“You look like you’ve been lovebirds for years. I never expected you to become one of those people, Simeon! I’m shocked, to be honest.”
The young gentleman smiled and affably poked fun while I greeted him with the deepest of curtsies. Lord Simeon laughed bitterly. “Don’t you tease me as well, Your Highness. I’m already thoroughly defeated by all the comments I’ve received today.”
“Those who are happy in love have a duty to put up with all the jealousy coming from single people, I suppose!”
“You’re hardly one to be saying that. If it’s that easy, perhaps it’s time for you to finally choose a marriage partner, Your Highness. Stop turning everyone down based on frivolous complaints and put yourself in the same uncomfortable position as me.”
“Sadly, in my case I can’t choose whomever I like based purely on preference. I’m envious of how much freedom you have.”
The man Lord Simeon was engaging in intimate conversation with was none other than Severin, the crown prince. He was the same age as Lord Simeon—twenty-seven—and I’d heard that the two of them got along very well and spent a lot of time together even outside of their official duties. Lord Simeon had apparently been introduced to His Highness when they were very young, with the intention that they should become school friends. However, I sensed that their friendship wasn’t only the result of political maneuvering, but rather that true closeness existed between them.
This was another reason I was the target of so much envy. Who wouldn’t seek the hand of such a close confidant of the future king? It would guarantee both a secure future and a tremendous amount of influence.
How in the world did Father secure a man like this for me? He couldn’t have found something compromising and blackmailed him, could he...? If he tried to use a tactic like that on Lord Simeon, House Clarac would end up crushed to bits!
I was certain it couldn’t be possible, but decided to check later, just in case. Even if a plot twist like that would excite me as a fangirl, I didn’t want to experience it in person.
I’d already introduced myself to Prince Severin earlier, as soon as I’d entered the hall, so there was no need for me to speak at this point. Rather than interrupting their conversation, I stayed silent and listened. I have to turn into air so I don’t disturb them. A moment later, I took a few steps back to maintain a proper distance.
It’s usually not appropriate for someone of my rank to come so close to His Highness. I had to make sure I didn’t conduct myself in an overly familiar manner. The only reason I could be so close at that moment was because Lord Simeon was present.
In any case, forcing myself into their conversation would be counterproductive. I didn’t want to do anything stupid like that.
Prince Severin’s black hair, dark eyes, and tougher, more masculine appearance struck a stark contrast with Lord Simeon’s pale blond hair, light blue eyes, and gentle, yet somehow shrewd manner. Seeing the two dashingly handsome opposites right next to each other was like looking at a picture.
Yes, I thought, books in that genre do have illustrations along these lines. They could easily be the main characters of that kind of story.
My preference is for boy-girl romance, so I tend not to read those kinds of books, but I don’t particularly consider them to be outside of my range either. They tend to have my favorite type of character in them as well, so it would be a waste if I didn’t explore those too. I’ve borrowed and read quite a few volumes and pride myself on being quite familiar with the genre.
At first glance, it looks like His Highness would be the top and Lord Simeon would be the bottom, but I actually feel that with this pairing, Lord Simeon as the top would be the more classic approach. A prince who’s normally tough and commanding, but sometimes his mild-mannered underling takes charge in an aggressive way, reversing the roles... A classic take on master/servant.
I felt sure that my best friend stood somewhere in this hall, struggling to contain a nosebleed. Probably very close by indeed. It was partly for her sake that I didn’t want to do anything as boorish as interrupt their conversation.
Even if they can’t talk about it in public, I think there are a lot of ladies, young and old, who share my friend’s taste. I wanted all of them to be able to admire and appreciate this beautiful spectacle!
“Marielle?”
Oh, what is it? Lord Simeon’s forceful smile is turned towards me once again. Could he have sensed something? I’d expect no less from the Vice Captain. His keen wits are so wonderful.
“Your fiancée is so meek and well-behaved. In fact, she’s almost too quiet. You’d forget she’s even there.”
I responded to Prince Severin’s words with nothing more than a reserved chuckle.
Yes, precisely, I thought. That’s exactly my special skill.
Pushing my plain and inconspicuous nature to the limit so that no one pays me any attention, allowing me to watch other people and listen intently to their conversations. I’ve achieved excellent results from this approach. I’m mainly acting for my own enjoyment and my own profit, but I’ve occasionally gathered information I can pass on to my father and brother. After all, if I can be useful for their work, it makes my life more comfortable in the end.
However, recently this had become more difficult. Since my engagement to Lord Simeon, I’d become a focal point for eyes and ears, so I couldn’t proceed in the same manner as before.