A Fake Marriage? Sure! …Wait, Is It Actually Fake? Something’s Not Right Here! - Chapter 3

“I suppose I might have been impatient.”

Even as I said it, the sting was less sharp than when Sena had mocked me earlier. After all, he’d witnessed me in an utterly embarrassing situation. No amount of covering up would change that.

“Still even if I were impatient, my younger brother won’t come of age and inherit everything until he’s eighteen. Until then, I have my role as his guardian. I can’t actually get married, you see.”

Lidoria gave a wry smile and sipped her tea. The tea leaves must have been good—the aroma and flavor were both robust and to her liking.

“How old is your brother now?”

“Fifteen. So, for the next three years, I must diligently protect our house while serving Her Highness the Crown Princess. Marriage is just a dream for me.”

She shrugged, and he gave a monotone “I see” in response.

“Hey. This is a proposal.”

“What is it? Oh, the muffins here are supposed to be delicious, by the way. Would you like one?”

Come to think of it, he was her benefactor. It would be better to offer him more than just tea before he left. Lidoria raised her hand to call a waiter, but he firmly refused with a “No need.”

“I’m being pressured to marry too.”

He’d refused, but should she recommend it again? Lidoria was mentally simulating how many times this exchange could repeat before it became awkward when she blinked and stared at Alex.

Even by strict standards, he’d be considered handsome. Though he was a soldier, his body wasn’t obnoxiously muscular. It was whip-like and supple, radiating strength.

As the Crown Prince’s confidant, his promotion was practically guaranteed, and Sena had used the honorific “Lord” for him. That meant he was high-ranking nobility.

“Um, Lord… how old are you?”

“I turned twenty-five last month.”

His blunt reply made her blink in surprise. It was strange that such a prime candidate wasn’t just unmarried, but didn’t even have a fiancée.

“Ah! Are you not interested in women?”

Lidoria clapped her hands together. She’d heard that rarely, some people weren’t attracted to the opposite sex. Was that the case for him too?

“In that case, why not petition His Highness the Crown Prince and enter into an adoptive marriage with whomever you prefer?”

She made the suggestion, but received a cold glare in return.

“My sexual desires are directed at women.”

“Is that so?”

Before Lidoria could ask “Then why?”, Alex reached for his cup again.

“It’s just a huge pain.”

“A… pain, you say?”

Tilting her head, Lidoria watched as he downed his tea in one gulp as if it were alcohol.

“I may be a marquis’s son, but—”

“A m-marquis?!” Lidoria trembled in awe. This was no time to be offering common muffins. But Alex didn’t seem to care.

“My father is still alive and well. Eventually, my elder brother will inherit the marquisate. So, both my father and mother want to marry me off to some high-ranking noble family. They’ve been bringing me matchmaking proposals since I was a teenager.”

“Well… that’s common among nobles, isn’t it?”

One hears of royal engagements between three-year-old. Unless there’s some significant reason, noble children usually have prospective partners lined up by their teens.

“But each one is such a pain.”

Alex spat out the words with a face like he’d chewed thousands of bitter bugs. He carelessly placed the empty cup back on its saucer and leaned his upper body against the chair back.

“First you have to send letters to gauge their mood, then secure an appointment to go out, take them somewhere they might enjoy, make conversation, even reserve slightly fancy restaurants and whatnot.”

As he spoke, he eventually let out a disgusted “Hah!”

“Extremely fucking tedious.”

“…If you find it so tedious, why not just not do it?”

Lidoria was puzzled. Alex was the son of a high-ranking noble. Couldn’t he just write perfunctory letters, meet somewhere casually, and get married in a similarly casual manner?

With his looks, any young woman would be swayed.

“I can’t very well say ‘Just let me impregnate you,’ now can I?”

He glared at her sharply, making her flinch.

“Well, of course not! What?! You didn’t actually say that, did you?!”

“I do have common sense. Of course, I wouldn’t say it.”

His chilly reply made her sigh with relief.

“But noble marriages ultimately come down to procreation. So why can’t we just stick to that?”

“Well now… Even wild birds don’t go that direct. They perform courtship dances first, don’t they?”

“That courtship dance is what I’m sick of.”

He said it with such heartfelt passion. The first time she’d heard him speak that way, that she actually started feeling sorry for him. Perhaps he had tried hard in his own way.

“Then… um, why not just plan a safe, standard date course and invite them?”

“Don’t you know how terrifying women can be? Try that and see what rumors they’ll spread in social circles.”

He said it with a furrowed brow.

“Well… I can imagine.”

“Women expect men to pamper them, and the degree of pampering varies from person to person.”

“I suppose so.”

“And they cry easily.”

“Did you make them cry?”

“Absolutely fake tears.”

“I wonder…”

“So, I had five matchmaking meetings, and every time I was rejected with ‘I feel like our personalities just don’t match,’ so I quit. It’s too much trouble. I’m not getting married. When I turned twenty, I told my parents as much. After that, they either gave up or stopped bringing me matchmaking proposals.”

“Is that so?”

Well, perhaps it was better than having more women cry because of him.

“But then the Crown Prince scolded me.”

“Oh?”

Alex stared at his empty teacup with a sullen expression.

“Ever since he got married himself, he’s been harder on his unmarried subordinates. When he was single, he used to say ‘Alex, your freedom is what matters most.’ But lately, he keeps saying ‘Settle down soon. Find happiness.'”

“Is that so?”

“What’s got you so happy?”

Noticed, Lidoria realized she’d been smiling without realizing it. She cupped her cheeks with her hands and deepened her smile.

“Well, if His Highness says that, it must mean his own marriage is very good, right? Her Highness the Crown Princess must be very happy too.”

“It’s nothing but trouble for me.”

Alex crossed his legs with an exasperated look.

“So. When this commotion came to light, I was the one dispatched.”

“Yes.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince said, ‘This is a good opportunity. If the young lady is waiting alone, Alex should become engaged to her.'”

“What?”

Until that moment, Lidoria had been listening to the story with warm amusement, but suddenly feeling like the spearpoint had been turned toward her, her eyes widened in shock.