The eldest son and heir of House Flaubert had lived twenty-seven years without a single rumor surfacing that in any way associated him with the young lady who had apparently captured his heart.
Confusion reigned. After all, the groom-to-be had been a source of gossip since time immemorial. People admired him, wanted him, expected much of him, and had great curiosity about whom he’d marry. When he finally announced his engagement, astonishment spread through high society like a shockwave.
And when they heard that his fiancée was Viscount Clarac’s daughter Marielle, the response of most people was presumably to furrow their brows in befuddlement.
Even if one knew the name of House Clarac, it would be entirely unsurprising to have no recollection of what kind of person the daughter of that family was. She was a plain girl who didn’t stand out at all, and left no particular impression, as if she was made of air.
“She” being “me,” of course.
Which is precisely why I became such a target of curiosity. I was a mystery woman that no one knew a thing about.
As the cries of “Surely she’s some kind of hidden beauty?” reached a crescendo, the day finally came for me to show myself at a public occasion alongside Lord Simeon, at which point I felt all eyes on me from every corner of the room to such an extent that I even feared for my safety. Were I to have attended on my own, I imagine I’d have fled straight back home, shaking in terror.
First came the moment when they noticed me: “It’s her! She’s the one!” Then came the very next moment, when all those assembled were left with blank faces, having lost any trace of interest in me.
You could almost read their thoughts: “Really? That’s it? Surely there must be some mistake, and she’s merely the opening act?”
I understood their feelings of doubt and bewilderment perfectly. “Sorry, but this is it,” I longed to reply. “I don’t really understand how I ended up in this situation either!” Even at that very moment, I couldn’t make much sense of it.
I was an uninteresting young lady whose rank was not especially high, whose family pedigree put her decidedly in the middle of the pack, and who had no particular characteristics that stood out. The number of people dissatisfied to hear that Lord Simeon’s fiancée was such a person might have numbered not in the dozens, but the hundreds.
Naturally, I also had the pleasure of hearing cutting remarks and sarcastic comments from all directions. Wherever I went, I was forced to endure the humiliation of their sneers as they spoke ill of me behind my back. It even became an everyday occurrence for people to mock me to my face.
Even on a very special night indeed—the night of a ball held at the royal palace—the same familiar tale began to unfold.
“I must apologize for leaving you unattended.”
Lord Simeon had been detained for rather a long time by various acquaintances who sought his attention, but at last he had drawn things to a close and returned to my side.
I took the small notebook lying open in my lap and placed it back into my embroidered handbag. The hurriedly written contents were not for other people’s eyes, so I hid it and greeted Lord Simeon with a mask of composure. “You needn’t worry about me. You have so many people to talk to, it wouldn’t do for you to pass the time in such a leisurely manner as I have. Is there no one else with whom you need to exchange greetings?”
He’d brought me a drink on his way back, which I politely accepted. I’d already had three glasses while I waited, and was almost full to bursting. I should have paced myself!
“No, I’ve finished dealing with everyone important, and I’ve had quite enough of people starting conversations under the pretext of congratulating me on my engagement.”
I giggled. “It must be a nuisance, being so popular.”
“I might say the same about you. You appear to have been talking to quite a variety of people yourself.” With a calm smile that revealed the barest hint of mischievousness, Lord Simeon sat down beside me.
Gosh, I thought. He noticed.
He had noticed the barrage of cruelty I’d been subjected to every time we’d been in public together. Had he been keeping an eye on me all along this evening, too?
Trust the Vice Captain to have no blind spots! No doubt the men of the Royal Order of Knights don’t realize he’s keeping an eagle eye on them every day as well, while all he shows is nonchalance. How wonderful!
“In my case, almost every conversation was about you, Lord Simeon. Everyone has a great deal of curiosity.”
He responded to my light giggling with a warm smile. From the outside, I’m sure it looked like a friendly and lighthearted chat between two people engaged to be married—though I was certain that all watching were disappointed at the female partner being an unbefittingly plain young woman in glasses.
The glasses weren’t part of any effort to imitate Lord Simeon, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’d worn glasses since long before our engagement. My eyesight isn’t so poor as to prevent me from going about my daily life if I take them off, but removing them does make it difficult to tell exactly who’s standing in front of me. If I lost them, it would be a bit inconvenient.
I value practicality over vanity. If I can’t observe other people, there’s no point in me attending social gatherings.
“I’ve found the same thing,” Lord Simeon replied. “I had some inkling beforehand, but I’d never have expected an engagement to draw this much attention.”
“It’s because it’s your engagement, Lord Simeon. They’re all dying to know what kind of person you’ve chosen to marry. I suspect they’ve been wondering who it would be all your life.”
“Still, it’s quite troublesome for everyone to be expressing their curiosity so frankly about such a personal matter.” He let out an exasperated sigh and adjusted his glasses.
Unlike mine, Lord Simeon’s glasses didn’t diminish his appeal in the slightest. They only made him look that much more wonderful. When his eyes suddenly narrowed behind the lenses, his smile took on a sense of coldness that made my breath quicken before I knew it.
Even his glasses are so enchanting that they lead my thoughts straight into pervert territory! He’s just so perfect! I don’t think anyone could ever embody my ideal man the way he does! I wonder if he’d agree to hold a riding crop or something for me, just briefly as a prop! Oh, but if he did that, I’m sure I’d get an intense nosebleed!
“Marielle?”
I’d intended to wear a benign smile, but perhaps my inner squeals of joy had leaked through. Lord Simeon bent down slightly and peered at me.
Oh no, did he somehow get an unpleasant feeling from my inappropriate thoughts? If he looked directly at me and silently pressured me for an answer with the full force of his smile, I don’t think I could bear it. He’d leave me panting!
As we locked eyes—as I fought to hide my nerves and my arousal—a voice interrupted us.
“Still the perfect happy couple, I see.”
It was a pretty voice with a youthful tone. We both returned to how we’d been sitting and looked towards its source. The moment Lord Simeon saw who was walking towards us, he rose to his feet. With belated awkwardness, I stood as well.
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