CH 27

Rapid Development

After driving Falco away, Ramilio groaned when he received a letter.

“… It’s Lucrezia’s father this time?”

The wax seal with the crest was familiar. The letter was undoubtedly from him.

Inside the letter, there was a bunch of nonsense.

[As the circumstances have changed, I will no longer give you permission to marry Lucrezia.]

[I will be coming to your territory shortly to retrieve my daughter.]

He had sent her off into exile without a proper engagement agreement, and now he wanted to stop her from getting married?

At first, Ramilio felt sorry for her situation and thought that he would just let her recuperate, then send her home.

However, the more he heard of her father, the more he began to imagine that he might not be a good parent.

Ramilio suspected that there must have been some reason for his sudden decision to annul the engagement. For example, perhaps he was in need of money and had promised to give his daughter to another man. Or perhaps he was trying to extort Ramilio.

“…. Can I write “don’t screw around” and then send it back to him?”

“I suggest you don’t do that.”

“Why not? He once said, “I’m going to give you my daughter”. I even have the letter as proof. I can handle it if he wants to take it to court.”

“According to Illuminati law, aristocratic children under the age of 30 cannot marry without parental consent. If there is no marriage proof, any dispute will only be invalidated.”

Even though he was admonished, he wasn’t convinced.

Ramiro was getting mad.

‘What do they all think of Lucrezia?‘

He couldn’t help but feel pity for her, surrounded by people who only wanted to take advantage of her.

“I understand. All we need is proof of a marriage, right?”

“That’s true, but what do you intend to do….?”

“Before her father arrives, we’ll just get married quickly. We can take our vows in front of the priest and have a light reception, right? It won’t take long.”

Bosco paled and shook his head.

“No, you can’t! Think about how much women care about their wedding receptions! It’s not something that can be done easily!”

“We can have a lavish party as much as we want later.”

Bosco’s eyes narrowed sharply while looking at him, as if he was a lost cause.

“…. I don’t know anything, even if you get dumped.”

Ramilio was at a loss for words. Certainly, there was a part of him that felt a little sorry for her.

“I’m not going to get dumped. I just have to convince her and explain that her father is going to come here and….”

After saying that, Ramilio was silent again.

‘If I did that, she would leave in a huff, wouldn’t she?’

He was sweating.

If her own father told her to cancel the marriage and come home, a person with a proper ladylike upbringing will do as she is told. That’s how absolute the father’s opinion is. That is because the Divine religion teaches that daughters are to be under the protection of their fathers.

No matter how much Ramilio said things like, “I think your father is terrible,” it was doubtful that he will be understood. Once a person is strongly imprinted as such, it is very difficult for them to change their mind.

Since she had been so quiet and unperturbed by the order of marrying the Ugly Duke, she might say things like, “I would be happy to be of service to my father,” and use herself as a means to pay his debts.

Ramilio decided to modify his plan slightly.

He wouldn’t tell her about her father, but he would hasten the marriage anyway.

He didn’t feel comfortable deceiving her, but it was for her own good.

Ramilio decided to be the bad guy.

The fact that the letter came with a forewarning meant that he himself should arrive within a few days.

He must somehow deceive and delay her extradition to her father, while getting Lucrezia to agree.

‘If I’ve decided to do so, I have to immediately ask her for her hand in marriage….’

Ramilio froze as he thought about it.

‘A marriage proposal is… In other words… that, right?’

He had to get down on his knees and ask her to marry him.

And that too, within a few days.

In all his life, Ramilio had never made such an aggressive approach to a woman. The reason is simple: he was afraid of being disliked.

When he got engaged, he waited until he was told, “Please take our daughter”. He didn’t want to be rejected after making an offer himself.

For Ramilio, a proposal out of the blue was a bit too difficult.

He didn’t know what to do.

He bathed again for no good reason, shaved his beard, and made a bit of a mistake and scratched his cheek.

He used his new clothes for the first time, which he had kept without wearing, and carefully brushed his hair as if he was going to an evening party. However, he overdid it…. and so, his hair became shiny with glossy honey wax.

Ramilio, who was restlessly fidgeting, felt eyes on him and turned around, but no one was there except Bosco, who was writing diligently.

‘Damn it. Why am I so flustered?’

“…. I’m going to Lucrezia’s for a bit. Take care of the rest.”

“I understand. Please take your time.”

Bosco sent him off in a very kind manner. He was grateful, but his nerves were rising.

***

On the terrace of the mansion.

Lucrezia sat pondering while holding her new diary in her hands.

It was bound in brand-new leather, with lots of smooth white paper inserted in between. She kept looking at it, thinking how nice it was to the touch and how beautifully it was made.

‘What should I write about?’

She was about to write about the miscellaneous goods she’d bought yesterday, but then she thought better of it.

How tasteless it was to write on the first page about how you spent your allowance. If someone finds the diary in later years, they may pass it by without reading it.

‘The event that deserves to be on the first page is….’

It was just then that Ramilio showed up.

A shadow appeared over her diary, and when she looked up, she saw Ramilio with his all-back hair.

“Hey, Lucrezia. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course, my husband.”

As Ramilio said this in an awkward manner, Lucrezia, too, smiled at him with a dull look in her eyes. She always had this look in her eyes, but Ramilio froze.

‘I’m such an awful woman, scaring my husband like this….’

With a sad feeling, she made her smile deeper.

Ramilio turned his face away from her, but his cheeks were dyed pink, perhaps from fear. The side effects of the drug had made his skin pale, so the slightest change in his complexion would be apparent.

“Please don’t misunderstand me, husband. I was born with this face.”

“Ah… Well, I guess you were born cute.”

“What? No, it’s not that. My eyes are like dead fish, aren’t they?”

“What?”

“They’ve always been like this. Since I was a child, I have always lacked facial expression, and even when I am having fun, people say I look pale.”

“Is that so….?”

Ramiro looked at Lucrezia’s face with reserve, then quickly looked away again.

“…. I always thought you looked like Juno.”[1]

“Juno…?”

Lucrezia pondered what he was talking about, remembered that she was the patron goddess of marriage and motherhood, and promptly forgot about it.

‘A goddess wouldn’t have such a glum look in her eyes.’

Then suddenly, Ramilio made a strange face.

“….. No, wait. Who told you that you looked pale?”

“It was my father.”

“….”

Ramilio narrowed his eyes quickly.

Lucrezia continued, wondering what was wrong.

“Also, my mother-in-law and my sister. I was often told that because I have a bad expression, I make people feel uncomfortable…. and that if I looked pale, I shouldn’t force myself to come to the party and leave immediately.”

“Your family is….”

Ramilio mumbled and then fell silent.

‘What’s wrong with my family?’

She was staring at Ramilio’s handsome face.

Translator Notes:

1. Juno was an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She was equated to Hera, queen of the gods in Greek mythology. Juno was the queen of the Roman gods, the champion of women in their domestic roles of marriage and motherhood. ↵