Allendis continued, “If you would consider me as her prospective partner, it would be very useful to solve that difficult situation. I feel uncomfortable saying it, but I’m a good groom, though I’m still young. What do you think?”
“…My daughter’s opinion does really matter.”
“Yes, that’s right. If my relationship with your daughter has fully developed by that time, I would like to propose to her formally. But if your daughter is dating another man, I will give up neatly on the condition that he is worthy of being her partner.”
Although the main topic was about me, they totally excluded me from the conversation. They were now slowly wrapping it up.
“Good. I don’t think of you as my son-in-law, but if you meet one condition, I will allow you to hang around her as Tia’s friend, but be careful. My daughter is still the crown prince’s fiancee.”
“Of course. What is the condition? ” Allendis said with a bright smile.
Without answering the question, however, my father rose from his seat and looked back at me.
“Tia, I have to go to the palace. Actually, I should have left earlier, so I’m a little late. See you later in the evening.”
“Oh, you were supposed to go to work today. Take care, Dad. ”
“Okay.”
While walking away without casting a glance at Allendis, my father turned slightly and said,
“If you want to stay with my daughter, you should be able to save her from any dangerous situation. As Duke Verita has never been trained in martial arts, come to see me in person, starting tomorrow. Let me train you directly.”
“Uh, how much progress do you want to make in martial arts?”
“Well, if you want to defend my daughter, you should be able to beat a group of knights without any difficulty. I’ll see you tomorrow. ”
The boy, who stared at my father who made such remarks casually flopped down on the spot.
“Not one knight but a group of knights? I’m done!”
I chuckled at his desperate expression. When he watched me giggling quietly, covering my mouth, Allendis said with a sigh, “Don’t laugh. My family members have never been trained in martial arts from generation to generation. Besides, I’m also very clumsy in using a sword.”
“Oh, really? That’s why I’ve never seen any remarkable knights from the Verita family. ”
“Yes, you’re right. They are very smart, but strange enough, they are very clumsy in martial arts. I can’t help it, though. I have no choice but to follow your father’s direction in order to get a pretty and smart wife like you.”
I couldn’t find any of the seriousness in him that he showed while he was talking with my father. He was back to his jovial and playful moods again.
“Oh, sorry. Aristia. ”
“About what?”
“I think I didn’t ask for your opinion while I was talking with your father about you.”
“Ah…”
To be honest, I didn’t feel bad at all. I was absent-minded when he was about to propose and my father suddenly appeared to stop him, which got them entangled in a war of words. I felt good when he politely apologized.
So, I said with a light smile, “Well, let me accept your apology.”
“Thank you, miss,” his tone was polite and playful as he smiled.
“Let me start my relationship with you as a friend like your father suggested, but Tia… ”
“Huh?”
“When you become an adult, I hope you can recognize that I was the first to know your true value and propose to you.”
“… Sure, thanks, Allendis. ”
Suddenly, I felt heartbroken to hear that. In fact, I really wanted the crown prince to propose to me like that, but he did not take care of me even at the end. Even at this moment when I came back from my past, he never changed.
But now, Allendis, not the crown prince, was asking to stay with me.
“You don’t have to thank me as I’m now forcing you, Tia,” he said, tilting his head and clicking his tongue as if he was in doubt.
“Oh, dear. I didn’t ask for your opinion about it again. Sorry.”
“About what?”
“Let’s put aside our future, Aristia. Will you be my friend for now? ”
When he reached out with a bright smile, I felt somewhat touched.
I had no one who I could call a friend in the past. There were no noblewomen in my age group, and I was designated as the crown prince’s fiancee as soon as I was born. Because of that, I was the object of other ladies’ admiration or envy, so I could not make friends with anyone.
Bachelors from the noble families also avoided me because they were afraid of being misunderstood by others. When I was pushed into the position of the emperor’s concubine because of Jiun, I turned into an object of their ridicule and sympathy.
A friend means someone who was on an equal footing. That’s why I never had a friend. So, I felt strange and warm when Allendis asked me to be his friend.
“Yes, I hope I’ll be in great hands, Allendis.”
I smiled brightly as I grabbed Allendis’ hand. Everybody had a friend, but I was not allowed to have a friend. I was thrilled to know that I finally had someone who I could call a friend, who I could mingle with on an equal footing.
While looking into his sparkling emerald eyes, I thought that only now I could accept the reality that I took pains to ignore until now, and that I was living a life different from my past.
“See you tomorrow, Aristia.”
“Okay, take care!”
While I was talking with Allendis, I didn’t know how fast time had passed. Dinner time was already approaching. As it was discourteous to stay late at somebody’s house unless invited, he stood up and left.
While I was resting briefly after seeing him off, I received a message that my father would be back home a bit late today. I let out a sigh when I heard that.
‘If you had informed me a little earlier, I would have asked Allendis if he would like to have dinner with me.’ I got used to eating dinner with my father at home, so I lost my appetite when I was alone for dinner.
“Lina, tell the kitchen staff they don’t have to prepare dinner today. My father is late, and I don’t feel like it.”
“What do you mean, lady? You know, you’re too weak.”
“Even if I skip one meal, I won’t fall, so don’t worry.”
“But…”
“Fine, Lina. By the way, can you tell the butler to bring me a list of the servants and maids in this house?”
“Yes, young lady.”
After assigning her, I headed to my father’s study. I had something to tell my father, but as he would be late today, I had to handle other things first. When I was organizing something to do in my heart, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
“Did you need me, my lady?”
A well-dressed butler came in and greeted politely. The butler, who was in his early thirties this year, was the first son of the former butler who had recently retired to his estate. Though he took over his father’s job recently, he seemed to get on top of it already. He’d been learning it even as a child.
“Although you said you didn’t want it, I brought some food for you. Please try it, my lady. ”
“Oh, thank you for your consideration.”
When I cut a small piece of white cake into my mouth, he said, giving me a thick book, “This is a list of the staff of this house that you requested.”
“Well, I have a few questions to ask.”
“Please go ahead.”
“Is each person’s personal information listed here correct?”
“Of course, lady.” I carefully examined it.
Only
“Their names, descriptions of their features and clothing, their birthplaces and families, their location, etc. Hummm… Looks good. By the way, can you look into one more thing?”
“What should I investigate?”
“I want you to investigate the personal details of their families. When you do that, review the existing list carefully whether it is correct.”
“Sure, I will do. Lady.”
“I know it’s burdensome to you, but please do me a favor.”
“I will look into it and report back to you as soon as possible.”
After he received the list back, the butler was about to leave.
But as something came to my mind suddenly, I called him again.
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