IDIBC Chapter 22

I Won’t Get Engaged to You

Sabrina pulled away from me and looked straight into my eyes. When she smiled with her eyes curved upward, her slightly upturned eye corners and the distinct brown mole beneath her eye looked even more attractive.

“We might really be able to go back to our own home.”

At her words, I nodded vigorously as if to reassure myself.

“And I’ll definitely repay my debt to you.”

“What debt between family members?”

“If you only receive one-sidedly, even if you’re family, it’s still a debt. So stop adding to what I have to repay from now on. Don’t make any more sacrifices for us next time.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You obviously did it again this time. Even if I’m a fool, I’m not so stupid that I don’t know that much.”

I laughed like a sigh. As she said, I had made a sacrifice this time too. After all, I might become the prospective young mistress of the Dermeier Empire’s grand ducal family for the time being. But could this even be called a sacrifice?

After that, Sabrina and I sat together all day chatting. When the sun began to set, we also checked on our chickens’ nests. I couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of their coop, which was much more luxurious than the one in Resotia—I wondered when they had prepared it.

Our family gathered together in the first-floor dining room for dinner after a long time. It was a rare dinner with Mrs. Fennel also sitting with us. Since there were more servants than when we were in Resotia, there was no food that needed to be prepared directly.

It was a splendid table well-set with warm soup, fresh salad, freshly made bread, and quality meat.

When the atmosphere had warmed up, Jonathan asked cautiously.

“Sister, you’re going to sleep here tonight… right?”

“Hm?”

What was this? A question asked with such a pitiful expression, the kind you’d give to a sister who just got married?

“Well… of course. I’ll be living here from now on too.”

Probably.

Jonathan made a gesture of celebration, lightly clenching both fists. Everyone in the family laughed for a moment at how cute it was. The boy was on the boundary between boyhood and young manhood. It was something I realized anew, but Count Fennel really had good looks. Seeing how handsome Jonathan, who resembled him, was.

However, my assumption and our hope were mercilessly shattered not long after. A carriage that Ricardo had sent with his butler to fetch me arrived in front of the house.

****

The next day, the weather was clear, matching my mood.

After returning to my room yesterday, I requested a meeting with Ricardo to express my thanks. But I received a reply from him that his work wasn’t finished yet.

Since I had planned to meet my family at dinner time, I intended to spend the daytime taking a walk. Chatting about this and that with the dedicated maids I’d become quite close with over the past few days while touring the ducal estate was a very pleasant experience.

Even if I walked around for hours every day, it seemed it would be difficult to see all of this enormous mansion before I left.

“Does the annex where I’m staying have a name too?”

It was a curiosity I’d had since returning from Blue Hill yesterday. The Duchess had simply called the place where Ricardo stayed “the annex.”

At my question, the oldest of the three maids answered.

“The interior of the ducal estate is all divided into four themes.”

“Four?”

“Yes, spring, summer, autumn, winter. The four seasons.”

“Ah, so Blue Hill, where I went yesterday, is summer… is that it?”

The woman nodded at my question, which was almost like talking to myself, and continued speaking.

“All the buildings are named after flowers of each season. But there’s no place in Blue Hill that would be called an annex. That’s because Blue Hill itself has the character of a village.”

The maid who continued with kind explanations was named Samantha, and she said that her grandmother, mother, and herself had all worked as maids in this mansion for three generations.

There was pride on Samantha’s face as she talked about the ducal estate. The maids here had a slightly different atmosphere from maids in ordinary noble families.

“This place’s theme is spring.”

“Spring…”

As I said the word spring and looked around, my gaze was stolen by petals fluttering in the breeze.

The place where the ducal couple stayed was called Magnolia, and Ricardo’s residence was Hyacinth—all names of spring flowers.

Hyacinth, of all things. I’d heard that hyacinths have different meanings depending on their color… Whatever that flower meant, I thought it didn’t suit Ricardo at all.

I followed with my eyes a petal falling unusually slowly on the wind.

At the end of that gaze, I saw him.

Red roses that would be in full bloom in two weeks, spring flowers mingling in yellow and red, white marble sculptures surrounding Ricardo in the center—all of it together evoked the image of a single painting.

Behind the garden trees that must have been tended by an excellent gardener was a pavilion with a domed roof that vaguely brought to mind a temple. And in that shade, Ricardo was leaning back leisurely, reading a book.

In the distance, a fountain splashing water scattered water droplets filled with light here and there.

“Spring…”

There was no way my low whisper could reach him, yet Ricardo slowly raised his head. When our eyes met, thump-thump, the sound of my heart, no longer anything new, brought me back to reality at once.

The scenery that evoked fair admiration from everyone yet naturally made one feel intimidated was Ricardo himself.

I didn’t approach him for a moment and caught my breath. Somehow, even the simple act of stepping into the world where he existed filled me with fear.

‘So this is how different the places where you and I stand are.’

All the trivial things we had once shared together—I even thought it was fortunate that he had pushed them to the back of his memory.

When I didn’t approach and remained where I was, Ricardo put down the book he was holding on the table. Soon he crossed his arms, stretched his body long against the backrest, and tilted his head.

As if that was permission, I let out a breath. Then I put strength into both feet.

“I greet the Young Master.”

When I performed the imperial etiquette I’d learned in a crash course before meeting the Duchess, he slightly furrowed his brow.

“A rather different young lady has arrived than the one from the other night.”

Thanks to him slightly raising his eyebrow and emphasizing the word “night,” I cleared my throat with a “hmm.”

“I wanted to express my thanks, and now I get to see you like this.”

When Ricardo gestured with his chin toward the chair opposite where he sat, all the servants standing around me stepped back.

Taking my seat, I lightly brushed my dress to arrange it, straightened my posture, and showed him the most proper smile I could manage. In return came Ricardo’s somewhat indifferent and dry gaze.

“I sincerely thank you for saving my family.”

He picked up not a teacup but a glass of water and took a sip. As the water in the transparent glass flowed in, his Adam’s apple moved largely. His gaze as he slowly set down the glass was cool and calm.

“It’s not something deserving of thanks.”

Ricardo himself was quite a different man from the one who had lain on the bed the other night, gently asking to be put to sleep.

“May I ask what you mean by that?”

“You know too that as long as your family members remain merely as guests, they’re not safe from Schneider.”

Dry saliva went down my throat with a gulp. While it was true that he had shown some generous mercy, for whatever whim, to bring my family here, that didn’t mean he intended to get engaged to me.

“The principality must have been turned upside down. Since it was directly ordered by the Dermeier Emperor, the King of Resotia’s position would be difficult too.”

“…”

“If I hadn’t brought them then, they’d be dead by now. That family you hold dear.”

“Even so…” Ricardo continued speaking gently, and his gaze lingered on my lips for a moment. Under that sharp gaze, the corners of my lips that I’d barely managed to raise stiffened awkwardly.

“I won’t get engaged to you.”

“Ah…”

Without adding anything extra, he mentioned first what I was most curious about. At words that sounded somewhat like a death sentence, my eyes squeezed shut.

Even at the natural statement that he wouldn’t get engaged to me, since I was looking into Ricardo’s eyes, I naturally felt like I’d been rejected. But I lightly ignored the pain that rang through my chest to my back with a tingle.

“Then how long will my family’s safety be guaranteed?”

“Probably until Schneider finds out where your family is.”

“And after that…?”

“I’ll have to send them away. Unless I’m going to war with the Emperor.”

I caught my breath for a moment. Various emotions tangled in my heart.

First was relief that my family was alive thanks to Ricardo. Next, resentment rose toward myself for helping with his manifestation and making things come to this.

Despite my feelings, anger also surged toward the indifferent man’s face that made the whole world look hazy with his sparkling countenance.

But now was not the time to complain about the situation.

“How long will that period be?”

“I can’t be certain of that. They say Rochester is like a fortress, but there’s no such thing as an eternal secret.”

“So I’m asking how long you estimate the effective period of that non-eternal secret will be.”

Even though my words were tinged with anger as if I’d been insulted, he calmly gazed at me.

“Well…”

Ricardo slowly closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, then uncharacteristically added a long continuation.