CH 25

"Yes?"

I looked at my father with a bewildered face.

No, what is difficult?

Is it difficult to invite?

“Father, what do you mean?”

My father tilted his eyebrows down, similar to mine, and replied with a somewhat excited look.

"Libe, actually, the Grand Duke has contacted you."

“Who is the Grand Duke… … Yes? I beg your pardon?"

His name suddenly came from an unexpected place.

I was standing there with a dazed face, but my father continued talking leisurely.

“The Grand Duke.”

The moment you forget to breathe

“He told me that he had a special interest in you.”

… … .

Ah, since I forgot to breathe, I'd rather just keep stopping.

I twitched the corners of my mouth and bowed my head.

“Rive?”

My father was taken aback by my reaction.

“Oh, Libe. Are you okay?”

"Yes No. No, yes, it's okay.”

“There must be a reason why the Grand Duke told me that. On the day when you openly invited a man who was in the mood for marriage to a meal, and that fact reached the ears of His Highness the Grand Duke.”

A shadow fell over his father's gentle face.

Yes, I think I know what will happen next.

“… … .”

“So that would be a little difficult. I'm sorry, Libe."

It's a plan I came up with on my own. I tried my best to hide my bitterness.

“No, Father.”

“By the way, Libe, I want to ask you something, can you answer me honestly?”

When I raised my lowered head, my father was looking at me with worried eyes.

"yes."

In fact, I was a little moved by the words that followed right after that.

“No matter what anyone says, I think Libe’s heart is important.”

"father."

“Of course, the fact that the man interested in you is Archduke Cygnus made this father a little excited.”

“… … .”

“I can't sleep well at night just thinking that a duchess might be born into our family.”

“… … .”

“How happy your mother will be with her nervous breakdown, and besides, the future of your brother, Oliver, will be very bright.”

“… … .”

"I've been dreaming all my life to have the gaze and enormous influence that I will gain by becoming a family with the Grand Duke."

“… … .”

“I still think our Libe’s heart is important.”

My father looked at me with benevolent eyes, but his cheeks were slightly flushed and his nose was twitching.

It's a real nostril.

“I know, Father.”

In fact, it was natural for my father to not understand my actions.

I know very well what it means to be loved by Xerlac.

To become the woman of someone with power comparable to that of an emperor.

A life where you can put everything under your feet and have everything you want in your hands.

If there were no restrictions on me, I might have welcomed the current situation with open arms.

Well, is that really the case?

He was sure to be a great and wonderful figure, but he was still a little scared.

The bridge of his nose, which seemed to have been carefully crafted, seemed to be cut, and his whole body felt chills from the coolness felt from his flawless white skin, and he seemed to die of drowning in the snow of unknown depth.

… … After listing them, is it true that I am afraid of him?

Oh come to your senses!

“Libe, it seems that His Highness Archduke Cygnus is too… … Is it because it's difficult?"

I hardly let go of my expression, but when I sat down, my father asked me indirectly.

“Yes, it is a little burdensome.”

Not a little, but a lot.

Anyway, he shouldn't be mine.

I don't want to die here. I mean, I want to come back alive.

“To be honest, I was worried until I sent you the dress. That's a favor you can do for anyone. But if you can tell me this.”

“… … .”

“Live, just like your mother said, men are very simple. Except for my father, of course.”

haha.

“I think the Grand Duke might be a really pure person, unlike what is known. That's why you show your feelings honestly."

Is it pure?

No, father really. No matter how good the power is!

“So why don’t you try to understand a little bit, a little bit of his heart?”

“Okay, Father.”

For once, I knew for sure that my father was not on my side.

It means that it is impossible to use Nathan to clean up Xerlac.

OK, what else to write?

I smiled sweetly at my father again.

“Yes, Father. I see what you mean.”

For now, today is a retreat.

“Then I’ll go upstairs.”

“Rive.”

When I turned back, my father opened his mouth with an embarrassed face.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to invite the Grand Duke to a meal. How about that?"

I briefly thought of him drinking tea with a lofty face.

My feelings for him were very complicated.

A man who once wanted to run away and felt numb just by looking at him from afar.

But nonetheless, a man so wonderful that it would be lethal.

I gripped the hem of my skirt tightly, not wanting to admit my complicated feelings.

However, there is something more important than that feeling.

I have to put the puzzle back together that I messed up.

“When your father’s busy work is over. Will that be okay?”

“Ah, of course. then… … What are you thinking about learning about music? Shall I introduce you to another musician your father knows?”

“No, I will take care of it. Thank you."

My father smiled broadly as if he was satisfied with my answer.

After a moderate smile, I turned around and smiled.

Father, I'm sorry.

I don't think I will be able to realize that grand and grand dream.

what's for dinner

We'll get it done before that horrible spot opens!

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The rain that had been falling since morning was intensifying.

Whether it was because of the conversation with his father the night before, or because the future was uncertain, his head was heavy and he was not very energetic even after eating sweets.

Ah, if you feel depressed even if you eat something sweet, then this is really serious.

It was a time when I was just staring at the scene where water droplets landed and then slipped.

"miss."

Eclat, who went out after breakfast, must have returned.

“Yeah, did you meet Elome well?”

I glanced in the direction where Eclat was standing, then looked helplessly out the window.

“Yes, lady. That's not what's important.”

"Yes."

The only thing that matters in my life right now is running, Eclat.

“I have two pieces of news that will absolutely surprise you.”

“Yes, there are two.”

I still responded nonchalantly, but Eclat didn't seem to care about my attitude.

“Which one would you like to hear first?”

"anything."

“Okay, then first! You know the novel the young lady talked about last time.”

"novel?"

“Yes, don’t you remember?”

“… … What novel was I talking about?”

“Oh, oh, there are two people who are destined to fall in love, but the female protagonist’s friend interrupts them.”

what?

Eclat's words opened my ears and quickly turned around.

“Uh, yes. We talked about that. But why?”

“I was curious about the ending of the novel, so I asked for the title.”

I don't know how this story will turn out, but how can I know the ending!

“Oh, yes, yes, yes.”

“But you said you couldn’t remember.”

Eclat spoke quickly with a very excited face.

“I didn’t know, so I asked Elome.”

Elome.

She was a maid of Viscount Shurein's family, and she was a quick-footed, quick-witted child.

It is not an exaggeration to say that he knows all the social issues.

“I did?”

“Elome gave me the title of the book.”

"What?"

I was so startled that I jumped out of my seat.

No, I don't know how this story will go... …

Does anyone know the title?

Did I mention the current situation?

“Is it really? Do you know the title?”

“Yes, there is nothing Elome does not know. If she doesn't know, she will come until she finds out.”

Eclat shrugged with a proud face.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand it.

Elome was a child who took great pride in the fact that her mouth was influential.

I didn't think it would damage trust just because there was something missing.

then… … Are you saying it's real?

"So, what's the title?"

My heart was pounding.

"Also! I thought the lady would like it too. I said I came here because I wanted to let you know.”

"So what's the title?"

“It’s called Renata’s Disappointment.”

"What?"

It's a name I've heard a lot.

Wait, isn't it oddly similar to the title of this novel, "Leonie in full swing"?

While I was looking at her with a stupid face, Eclat didn't care.

“So I did some more research, and they said it was only available in Mr. Clem’s bookstore, not anywhere else. She thought the lady would be curious, so I was going to buy one on the way, but it was raining too much.”

If it was Mr. Clem's bookstore, he knew where it was.

It was where Oliver's brother always went when he didn't have a book he needed.

I've never been there, of course.

"Let's go."

"Yes?"

“I need to go right now.”

"Oh, it's raining a lot. Will you be okay?"

"Sure. let's go!"

Maybe you will find the answer in it.

For the first time today, I felt like my mind was clear.