♡ TL: Khadija SK
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In the end, Annette went with Theodore to a luxurious restaurant in the heart of the capital, Laider.
At first, Annette seemed hesitant to go with him, but she couldn’t afford to be seen arguing with Theodore in the middle of a crowded street.
She couldn’t ruin her own reputation again in this busy square after rumors had spread that Annette was on good terms with her husband.
Although Annette’s hand was tightly gripping the rose that Theodore had handed her—bleeding slightly from the thorn’s wound that the little girl hadn’t removed—she showed no sign of pain on her face while desperately suppressing her anger.
Looking at her, Theodore thought that what Annette truly wanted to break was not that poor rose, but his neck.
Theodore felt relieved to see that Annette was trying so hard to suppress her anger while exuding a sharp and deadly aura.
Yes, this was the Annette he knew.
The woman he had chosen had to be highly strategic because she would serve as a pawn on Theodore’s chessboard, helping him become emperor.
No matter what trials she faced, and no matter what obstacles he placed in her path, she had to do what he told her without resistance.
Like a well-trained dog, Annette should obey her master’s words and should not dare to express dissatisfaction with what he did.
After all, Annette was the one who would make him emperor, even if it cost her life. Therefore, it should have been impossible for her to rebel against him over something as trivial as a ring.
Annette’s emotional and impulsive behavior from the previous night had been nothing more than an unexpected anomaly.
However, the waiter, who recognized the Grand Duke and his wife, took a different stance from Theodore’s indifferent attitude.
He glanced at Annette’s plate, which she had barely touched.
Annette had not even finished half of the appetizers or the main turkey dish.
In fact, the infamous Annette was a regular customer at this restaurant—a wicked customer who always harassed the waiter. So, he had no choice but to feel terrified. On the days when Annette didn’t eat like this, a storm of curses always rained down upon him.
But Theodore knew she had not stopped eating as a form of protest, even though she was eating less than usual.
“Madam, did you not like the food? If you don’t prefer turkey, should I ask them to prepare some seafood instead?”
“No, the food here is excellent. Annette hasn’t finished her meal because she’s full, so don’t worry too much about her.”
The waiter had asked Annette, but Theodore answered on her behalf.
Unlike Annette, who was merely playing with her fork over the plate, Theodore ate every last bite of his meal, leaving his plate clean.
“…. Yes, Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
Annette looked at Theodore as the waiter left to bring dessert this time.
“If you have any complaints about the food, you should tell me. Why are you ruining the restaurant’s atmosphere?”
“You know I’m only being patient and stuffing food into my mouth because people are watching us.”
Annette’s gaze fell on a man sitting alone at the table next to them.
“Patient? The entire kitchen at the Flores estate was in an uproar because the new lady’s tastes were difficult to please.”
What Theodore said was true.
The biggest concern in the kitchen these days was the new lady’s lack of appetite.
Theodore knew this as well since he often dined with her. However, he had no intention of forcing her to eat by coddling or coaxing her.
He didn’t know what she was complaining about, but as long as she ate enough to survive, he was satisfied.
However, the situation at the restaurant was different.
This time, the chef clung to the wall, staring at Annette anxiously.
He was worried that rumors might spread that high-ranking guests had visited his restaurant and left hungry because they disliked the food.
So Annette had no choice but to shove the chocolate cake—something she had been trying to avoid—into her mouth.
“Huh?”
Annette wondered if there was something wrong with her sense of taste and lifted her fork again.
This time, she placed a bigger piece in her mouth.
The chef and waiter, relieved to see that she was eating the cake properly, sighed in relief and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“At last, it seems the lady has found a dish that suits her taste.”
Annette ate half the cake in one go, not even paying attention to Theodore’s sarcasm.
“It tastes just like the cakes sold at my favorite café. This is amazing. That café had a uniquely distinct flavor, and this cake tastes exactly the same.”
With a satisfied expression, Annette ate the cherry that had been on top of the cake with her fork.
“If you don’t like the menu at home, ask them to change it. Don’t make the kitchen staff suffer for no reason.”
“I know what I want to eat and I can say it easily, but…”
Annette lowered her eyebrows.
She didn’t like the food in Odentia.
When she had been in the villa, she had to eat to maintain her health, but after recovering to some extent, it became more like torture when they served her meals.
“Even if it’s made here, it won’t taste the same, so I don’t want to trouble the chef for no reason. I’ll enjoy all the meals I crave when I return to my world later.”
“You just said a moment ago that the cake tasted the same as in your world. So wouldn’t the rest of the dishes taste the same as well?”
“That… Is that true?”
Annette was so surprised, as if she had never thought of that before.
When she looked at Theodore with wide eyes—round like the cherry she had just swallowed—her pale green irises stood out.
“That’s right… It would be the same.”
Annette leaned back in her chair while finishing the rest of the cake.
This new discovery made her feel a little better, but at the same time, Theodore’s mood darkened.
“I’ve eaten everything. So now tell me why you came to pick me up.”
“There are illegal shops here, so security hasn’t been good lately. I came to take care of the precious Grand Duchess in case she was in danger.”
“I’m tired of hearing that, so stop lying. I don’t want to be deceived anymore. Why did you hide the Eagle Ring in your desk drawer?”
Annette shot at him sharply, as if demanding he stop the flattery and get straight to the point.
“Because I wanted to.”
Theodore shrugged indifferently.
“I thought you needed to know something important.”
“What?”
“You should know that I am someone who can test you at any time. That means you need to understand who owns whom, who holds the upper hand here, and that you must stay on the right path. So set aside your complaints and do as you’re told without objection.”
It was a direct warning.
Annette must not forget her position and had to remember that her weakness was in his hands.
His cruel words meant that she had to take care of him and serve him humbly without complaint.
“You must have found it difficult to obtain a high position like that of a Marchioness, so don’t disregard the imperial family anymore. Don’t mock my desire to become emperor again.”
“When did I mock you?”
“In the villa’s library. You said the imperial family was laughable, and you didn’t respect the position of the emperor in front of someone who wants to take the throne.”
“When did I…?”
Annette clenched her napkin as if squeezing her brain, searching through her memories.
“That day, I meant that the status system, like the emperor and the nobility, is an outdated and contradictory system to me.”
“That, to me, means you take the emperor’s position lightly and mock it.”
“But the idea of someone standing above people and ruling over them is truly arrogant.”
“There you go again, ridiculing the determination on which I’ve built my entire life.”
Annette stared at Theodore and decided not to engage in a war of words with him.
“Fine. Now that I understand the situation correctly, let’s stop here and make peace.”
“Is that the attitude of someone seeking reconciliation?”
“Reconciliation isn’t always peaceful.”
Annette huffed in frustration.
It seemed as if Theodore was waiting for her to say something more.
Then, as Annette pondered something, Theodore looked directly at her and opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you going to apologize to me? I want you to apologize for mocking me, but is that all you have to say?”
“…You will never hear an apology from my lips. Instead, you should be praising me.”
This was by no means an apology from Annette.
Instead, she was demanding that Theodore should correct his approach and treat her better.
After Annette appeared, daily life in the palace had changed.
The servants of Flores Palace now prioritized Annette, not him.
Even in the kitchen, they were already making war-like preparations to win over Annette’s difficult taste.
And Hans?
He had already become a ring wrapped around the Grand Duchess’s finger.
Annette was also the first person to win the affection of his loyal dog, Silver, at the villa.
He could see the dog, who never barked when Theodore left, howling sadly whenever Annette departed.
Truly, everything had started revolving around Annette.
But that shouldn’t be the case.
He himself must not change, either.
He must not lose his mind over this one woman.
Everything had to proceed according to plan.
They simply needed to imitate a loving couple and separate after achieving their respective goals.
Therefore, he had to remind Annette of her place before him and not waver in front of her.
It was enough to stay loyal to the role assigned to them and act accordingly.
Thus, Theodore decided to play the role of a devoted husband even better.
He decided to participate in the act, even if it meant enduring the humiliation of people laughing at him in the middle of the street while holding a flower in his hand.
Theodore was still staring at Annette’s face when she took a deep breath and steadied her shaken expression.
Then she opened her mouth and said something strange…
“Your actions weren’t arrogant; they were rude.”
“What?”
“Have you ever heard of being unlucky? Without me, there’s no way for an unlucky person like you to ever become emperor.”
“I’ve never heard that. Not once.”
“I don’t think so. You must have heard it plenty of times without realizing it yourself. Well, if you haven’t heard it before, I’ll keep telling you in the future until you understand that you need me to become someone worthy of a respectable position.”
“Was what you just said about the royal family and your husband respectable?”
“Has Your Highness treated me with respect so far for me to return the favor? I am also a member of the royal family, an aristocratic woman, and above all, your wife.”
Both of them picked up their glasses of water and drank in one go.
Annette broke the flower stem again.
After receiving the flower in the street, there was something she had wanted to ask Theodore, but in her anger, she had forgotten it completely.
Annette had no desire to hear more childish thoughts about her ignoring Theodore or mocking the position of emperor.
Besides, the person sitting at the next table was also glancing at them suspiciously.
Annette thought she should change the subject to the question she originally wanted to ask Theodore.
This was the only way the two of them wouldn’t appear to be fighting.
Apparently, neither of them wanted to continue this pointless argument in public.
“What happened to the person I told you to find? Did you hire him?”
“I found his place of residence, so I sent someone to Dilberg, but he rejected my offer as sharply as a knife.”
“I want to meet him in person. He’s not the type to agree through ordinary persuasion.”
“Are you saying you’ll use a different method than persuasion?”
“Let’s just say I’ll use a quick and more effective method.”
“I doubt that.”
Contrary to Theodore, Annette was certain of her method’s success.
That’s why her insides began boiling again—his mocking gaze was disgusting.
Just in time, the manager refilled their glasses with fresh water.
At that moment, something new came to Annette’s mind when she saw the waiter hurriedly walking away from the scene.
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