‘Could it really be Sunset Wine?’

She took another sip, then another.

Before she knew it, she had finished the entire half-filled cup.

There was no doubt—it was Sunset Wine.

“Madam, it seems you’re quite fond of this drink. You have an excellent palate.”

Dustin remarked, noticing Cecilia’s empty cup.

“Shall I pour you another?”

Dustin lifted the bottle and began to tilt it, but Russell stopped him.

Russell looked at Cecilia and said, “The wine is far stronger than it tastes. I suggest you don’t drink any more.”

Cecilia nodded.

She knew better than anyone how potent Sunset Wine could be.

‘My stomach feels warm.’

She could already feel the heat and slight intoxication creeping up on her.

At twenty-one years old, this was Cecilia’s first time drinking alcohol.

The laws in the Jericho Grand Duchy were strict, and underage drinking was prohibited.

‘I need to sober up.’

Cecilia would later learn that when she was completely drunk, she had a tendency to cry and make a scene.

There was no way she could afford to show such an unseemly side of herself here.

She abruptly stood up and left the dining hall in a hurry.

Russell quickly followed her.

After the lord and the lady had fully exited, the people left behind exchanged amused glances.

Everyone had been sneaking peeks at the pair, pretending not to notice them.

The way they sat close together and whispered to each other practically radiated sweetness.

“It feels like spring,” someone remarked.

“What nonsense. It hasn’t even snowed yet.”

“You fool. Don’t you know a metaphor when you hear one?”

“Alright, everyone, listen up! Nobody leaves this hall tonight. Let’s give Milord and Milady their private time.”

“Looks like we’ll be spending the whole night here then?”

The dining hall burst into boisterous laughter.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

“Cecilia.”

Cecilia, who had been hurrying ahead, came to a stop.

Russell approached her cautiously, wondering if he had done something wrong or if she had found the atmosphere in the communal dining hall unpleasant.

As he stepped beside her, Cecilia turned to face him.

Her pale cheeks were flushed, unmistakably tinged by the effects of the alcohol.

Russell suddenly felt an itch spread across his body—though he couldn’t pinpoint where.

“Looks like the wine was too strong for you after all. Do you feel queasy? Should I get you some cold water?”

Russell thought he needed the cold water more than she did.

He clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the sudden urge to touch her.

Cecilia shook her head.

“My stomach’s fine. I just want to go back to my room.”

“You didn’t drink much. A short walk might help. What do you think about taking the long way back?”

“Okay.”

Though he made it sound like it was for her benefit, Russell truthfully just wanted to spend more time with her.

He guided her along a path to her room that was more roundabout than necessary.

“How was dinner tonight?” he asked.

“It was… fine. Not bad.”

‘She’s hard to please,’ Russell thought.

It seemed difficult to satisfy her.

But instead of feeling frustrated, he felt a sense of contentment from getting to know her a little better.

“So, if you usually eat in that hall, when do you use the dining hall?”

“Which dining hall?”

“There are others, aren’t there?”

“…Oh, that one.”

The hesitation in his response gave Cecilia an odd feeling.

“You know which one I mean, don’t you?”

“The dining hall you’re referring to, yes.”

“Describe it to me.”

“……”

“You don’t know, do you? That wasn’t the original dining hall. It must have been hastily arranged after I arrived. You didn’t even know it existed.”

As Russell turned his gaze away, Cecilia let out a small laugh.

“You’re peculiar.”

“In what way?”

“Why doesn’t the Lord have his own private dining hall? Why do you eat in a place like that with your subordinates? Why don’t people fear you? Why does everyone… like you?”

Russell was about to answer when Cecilia sighed deeply and spoke again.

“I’m envious.”

It was her honest feeling of the moment.

“I envy you. You and I are both without parents or siblings, yet everything feels so different. Everyone likes you, while the only people around me either hate me or want to use me.”

Perhaps it was the wine, but Cecilia said something she would normally never admit.

‘You probably don’t understand what it feels like to be truly alone in this world.’