Mio let out a deep sigh.
“The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced the way you reunited ruined everything. You screamed ‘Send Marie Chandelan away!’ and you looked like you were about to bite Thomas’s head off. Truly, you looked like a crazed demon.”
“W-was it that bad? All this because I’d gotten her name wrong…”
“That’s another big issue. Good grief, you really are a fool, my lord.”
“You got her name wrong too!” I shouted.
Mio was completely unbothered, and to be fair, I didn’t believe any of this was her fault. Neither of us could have guessed the girl crying alone in the courtyard had been the actual star of the party. That said, it was true that I hadn’t exactly spent enough time looking her up, and also that I’d been a little too eager and impulsive about this whole affair.
“Anyway, the first step is to face reality, my lord. She rejected you.”
“Th-that’s true… You’re right…” I had to force the words out. Admitting it out loud made my stomach sink.
“However, this entire misunderstanding is likely the main reason why. Lady Marie must have assumed you hated her. She’s so kind and modest that she might have refused out of consideration for what she thought were your true feelings.”
“You think so? Then if I explain myself, she’ll gladly marry me, won’t she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey!”
“All you can do is try your hardest, my lord. You’re the one with unrequited feelings, so you have to put in the work. While you may have been effortlessly popular up to this point in your life, you can’t keep on putting on airs, or you’ll spend the rest of your life crying over what could have been.”
“Aren’t you being a little harsh on me, Mio?”
“I can’t help it,” she said with a shrug. “What were you doing earlier? Lady Marie walked into the hall all dolled up, and you turned your back to her without giving her a single compliment.”
I groaned.
“Groaning won’t save you. Even a simple ‘You’re beautiful’ would have been enough. She wouldn’t have looked so crestfallen then.” Mio sounded mad. She was as stone-faced as usual, but her glare spoke volumes.
I looked down. I didn’t even need to close my eyes to picture Marie. Her vermilion hair had bloomed like a magnificent flower, the polar opposite of her reserved demeanor. Her smooth skin, which had been washed free of grime, had glowed like a pearl, and her light freckles had disappeared under the makeup, allowing her defined features to stand out instead. There truly had been nothing to criticize. She’d embodied perfection, from head to toe. Simply put, she’d looked perfect.
Of course, I’d loved her before I realized she was beautiful. I’d simply wanted her to look her best for the moment Liu Liu cast her judgment upon her. I hadn’t been aware whatsoever that she would look so exceedingly gorgeous. It had been entirely unexpected. An unforeseen incident. Big trouble, one may even say.
I’d been so caught off guard that I’d felt as though a giant was crushing my heart within its large palm. My heart had begun beating so fast and so loud from looking at Marie that it’d been the only thing I could hear, and it’d rendered me speechless.
I shouldn’t make excuses for myself…
Mio was absolutely right. I wanted her, so I had to do something about it.
I loved Marie and I genuinely wanted her to marry me, so, first of all, I had to convey those feelings to her. Regardless of what she might answer, this was the first step.
“Where is Marie?” I asked.
“Resting in her room.”
“All right. Here I go.”
I stood up and started walking toward her room.