Chapter 92
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Chapter 92
"Your Highness."
"I was trying to talk to you earlier, but you rushed off somewhere."
"Ah...."
"Surely you weren't avoiding me? We formed a connection at the Hunting Festival, after all. If that were the case, I'd be quite hurt."
"I would never dare do such a thing. I simply left in haste, excited at the prospect of meeting with a dear friend."
I quickly changed the subject before Allen could press further about what had just happened.
"But tell me, what were you hoping to discuss? I'd love to hear it, if there's still time."
"Ah, that."
No matter how reckless he might be, surely he wouldn't humiliate me in front of all these people the way he did at the Hunting Festival?
That was the intention behind my words....
"I'd like you to marry me."
"...Pardon?"
"Because I fell for you at first sight."
Allen gave me far more than I had anticipated.
A public proposal—what a cruel blow!
* * *
"Lindsey, can you try using a man's voice?"
"A man's voice? Me?"
Lindsey, momentarily flustered, cleared her throat with a cough before lowering her voice as I instructed.
"Ahem, might I have the honor of dancing with the Lady?"
"...."
Though it sounded less like a man's voice and more like an awkward old man's.
Dressing Lindsey up as a man was clearly a failure.
"...No, it's fine. Thank you."
I said it was fine, but my reflection in the vanity mirror looked hollow.
The reason being....
'How am I supposed to find a non-existent lover overnight?!'
It was because of the public proposal Allen had given me at the Imperial Palace ball days ago.
[I am honored by Your Highness's favor, but as the Duke mentioned before, I have a fiancé with whom I've promised a future.]
I had invoked the excuse the Duke had mentioned previously.
Of course, there was also some intention to remind him of the Duke's warning that day.
But.
[Yes, I certainly heard that.... But isn't it strange? If she truly had a fiancé, wouldn't he want to share her debutante's first dance? Yet he's nowhere to be found in the ballroom.]
[....]
[That would mean the young lady's fiancé is either such a worthless man that he'd abandon his beloved's debutante, or of such lowly status that he wasn't even invited to the ball?]
[...That is.]
[Or perhaps.]
Allen continued, his eyes turning cold as he regarded me.
[You've deceived me from the start with a fiancé who doesn't even exist.]
As if he saw right through my lie.
[I'm terribly sorry to refuse, but there's nothing to be done about it. However.]
[....]
[I do hope to see the young lady's lover at the Imperial Art Gallery's opening ceremony, which will be held soon.]
I'm quite curious to see just how remarkable the man is who rejected me.
Allen's smile as he added this was less like that of a man who'd just been rejected, and more like a villain who'd discovered an intriguing new toy.
'I told Curtis and my Aunt not to worry, that I'd handle it myself....'
The two of them looked ready to grab the Crown Prince by the collar at any moment, so I'd stopped them for now, but even after days of deliberation, I couldn't come up with any solid plan.
'But why did Allen propose to me in the first place?'
We'd only met twice so far, and judging by his attitude, he didn't seem to have any particular affection for me.
'Is he after my background now that I'm Curtis's daughter?'
It would make sense—I was the daughter of a war hero and the sole heir to the Lowswide Marquess Residence.
'But in the original story, Allen didn't seem particularly interested in that kind of background.'
As the Empire's sole Crown Prince, he lacked nothing in terms of power, and in fact, he'd proposed a contract marriage to the commoner Vivian precisely because he was wary of his wife's family interfering.
'What on earth is he plotting?'
While I was lost in these thoughts, Lindsey finished arranging my hair.
"Then have a good night, Miss."
"You too, Lindsey. Sweet dreams."
After seeing Lindsey out, I lay alone in bed thinking, and finally recalled my 'last resort'.
'I suppose I have no choice but to try that method....'
The moment Allen made his public proposal, it was the first thing I—a former romance novel reader from my past life—thought of.
And that was....
'The law of romance novels is to enter a contract marriage to avoid an unwanted one.'
But there were several reasons why I hadn't immediately acted on this idea.
'An unknown mercenary wouldn't be a match for Allen even if I brought one.'
He didn't treat commoners as human, so he'd likely ignore them and proceed with the proposal anyway.
But if I tried to find a contract marriage partner among the nobility....
'The Crown Prince made such a loud, public proposal—which noble house would agree to pretend to be my fiancé?'
Pretending to be my fiancé would be tantamount to openly turning their back on the Imperial Family.
Even houses that weren't particularly friendly with the Imperial Family wouldn't want to publicly oppose them.
And the Lowswide knights would likely dismiss it as collusion.
In short, the method existed, but its feasibility was low.
'There's exactly one person who might be suitable....'
It was at that moment, when I unconsciously recalled that 'suitable candidate's' face.
The magical artifact placed on the bedside table began to shimmer and glow.
'Rachel!'
I usually contacted Rachel every night, but I'd skipped it last night because I was attending the banquet.
I quickly opened the notebook.
Vivian. I heard the Crown Prince proposed to you. What are you planning to do?
He must have heard it from the Duke.
My head is already pounding from all this worrying. Ugh... Where am I supposed to find a man?
...Find a man?
If I pretend some decent-looking man is my fiancé, wouldn't the Crown Prince give up? Of course, it's just an act, and we'd break up after I get rid of the Crown Prince.
I told Rachel about the "contract marriage" plan. Including the reasons why I couldn't execute it.
After hearing my explanation, Rachel asked me something.
What about that guy?
Who?
Lahedis. You two seem to get along quite well. It would be better to choose someone you actually like, wouldn't it?
At the mention of the name Rachel brought up, I flinched.
He was precisely the suitable candidate who met all the conditions I'd been considering just moments ago.
'So Rachel also noticed that we seem to get along quite well?'
Though Rachel had made a request of me, judging by how he's been treating me so far, it seems he does have some affection for me.
Even if that's just my misunderstanding, this contract marriage could be an opportunity to grow closer to him.
But even though it was merely a suggestion, I felt embarrassed and hesitated to bring it up.
'At this rate... should I just confess outright?!'
Just as that rather impulsive thought suddenly crossed my mind, I swallowed hard.
As if reading my heart, Rachel asked me something.
Do you really have no feelings for that guy at all?
I had never told Rachel about my feelings toward Lahedis.
Because whenever I brought up another friend, Rachel would subtly grow jealous.
He especially disliked it when I mentioned boys, though he wasn't particularly fond of girls either.
Finding Rachel's jealousy endearing, and frustrated by our inability to meet, I would sometimes deliberately mention other friends as if pouting.
'He's recommending Lahedis now, but what if he gets jealous when I say I actually like Lahedis?'
The other friends are people Rachel will never see again, but Lahedis is someone he'll continue to encounter.
That would put Lahedis in an awkward position, wouldn't it?
'Of course, if things work out between Lahedis and me... then there's nothing I can do about it.'
But right now, this is just my own wishful thinking.
For the sake of the two of them, I wrote the answer Rachel wanted to hear.
'Hmm. If I answer like this, Rachel and Lahedis should be able to get along well for a while, right?'
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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