“I do.”

It’s not like I can’t guess what it is.

Luden entered my room and exhaled hotly. He grabbed my cheek and took my lips.

He seemed to want to possess me, so I pushed him away slightly.

“Not yet. I’m saying we need to play.”

Luden took my lips again. Hot heat entered and I floundered.

“You’re reacting to me like this, but you’re going to play?”

Luden tempted me.

“I really am going to play though.”

My voice grew smaller.

“I’ll just touch you a little more.”

He unbuttoned me, seemingly unsatisfied with just kissing.

He gradually devoured what was above me.

* * *

After changing into simple clothes, we gathered to play card games. The heat was overflowing since the loser of the card game would drink a penalty shot.

Andre was in charge of security, so he didn’t participate in the card game and just watched.

I picked a card first.

After agonizing over what to choose, I played a card and naturally didn’t win.

“Ugh.”

I looked at the alcohol.

Sorean and Kanarosa bought it saying they’d drink it, so why am I the one drinking?

I drank the alcohol. Still, I was fortunate that the penalty shot was drinking as much as you wanted, so I didn’t have to drink a lot.

“Lady Annelia really gets caught a lot.”

I got caught again this time. I drank alcohol with a tearful face. Luden tried to drink instead of me, but Andre interfered. He said the game should be fair.

At this rate, I’ll really get drunk.

My mind was hazy. I was the only one getting caught and the only one drinking.

“I want to get caught too! I want to try drinking.”

Kanarosa glanced at the alcohol.

“It’s fine to just drink it.”

I quickly answered her and poured her some alcohol. It wasn’t just any alcohol but premium alcohol, so the taste was decent.

Kanarosa drank the alcohol. The first alcohol she drinks should suit her taste.

“Oh my, I thought it would taste strange but it’s really delicious.”

“Regular alcohol isn’t sweet.”

“Really?”

“I don’t like bitter alcohol, so I chose something like this.”

Kanarosa looked at the bottle carefully. It was a fruit wine with a strong grape scent, so it was drinkable, but regular alcohol is bitter.

“I see. Thanks to Lady Annelia, I’m drinking precious alcohol.”

“Then lose in the game for me.”

“I don’t think that’s right.”

Kanarosa refused my request.

‘I want to win in the game too!’

Kanarosa and Sorean also lost occasionally. I lost frequently.

By the time the game ended, I was staggering drunk.

* * *

Luden silently looked at Annelia.

What wish did she make while sending off the lantern? He recalled her earnestly clasping her hands together.

He wanted to know what her wish was, but Annelia didn’t tell him easily.

“Annelia, are you asleep?”

He shook the shoulder of Annelia, who was lying in bed groaning. Then Annelia looked at Luden with hazy eyes.

“I’m dizzy so I can’t sleep.”

“Why did you drink so much?”

“I wanted to win in the game too!”

Annelia cried out emotionally. She seemed to dislike that only she kept losing.

“Luden didn’t lose even once.”

“I’m not used to losing.”

“Wow, how arrogant.”

Annelia covered her face with a pillow. Wanting to see her face, Luden removed the pillow from Annelia’s hands. Annelia moved her hands around, then placed her arm on the bed and closed her eyes.

“When I wake up tomorrow morning, it won’t be a joke, right? I’ll suffer from a hangover.”

Annelia looked like she was about to cry.

“I’m going to die trying to get those two together.”

“Sorean went to escort Kanarosa.”

“I hope it goes well. Since they’re both a bit drunk, they’ll be able to look at each other more closely.”

Luden nodded while listening to Annelia. Then, on a strange impulse, he stroked Annelia’s hair. Then Annelia’s gaze turned to Luden’s fingertips.

“Why is Luden so caring?”

“Do you dislike that I’m caring?”

“The problem is I like it too much.”

Annelia grumbled. She was speaking like she shouldn’t be doing this, which felt strange.

Isn’t it natural to be caring to your wife?

“Annelia is strange. How can she easily let go of a man like this?”

Annelia spoke like she wasn’t Annelia.

Well, the previous Annelia and the current Annelia are different people, so she would say something like this.

“Luden is a bad man.”

Annelia muttered and closed her eyes.

“He’s really a nine-tailed fox.”

A nine-tailed fox? What’s that supposed to mean?

“But Annelia, what did you write for your wish?”

“It’s a secret.”

No matter how drunk she was, Annelia didn’t say.

“Mine isn’t a secret.”

“Really?”

“I wished for my current happiness to last long.”

At Luden’s words, Annelia’s movements stopped.

“Is Luden happy right now?”

Annelia asked with wide eyes. She looked at Luden like she was surprised, like she hadn’t expected it.

At Annelia’s reaction, Luden quickly stroked her cheek. Sitting by the bed and silently looking at Annelia for a while, Luden said quietly.

“If I wasn’t happy, I wouldn’t have written that.”

“The woman who will make Luden happy isn’t me.”

Annelia cried while saying strange things.

“It’s not me.”

She looked sad saying that.

Why is she making that expression?

Luden didn’t understand why his wife was saying such things.

He quickly kissed her forehead. Now that they were alone, coveting each other was his instinct. He wanted to covet her until Annelia was exhausted.

Seeming to know Luden’s feelings, Annelia nodded.

“I’m okay now.”

“Annelia, do you know?”

Luden grabbed Annelia’s face and kissed her. Then he pushed in his hot soul and explored inside her mouth.

“Annelia is sweet.”

‘The more I get drunk, the more addicted I become.’

‘I can’t escape from here. I don’t need other women.’

Luden unbuttoned Annelia.

It was time to claim her now.

* * *

Sorean stared at Kanarosa with her flushed face. They had arrived at Kanarosa’s room, but he actually wanted to be with her a little longer.

“A good woman will appear for you too.”

Annelia, who spoke like a prophecy.

Just as she said, one really appeared.

A different feeling from when he first met Annelia—a feeling like his heart would break if he didn’t claim her.

‘Did Annelia say that because she knew this?’

“It’s not love. That’s just favorable feelings.”

At the time, he thought Annelia’s words were cold, but thinking about it now, her words were right.

“Sorean, would you like a cup of tea?”

Kanarosa spoke first. Sorean had absolutely no intention of refusing.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s sober up a bit before you go.”

At Kanarosa’s words, Sorean quickly sat on the sofa. He naturally thought Kanarosa would sit across from him.

But she sat in the seat next to him.

“Let’s drink tea together.”

Her face was flushed.

After drinking tea, she looked at Sorean’s hand. Seeing his hand without any accessories, she placed her hand on top of his.

“You don’t feel bad, do you?”

“Not at all.”

‘How could I? I’m so happy I could go crazy.’

“I’ll tell you the wish I wrote on the lantern.”

Kanarosa’s voice was trembling.

“I want to become lovers with Count Root.”

Sorean was momentarily speechless.

“I know well that it’s a wish beyond my station.”

“Why would you say that?”

“It’s the truth. I’m an illegitimate child of the imperial family, so I won’t even be recognized as an official princess.”

Kanarosa smiled bitterly.

“But I sat next to you because it doesn’t seem like just my delusion. It seems like Sorean is also interested in me.”

‘Annelia said she would help. She really did help me. And she even told me to have courage.’

Recalling Annelia’s letter, Kanarosa pressed her chest where her pounding heart was.

“This is truly surprising.”

Sorean said with a smile.

“I also wrote the same wish as Your Highness Kanarosa.”

At his words, Kanarosa narrowed her eyes. Tears seemed ready to form in her eyes curved like a crescent moon.

“It’s not just my feelings alone, right?”

At her words, Sorean spoke matter-of-factly.

“Of course.”

‘Annelia seemed to have prepared this knowing our hearts.’

He was newly grateful to her.

“May I kiss you?”

“But before that…”

“From now on, you are my lover.”

Sorean gave Kanarosa the answer she wanted. Kanarosa closed her eyes and Sorean kissed her lips.

“Yesterday was unavoidable.”

Luden approached and touched my cheek.

“Annelia’s reactions were too good.”

After drinking alcohol, every time Luden made marks, I whimpered. I begged and sobbed for him not to make them.

‘What can I do about the strange sensation when he makes them!’

I grumbled and tried to cover up the area around my chest, then gave up.

‘I’ll just wear any clothes.’

Today we decided to tour the city together.

“Oh, and Count Root left first. With Her Highness Kanarosa.”

“Really?”

“They said they wanted to date together.”

‘Ah, as expected! It worked out well. Alcohol really is powerful.’

I smiled thinking about them.

I thought it was good that they at least could have the love I couldn’t have.

“But Annelia.”

I looked at Luden.

“Why do you think you can’t make me happy?”

He asked sharply.

I clutched my head and fell into agony. Honestly, I was so drunk yesterday that my memories are spotty.

Tracing my memories, I realized what Luden was talking about. I recalled the words I said to him while crying.

“Haha, I said strange things because I was drunk.”

‘I can’t say I know the future. No, it might be fine to say it.’

But then Luden would go to Lorina faster, so my mouth wouldn’t open. I didn’t want to send him away yet.

“Is Luden happy because of me?”

I asked if that was really true.

“I’m happy.”

Luden said that, put on formal clothes, and went to the desk.

“Annelia, rest a bit. I’ll look at some documents in the meantime.”

At Luden’s words, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

Luden’s words kept echoing in my ears. I felt strange, like he was saying he wanted to stay by my side continuously.

“I’ll help too.”

I eventually got up and went to Luden’s side. I could also handle the documents Luden was looking at now. I learned a lot about the Charlot family and Andre taught me how to organize documents.

‘Most of all, I’m a woman who worked at a company for a long time before coming here!’

I slowly organized the documents and handed them to Luden. Seeing Luden nod after looking at the documents I processed, I grinned.

‘To think Luden is happy because of me.’

Luden probably would have been happy in his own way with the original Annelia too. That’s why he hesitated about divorce.

“But why does the Charlot family only have one wife?”

At my question, Luden raised his head.

“Even one is overwhelming.”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“There are reasons we don’t match emotionally, but more than anything, succession disputes become fierce. And property division issues are also troublesome.”

Luden’s words were correct.

I understood his words.

“My only wife is you, Annelia.”

Luden spoke with emphasis and concentrated on the documents. Looking at him like that, I smiled a bit bitterly.

‘It’s like that now, but…’

‘No. Your true wife is Lorina.’

I muttered that inwardly.

Some might say I should be happy knowing the future.

But I wasn’t happy. Rather, my heart just ached.

“I want to hurry and play with Luden.”

Luden frowned.

“What about your hangover?”

“It’s unfair not to be able to play because of something like that.”

Luden sighed.

“I’ve finished organizing everything, so let’s go out.”

Luden was moving.

“Are you going because your wife wants to?”

I asked jokingly.

“There’s that, but I also want to go with Annelia.”

At Luden’s last words, I smiled.

‘Ah, I felt like crying.’

We enjoyed the festival like that.

Time passed, summer ended, and Luden and my wedding approached right before our eyes.