Chapter 6

“Ah, I found you. Lady Agnes.”

“Eh? You were looking for me?”

“Of course. I followed the Eventail carriage immediately after what happened. I felt I had to apologize for dragging you into such a mess. When I arrived, they told me you had already been disowned and had left the mansion just moments before. I’ve been searching the city for you ever since. I’m glad you were somewhere easy to spot.”

I hurriedly stood up and approached him.

“Um, thank you very much. But… I can’t go back to the mansion anymore.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. You’re coming to my estate. It’s unacceptable for a young girl to be thrown out into the streets with nothing at this hour.”

What should I do? I’d had a hunch since the party, but… isn’t Lord Nazelbert actually a wonderful person?

“Your estate… you mean the Ducal House?”

“There’s a possibility I’ll be exiled to the frontier soon, but until then, you can stay in the detached palace of the Duke’s residence. I intend to take full responsibility for your livelihood.”

So Lord Nazelbert, who used “Watashi” in public, actually refers to himself as “Ore”…¹ As I was thinking about such irrelevant things, he suddenly spoke in a formal tone once more.

“I am truly sorry for involving you in this incident. This was all brought about by my own inadequacies.”

“What are you saying? No matter who looks at it, I think the person who conceives a child with another man while having a fiancé is the one with the problem. Everyone is too afraid of the Princess to say anything, but I’m sure they’re all thinking it.”

When I spoke my mind, Nazelbert blinked his long-lashed eyes and began to observe me closely.

“Do you not resent me? You were kicked out of your home because you were ordered to marry a criminal.”

“I don’t resent you at all. Although this feels a bit like being a bystander being hit while standing still, I actually feel sorry for you. To be framed for crimes you didn’t commit and then forced to marry the Potato Lady…”

“Potato…?”

“Do you happen to be unfamiliar with the rumors about me?”

“My apologies. I’ve been so busy with work that I’ve stayed away from social circles for a while.”

“It’s not something you need to apologize for. So, you really haven’t heard the rumors.”

Since we’d been ordered to marry, it was probably best to inform him about my reputation to avoid any unnecessary trouble later.

Having made that decision, I explained the truth of the “Potato Lady” to Lord Nazelbert.

“…And that’s why I’m the laughingstock of high society. That’s why the Princess called marrying me a punishment.”

“What a cruel story.”

“I know, right? To be forced to marry the Potato Lady…”

“No. What I’m calling cruel is the act of looking down on someone and disparaging them like that.”

“Eh?”

I looked up at him in surprise. It was the first time in my life I’d ever received such a reaction.

However, he didn’t seem to mind my shock and offered his hand like a true gentleman.

“Let’s go. It gets cold at night; it’s not good to stay out here so long in such thin clothing.”

“Ah, yes.”

Compared to modern styles, my grandmother’s dress used a lot more fabric and the material was thicker. However, by some stroke of bad luck, the specific dress I was wearing today left my shoulders completely bare. To make matters worse, I had dropped my shawl back at the house.

We walked through the nighttime streets toward the spot where Nazelbert’s carriage was parked.

The feet I’d been forcing to walk in high heels were throbbing. This was definitely a blister…

My grandmother’s shoes didn’t quite fit my size.

As I marched on while enduring the pain, Nazelbert suddenly came to a halt.

“Lady Agnes, are your feet hurting?”

“Eh? No, I’m fine. I can still walk.”

“That isn’t what people call ‘fine.’ Excuse me for a moment.”

With that, Nazelbert lightly scooped me up into his arms.

“Hieee!?”

“The carriage is just ahead, so please bear with me for a little bit.”

Forget bearing with it—this was the first time in my life I’d ever been carried like a princess.

And the one doing it was none other than Lord Nazelbert of the Ducal House. It was incredibly embarrassing, but wasn’t this a total dream scenario?

While I was busy thinking such idiotic thoughts, we arrived at the carriage.

The Duke’s carriage was beautiful to behold. It was simple yet sturdily built, making it obvious that no expense had been spared.

I was set down onto a plush, high-quality seat, and Nazelbert took the spot directly across from me.

Before long, the carriage lurched into motion, the sound of hooves echoing through the quiet streets.

“It’s just me in here. Lady Agnes, please feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

Nazelbert was staring worriedly at the floor of the carriage… or rather, at my feet.

“No, I couldn’t possibly go barefoot in front of a gentleman.”

In the past, it was considered a breach of etiquette in this country for a woman to show her feet to a man.

Nowadays, that rule no longer exists and many women expose their skin quite normally, but the House of Eventail was an exception. Ever since I was a child, I had been taught that “taking off your shoes in front of the opposite sex is the act of a shameless hussy.”

In my head, I understood that it wasn’t something to worry about so much.

However, when it actually came time to act, my family’s words would inevitably rush through my mind, making it impossible for me to take the shoes off.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

I knew. I knew Nazelbert had no interest in my feet and was simply concerned for my well-being.

Finally resolving myself, I hitched up my cumbersome dress and shouted a mental “Hiyah!” as I kicked off the shoes.