Chapter 40

“Marquis Eventail, are you uninjured?”

Asked flatly by Prince Leonard, Father scrambled to his feet in a panic.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”

Father’s head was covered in a thick layer of cream.

He was arrogant toward me and Lord Nazel, but he certainly knew how to be polite in front of royalty.

It really made me wonder…

However, even at this late stage, Father began to complain to Prince Leonard about things he shouldn’t have.

“That sinner over there has brought shame upon me!”

With that, Father pointed a finger straight at Lord Nazel. Oh boy…

This man understood nothing. Lord Nazel was here at Prince Leonard’s invitation!

Complaining about that was the same as defying the Second Prince himself.

After a moment of thought, Prince Leonard stood directly in front of Father and spoke.

“I am the one who invited Nazel. Do you have an objection?”

When questioned, Father shook his head vigorously, saying, “Perish the thought.” However, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from voicing his dissatisfaction.

“But this man is a sinner who committed an act of disrespect against Her Highness the Princess!”

Father… that is exactly what people call an “objection.”

“Marquis Eventail. Nazel is innocent. The true sinner is… well, some of you likely already know. I intended to address that today.”

The buzzing of the nobles gradually quieted down.

“Currently, the royal castle is being controlled by the Queen, my sister, and Lord Robin of the Baron’s house—the father of my sister’s child. However, there seem to be issues with their practical administrative abilities.”

Voices of agreement rose from the nobles. Those who worked at the royal palace, in particular, were nodding emphatically.

It sounded like they were being put through quite a lot of trouble.

“Nazelbert, who was the Princess’s fiancé, was burdened with a crime he didn’t commit and exiled to the frontier. Now, due to Robin’s reckless behavior, second and third ‘Nazelberts’ are beginning to emerge. Despite being the Princess’s partner, that man seems to be framing the fiancés of any young ladies he takes a liking to. If left unchecked, the order of the royal court will crumble.”

The party guests broke into a stir, with the men in the crowd shouting their agreement.

It seemed that young ladies raised under strict education were defenseless against a handsome young man of a different sort whispering sweet nothings to them.

As a result, Lord Robin was being treated like a pest by the men who were engaged to those ladies.

Hmm… the Royal Capital faction sure has it rough.

“I have been watching the situation closely, but I have judged that if things continue this way, it could result in shaking the very foundation of the country. Therefore, on behalf of my elder brother who is too ill to move, I intend to proceed with preparations for when the time comes.”

“When the time comes.” Depending on the situation, did that mean Prince Leonard would replace the Queen and the Princess?

“Furthermore, House Eventail. You are hereby prohibited from participating in all official events for the foreseeable future. Do not show your faces before me again.”

“Th-That can’t be!”

“Did you think you could cause this much of a scene and not face consequences?”

As I watched on with bated breath, Prince Leonard turned to Lord Nazel.

“Nazelbert, take your wife somewhere to rest. Yarata will handle the rest.”

I could see the venue’s host, Yarata, panic slightly in the distance at the sudden mention of his name.

Lord Nazel and I were shown to a private room in the Earl’s estate, while my father, who had caused such a ruckus, was forcibly removed from the party. He seemed to be shouting excuses until the very end…

Though, in that state, he couldn’t have stayed at the venue anyway.

While relaxing in the small guest room, I looked at Lord Nazel.

“Lord Nazel. Thank you for saving me.”

He was always protecting me.

It made me so happy that he had stood up to my father so resolutely at the party.

My body was still trembling from the tension of facing my family, but having Lord Nazel with me gave me a sense of security that everything would be alright.

“I’m just glad you weren’t hurt. I didn’t want to clash with your family, but they were even more impossible to reason with than I imagined. I wish I could have handled things a bit more smoothly.”

No, no, it was more than enough…

Just avoiding my father’s fist was impressive in itself.

“The House of Eventail seems to hold unshakeable convictions. In a way, it seems quite difficult for an entire family to adhere so strictly to a single policy.”

“My father and mother are first cousins. Since they come from the same clan, they both faithfully uphold the House of Eventail’s ideals. If my mother had been from another house, perhaps she might have listened to my concerns.”

The reality was different, so there was no point in dwelling on it now.

Because it was a match within the clan, my parents’ marriage had been easy, with few obstacles.

But I wished they would stop expecting the same result for their daughter. Finding a fiancé outside of the family had been incredibly difficult.

Though, in the end, I’m glad my marriage hunting kept failing.

“…They’ve always been that way. So, please don’t let it bother you, Lord Nazel.”

No matter how much I rebelled, it always ended in futility.

Faced with the emptiness of being unable to hold a conversation with them, back when I lived at home, I would eventually give up and obey my family’s orders. I had no other choice.

“Agnes. You did well to endure that house until you married me. All by yourself, with no one to turn to.”

He pulled me toward him from the front, gently patting my back as if to soothe me.

“It’s alright now. I will protect you, Agnes.”

Wrapped in his warmth, my heart felt full. My eyes began to sting with tears.

Without realizing it, I found myself clinging tightly to him.

…Ah, I really do love him.

…I knew it; I truly, honestly love Lord Nazel.

When we first met, I thought he was wonderful, and I had no resistance to the marriage.

During the maid interviews, I felt that I didn’t want him to take a mistress.

Even now, I’m so glad that Lord Nazel is my husband.

If possible, I want us to stay a married couple forever.

When I’m with him, my heart feels so at peace.

I looked up and gazed at Lord Nazel.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Um, well… I was just thinking about how cool you looked, Lord Nazel.”

“…”

Lord Nazel blinked and fell silent. O-Oh? Did I say something strange?

Looking closely, I thought his cheeks seemed a bit flushed.

“Um, Lord Nazel?”

“…I…”

I couldn’t hear him clearly, so I asked, “Eh?”

Then, Lord Nazel averted his amber eyes and spoke with a bashful expression.

“I find you so incredibly dear, Agnes. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.”

“…”

This time, it was my turn to blink.