Am I Really Wanted by Anyone? - Chapter 13

“Lord Leo?”

“Ah, yes. Lady Ginette. What is it?”

“Nothing…”

“Lady Ginette, perhaps we should be returning soon as well.”

“…Yes.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

That thought settled into place with a quiet thud of understanding.

Simultaneously, my feelings shifted.

Almost unnervingly so.

Why had I been so indecisive and hesitant until now?

I felt like I wanted to punch my past self from just moments ago.

As I suppressed a sigh that threatened to escape, a voice called out from behind me.

“Lady Ginette, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Lady Marise! It certainly has been!”

Turning around, I saw Lady Marise and her fiancé, Lord Eric, standing together affectionately. Lady Marise looked at me with smiling eyes.

She must have witnessed his actions.

“Lord Leo Barbet, might I borrow Lady Ginette for a moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

“It seems Miss Mira, the guest of honor this evening, is looking for a dance partner. I thought you might ask her.”

“Understood. Lady Ginette, I’ll return shortly.”

“Yes.”

Lord Leo gently kissed the back of my hand, then strode off briskly, looking quite pleased with himself.

“My, my. What will he do, I wonder? Earlier, during Miss Mira’s introduction, he was gazing at her just as he did when he first spoke to you, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, I suppose so. He might become newly engaged to Miss Mira.”

“Oh? Even though he just managed to secure a fiancée, are you truly alright with letting him go?”

“After observing him for a month, I believe he would struggle to survive managing his territory. If I truly care for him, I think it’s better to release him from our engagement.”

“My, my. You’re as kind-hearted as ever, Lady Ginette.”

As Lady Marise spoke, amusingly fanning herself, Lord Eric joined the conversation.

“Lady Ginette, even from my perspective, he seems insincere. It would be best to move on quickly and seek a new fiancé. As for a man who might meet your standards… What about Vice-Commander Olga Saraphis of the Magical Beast Knights? He’s still unmarried and an excellent swordsman.”

Lord Leo was inviting Miss Mira to dance with a beaming smile.

Miss Mira, slightly bowing her head with a deeply flushed face, seemed to accept. Escorted by Lord Leo, they moved to the center of the hall and began to dance.

We continued our conversation while watching them out of the corner of our eyes.

“Oh, but he’s Princess Celestina’s favorite, isn’t he? I doubt the Princess would let him go.”

“While the Princess wishes to marry him, I’ve heard rumors that due to his birth issues and not being the heir, His Majesty considers him unsuitable as a marriage partner for her. There are movements to arrange another engagement for her. I think Vice-Commander Olga is a promising candidate.”

If I recall correctly, Vice-Commander Olga Saraphis is from a ducal house, but he’s the son of the Duke’s mistress. The Duke already has three legitimate sons, so Olga won’t inherit.

Furthermore, I’ve heard he’s disliked by both the legal wife and the heirs.

Even if the Duke were to grant him one of his lesser titles, he wouldn’t receive the ducal house’s backing. On the contrary, he might even face attacks from them.

In that case, it might be more stable for him to remain as the Vice-Commander of the Magical Beast Knights.

Though I can’t say for certain without investigating the internal circumstances more thoroughly.

“Well, I’ve heard Vice-Commander Olga is an upright man, but if he’s Princess Celestina’s favorite, we can’t recklessly make a move. His Majesty is quite indulgent with the Princess, so we should observe the situation for now.”

Hearing Lady Marise’s words, I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

“Lady Ginette, did I say something strange?”

“No, it’s just… I’ve been thinking all this time, until I came here. I believed that I had genuinely grown fond of Lord Leo in my own way.

That’s why I wanted to believe his actions since returning to the royal capital were lies. I was anxious, thinking I had to support his shortcomings, and troubled over what to do.

But…

Seeing his actions now, witnessing how he looks at Miss Mira… something inside me just clicked into place, cleanly.

Here I am, discussing my next potential fiancé with you, Lady Marise, and the fact that I could resolve my feelings so easily within myself, it just struck me as funny.”

Hearing my words, Lady Marise broke into a full, beaming smile.

“Oh, isn’t that wonderful? I think you’ve returned to your usual self, Lady Ginette. While I’m glad you experienced the feeling of love, if it meant clinging to trash, I’d wake you up from it anytime.”

“Hehe, thank you. Love is difficult, isn’t it? Without realizing it, I’d lost sight of everything around me. It was a valuable experience for me. I’ll speak to my father about Vice-Commander Olga.”

“Yes, that would be best. I hope it works out this time.”

“Marise, shall we go dance now?”

“Lord Eric, let’s. The thought of making rounds to greet people after dancing is bothersome, but we also have news to deliver, so I’m looking forward to it. Hehe. Well then, Lady Ginette, farewell.”

Lady Marise seemed to have thought of something, flashing a mischievous, childlike smile before the two exchanged a loving gaze and departed, smiling.

Lady Marise, as the heir to a ducal house, has her own share of hardships, so I’m genuinely happy for her, as if it were my own joy, that she’s found a wonderful partner.

At the same time, seeing their affectionate bond, I found myself feeling envious, thinking, “I’d like to have a relationship like that with my future husband too.”