Chapter 6
Meeting the Fiancé
Bookmark inserted
“Tonight is the formal meeting.”
At my father’s words, I froze.
When he informed me in his study, a terrible sense of foreboding jolted through my chest.
“…A meeting?”
“Envoys from Lord Saphir’s household have arrived. It’s a formal occasion to greet each other as fiancés.”
Engagement.
So that political marriage I had been told about was already proceeding without my knowledge.
I clenched my teeth hard.
“I—I’m not… mentally prepared yet.”
“There’s no need for preparation. You simply have to sit there and smile.”
My father’s cold voice pierced me.
—Again, that same attitude.
Even though I’m his only daughter, I’m treated like some thing for the sake of the family.
That night.
The dining hall was brilliantly lit by candelabras, and the long table was neatly set with our finest silverware.
An exquisite feast was laid out, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
My father and mother sat at the head of the table, facing Saphir-sensei and a representative from his household.
…I had only ever seen him at the academy, so the sight made me catch my breath.
Instead of his usual crimson robe, Saphir-sensei wore an elegant black formal suit, carrying himself with the dignified air of a nobleman.
“Well now♡ I finally get to enjoy a proper meal with you, my lady,”
he said with a bright, cheerful wave.
“—!”
Even though his tone was no different from usual at the academy, tonight it irritated me more than ever.
As the envoys from both families looked on with amused smiles, my cheeks only grew hotter.
As the meal went on, laughter and polite conversation filled the room.
Only I sat there, feeling completely out of place.
Sitting quietly, I must have looked like an obedient little doll.
“…I haven’t accepted this yet,”
I finally burst out, unable to hold back.
Saphir-sensei narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.
“It’s fine, it’s fine♡ Even if you haven’t accepted it, the engagement’s already settled.”
“—!”
The triumphant way he said it made me glare at him instinctively.
But instead of flinching, he leaned closer and whispered softly,
“But you know, my lady, there’s no need to force a smile. You can just be yourself♡”
—Why is he always so composed, even at a time like this?
It felt like I was the only one flustered, and that made it all the more infuriating.
And yet, that night—the memory of sitting at the same table with him as his fiancée for the first time—
ended up carving itself deep into my heart, against my will.
