The Story of a Modest Young Lady Who Formed a New Engagement the Day After Her Engagement Was Annulled - Chapter 32

Lady Livia was speaking about muscles with a remarkably refreshed expression.

For her, Lord Fels’s muscles were the ultimate, and she declared that no one would ever surpass them. Indeed, Lord Fels was taller than the other men around him and had a sturdy build from training. Though I couldn’t say for certain since I’d never seen him undressed, he must be impressive beneath his clothes.

Having exhausted the topic of muscles, Lady Livia chuckled softly, but her gaze toward Lord Fels seemed somewhat sorrowful. After harboring feelings for ten years, one couldn’t simply give up or find closure easily.

Had my sudden appearance beside Lord Fels flustered her, leading to this situation? In any case, I was glad to have spoken with her. If this had been a quarrel between nobles, it might have been quietly handled behind the scenes. Both the Lotus Margrave family and the Larkspur Count family and even His Highness the Crown Prince must be kind people.

“Well, if you’re satisfied now and won’t make any more unnecessary assumptions about Fels and Lady Narcissus in the future, I have nothing more to say.”

Crown Prince Heinrich, seated in a chair, gave a small laugh. The princess consort sitting beside him also smiled, as if to say she wasn’t concerned about this matter.

“I never imagined His Highness the Crown Prince would get involved,” Lady Livia said with a crisp voice, shrugging her shoulders as if she’d forgotten she’d been crying earlier. I envied how she showed no nervousness in front of the Crown Prince.

“Fels and I are good friends, you know!”

The Crown Prince was emphasizing his friendship with Lord Fels to Lady Livia, and they truly must be close. He had helped me when Lord Caius annulled our engagement too. Despite his busy schedule, he was helping Lord Fels like this, and I felt grateful.

Following Crown Prince Heinrich’s suggestion that we return to the evening party while we had the chance, we left the waiting room. The guards moved with us, and as we passed through the doorway, we coincidentally encountered a man wearing an eyepatch who seemed startled by the Crown Prince’s appearance. Had he slipped past the guards’ security, or had he just happened to be passing by? The eyepatch-wearing man immediately saluted upon recognizing Crown Prince Heinrich.

“My apologies, Your Highness Crown Prince Heinrich!”

After returning the salute, His Highness told the man to stand at ease, and he straightened his back sharply with his hands at his sides. Lord Fels watched him with a wry smile, while Lady Livia was staring intently at the eyepatch-wearing man for some reason.

“No need to stand on ceremony. You just happened to be passing by, and we just happened to be leaving the room. If I recall correctly, you were granted the title of Robe Baron for your service in the recent war, weren’t you?”

The Crown Prince seemed to remember the eyepatch-wearing man’s achievements. His Highness appeared to change his first-person pronoun from “I” to “we” in formal settings. I knew he used “I” with Lord Fels and his childhood friends because they were close. Since he used “I” with me too, perhaps I had earned his recognition? Nothing could make me happier.

Many who contributed in the Twenty-Year War were granted titles by the kingdom. I was impressed that His Highness remembered him so well, and the eyepatch-wearing man’s face lit up with joy as he spoke from his diaphragm.

“Ha! I’m honored that you remember me!”

His voice echoed through the hallway, and the guards smiled wryly. Still, this man had left the nobility to become a commoner and earned his title through merit. He probably never dreamed of being addressed by His Highness, so no one said anything about his reaction.

“Though the war has ended, there are still duties to fulfill. We’re asking much of the military, but I hope you’ll continue striving for the kingdom’s sake.”

The Crown Prince spoke seriously to the eyepatch-wearing man. I’d heard there were regions with unstable public order, and since reconstruction efforts required strength, the military, local lords, and the royal family must all have their hands full.

Having left the military after the war, I felt a bit regretful that I couldn’t assist with reconstruction. That’s why I wished to do what I could. I requested to open a healing clinic at the church in the Lotus Margrave territory. I was truly grateful that the Lotus family readily accepted.

“Of course! I’m deeply grateful for your words!”

The eyepatch-wearing man spoke from his diaphragm again, visibly moved. His Highness gave a casual wave and said, “See you somewhere else,” before leaving. We followed His Highness, but Lord Fels conveyed “Congratulations” to the eyepatch-wearing man with his eyes. Once the man was out of sight, Lady Livia suddenly spoke up.

“Your Highness, Lord Fels, who was that gentleman earlier?”

For some reason, Lady Livia was looking at Lord Fels and the Crown Prince with sparkling eyes. The emotions in her green eyes seemed to be “expectation” and “interest.” Given her straightforward personality, it was unusual for her to inquire about a man she’d just seen.

The Crown Prince answered with an amused “Hmm,” while Lord Fels answered honestly since he’d been asked. His Highness seemed to have guessed why Lady Livia asked. The princess consort was also smiling slightly while watching Lady Livia, so she probably understood too. Most likely, so did I.

“Lord Fels’s muscles are wonderful, but that gentleman must have fine muscles too, mustn’t he?!”

Lady Livia huffed excitedly. I’d heard the eyepatch-wearing man enjoyed training as a hobby, so just as she imagined, he must be muscular beneath his clothes.

As I smiled wryly, wondering if muscles were really that great, Lady Livia said, “Excuse me!” and hurried off in the opposite direction of the party venue. Her attendant quickly followed, apparently heading toward the eyepatch-wearing man.

“What a lively girl. I hope she’ll be alright.”

“I’d like to think so. Once he starts talking about muscles, he won’t stop, just like Lady Livia. They might actually hit it off.”

“Ah! Is that a good thing?”

The Crown Prince tilted his head while Lord Fels answered with a wry smile. Indeed, if two people shared a passion for muscles, their conversation would flow, and it might lead to a good outcome.

Shrugging, the Crown Prince offered his arm to the princess consort and nodded toward the venue. Lord Fels also told me “Let’s go” and offered his arm. When I placed my hand on his arm, the firm texture struck me.

Perhaps because Lady Livia had spoken so passionately about Lord Fels’s muscles, the sensation of his flesh beneath my hand felt vivid. Lord Fels seemed to realize I was thinking something and gave a small cough, so I looked up and met his eyes.

“…Somehow, I’ve become conscious of it.”

“Lady Livia talked about it exhaustively. It’s only natural you’d be conscious of it, Eleanora.”

Both Lord Fels and I exchanged wry smiles, and the Crown Prince walking ahead glanced back at us.

“I feel like I’ve been called weak.”

“Not at all. Your Highness trains as well, don’t you?”

The princess consort laughed and covered for the Crown Prince, who was pouting childishly. Though slender, His Highness didn’t appear weak at all. So why did he look troubled?

“That may be so, but my constitution makes it difficult to gain muscle. I envy Fels, who builds it so easily.”

His words reminded me of something. During accelerated training when I enlisted, the men training alongside me would discuss how their bodies developed differently despite identical diets and exercise regimens.

They found it strange how their conditioning varied. Come to think of it, a woman training with me once mentioned her abs had become defined, while mine showed no such signs. It seemed individual constitution really affected how one’s body developed, I thought, glancing at Lord Fels.

“I train more than you do. Besides, if Heinrich underwent the same training as me, he’d likely complain quickly.”

“Well, there are bound to be differences between civil and military officials.”

Lord Fels and His Highness laughed together. Watching them, the princess consort turned her gaze to me.

“There’s no need to worry too much about it. Right, Eleanora?”

“Yes. Both Your Highness and Lord Fels have your own good qualities. If everyone were the same, it surely wouldn’t be enjoyable.”

When I responded to the princess consort, both His Highness and Lord Fels agreed with “That’s right” and “Indeed.” Everyone had their own individuality, with both good and bad aspects. Crown Prince Heinrich, as the future king, maintained a serious demeanor in public. But in private settings like this, he complained and joked while enjoying conversation.

Lord Fels, though not particularly talkative, cared for me and never left me alone at evening parties. Of course, we couldn’t spend the entire time together, so we did separate occasionally.

I wondered what Lord Fels’s bad qualities might be. I ran through everything I knew about him in my mind but found nothing. Still, probably if I spent many years with him, I’d discover one or two flaws.

He might discover my flaws too. That would be terribly embarrassing, so I hoped he never would. But I wanted to accept Lord Fels’s flaws too and continue walking our path together into the future. I hoped that path would include not just the two of us, but family, friends, and people we hadn’t yet met.

Lost in these thoughts, a smile must have naturally escaped my lips, for Lord Fels raised an eyebrow and looked at me curiously. As we walked, we seemed to have returned to the venue, with the party’s lights spilling into the hallway.

“Eleanora. Shall we dance a piece?”

“Yes, please!”

I immediately accepted Lord Fels’s delightful invitation, and the Crown Prince and his consort seemed to join the dance circle too. As the musicians in the venue finished their piece and the next began, we stepped into the dance. Then murmurs rose through the hall, and the Crown Prince couple, Fels, and I found ourselves the center of intense attention.