Am I Really Wanted by Anyone? - Chapter 10

And so, a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Lord Leo seemed to grow more haggard and listless with each passing day.

Perhaps this had been difficult for him. My parents, worried about his condition, never once allowed him to participate in the monster attacks.

In other words, he was disqualified as a marriage candidate.

He might have vaguely sensed it himself. But even so, he still cared for me.

He always told me, “The training is harsh, but I’m happy to be with Lady Ginette.”

For me, it was the happiest time I had ever known. If proper monster subjugation was too difficult for him, I could go in his place.

I reaffirmed my determination to become strong enough for both of us.

When I discussed this with my parents, they understood my perspective, saying, “If there’s love, there’s no problem.”

The only remaining issue was that Lord Leo is the eldest son.

Unfortunately, it will still take time for his younger brother to be ready to inherit, and his parents cannot remain on the front lines forever.

They need someone who can protect the territory single-handedly.

They want someone who can fight alongside them.

But I want to prioritize Lord Leo’s feelings.

Would Lord Leo tell me he wants to remain in this land?

I want him to return here after going back to the capital.

My feelings for Lord Leo had grown stronger over this past month.

I genuinely felt joy with Lord Leo, who was always kind and gentlemanly. Precisely because of that, I shouldn’t force him to answer.

“Lord Leo, thank you for your hard work this past month.”

“Lady Ginette, thank you. Thanks to you, I gained so much experience. Truly, thank you. I have work waiting, so I’ll return to the capital, but I’ll write to you.”

“Yes. The next time we meet will be at the palace ball, won’t it?”

“Ah, I’m looking forward to the day I can see you again.”

With a smile, Lord Leo said this and returned to the capital on his dragon, just as he had arrived.

From that day on, my lonely daily life returned.

Every day, I trained in preparation for attacks. I sent letters while looking forward to the next time I could see Lord Leo.

Lord Leo seemed busy, as he only replied to about one in several letters. Even so, the fact that he replied at all made me incredibly happy.

“Ginette, rejoice! We’ve received good news from Count Barbet!”

“Father, really!?”

“At the next palace ball, you’ll be attending as Leo’s escort.”

“I’m so happy.”

“Ginette, that’s wonderful. This means our family is secure now.”

Mother was already smiling and beginning to think about what kind of dress to wear to the next ball.

That’s right, I should write properly to Lady Marise too. She’s been worried about me all this time.

Although Lord Leo has become my fiancé in name, it seems the issue of the Count’s heir hasn’t been resolved yet.

Hearing this made me somewhat anxious.

And so, the day before the palace ball arrived.

I had been dealing with monster attacks at the territory until the last possible moment, leaving only the day before to head to the capital.

“Katie, are the preparations alright?”

“Miss, I’ve been coordinating with the butler, and there are no problems.”

“Ginette, shall we go?”

“Yes.”

I wonder how many years it’s been since our whole family attended a ball together.

Since this also serves as the announcement of my engagement, our entire family will be attending.

I’d like to have Marilyn take us to the capital, but her size would cause the monsters to stir up just by flying over the capital’s skies, so she’s staying home again this time.

While we’re away, Marilyn will serve as the territory’s lookout.

“Lord Joseph, Lady Malphia, Lady Ginette, welcome home.”

When we arrived at the mansion, the servants all bowed in unison at the entrance.

“Ah. Everything unchanged?”

“Of course, sir. However, there is a matter I’d like to bring to your attention…”

Butler Elman seemed to be choosing his words carefully. From his tone and expression, he must have obtained some unfavorable information.

Our family is often thought to deal only with border monsters, but we’re also skilled in information warfare and contribute to the nation’s stability.

Because of this, we’re apparently allowed certain indulgences.

We decided to enter the office with the butler to hear the details.

“What is it?”

“It’s about Lord Leo Barbet, Lady Ginette’s fiancé. His behavior in the capital doesn’t seem entirely proper.”

The butler spoke with apparent difficulty.

Then he handed my father documents detailing his actions as if they were undeniable proof. Since foreign spies are a possibility, everyone admitted to our territory undergoes background checks, and sometimes their actions are monitored like this.

“I see…”

After reading them, my father rested his finger between his eyebrows, thinking something over, then passed them to my mother.

“…Perhaps we should feed him to Marilyn.”

With a smile, my mother handed me the documents.

As I read through the papers I’d been given, they detailed Lord Leo’s actions since returning to the capital.

After returning to the Count’s household, he attended tea parties and balls, where he apparently said things like, “I was tricked. She’s a dragon woman,” speaking ill of me.

The painful truth is that he wasn’t entirely wrong, and it makes me want to cry.

It seems he prefers women who are more graceful, cute, well-dressed, and who support their husbands.

The documents also stated that he was repeatedly dating noble ladies and indulging in pleasure-seeking.