“You have arrived.”
"Yes."
She got out of the carriage, escorted by the coachman.
"It has been a long time since I last saw you, Lady Bellion."
"Yes, it's a relief to see you looking healthy."
Roselyn headed to the reception room, guided by the chief attendant who had come to greet her.
Surprised eyes briefly touched the black dress from here and there, wondering if it really stood out.
Thinking about it, the chief attendant was amazing for not even twitching an eyebrow while seeing her right in front of his eyes.
"If you go inside, His Highness the Third Prince is waiting."
"Yes. Thank you for the guidance."
The chief attendant paused for the first time at Roselyn's greeting.
However, he quickly wiped the agitation from his face, bent down, and opened the door.
"You look much brighter."
At the chief attendant's words delivered in a faint smile, Roselyn glanced at him, let out a light chuckle, and entered the reception room.
As she went inside, the young boy who had been sitting on the sofa fidgeting suddenly stood up.
"Ah. Oh. You're here! Ro, Lady Roselyn!"
A man with slightly wavy black hair and striking pale sky-blue eyes suddenly stood up from his seat.
The joy and excitement were clearly palpable in the awkward smile.
"It has been a long time since I last saw you, Your Highness the Third Prince."
"You! Ah, no! You agreed not to be formal with me, Young Lady. Um... um, ah! First, please come this way."
The young man, flustered and not knowing what to do, hurriedly extended his hand wearing pure white gloves.
As if someone was reading, a luxurious leather book was placed on the table in front of the sofa.
Roselyn nodded as she watched the young man smiling brightly.
Roselyn quietly gazed at the face of the man who was her fiancé and whom she had belatedly realized she loved, then smiled faintly.
"Thank you for allowing this sudden meeting."
"Ah! No, not at all. Um, I heard that something serious happened to the Young Lady as well, but as for your health..."
Pure white skin, a slight flush on the cheeks, sky-blue pupils trembling with uncontrollable joy, calmly falling black hair, and even a shy smile.
The pure white uniform embroidered with gold suited him very well.
"I am fine. I apologize for being rude, as I am engaged."
"Oh... that's a real relief."
Phew, the young man with the youthful face let out a small sigh of relief.
"Hmm. It's been a while since we last met, so I think we should just get straight to the point. Is that okay? I have plans later."
"Ah...! It's actually pretty good..."
Roselyn slowly nodded her head in front of the man who looked disappointed.
"Shall we break off the engagement, Your Highness?"
Rattle.
No sooner had Roselyn finished speaking than she slowly raised her head at the sound.
"...Why, why?"
Roselyn paused for a moment at the sound of water droplets falling onto the table before she could even move her lips.
"D-did you dislike me because I was frustrating? Or... I mean, did I do something wrong to you, Young Lady?"
"..."
"If you tell me, I'll fix it..."
The Third Prince, Arma Dianitas, who had approached Roselyn before anyone realized it, looked down at her with a distorted expression.
'...Was he always this big?'
It felt a bit unfamiliar, perhaps because it had been so long.
Roselyn looked up at him silently, then slowly shook her head.
"Your Highness, you have done nothing wrong. It is simply that I am acting as I please...”
"...Lady Roselyn."
"Of course, I am aware that an engagement with the Imperial Family is not a trivial matter. It is also a decision I made on my own initiative... So, if you could perhaps arrange a meeting with His Majesty, I would like to have a conversation with Him..."
“...No.”
Arma shook his head and took a step back.
"Yes?"
“I don’t like it...”
"...No, Your Highness, I was talking about myself "
"...I do not want to. Please just tell me what you want instead. I will try my best to make it work. At least tell me the reason."
Roselyn narrowed her eyebrows at Arma's appeal, which was more resolute than expected.
The man, speaking clearly and unhesitatingly, bent his knees and took Roselyn's hand, eventually pressing his forehead against the back of her hand and bowing his head.
'That's strange. There shouldn't be any particular contact at this time of year.'
She did think that since he is a soft-hearted person, he might naturally feel hurt and disappointed, but she never imagined he would shake his head so adamantly.
The Arma that Roselin remembers was always someone who granted Roselyn's wishes.
If she wanted to do this, he did it for her, and if she wanted to do that, he did that for her.
Even after she left the Duke's mansion, Arma secretly came to find her, and later, when Roselyn was pursued by enemies due to a grudge after leaving the mansion, Arma ran away with Roselyn and died protecting her.
Roselyn used his death as a stepping stone to escape.
And the world called her the worst temptress who lured the naive Third Prince and used him as bait.
So, Roselyn owed Arma a debt.
So Roselyn wanted Arma to meet a good person and be happy.
Roselyn shrugged her shoulders after a brief moment of hesitation, as she could not bring herself to say the thoughts that had crossed her mind.
"I'm just a bit tired of it."
"... Yes?"
She spoke calmly as she pulled her hand away from Arma.
"Your Highness is boring. You are weak, timid, and a Prince with no chance of becoming Emperor."
As she shrugged jer shoulders and snorted, he opened his eyes wide as if hurt.
His beautiful sapphire-like blue eyes were trembling slightly.
"...Lady Roselyn?"
"So, I'm sorry, but I would appreciate it if you could let go for my sake. I prefer someone who is more promising, has strong convictions, and possesses masculinity—somewhat fierce."
Roselyn recited an ideal type that was exactly the opposite of Arma.
Actually, this wasn't her ideal type, but someone else's.
Arma's face, which was already unmanly and pale, became even paler.
Roselyn stood up from her seat as she watched the man, frozen with his mouth agape as if he had lost his ability to speak.
"If it is difficult for you to make time with His Majesty, I have no further business with Your Highness."
She put the wide-brimmed hat she had taken off for a moment back on her head and opened her mouth.
"I will try to ask His Majesty to make time for me through another route. Still, it has been a pleasure."
"...Ro, Lady Roselyn."
As she was about to leave the drawing room without a second thought, his trembling voice stopped her.
“Don’t go.”
Roselyn did not look back.
Just as she was about to open the door, she felt the sleeve of her dress being held limply.
"I am...!"
Arma was standing behind her before she knew it.
"I will arrange a meeting with His Majesty. If that is what you wish, Young Lady, I will do so."
There was a time when Roselyn had nothing but this blind man.
The person who stayed by her side no matter how much she pushed him away, someone she couldn't trust.
Looking back now, she thinks she relied on this man quite a bit.
She also learned things from him, like how to erase traces or how to hold a dagger
"Thank you."
"...No, it is not. It is because I am lacking."
At the innocent man's words, Roselyn gaped and then slowly closed her mouth.
I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't say it because I dislike you. Just resent me.
She could have said all sorts of things if she wanted to, but she didn't say them out loud.
In Roselyn's eyes, the distance between him and herself was just right as it was.
"I'll be going now."
"Yes. Um... later on, even if we break off the engagement, would we be able to remain friends?"
At the words full of lingering regret, Roselyn narrowed her eyes and opened the door wide.
"Unless you wish to tarnish my reputation, you would be better off not doing that."
"Ah..."
Roselyn turned away without listening to any more.
As she walked along with clicking heels, she felt someone chasing her from behind and let out a sigh.
Roselyn was about to speed up a little more when she saw people approaching from the opposite hallway and paused.
"Oh. Who is this? Isn't this the most perfectly matched low-level couple in the world?"
Soon, a sarcastic voice was heard, as if the other party had also spotted them.
He was the 2nd Prince.
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