Chapter 23: One year later, part 1.

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Translated and Edited by: luccayn.
Enjoy!

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A year has passed since the day of my facing with Lulu.
In the month since then, Lyla and Rein had their marriage as planned. It was a gorgeous and joyful wedding, and I was able to attend as a best friend to the two of them. Funny story, I actually cried out of happiness for my two dear friends.

A month after they got hitched, I was engaged to a new fiancé. I wish we could have gotten wedded this year, but it would end up overlapping a royal marriage that happened to pass coincidentally. Thus, we moved the date a year forward.

My new betrothed's name was Miss Roseberry. Her light chestnut hair fluttered light, and her topaz eyes brimmed kindness. She was four years older than I and boasted excellent horse-riding skills. Although firm and harsh in tone, her bright personality was polite and lacked any malice. With such a personality, she had many friends and her social circle was wide.

Recently, my fiancé and I have been enjoying long-distance riding dates… Though, I have to note I was a little more afraid of horses than I'd like to admit. With her help, I've become much more comfortable with the majestic animals and my riding has improved.

Having a wonderful woman by my side, great in conversations and kind to a tee, was a breath of fresh air. I have to offer my thanks to the marquis, Rein's father, for having found such a wonderful person in such little time.

Back when we were just ending my meeting with Lulu, I had a meaningful talk with the marquis. As I thought we'd be over and done, however, he told me to wait. There was another reason for his appearance, though I had to suspect it was the crux of it.

In fact, aside from the ones I knew, another person stood by them. The reason Lyla did not appear along with Rein while I was talking with the marquis was due to her talking with that new stranger… Indeed, it was Miss Roseberry, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Hruskov, belonging to the royalist faction. Her case for being there was meeting me for, well, an arranged marriage meeting. The marquis then told me my parents had already been informed of the situation and had agreed to the blind date.

The daughter of a count in charge of the border, fighting tooth and nail for the protection of the country was perfect. The aristocratic faction could not mess with this engagement as easily as they did with my ex-fiancé. Furthermore, the wife of the Count of Hruskov was a distant relative of the marquis. Thus, we'd become relatives, although a bit more distant.

I was more impressed by the marquis's ability to get things done in a jiffy. Truthfully, I believed I was there only for cutting things off with my ex, but an opportunity presented itself practically instantly. Rein, who was supposed to be on my side, patted my shoulder and whispered, “My father is always like this. Hang in there.”

In the end, the afternoon I had planned to drink with Rein was filled with a blind date. Hence, I ended up spending time with the daughter introduced to me by the marquis himself.

After the introductions were made, the marquis left the villa, leaving the rest up to me. So, we had lunch with Rein and Lyla, followed by a tea party for two with only Miss Roseberry and me.

She looked me straight in the eye and did not utter a single word of compliment or contempt. The only thing that came up during our time together was talk of a certain country across the sea, linked to my worries. My purple eyes were different from my direct ancestors, but were the color of the inhabitants of that same country across the sea, who once immigrated to this land.

Miss Roseberry, who knew of that country, stated that it was quite common overseas despite its rarity here. I have always loathed my eyes, often seen as nothing more than an aberration. Never was I fond of talking about them.

However, rarer than my own disposition was finding a young lady that, without revealing curiosity or superficially praising my eyes, managed to weave the topic naturally into the conversation, pairing it with other countries all the while. After that, the topic slid to national politics without resistance.

When I returned to the Berner residence, my parents asked me about my day. All my mind could recall was Miss Roseberry, the youngest daughter of the Hruskov. My parents teased and laughed, which was more than a bit embarrassing though.

Still, the fact she and I managed to get engaged smoothly as water filled me with joy.

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T/N: 4 chapters remaining!

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