In the Myemel family conservatory, Melina was trembling slightly and Kirinarth had laid his head on the table.
“I don’t know if I’m suited for such a big role. I’m not sure…”
Melina pleaded in a low voice.
“I can’t be anyone else but Mer! I’m so sorry I made a mistake!”
Kirinarth tilted his head back. Melina’s eyes having widened in surprise at having her head bowed, she did not notice that Kirinarth’s words made her cheeks flush with pleasure.
It was Balzalid, standing behind her, who noticed, shook his shoulders, and stifled a laugh.
***
After the retreat of Saidorius, Junar was to be officially appointed Dauphin.
Originally, the Kirinarths’ father, the Grand Duke, was second in line to the throne, Junar was third, and Kirinarth was fourth. Junar is so gifted that he is expected to study for a year to become a Dauphin before being sworn in as Dauphin.
Junar does not have a fiancée. Junar’s fiancée died three years ago due to an epidemic.
Therefore, she is currently approaching Marine to marry Junar, and Junar goes to Marine’s ducal residence several times a week. Junar is sincerely in love with Marine, even if he does not ascend the throne, and Marine is attracted to Junar.
Marine’s father, the Duke, is also positive and has decided to adopt a newborn son of his own brother. He is determined to work hard until the child comes of age.
And when Junar could not succeed him, the Grand Dukes naturally decided that Kirinarth would succeed him.
Kirinarth [received the earldom from his father and will manage the count’s estates after he leaves the order]. He had promised Melina that he would run the count’s estate after he retired from knighthood. Melina feels the pressure of the unexpected grand duchy.
***
Nat-sama … Nat-sama …
Noticing that Melina was about to say something, Kirinarth raised his head. There was Melina, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.
[Gong!]
Kirinarth now lowered his head to avoid looking at Melina and hit the table as hard as he could.
“Bwah!!!”
Balzalid couldn’t help himself and started laughing. Melina, startled, stood up and went to Kirinarth’s side, as she was worried about Kirinarth. Kirinarth now stood up.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back, have some tea!”
Kirinarth left the greenhouse as quickly as he could. A dejected Melina was left behind and a maid ran up to her to cheer her up.
“Hey, Kiri!”
Balzalid called out to Kirinarth. Kirinarth turned around pouting and, as Balzalid had expected, turned bright red.
“As I said, it doesn’t make a good impression to go without Melina-sama,” he said.
If I stay there, I’ll lose my mind!
And why?
Didn’t you see that, Mer?
Kirinarth’s eyes are bloodshot, but he takes a deep breath and tries to calm down.
“So, why?”
“Because Mel is too cute! If I had been there, I might have attacked Mel. If I do that and Mel hates me, I’ll be single forever. I can’t think of anyone else but Mel!”
Balzalid had made Kirinarth practice his confession by deliberately making him say it.
“Then why don’t you say it yourself?”
Balzalid said politely, as if admonishing.
“What, you want me to tell him I’m going to attack Mel?”
“Why do you turn into such an idiot when it comes to Lady Melina?
Tell him you think Melina is beautiful.”
Kirinarth had finally calmed down, but now he was back to his old self and getting even redder.
“Bam!!! You can’t just say that!”
Melina even worried that Kiri didn’t like her.
Kirinarth’s face went from red to blue.
“Damn! I wasn’t going to say it, but it slipped out. Rebecca’s going to be pissed.”
Balzalid spat out a mocking reminder.
Kirinarth leaned back against the wall and looked down.
Balzalid scratched his head. Rebecca is the second daughter of the Baroness, Balzalid’s friend who was entrusted with Melina at graduation. After graduation, she became Melina’s personal maid of honor and still accompanies her in the greenhouse.
“Earlier, Lady Melina said she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a grand duchess. “Earlier Lady Melina said that she was not sure if she wanted to become [Grand Duchess]. If Kiri tells her how she feels, I’m sure she will accept that she is a Grand Duchess.”
Kirinarth returned, her large body dwarfed by Balzalid, and at her insistence sat down on a small couch for two in the conservatory.
Rebecca motioned Melina to sit next to Kirinarth.
***
The day after graduation at Melina’s Marquise, Balzalid and Rebecca listened to Melina’s problems and decided that it would be quicker to get Melina to move on than to try to bully Kirinarth. They told her that it was nothing to be ashamed of, that Melina was good and how Kirinarth really felt about her, and asked her to treat Kirinarth with the feeling of helping him.
***
After Kirinarth left the room, he said to Rebecca [Kirinarth was embarrassed. Forgive him and accept him…] Melina seems to have gently guided Kirinarth as they had learned.
After a while, Kirinarth could be seen gently embracing Melina and not holding her arms up, and Balzalid and Rebecca heaved a small sigh of relief.
Later that evening, Kirinarth and Balzalid saw the Marquise’s carriage depart from the entrance of the Grand Ducal Residence. They watched the carriage until it turned off to the other side of the street.
As they looked at the back of the carriage, Balzalid asked Kirinarth.
“Hey, how come the fiancée of the eldest son, Junar, was a countess and the fiancée of the second son, Kiri, is a marquess?”
Junar’s late ex-fiancée was a countess. Junar’s brother Kirinarth’s fiancée was of higher rank.
“I got down on my knees.”
“What?”
Balzalid involuntarily raised an eyebrow and looked at Kirinarth, who was still following the carriage with a slack face.
“When I was ten years old, Mel came to my brother. I was there with him.
I’ll never forget how shocked I was when I met Mel. I didn’t know a girl could be so petite and pretty and still need to be protected.”
It is true that all the maids in the Grand Duchy of Myemel were fighting maids, and none of them were slim and petite. At that time Kirinarth was so busy with his work that he left social events, such as tea parties, to his brother Junar. So he didn’t know any girls at all.
“I didn’t think you had to be like your wife to be Grand Duchess of Myemel…”
Balzalid turned blue. The current Grand Duchess of Myemel, the mother of the Kirinarths, is a fierce fighter. I can assure you that it is impossible for Melina to become one from now on.
“No, your grandmother was a calm, elegant and graceful woman. She didn’t practice martial arts. But she was not a girl.”
Kirinarth compared his grandmother to Melina in his mind and laughed.
“I wanted to protect Mer. So that night I got down on my knees before my father and brother and asked them to make me Mer’s betrothed.”
When Melina was gone, Kirinarth spoke frankly.
“Hmm.”
Balzalid heaved a loud sigh and sat down; Kirinarth looked at him curiously.
Balzalid stared at Kirinarth from below.
“That’s because Melina didn’t get the message at all! You’ve been misunderstood!”
“What, misunderstanding? How can that be?
“Because you’re too shy to say what you feel!
Melina thinks Kiri took you because Junar didn’t like you!
Balzalid stood up and put his hand on Kirinarth’s shoulder.
“You’d better tell her right, poor Melina…”
Balzalid’s deep voice was gentle, as if advising his brother. That’s why it went straight to Kirinarth’s heart.
Balzalid disappeared directly into the servants’ canteen. Now Kirinarth stays behind and sits down, unable to get up, until the butler calls out to him.
***
“Little by little I will have to learn to say it…”
Balzalid muttered while chewing on a piece of bread. He dreamed of marriage with Rebecca, who would live with Melina in the grand ducal palace.
