Chapter 59: Lots and Lots of Letters
BACK at the Chevalier estate, Iris let out a languid sigh. Across from her sat her mother in a very chipper mood.
Nigel and Iris had come home together to prepare for the Holy Maiden coronation ceremony next month. Since Iris had lost the competition, there was no real reason for her to attend, but the royal family traditionally invited all candidates regardless of whether they won or lost. After the ceremony, a soirée would be held that very night, and all the most prominent noble families were invited, including the House of Chevalier.
“Who will you be taking as your escort?” her mother asked.
“Oh, I’ll just go with Nigel,” Iris replied matter-of-factly.
“Not this time, sis,” Nigel replied casually.
Her jaw dropped. Oh god, that’s right! I forgot he and Camille are together now! Somewhere deep down, she’d assumed they would always be together, but that simply wasn’t the case. His sudden rejection stung.
I bet this is exactly how Iris felt in the game when Camille stole her brother from her. Poor thing… No wonder she tried to kill her… Not that I’m going to kill anyone, of course! After all the work I put in, I’m not about to subject myself to a bad ending in real life! Iris felt tears well in her eyes. But what will I do without him? I don’t have anyone I can invite! Surely you ought to be more considerate of me, Nigel!
This was her one and only opportunity to attend a soirée. After all, she was damaged goods. No one would ever marry her, and Nigel would inherit the family name, so she figured she would just reject any other invitations she received after this one. Iris had spent years preparing to live a life of solitude.
“This is the only soirée I’ll ever attend… You’ll have plenty of chances to go on dates with your precious Camille, so can’t you do something nice for me just this once?” Iris grumbled, glaring at him. She was so distraught, her inner thoughts were slipping out.
“How about you stop clinging to me for a change?” he shot back. Stop clinging to me… Stop clinging to me… His voice echoed in her mind, over and over, destroying her utterly.
“Oh, Iris, I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” her mother said with a smile as she fanned out a handful of letters on the table. All of them were formal offers to attend the event with Iris. “You can choose whoever you like best from these.”
Iris stared blankly. With Reseda’s help, things had settled down, for the most part, so she had completely forgotten that people had suddenly started to treat her differently. The way he spoke of it, you’d think it was only natural they all throw themselves at her feet, but she personally couldn’t accept it.
“This one is from the Grand Chancellor’s son, this is from the Duke’s grandson, this is from a royal mage, this is from a knight-captain, this is from a marquis who writes poems, and this one… Well, just have a look inside! I’ve already disposed of the ones that aren’t worth your time.”
Iris looked down at the letters and grimaced. “I can’t choose any of these people. I don’t even know them.”
If it was a school acquaintance, she was willing to consider it, but most of these names didn’t even ring a bell.
“I had a feeling you’d say that, so I’ve arranged them in order from most recommended to least recommended. I think the Chancellor’s son is probably the best choice, don’t you?”
The Chancellor’s son was five years older than Iris—a civil officer who worked at the palace. She had seen him in passing on occasion, but they’d never spoken, and frankly, she wasn’t sure he would know who she was if he saw her. Iris could only assume he had sent his offer under pressure from his parents to curry favor with her family, seeing as she was a former Holy Maiden candidate… Iris sighed. The same could be said for all of these invitations.
At last, Iris accepted that her life had changed.
“Just read them, won’t you?” her mother insisted.
Iris shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “Forget it! I’ll just leave it to fate! They’re all just strangers anyway, so it hardly matters!”
And so, she vowed to choose the person whose letter she grabbed at random. It was just a social obligation anyway; surely they could tolerate each other for one night—
“Would you prefer someone you know?” Nigel asked suddenly.
Iris froze and looked at him.
“The truth is, I have one more letter for you, written by someone you know well. That being said…are you sure you’re not interested in any of those?” he pressed.
Iris nodded eagerly, and Nigel let out a heavy sigh.
“Then take this.”
He handed her a scroll sealed with a luxurious flamingo-pink braided cord in the shape of a cherry blossom. Instantly, she knew who had sent it. She snatched it from him without a moment’s delay.
“Thank you so much, Nigel! You could have given me this to start with, you know!” Iris told him, beaming. He smiled stiffly back…because he could tell she didn’t realize the significance behind it.
“Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my!” their mother gushed with delight. It was a private letter bound with cord—clearly, it had to be a love letter. “Iris, you’d better go and read it in your room. Go on, now. I’ll get rid of these!”
With that, she scooped up all the other letters off the table and left the room.
“What was that about?” Iris asked, baffled. Nigel let out a sigh.
Right until that moment, he had agonized over whether or not to give Iris Reseda’s letter. He had known about Reseda’s feelings for her ever since they were kids, and he was aware of Reseda’s secret efforts to overturn the social stigma of soilpox scars. Because of that, an engagement between them was no longer unthinkable. In fact, one could say it was desirable, as Iris was a former Holy Maiden candidate with the blessing of a Fairy Leader.
But if she chose Reseda, she would no longer be free to choose any other path. After all, no one else would dare court the woman Reseda had chosen to be his princess consort. Thus, Nigel had held back as long as possible. He knew if he had given her Reseda’s letter at the start, their parents wouldn’t have even bothered showing her the other options, and he felt that wasn’t right. He wanted Iris to make an educated decision.
In the end, Iris did choose Reseda…but it was clear to Nigel that she didn’t understand the weight of this choice. Still, he had no intention of trying to talk her out of it. Her love life was none of his business, after all.
She doesn’t even realize she’s been ensnared, he thought. This is Reseda we’re talking about—the same guy who can make her smile when she’s crying. And she hasn’t even read the other letters! But…well, perhaps ignorance is bliss.
As Nigel watched Iris leave the room with a look of relief on her face, Nigel quietly decided to send Camille a letter, too.