IDIBC Chapter 42

Late Spring, or Early Summer Afternoon

Despite my feeling burdened by the matter and insisting it wasn’t necessary, the Duchess refused to accept my refusal.

Of course, now I couldn’t imagine my daily life without Countess Corhena. Since she became my lady-in-waiting, the engagement preparations progressed at an unbelievably swift pace.

I would probably die without ever understanding those countless formalities.

That wasn’t all.

She was truly unparalleled in all matters of high society.

From proper bearing to etiquette, there were so many things I needed to learn from her, from beginning to end.

“That’s fortunate. By the way, I’m also worried whether today’s imperial visit will be burdensome for you.”

Of course, meeting the Emperor who had tried to kill me—and might try to kill me again in the future—was naturally burdensome. But if Ricardo stayed by my side, I felt I could manage somehow.

“You’ll stay by my side, won’t you?”

“……Yes.”

“Then I’ll be fine.”

He was silent for a moment. A gentle light lingered at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were as cold and impassive as when we first met.

Only then did I realize what Ricardo’s current behavior toward me meant. He was treating me thoroughly as his fiancée.

Like a very polite and skilled adult.

It didn’t take long to realize that this was the line he had firmly drawn.

I could also easily understand that this signal was his answer to the words he had whispered softly.

It was an extremely rational and wise decision, a refined response. Perhaps he regretted and felt sorry for his actions. So I should respect his decision.

Even resentment required qualification.

With this mindset, I no longer felt angry at him. And once I make a decision, I don’t hesitate.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Grace.”

I too responded properly and cast my gaze out the window. There were no more conversations or feelings to share between us, looking into each other’s eyes.

Ricardo was doing his best in his position. Despite having no reason to do so at all.

My mind settled calmly, as if the confused time before had been a lie. So now what I needed to do was play the role of a fiancée befitting the Rochester name. Even if it was just for six months.

“Is there anything I should know before going to the imperial palace?”

I asked, still looking away from him. He seemed to think for a moment but soon shook his head.

“Not particularly, nothing like that.”

Then what I needed to prepare before going to the palace would be spiritedness and courage. I took a long breath and exhaled it all at once. Then I called him more cheerfully than usual.

“Your Grace.”

He responded to my call with a smile.

“I’ll try not to disappoint you.”

“What?”

“This engagement. Of course, it’s not an engagement you wanted, but I’ll still try to minimize any damage.”

Ricardo just stared at me silently without saying anything. The smile he had drawn on his lips until just now disappeared, though it wasn’t an unpleasant expression.

“I also want to repay you someday for saving me and my family.”

“To work off your life debt?”

“Pardon?”

I briefly bit my lower lip as I recalled that night when I had made what amounted to a threat, demanding he save my family.

“Well, that was because the situation was urgent.”

“As you said, I’m currently working off that life debt, so you have no debt to repay me.”

“…….”

“But I am curious. How were you planning to repay that debt? Perhaps……”

He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head slightly.

“I-I was going to think about that gradually.”

Feeling that I had to stop his mouth somehow, I hurriedly added more words.

“And don’t worry about any of the engagement ceremony preparations either.”

Ricardo smiled broadly and crossed his legs leisurely.

“Is that so?”

“It’s not even a real engagement done properly anyway, just a play with a slightly long duration. Your Grace only needs to take time on the day of the engagement ceremony to stand by my side for a moment.”

He crossed his arms and stretched his body slightly. The traces of a youthful boy had completely disappeared, replaced by a cynical expression and sharper features.

When I chattered on in front of him like this, I often felt that everything I said sounded like nonsense. Each time, to avoid being intimidated, I naturally straightened my back.

“Not a real engagement done properly?”

Moreover, at times like now when his firm, broad shoulders moved slowly, the intimidating presence of his tall body made me feel constantly scolded. Each time, I reflexively straightened my posture.

“Yes, so I’ll stay quietly like air, and when the time comes, I’ll disappear as if swept away by the wind.”

The Duchess said she had already thought of a place for us to flee and stay when this engagement ended.

She said it was one of the countries in the peninsula located in the southern part of the Dermeier Empire, a land separated by a vast strait that could only be reached by ship, a country far, far from the Dermeier Empire.

She said we could live there for a few years, and after enough time had passed, we could return to Resotia.

The distance on the map the Duchess spread out was merely a span, but she said it would take more than two weeks by ship.

“Like air…… you’ll disappear.”

Ricardo, repeating my words, erased the light smile that had lingered on his lips. His atmosphere changed in an instant.

“Your hands are so small. Probably……”

Trailing off, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, drawing close to me.

The view in my eyes slowly descended. Past the tip of his nose to his lips, past his neck to his bare white shoulders……. Somehow I couldn’t even breathe properly under his gaze.

“The feet inside those dainty shoes must be small too?”

“…….”

“Yet with those small hands, you so easily crumple my decisions.”

With those words, Ricardo buried himself deep in his chair and turned his gaze to the window. Clearly conveying that he had no intention of continuing this conversation with me.

Normally, I would have persistently questioned what decision I had crumpled. But I only moved my lips slightly before giving up.

Following him, I looked outside to see the leaves, more lush than a few days ago, swaying in the spring breeze. The glossy leaves, full of sunlight, swaying gently, quietly captured my attention.

****

“We’re almost there now, right?”

From when the carriage passed through the forest path and entered the plaza again, my heart began to pound once more. Ricardo nodded affirmatively.

“You said we could see the heirs of the other ducal houses today when we go there, right?”

I carefully asked what I’d been curious about for a while.

“That…… why?”

“I’m a bit nervous. Actually, I didn’t get to see them properly back then. They’re quite famous even in the Principality of Resotia. I need to pretend I’m seeing them for the first time.”

No answer came from him, but I continued speaking.

“This is just simple curiosity.”

The three great ducal houses of the Dermeier Empire all held immense power, but among them, Rochester was decidedly superior to the other two.

This was something I could fully understand from my previous experience. While everyone showed the same courtesy in their manners, if this were the wild, Ricardo’s rank would clearly be the highest, or so it felt.

Of course, I vaguely knew the reason.

The reason the Rochester ducal house could have absolute power over the other two ducal houses was related to the scope of their ability’s influence.

Rochester’s ability affected everyone, but the other ducal houses’ abilities didn’t work on Rochester. This meant Julian couldn’t erase Ricardo’s memories, and Walter couldn’t move through space while Ricardo was in control.

But even so.

“Chaplin dominates space, and Paquin dominates people’s memories.”

“Yes.”

“But Rochester only has eyes that discern truth? No other abilities besides that? Like, say, flying through the sky, or moving objects freely without touching them?”

“Well……”

He looked at me with truly puzzled eyes and asked.

“Why would such trivial tricks be necessary?”

“Ah…….”

I see, you’re just strong.

To Ricardo, the abilities of the other two ducal houses were nothing more than trivial tricks.

I chose to just stay quietly silent. After all, ordinary people’s narrow vision couldn’t keep up with the lofty worldview of great people.

I hoped we’d encounter an unexpected accident on the way and never reach the imperial palace, but the carriage carrying us ran smoothly. The scenery passing by the window was dreamlike and beautiful—a late spring, or early summer afternoon.

Today’s outfit that the Duchess gifted me along with matching jewels was an overall bluish dress. When she sent me the dress, she included a short letter as well, which stated that the color of the outfit I was wearing now would become my signature color for the year.

It also added that no other noblewoman would dare wear a bluish dress during this social season.