OVERLORD- CH-77. Women, Women, and Wine

It would be too extravagant to add magic to the wine glass just for this purpose.

"So, magic is really convenient. It can be used for anything," Aya said with a smile.

"Indeed, magical tools and the like are really useful," Operan agreed.

Magical tools are indeed extremely convenient, but their production and selling prices are quite high, making them essentially "luxury goods" in this world.

Not to mention ordinary people—even for great nobles—such extravagant usage as Aya's was very rare.

After exchanging pleasantries, Aya smiled at the other person and took a sip of the red wine in her glass.

"In that case, I won't be polite anymore." After being stunned for a few seconds by Aya's smile, Operan also raised her glass and took a mouthful of wine.

She was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but smile happily because the wine was so delicious, as if to say: What on earth was the wine I drank before?

As a duke, although she was not someone who indulged excessively in luxury, her standard of living was quite high. Even so, she showed a rather surprised expression.

Is this really wine? The mellow flavor and the sweetness of the grapes were perfectly balanced. The taste was excellent—refreshing and smooth—with a strong aftertaste.

Because it tasted so good, she subconsciously drank a few more sips, and before she knew it, half the glass was gone.

"Operan? Operan?" Aya called her name.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." Due to the exquisite taste of the wine, she had unconsciously drifted into her own world.

"Excuse me, is there any magic added to this wine?"

"No, the wine itself is just fine as it is," Aya replied. "What's wrong? Your face is a little red—be careful not to get drunk."

"Oh, is that so?" Operan reached out and touched her face before waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Levi, I can hold my liquor quite well."

"Hehehe~" Operan hugged Aya's shoulders like a little girl, grinning foolishly and rubbing her face against her.

Operan's alcohol tolerance was indeed good, but the wine she usually drank had low alcohol content due to the limitations of brewing technology. The red wine provided by Aya was not only much stronger but also had a particularly potent aftertaste.

Thinking she wouldn't get drunk, she drank too much. After two more glasses, this was the result.

"Duchess, you are drunk," Aya said gently, patting the woman's back.

"I... I'm drunk? I've only had three glasses. How can I be drunk?"

"You drank five glasses." Aya held up five fingers.

"One, two, three, three..."

"You can't even count properly anymore, really." Aya scolded playfully, hugging her and tapping Operan's forehead lightly.

"Hmm." Operan's face was flushed, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, making her look incredibly pitiful. Compared to her usual charming or majestic demeanor, she now exuded an entirely different kind of beauty.

Though she was a noble duke, at this moment, she appeared so vulnerable—like an abandoned child.

Seeing this, Aya's maternal instinct was unexpectedly awakened. As the Mother Goddess of Life, this emotion dominated her thoughts.

"Your Excellency the Duchess-"

"I don't want to be a Duchess..." Operan whispered, "Call me by my name, okay?"

"Operan." Aya smiled warmly as she gently called the other woman's name.

"So warm."

"You are drunk. Go to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep. I want... I want..." Her voice was unclear, muttering softly.

Aya could have easily removed Operan's drunkenness using [Abnormal Status Elimination] or [Purification], but she didn't want to.

Operan was acting like a child, and for some reason, Aya—whose maternal instinct was running wild—found herself enjoying it.

"Mom." In Operan's unfocused eyes, the image of the young woman before her blurred, gradually transforming into that of a beautiful lady from her past.

"Yeah," Aya responded happily.

"I like you."

"Really?" Aya asked, "Mom is very happy."

"Why didn't my mother want me anymore? Why did she send me to someone else? I don't want to get married... I don't want to leave..."

"Mom is here. She hasn't left you."

At this moment, it was impossible to tell who was truly drunk. In the locked room, the two of them simply held each other tightly, each immersed in their own emotions.

"Is wine really that good?" Aya muttered to herself as she watched Operan in her arms close her eyes, her breathing gradually stabilizing.

In her previous life, Aya hadn't lived long enough to reach the legal drinking age, and due to her physical condition, her brother had never allowed her to drink.

She had drunk two glasses just now, but the wine didn't seem all that special to her, nor did she feel drunk.

That was likely because drunkenness was considered an abnormal state, and she possessed the passive skill [Abnormal State Immunity V].

She ind of want to experience what being drunk feels like. Operan got drunk after three glasses, and she've only had two, so she shouldn't get too drunk.

Aya thought this as she deactivated her immunity skill.

Then, everything went dark.

"From today on, we are husband and wife. I hope we can have a child soon and fulfill our duty as heirs. Is that acceptable, Guinevere?"

That was what her husband had said to her on their wedding night—a standard, cold aristocratic declaration that completely shattered sixteen-year-old Operan's remaining fantasies about love.

"Yes, that is acceptable." Her role was to bear a child and maintain the decorum of a noblewoman, ensuring her husband's prestige.

In return, he would provide her with material wealth and social status. A mutually beneficial arrangement. They would respect each other, nothing more.

"Also, from today on, my last name is no longer Guinevere."

And so, their first night as husband and wife passed. The young heir of the Colthwaite family was not particularly strong, but he was healthy and had a decent enough nightlife. Soon, Operan completed her duty and conceived an heir.

Her husband was not the eldest son, but he was an excellent magician. If all went well, he would inherit a viscountcy—neither too high nor too low in rank—and a moderate fiefdom. She would live a peaceful life as a viscountess, bringing no shame to her family.

That was the script written for her by her mother, who had married her into the Colthwaite family.

However, plans never keep up with change.

First, her eldest brother was poisoned and assassinated during the battle for the throne. Then, her second brother succumbed to a severe illness. In just three years, she went from the wife of a viscount's heir to the wife of the duke's successor.

____________

Thank you all for supporting me.