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I was now sitting in the same reception room where I had talked the morning away with Sarah and Lady Alice. The only difference was that I was facing Felix Leeuwenhoek instead.
Ooooh! It’s been a while since I got to see him up close! He really is handsome!
Behind my nonchalant appearance, I was internally rejoicing.
Even if it’s only a temporary engagement, as his fiancée, I’d like to be able to gaze upon his beautiful visage from time to time!
Naturally, it wasn’t just the two of us in this room. There was a knight standing behind him off to the side. Actually, I recognized him—in my prophetic dream, he was often with my fiancé. He was Leeuwenhoek’s most trusted aide!
He stared at me without reserve and whispered amusedly, “Wow. You’re nothing like what Felix told me.”
“Excuse me...?” I asked.
“Cut it out, Kain!” Leeuwenhoek rebuked him.
The aide paid his lord no mind and approached me, swiftly kneeling before my feet, placing a hand on his chest, and lowering his head.
“I apologize for not introducing myself sooner,” he said. “I am Kain Purcell, knight of Leeuwenhoek and Felix’s close aide. Please call me Kain, my fair lady.”
“Why, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Kain,” I replied. “My name is Lucille Gustelanola.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed by the smoothness of his introduction. With his soft, beige hair and slightly drooping indigo eyes, Sir Kain looked like a gentle, sweet man.
Mm-hmm, he’s handsome too, but in a different way from Felix Leeuwenhoek. Very nice.
Personally, Leeuwenhoek was more my type, but Sir Kain would definitely be more popular with the noble ladies these days.
While I was examining Sir Kain, he stared back as if he were trying to discern something about me. The result was both of us gazing at each other intently.
“Hey, I’m here too,” Felix Leeuwenhoek grumbled, snapping me back to my senses.
Oops. Of course he wouldn’t want the evil woman he hates interacting with his closest aide. Plus, it wasn’t very ladylike of me to shamelessly ogle a man.
It seemed that the freedoms I’d been enjoying here had made me too lax. Perhaps the excitement of being liberated from my painful princess training had contributed to the effect as well.
At any rate, I flashed a smile at the troubled marquess. “Tee hee, don’t worry. I wouldn’t be so thoughtless as to flirt with your precious knight.”
“No, that’s not the issue...”
Oh? He’s still dissatisfied? Apparently, in spite of his appearance, Felix Leeuwenhoek is quite the worrywart.
It would indeed be problematic if I befriended the marquess’s close aide, thus straining their mutual trust.
“I have no intention of interfering with your relationship, so there’s really no need to worry,” I murmured without thinking, inadvertently voicing my thoughts aloud.
For some reason, the two men looked concerned at my words.
“Y-You make it sound like there’s something going on between me and Felix,” Sir Kain said.
“Don’t say that, even as a joke,” Felix Leeuwenhoek said menacingly.
Tee hee, I don’t really get it, but I’m glad they get along so well! Still, what is the marquess doing here? He said he wanted to speak with me, but... Oh, come to think of it, I forgot to make tea again. It keeps slipping my mind because my personal attendant, Lacia, used to do everything for me.
After finding myself having to brew my own tea nowadays, I’d realized that I actually wasn’t bad at it. I’d been hoping to serve it to someone, but I hadn’t had a chance to have tea with Grandpa Randy yet, and I’d missed my opportunity earlier today because Sarah had burst into tears.
I wonder if Sarah and Lady Alice like sweet pastries? It’d be nice if they could sample the ones I baked earlier.
Matthew, the adventuring chef, had looked sincerely happy whenever he served people food. Now that I’d discovered the joy of the cooking process in itself, I wanted others to try what I made as well.
As I was lost in thought, Felix Leeuwenhoek cleared his throat in an attempt to restart the conversation.
“I’m here today because I want to apologize to you,” he said.
“Huh?” I blinked.
“I’m very sorry for all my rudeness.”
I hadn’t been expecting those words in the slightest. Felix Leeuwenhoek and I had barely interacted at all since my arrival here. What was there for him to apologize for?
Well, thinking about it, there were quite a few things that had happened, though I wasn’t sure which ones he had in mind at the moment. But I couldn’t help but be confused anyway, because my impression of the marquess was far removed from the man who was currently bowing to me.
The Felix I knew was the one I’d seen in my prophetic dream, who always regarded me with unforgiving eyes. And when I’d met him in reality for the first time, he hadn’t been all that different, so I’d assumed he really was quite fastidious and prideful. Seeing him lowering his head without hesitation made me wonder if I had been mistaken. Or perhaps the me in my dream had simply been too unreasonable?
Well, yeah. Seeing Lord Felix now, it was clear that he valued his workers and the people under his care. In my dream, I’d treated the servants horribly, so his reaction had only been natural. Thinking about it from that angle made me start to feel sorry too.
“It may be too late to say this, but my attitude toward you was extremely unwarranted,” Lord Felix continued. “You came all the way to Leeuwenhoek alone, yet I showed no consideration, instead speaking harshly to you. I also did not properly arrange for a servant to attend to your needs. And yet you did not utter a single complaint nor did you frown at my unannounced visit. I can’t believe how tolerant you are.”
“Umm...”
“I am ashamed of myself for believing the rumors without question.”
With each sentence of his apology, Lord Felix’s neck bent a little more. I feared his head would soon touch the floor at this rate.
Um, it’s really not a problem at all if he hates me...
I was impressed by the graciousness of his admission, though. I actually already knew from Sarah that he had arranged for her to serve me. But instead of telling me that, he was taking responsibility for the outcome himself and apologizing to me.
“I know this is late, but I’m hoping I can make amends,” he added. “Of course, I know you have a lot on your mind too.”
Plus...his anxious face is handsome too!
This attractive and well-meaning man deserved happiness. I hoped he’d meet his fated heroine, Elvira, soon.
Suddenly, it dawned on me: I’d planned to fake my death once Elvira showed up, but why not watch the joyful relationship form between the beautiful saint and the exquisite marquess from up close instead?!
Yes! Felix Leeuwenhoek does want to make amends, after all. I don’t know why, but this is a good opportunity.
That said, there was an illogical aspect when it came to hating someone, so I didn’t expect his aversion to me to suddenly disappear. Still, I wasn’t going to waste this chance.
“Lord Leeuwenhoek! Yes, I would like to be your friend too!” I declared with a big smile.
For some reason, Sir Kain let out a chuckle.
Heh heh! Don’t worry, Sir Kain. I won’t leave you out. A friend of a friend may as well be a friend of mine. So you’re officially my friend too, Sir Kain!