The Story of a Modest Young Lady Who Formed a New Engagement the Day After Her Engagement Was Annulled - Chapter 6

The son of the Frontier Count had asked me to relax while in this room, but that was impossible. After all, the two seated on the reception sofa were His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess.

Since this was an evening party hosted by the Duke, it wasn’t strange for them to be in attendance. It wasn’t strange, but how in the world had I, a mere Countess from the nearly unknown Narcissus family, ended up in their presence? Well, the Frontier Count’s son had brought me here, so he was the main reason, but this situation was definitely odd. Just what kind of conversation had taken place between them?

“Fels, you haven’t been rude to the lady, have you?”

His Highness the Crown Prince grinned and glanced at the Frontier Count’s son, who was seated in a chair. The Frontier Count’s son let out a long sigh. In the meantime, Her Highness the Crown Princess rose from the sofa, came around behind me, placed her hands on my shoulders, and took a step forward.

Urged by her momentum, I took a few steps and was encouraged to sit on the sofa but I hesitated, thinking it would be improper to sit alongside them. As if reading my mind, Her Highness giggled softly, wrapped one arm around my waist, kept the other on my shoulder, and smiled warmly beside me. Since she didn’t seem inclined to sit, perhaps I should sit after all? As I stood there, my eyes darting around at this rare situation, the Frontier Count’s son slowly settled onto the sofa.

“Heinrich. I appreciate you providing the venue, but please don’t tease me.”

The Frontier Count’s son wore a troubled expression as he addressed Crown Prince Heinrich, who was chuckling. His demeanor had completely changed from earlier, and I realized they must be close friends.

His Highness the Crown Prince was the same age as the Frontier Count’s son—twenty-five. The Crown Prince had married Her Highness the Crown Princess when he was twenty, and they had been blessed with two sons, ensuring the stability of the royal family. Since they were the same age and one was royalty while the other was the son of a high-ranking noble, it wasn’t strange for them to be acquainted. It would even make sense if the Frontier Count’s son had been assigned as His Highness’s playmate.

“You’re so clumsy, aren’t you? I’d like you to understand why I worry about you. —Ah, my apologies. It’s unacceptable for us to talk among ourselves as if we know everything, leaving you out. I’m no better than Fels when it comes to this.”

His Highness scratched his golden hair with one hand and turned his gaze to me, offering a friendly smile. Beside me, Her Highness watched him and giggled softly.

Both His and Her Highness exuded an air of elegance, and the same aura flowed from the Frontier Count’s son, who was close to them. What is this feeling of being out of place? Suppressing the urge to hold my head in my hands, I straightened my posture, knowing I had to introduce myself no matter what.

“Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Princess, Lord Lotus, son of the Frontier Count. Please permit me to stand before you. I am Eleanora of the Narcissus Count family. I hope we may become acquainted.”

None of the three reproached me as I hurriedly bowed my head, and their gazes remained fixed on me.

“First of all, this is an unofficial setting, so there’s no need to be so formal.”

His Highness told me it was fine to relax, but wasn’t it harder not to be formal? Perhaps understanding this, they made no further comment on my demeanor. I had seen His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess from a distance during their inspections on the battlefield. Their atmosphere now was completely different from back then, much lighter. It was indeed an unofficial setting, but…

“Come, let’s sit, Eleanora.”

Her Highness, peering at my tense face, expressed her wish to be called by name in informal settings and gestured for me to sit first. Startled by how deeply the sofa cushion sank, I was further surprised when Her Highness sat beside me. Across from us were His Highness the Crown Prince and the Frontier Count’s son.

“Say, Fels, haven’t you given her permission to use your name?”

His Highness cast as exasperated look at the Frontier Count’s son. Though we had exchanged names, I hadn’t had the composure to confirm how to address him before coming to this room.

“Anyway, we must discuss the engagement. ………It would be troublesome if someone else snatched you away.”

The Frontier Count’s son spoke to His Highness, but the latter part was so soft I could barely hear it. It was true that after dealing with Lord Caius, the topic of engagement had suddenly come up, and we hadn’t discussed how to address each other before coming here. It hadn’t seemed particularly important, so I only realized it when His Highness pointed it out.

“So, how did you phrase it?”

“…………I asked if she would enter into an engagement with me. I said it wouldn’t be a bad proposal for a noble.”

Upon hearing what the Frontier Count’s son had done, His Highness ran both hands through his hair in frustration. Is it really alright for the Crown Prince of a nation to act like this? Since he had declared this an unofficial setting, perhaps it was a clear indication that he didn’t need to maintain his royal demeanor.

“There’s no romance or atmosphere to it at all! My apologies, Miss Narcissus. Fels may perform like a one-man army on the battlefield and possess all the qualities needed to be the next Frontier Count, but when it comes to matters involving women, he’s like a child.”

His Highness let out a sigh, and the Frontier Count’s son shot him a look that said, “Don’t say unnecessary things.”

“Isn’t it endearing, Heinrich? While Lord Lotus’s prowess on the battlefield is admirable, we can only see this adorable side of him in settings like this.”

Her Highness added, as if supplementing His Highness’s words. The Frontier Count’s son directed a resentful gaze from His Highness to Her Highness. This was a far cry from the image I had of him skillfully maneuvering his horse and cutting through enemy lines on the battlefield. Seeing this human side of him, who was called a god of war and treated as a hero in battle, brought me joy. Because I’ve seen those who grew accustomed to killing and abandoned their humanity.

If they were enemy soldiers in uniform, we had to take their lives without mercy. I, too, had stood on the battlefield and taken lives. I remember the first person I killed clearly, but by the second and third, their faces became blurred in my memory. The reason my heart didn’t break was because of the comrades standing beside me and the family I left behind.

If it had broken, I would have left my humanity on the battlefield. To see the distant figure of the Frontier Count’s son, show such human emotions made me happy as a fellow soldier—though the war is over and I’ve retired.

“You two are close, aren’t you?”

Hearing my words, His Highness and the Frontier Count’s son both looked pleased.

“Yes. We’ve been together since childhood, so it feels more like brothers than lord and vassal.”

“See, we’re getting off track. We’re here as witnesses. Whether you accept Fels’s proposal is up to your feelings and the Narcissus Count family.”

His Highness seemed to be creating an escape route, making it clear that I could refuse the Frontier Count’s son’s proposal. On a personal level, there was no way I could refuse his offer.

If the engagement couldn’t be accepted due to family circumstances, there might be a way to escape it. And even though this was an unofficial setting, members of the royal family were present. I couldn’t tell if their presence was pressure not to refuse his proposal or a safeguard to prevent the Frontier Count’s son from acting recklessly.

“Once again. —Miss Eleanora Narcissus. Would you be willing to accept an engagement with me, Fels Lotus?”

As the Frontier Count’s son informed me that he would send an envoy to the Narcissus family later, I found myself troubled, wondering what to do.