Chapter 13

Something serious has happened that will take me back to Winter.

Even after enjoying a luxurious life in the capital for so long—how long has it been? Anyway, even after the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration, I and the people of Holy Nature, including Callian, didn’t return for a while.

Duke of Winter was busy meeting powerful people, including his aunts and cousins, and I struggled with how to handle the mysterious rice.

In the end, I couldn’t do anything. The rice here was different from what I knew, neither chewy nor crispy, and had a vague taste that wasn’t quite savory.

I had dreamt about cooking a pot of rice in my dreams and eating it with bachelor kimchi, about fourteen times, but it wasn’t important.

I’m not a magician or anything, and in this world, I might not even have the grain I’m looking for—magician? A magician?

I know a magician, don’t I? I should go and threaten them once.

“Stop it.”

“Yes.”

But I can’t delay my return any longer. Even if it means ignoring thirty-five political, military, and cultural problems that arise when the lord of the territory is absent for an extended period, I had to go back to Winter.

“Why didn’t you entrust that bag to a maid?”

“I’ll eat it on the train.”

“You’re really—”

“Consistent? Unchanging? It’s almost as if you’ve memorized your repertoire. Come back with something fresher. Stale men have no charm.”

In the late spring and early summer, there’s Adriana’s birthday.

“What kind of alcohol is it?”

“It’s from the Magnolia Warehouse. We brought it with us, considering that we’d share the same room and to accommodate the Duke, so it has a lower alcohol content. It has a strong flavor and a tangy taste, from a region famous for grapes, whether it’s in the west or the east. Aged for seven years! It has a taste that lingers on the palate, but its color is a bit different from Winter’s wine.”

I explained the wine’s history in detail, even more than the stern salespeople at Sara. Callian nodded as if satisfied.

Seriously, does the Northern Grand Duke really have an obsession with this kind of thing? No matter how much I tried to figure out my own preferences, this seems a bit too harsh.

Callian, who concluded that he liked me through my bluffing, was becoming increasingly obsessed with me. However, the problem was that he wasn’t trying to restrict my actions but was showing a slight interest in my alcohol situation.

“Is it delicious?”

“Would you like a glass?”

“No. … Drink in moderation.”

“Hmm, all right….”

Being tied up and locked away is certainly better than the grotesque madness of gouging your eyeballs and blinding you,

“The drink I just mixed is,”

“It’s not alcohol; it’s carbonated water. It’s bubbly! It’s a specialty from a kingdom with a fizzier taste than Winter!”

Something’s strange.

Well, strange as it may seem, is it stranger than my soul being forcibly trapped in the body of the Duchess? Even without motion sickness, spending days on a train was excruciating. There’s no smartphone here, no special holiday movies playing.

All I can do is drink and get intoxicated with the problems of life or make fun of the cold and peculiar Northern Grand Duke.

Usually, I exchanged playful banter with Callian over drinks. Well, to be clear, I’m the one who jokes, and Callian is the one who talks nonsense.

I don’t know what Callian de Winter’s position is in the novel, but if he’s a key male character, then it’s probably his identity to laugh slyly as if he knows everything while saying something meaningful.

“I didn’t expect you to return so soon.”

“Why not?”

“Well, don’t you not really like Winter? It’s not as trendy as the capital, not bustling either. Ladies—no, you like flashy things.”

I thought about smacking her with a plate or candlestick if she made outdated generalizations while acting like a Lady, but clever Callian quickly changed the subject. Smart guy, he’s got learning abilities now.

“I don’t really like flashy things. It’s not that I dislike them, but the capital—there’s definitely more to see than in the territory, but there’s a significant problem.”

“Problem?”

“It’s hot.”

“Huh?”

“It’s hot. Right now, it’s warm and nice, but if you go a little further up from here, you’ll still be walking around in Schmitz clothing.”

“Isn’t that what everyone does anyway?”

“On the streets.”

In truth, I think I can walk around in Schmitz clothing. It’s got decorations, pleats that aren’t visible, and it’s just a dress that looks better through the eyes of a 21st-century citizen than what I usually wear for outings. Honestly, it’s even more billowy than my usual outfits.

Well, if the Duchess has thrown aside even light shapewear, parading around in pajamas at the square would certainly shock the servants. … I wonder if the people from the territory would be shocked too? I kind of want to try it.

“Do you get hot a lot?”

“About as much as an average person.”

The room wasn’t much different from the first time I came to the capital. Hot water flowed well, warm food was served, and when you drew the curtains, bright lights shimmered, while pulling them back revealed the vast plains and the distant night sky.

As the capital extends further, I might be able to look for grains similar to rice, but first, I need to survive to have food at all.

I don’t know how well Adriana’s body has been conditioned for the heat, but my original self was vulnerable to summer. Specifically, to humidity.

“Is it tasty?”

“It tastes familiar.”

“But why are you drinking it?”

“Because it’s a taste I know.”

Callian and I were sitting across from each other at a large table. It seemed like a place set up for a refined tea time, but I had been drinking alcohol all day. Not to the point of getting tipsy or impairing my memory, though.

As I continued to drink wine, it had its own charm. It couldn’t compete with makgeolli in terms of familiarity, but makgeolli represented a great leap for humanity—

“I… I’ve developed feelings for someone.”

“Gulp, cough! …Really?”

Oh, shoot. I almost spat out my drink. I set down the glass that still had plenty of wine and stared at Callian.

His face was the same as usual, but there was a fiery spark in his eyes. I really didn’t want to notice such a difference, but it was glaringly obvious.

Isn’t it customary for someone like the Northern Grand Duke to not show their emotions to anyone? How weak I’ve become; come back stronger.

“Ah, yes, I see…”

“You won’t ask who this person is?”

Even if I roll my eyes behind, Adriana de Winter, why bother…

“Why bother asking… Oh, I see. Who is she?”

“The person I like is…”

His lips paused. Callian’s lips were thin and even. They were red and didn’t move much. They subtly went up and down, but that was it.

Callian brushed his wet hair back with his hand. The soft fabric of his shirt fluttered open, revealing his firm chest.

This guy is a total FOX!

It’s unlikely to happen, but if this fantastic performance is what Callian de Winter intended, he’ll definitely be labeled as #SmoothGuy in the introduction keywords.

“At first, it was strange, so my gaze went there.”

This is a K-drama cliche. A huge cliche.

“I wasn’t interested in her, but suddenly my eyes started to go there.”

I’ve seen this a lot in comics. I leaned my upper body on the sofa armrest and listened to Callian’s confession like a spectator.

“I don’t want to leave her alone. When I see her with someone else,”

Do I want to tear him apart? Bury him alive? Spread my legs and keep him in my own cage?

I contemplated thoughts befitting a male lead Northern Grand Duke who lacks conscience, common sense, consideration, and respect.

“And I wonder what other mischief she’ll get into…”

Huh?

“I hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else except me.”

…Huh?

“Even though she’s that kind of person, what do you think?”

What genre is this romance novel, anyway?

Moreover, this guy has practically poured out his emotions to me almost at the confession level, and now he’s asking what I think. I don’t know if he expects me to realize or thinks I won’t, but my answer is simple.

“Well, your taste is unique.”

“What?”

He wishes I’d only drink and act up in front of him. Is this guy insane? Even my sister, who has taken care of me with familial love and her own kind of affection, couldn’t handle me when I was drinking.

– Except for being my sibling,

even though I’ve been slapped by my sister countless times, it’s been years since I quit drinking. What is this high and mighty Northern Grand Duke saying? Is he really out of his mind? He’s not even family.

“It seems to be a really rare preference. I wouldn’t want someone like that as my lover.”

I don’t want to date someone like me either. Someone like me is enough in the universe.

He drinks, throws tantrums, and even slaps me, but he develops feelings. Callian’s taste is really quite peculiar, to say the least.

…Is it impossible to captivate the Northern Grand Duke without being peculiarly intense?

“So, what kind of person is your preference?”

Callian silently brought out a glass and tilted the bottle of alcohol I was drinking. I almost spilled it with the glass, but I restrained myself. I’m a rational and considerate citizen, after all.

“My preference? Well, um…”

But is this something a typical couple would talk about? Even though it’s a political marriage, it’s quite an interesting conversation… It’s not comparable to openly discussing government affairs, but it felt like exploring each other’s preferences as if we were on a blind date with someone we didn’t know.

Of course, I had no interest in a middle-aged man in his thirties.

To be rational, is it eleven years younger? They say there are no boundaries in love, but age does matter, right?

Callian, who knows that there’s a four-year age gap between me and his wife, might find it a bit unfortunate. But to be honest, I don’t find it unfortunate. I’m the one who ended up in someone else’s body without warning, and I’m the most pitiable one.

“I like younger men.”

“Younger men?”

“Yes. Um, from twenty to twenty-seven is just right. Ideally, under twenty-five.”

When I told him the age range for dating that matches my age, Callian’s expression became subtle. No, I’m not saying I want to gather a harem or take a bath in the blood of beautiful young men!

“Well…”

“Younger, younger men.”

“Yes, younger men! It’s said that a man’s vitality peaks at that time, right? Like a flower about to bloom, fresh and vibrant! I like that feeling. As you age, they call it experience, but I prefer the freshness that cries out when you touch it, rather than that seasoned expertise.”

As I speak, I really seem like a strange person. I felt like I became a peculiar lady with eccentric tastes, trying to attach reason to “Reasons Why Men Between Twenty and Twenty-Five Are Great.”

“You’re really…”

But what do they know? My existence itself is considered strange here, so I’m just embracing the label of being a strange person. It’s not like I said anything wrong.

Besides, even if we focus on Adriana’s age, a four-year difference isn’t that significant. Adriana and Callian have a four-year age gap, and Adriana is about to turn thirty.

“I’m quite reasonable, you know?”

“What?”

“Anyway, I like younger men more than myself. Cute, charming, and a bit coy is what I prefer in personality. As for Callian’s preferences… well, um, I’ll respect them.”

Well, love is not a sin!

But I wish that love would stop^^

When I stood up from my seat, the effect of the alcohol surged. Lately, I had been drinking only grape wine, and it felt like grapes were growing on my palate. Plump plump.

Gosh, can grapes grown on a human’s tongue be sold in the market? Is that classified under dead cells? Organs? How is it categorized?

“Hey, Callian.”

“Why?”

“Can you please check my tongue? Are there no grapes?”

“What-“

I sat down next to Callian and extended my tongue. If grapes were coming out of my tongue, they would undoubtedly be small, so I wanted to get closer.

“What are you doing right now?”

“No, just look and shut up for a moment. Are there no grapes? Aren’t grapes growing? I’ve been drinking grape wine like crazy. There should be a grapevine growing in my stomach by now.”

“Perhaps you’re drunk,”

“Ah, come on. Is there really none?”

When I tilted my head forward, Callian’s hand grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back. Is this the law of action and reaction? It didn’t feel like it used to be.

“There’s none. So stop it-“

“Stop? What do you mean?”

“I mean, how do I know what to do right now?”

“Well, then you’re just an ordinary criminal.”

“What?”

“What? You initiated it, gave signals, and you’re not even a crook. …How do you know what to do? Is this some kind of crime teaser?”

“No, I didn’t mean that I’m going to-“

“Then be quiet for a moment. My stomach feels uneasy. If you have the energy to make a fuss, go do some exercises or something. You’ll get wrinkles later.”

“Wrinkles?”

“Anyone can become beautiful! You can do it too! Wrinkle improvement new care, something, edition.”

Callian’s lips looked pretty and plump, making them perfect for lipstick advertisements. His face, like that of a dangerous adult man, was ideal for showcasing seductiveness.

His features had clear contrasts of light and shadow, and his gaze appeared lonely, as if it held a story. Well, no matter how complicated the story may be, it’s probably more severe than Cinderella’s.

Cinderella lost her parents at a young age and joined hands with the youngest princess of the royal family to secure her share of the inheritance from her stepmother and stepsisters-

“Anyway, I give up. Oh, right! Since I like younger men, unless I’m born again, I’ll give up.”

Wishing you a good surrender, I lazily shook my hand and lay down on the bed. When I opened my eyes, Adriana appeared.