I Got My Engagement Annulled… Even Though We Were Never Engaged - Chapter 23

“Perfect! No matter what it takes, you must capture Lord Fevan’s heart and make him take responsibility for that newspaper article by marrying you! Understood?!”

My sister’s energy has been abnormally high since morning.

After I returned home yesterday, having been sent back by Lord Fevan, my sister bombarded me with questions about what had happened before I could even explain.

When I stumbled over my words and skipped the details to say that Lord Fevan and I had decided to date, my sister’s eyes changed and she kept repeating “responsibility.”

Despite receiving more than sufficient apologies from the Levesius marquis household, my sister still seemed unsatisfied and seized this opportunity to insist he should marry me.

“From what I’ve investigated, that man has no strange rumors aside from being that homosexual! He’s smart, successful, and the next marquis! And he managed to win over someone like you who never wants to interact with people – that’s impressive skill! Therefore, if you let this man get away, there’s a high chance you’ll never marry in your life, so press him to take responsibility and make him agree to marriage, understood?!”

Faced with my sister’s fierce demeanor, I couldn’t say anything. I dislike the idea of marrying because of “responsibility,” but it’s not particularly unusual in society. My sister’s argument had some merit, I suppose.

My sister knows I rejected his proposal once. Given that I decided to date him despite that, she insists I must have at least some interest in him.

…Though it’s just a trial relationship.

That argument would probably be meaningless in front of my sister anyway.

The excuses I used when rejecting Lord Fevan’s proposal wouldn’t work on my sister either.

The wisest course here is to obediently pretend to listen.

Dressed up and decorated since morning by my enthusiastic sister and Allie, I sighed in front of the mirror.

The struggle with my sister trying to take my glasses was the most difficult part, but I managed to protect my glasses at least.

However, my glasses were the only thing I managed to protect.

My hair, which I usually just put up casually, was meticulously styled with serious effort, and I was made to change into my sister’s lovely pale cream-colored dress.

Since my sister and I are about the same height, we can share dresses. That said, my sister pads and lifts her chest, so the bodice is made slightly larger. Thanks to that, I ended up having to pad and lift my chest too. The forcibly created cleavage is embarrassing.

A large white lily-shaped hair ornament was attached to my softly curled orange-tinged blonde hair. This is also my sister’s – I don’t own anything this fashionable.

I couldn’t refuse the makeup either today, which I normally never wear.

“Your skin is naturally beautiful and your eyes are large, so makeup looks good on you. It would be even better without those glasses,” my sister said beside me as I stared at my reflection thinking “who in the world is this?”

The eyes behind my glasses had clear eyEliener applied, with warm-toned eyeshadow at the corners. My face was powdered, soft coral pink blush applied, and my lips were glossy with lipstick.

“Sister, I look like a completely different person.”

“You’re not a different person, you were just terrible before! Look! You’re plenty cute!”

Compared to my usual face, the face reflected in the mirror might indeed be called “cute,” but being told a face created with makeup is cute doesn’t make me particularly happy.

Plus, standing next to me is someone who’s incredibly beautiful even without makeup.

“If you had properly worn makeup and emphasized your chest before, you would have gotten plenty of approaches even just standing by the wall. You’re not unpopular, you were just negligent!”

I swallowed the words “but both my face and chest are artificial.” I don’t want to hear any more of my sister’s scolding.

Allie was getting emotional for some incomprehensible reason, saying “Finally, the opportunity to put makeup on Lady Adeline has come!” with tears in her eyes, so any additional comments would be counterproductive.

“Okay? Casual physical touch is effective for winning over men. Gently touching his arm, or pretending to stumble and lean against him. Understood?”

“Sister, do you always do things like that?”

“Every woman does. You’re the only exception.”

…How cunning women in this world must be.

Of course, such tricks are impossible for me, so I let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Anyway, it’s rare for such a big catch to take the bait, so you must reel him in no matter what!”

“This isn’t fishing, Sister.”

My sister, who mistakenly believes I’ve finally become interested in men after never having shown any interest in the opposite sex before, is incredibly enthusiastic.

Lord Fevan is supposed to pick me up before noon, but I’m completely exhausted before the date even begins.

So when the butler Robinson announced Lord Fevan’s arrival, I felt genuinely relieved from the bottom of my heart.

I rushed toward the entrance as if escaping, hurried Lord Fevan who was trying to greet my sister into the carriage.

If we stopped to chat, there’s no telling what my sister might say to Lord Fevan.

When the carriage started moving, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Adeline, um… what’s going on?”

Lord Fevan, who had been practically shoved into the carriage with only a brief greeting, blinked in genuine confusion as he said this.