Andres Francia stared at his wife who drank the wine as if it was water.
Didn't she say that her tolerance was just average?
She will soon get drunk if this continues.
It had only been a few minutes but she already drank double of what he drank. Not to mention that she didn't say anything. Just drinking.
"You said your tolerance is just average," he pointed out, receiving her attention for the first time since they started drinking. "You already drink too much."
"It's fine," Ophelia muttered with a small yet unconvincing smile. "I'm at home anyway."
She took the cup of wine and drank it again while his gaze was still fixated on her.
"Ophel, is it because your family return to Aederin today?" he finally asked, making her halt her movement for a while. However, she soon resumed and consumed another cup.
"You may not know this but ever since I was young, I never go anywhere unless my father or brother accompanied me. My last journey to Vialand was the only exception," Ophelia muttered. "That's how I spent my life. No matter what my age is, in their eyes, I'm still a baby who needs to be protected."
She drank another cup, making the Crown Prince worried even more. "Putting aside myself, I know that my family will have a hard time without me. That makes me worried."
"Then what about you?" he promptly asked.
Ophelia flashed a little smile before she said, "I will be okay, at least compared to them." She paused and continued, "This is my decision. I choose this path."
She already seemed to be drunk but she kept on drinking and Andres couldn't do anything.
"But you will have me," he spoke and she quickly looked at him. "I can be your family and everything. You know I often have many works and you will even feel lonely at times but... I won't neglect you. Just like you, this is the path I choose."
His words drew a little smile from her lips but she still continued drinking.
"You already drink too much," Andres pointed out once again. "It's not even good for your health."
She was stubborn as ever and he slowly realized that everything her brother told him was true.
"It will just be tonight," Ophelia murmured. "So, just let me drink for tonight."
She's already drunk. Her tone made it clear but Andres still nodded. "Fine then."
Ophelia's lips curved into a small smile once again and she poured another cup for herself, but...
"Why do you like me?"
Her husband's question rendered her still for a while and she drank the cup of wine which she poured.
"I'm the Princess of Aederin and this alone gave me many suitors," she started. "I know that those suitors are tempted by my father's power and influence. Besides, they are quite well-off themselves and they can give me almost everything. Everything but love."
Andres didn't understand at all. Their marriage happened in the form of an alliance marriage.
Love wasn't a given.
"I saw you at Vialand," Ophelia continued when she noticed the confusion on his face. "You're not alone at that time."
Thinking of her last sentence, Andres slowly understood where this conversation was going.
"I saw you with Crown Princess Maria," Ophelia confirmed his thoughts.
"Ophelia -"
"Let me finish first," Ophelia insisted and Andres shut his mouth though it wasn't easy.
"For the first time in my life, I felt jealous." She met Andres's gaze and explained, "Don't get me wrong. It's not about you. What I'm trying to say is that... I'm jealous of her because she gets to experience the kind of true love which I search for all my life. Though she didn't get to fulfil it, I'm still jealous of her for finding that kind of love and for having someone who loves her wholeheartedly.
"I became curious and that's why I even watched you part with her the day you left Vialand." She paused and observed the expression on Andres's face. Then she continued, "Throughout my way back to Aederin, I wonder how it would feel to receive that love and eventually made up my mind to give a go for it. That's why I begged my father to let me marry you."
Ophelia slightly smiled when she said, "You might not understand me, Your Highness. But this is me. I'm this kind of person. I don't expect you to understand me because that's what even my family couldn't. But as I promised, I will make sure that one day, I receive the love which I once envied."
She was right. He didn't understand her at all.
She married him while knowing about Crown Princess Maria?!
What kind of woman would do that?
While he sat still without saying anything, she already continued drinking once again.
He wondered how she always said that she would tell him her reason for marrying him later. And now, she spilled out everything while being drunk.
Once she became sober tomorrow, won't she regret it?
A few more minutes passed and Andres noticed that she won't last long anymore. So, he rose from his seat and sat beside her. "Come. Let's get you to sleep now," he said to her in a calm voice.
Before Ophelia could say anything, Andres took away the cup from her hand and helped her up. Then he led her to their bed and tucked her in.
"You know... "
He leaned down a bit towards her when he heard her mumbling.
"I wasn't hurt before but... I think I like you too much now. My heart always hurts when I imagine you thinking about her."
Andres Francia didn't know what to do. This was so unexpected for him.
Slowly, he stood straight and looked down at her.
After creating a mess in his heart and mind, she was sleeping peacefully.
When he decided to marry her, he wanted to make the marriage work and even now, he thinks the same but...
It turned out that he already hurt her without even knowing about it.
What would he do?
Marriage was much harder than he assumed.....
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