Apparently, I’m a Poisonous Woman Who Sells One-Night Dreams, but I Ended Up Awakening a Hero’s Devoted Love - Chapter 1.21

“Didn’t it go well?”

The one who spoke to the two who had just finished dancing, while shaking his slightly wavy blond hair tips, was the third prince, Frederick.

Since he hadn’t been there before the dance, he must have entered partway through.

(Prince Frederick knows our engagement is temporary, doesn’t he?)

Thinking that acting wouldn’t be necessary then, when Mariadoll tried to step half a step away, Jerf’s arm swiftly wrapped around her waist.

“Yes, thanks to Mariadoll’s cooperation.”

“Is that so? Consider this my thanks for putting up with this guy. Here you go.”

Saying that, he offered the glass in his hand to Mariadoll.

But before she could take it, Jerf’s hand reached out.

“All the alcohol at this venue was supposed to be arranged by me, wasn’t it?”

Snatching the glass from Frederick who was offering it as if it were his own treat, he gulped it down in one go, then called a nearby waiter and handed a new glass to Mariadoll.

Watching this, Frederick widened his green eyes and looked back and forth between the two.

“Huh? But it’s all supposed to be an act. Hey, Jerf, you’re joking, right? Because she’s…”

“That rumor is false. You should be able to tell just by looking, shouldn’t you?”

“Certainly, during the dance her reactions were quite innocent, but…”

As Frederick stared at her incredulously, Mariadoll looked up at Jerf as if seeking help on how to respond.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. Just act as you normally would.”

“Y-yes.”

She didn’t know what constituted “normal” for her, but she supposed it meant she didn’t need to poorly pretend to be a venomous woman. Thinking she shouldn’t interrupt their conversation, she tried to step half a step back, but Jerf casually placed his hand on her waist and turned his gaze to Mariadoll.

“It seems my proposal has caused trouble for Mariadoll.”

“No, not at all. It’s convenient for me too, so please don’t worry about it. Though, receiving so many congratulatory words does make me feel guilty.”

“That’s because Jerf’s knight trainees are genuinely worried and happy for him.”

“I greeted them earlier. They all seemed to truly trust Lord Jerf.”

“Jerf’s training is so strict he’s called the Drill Sergeant, but it’s all for the knights’ sake. Originally, he’s a gentle guy who’s caring and doesn’t get emotional.”

Nothing but confusion welled up inside her about whether it was okay to converse so naturally with the third prince.

Feeling uncomfortable, when she slightly shifted her gaze, she met eyes with a red-haired knight. Several others were also looking their way, probably worried about their superior falling prey to the venomous woman’s fangs. The stares directed at Mariadoll were frightening.

(Should I smile back sweetly like a wicked woman would here?)

While she was thinking, Frederick said he’d borrow Jerf for a moment and left the area. Left alone, Mariadoll was about to head toward the wall as usual, but…

“Lady Mariadoll.”

“Lord Haren, you came.”

Turning around, a gentleman with romance-gray hair stood there.

Seeing his familiar face, Mariadoll’s cheeks naturally relaxed.

“Ah, Duke Stanley called for me. You told him about me, didn’t you?”

“Yes. He understood. That’s right, the painting is finished, so when would be a good time for me to deliver it?”

“Thank you. I’m sorry to rush you, but I’ve suddenly decided to travel with my daughter and her husband for a week starting tomorrow. My apologies.”

“No, then I’ll visit in a week.”

She actually wanted to talk more, but the surrounding stares were painful. Accusing glares were being openly cast her way, as if criticizing her for talking intimately with another man—and a man with rumors at that—right after speaking with her fiancé.

Noticing this before Mariadoll did, Lord Haren said “Well then,” and left.

As if replacing him, Jerf returned.

A faint wrinkle that hadn’t been there before was etched between his brows.

“Is your conversation finished already?”

“Yeah, just a bit about the thief who broke into Cobalt Viscount’s place the other day.”

“Regarding that matter, weren’t you, as the training instructor, unrelated?”

He’d said he only came as a substitute because the Third Knight Order’s captain was absent.

Even so, there must have been something Frederick himself needed to convey.

As Mariadoll made a puzzled expression, Jerf shrugged and revealed the content of their conversation.

“Actually, when the Third Knight Order made a sketch of the thief, he resembled a man who broke into my house three years ago. Since I’d also submitted a sketch of that man to the Knight Order, they wanted me to confirm if it’s the same person.”

“My, have you also been robbed, Lord Jerf?”

At that time, there were no suspicious servants like porters, and while it might have been organized crime, no one was caught.

“The stolen blood ruby ring is an heirloom passed down through my ducal family for generations. It was stolen from a hidden room’s safe next to my father’s office, but how they knew about that location remains a mystery. There were no signs of forced entry either.”

It was stolen four years ago, back when Jerf was at the knight dormitory. Since it was a theft at a colleague’s family home, the entire Knight Order conducted a search, but it remains unsolved. If it was stolen, you’d think they’d sell it at some jewelry store, but there’s no trace of that either. They strengthened border security but found nothing.

It seems they may have found a lead this time.

“Still, jurisdiction belongs to the Third Knight Order. I won’t be taking command. More importantly, Prince Frederick said we should make our engagement more memorable.”

“Eh? I think we did pretty well.”

“He urged me to at least give you a kiss.”

“!!”

The moment her eyes met his red ones, Mariadoll shook her head violently. At the force strong enough to nearly snap her neck, Jerf couldn’t hold back a wry smile and chuckled.

“Just imagining it makes me faint!”

“So, you do imagine it. By the way, it’s not because you dislike it that you’d faint, right?”

“Of course not. Because… because?”

(Huh, what was I trying to say?)

Panicked and no longer understanding herself, Mariadoll felt utterly embarrassed and stared fixedly at the hem of her dress. She couldn’t comprehend why she’d asserted so impulsively that she didn’t dislike it.

Just imagining it made her face turn bright red, her heartbeat noisy like rapid bells, yet simultaneously her chest felt tightly, sweetly constricted.

What is this emotion? As Mariadoll questioned herself, Jerf placed his hand gently on her head.

“Don’t worry, I refused that too. Then he suggested we go somewhere together. The so-called pre-wedding trip, that sort of thing. Since during the social season even small things become rumors, he’s giving us about a week off to go, he said.”

“A week. That’s perfect fodder for rumors.”

“Right? So, Mariadoll, is there anywhere you’d like to go? Whether it’s the sea, a lake, or highlands—not to boast, but I have villas everywhere.”

As expected of a ducal family, just how many villas did he own? Someone like Mariadoll only had her gallery combined with her residence.

Asked where she’d like to go, she thought for a while, then suddenly lifted her face with a start.

“Lord Jerf, there is a place I want to go!”

We’ll gradually introduce the case details and bring them all together at the end, so please look forward to it. How much will their distance close during the trip?