MPGF 07

MPGF

Posted by Fahad, Released on July 13, 2025

Chapter 7: Where Are You Running To?
I went to visit the guard post located in the capital.

As soon as I entered, I saw the guards switching shifts.

I immediately grabbed one guard and asked,

“Excuse me, I have something to ask.”

He glanced at my clothes, stopped what he was doing, and replied,

“Is this about a report?”

“No. I want to find the person who escorted me home early this morning from the guard post.”

I had come looking for that man yesterday. There’s only one guard post in the capital, so he must be here.

“What’s your name?”

“Anette Leangberaye.”

“Hmm. Ah, here it is. Please wait a moment.”

The guard who was flipping through records went inside the headquarters.

“Please don’t say you don’t remember.”

Instead, the man’s face in my memory grew blurry. He was handsome, but the gilded interior and dazzling lights made his image hazy. I was quite flustered.

I recalled yesterday and waited nervously for the guard. Soon, a tall man came out behind the guard.

“This is the guard who escorted the young lady to the mansion yesterday.”

“Thank you.”

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Finally, I met him.

Is this the man who will become my husband?

I raised my slightly bowed head quickly. But—

“What is it?”

This isn’t the man.

It wasn’t the handsome guard I saw yesterday. Even if my memory was vague, his impression was completely different.

“You’re the one who escorted me to the mansion?”

“Yes, I am.”

Moreover, his voice was totally different.

“You’re not the one who took me to the casino yesterday…”

“The casino? I only escorted the young lady who was riding in the carriage back to the count’s mansion.”

There was apparently a report.

This man had just responded to it and found the carriage I was in.

“Then who made the report?”

“As soon as I tried to speak with them, they suddenly disappeared, so I couldn’t confirm.”

“Any description?”

“It was very early morning, so I didn’t see their face under the robe… Are you in a hurry?”

I shook my head at the guard’s question.

“No, it seemed like one of the guards. Tall, handsome face, ah, a man with a green cloak draped over his shoulders.”

“Hmm. At least, our guard post does not wear green cloaks. Since last month, we’ve been wearing yellow cloaks because it was too dark at night.”

Looking around, all the guards wore yellow cloaks.

“Any other features?”

I couldn’t recall anything else.

I didn’t even know his name or which family he belonged to.

By now, I was even unsure if I really went to the casino last night.

In the end, I left without any results.

‘He didn’t run away, did he?’

I should have written down the contract or something back then. If I hadn’t suddenly collapsed, I would have gotten it.

Still, since he was the one who said he needed a wife first, there shouldn’t be a reason to run away, right?

Maybe the proposal letter just isn’t ready yet.

That’s what I thought back then.

When I got home, I was immediately grabbed by my parents.

I felt like it wouldn’t end if I didn’t say anything, so I roughly explained what happened yesterday.

Of course, I didn’t tell them I met Serdis. They’d be more upset than anyone.

“You swapped dresses with Princess Violet?”

“Yes. The princess looked unwell, but was dragging a heavy dress around, so I changed dresses with her.”

I had to explain the mysterious yellow dress too. Without causing Violet any trouble.

“You didn’t have any other contact with the princess, right?”

With a strange look, I immediately lied.

“Women understand these things. It’s that time of the month. Even if we aren’t close, we have to help.”

Then my mother nodded as if she understood. My father, who was listening, asked,

“So you knew about Saint Dahlia’s memorial day and didn’t attend the banquet but just went home?”

“…Yes. But I couldn’t find the carriage and got lost wandering around to get some fresh air. I think I must have dozed off on the street.”

“You know that sounds ridiculous.”

Father answered gruffly.

“…But it’s true.”

I couldn’t properly tell my parents anything.

‘Please forgive your worthless child, mother and father.’

I wandered the streets, went into a casino, and promised marriage with a stranger?

Even if I told them, I don’t know if they’d believe me. They’d probably just scold me for fooling around outside.

They already think I’m weird for talking about marriage lately. I couldn’t add fuel to that fire.

“I can’t live like this.”

Mother sighed deeply. Then she opened her arms to me, who was standing still, shrinking.

“Come here.”

I obediently went to her and buried myself in her embrace. Her hands warmly wrapped around me.

“Mom knows she can’t do without her daughter, right?”

“I know. I was wrong.”

“What are you talking about? It’s because our daughter is kind.”

Smack. My mother kissed my forehead. I smiled happily.

“How was the banquet? I read in the newspaper on the carriage that the temple sent a Keleves branch as a token of gratitude.”

I had seen it in a newspaper article before entering.

The temple had specially gifted a branch imbued with a blessing as thanks.

“Did the branch have flowers?”

Like a child who knows nothing, I snuggled into my mother’s arms and asked.

“Uh… yes? The flowers were really pretty, right dear?”

Mother stammered and turned to my father.

“Yes, that’s right. You should have seen it, it’s a shame.”

A lie.

From a glance, both of them seemed too busy blocking Kassian.

They probably worried I might find Kassian and mention marriage.

‘The only ones who went according to plan were mom and dad.’

Feeling suddenly sad, I hugged my mother’s waist tighter.

But when will the proposal letter arrive?

It will soon, right?

Ominous premonitions never fail.

“No contact for two days?”

For nearly two days, no proposal letter, nor even a single visitor came to the house.

“I won’t stand for this.”

It was my fault for being bewitched by a handsome man again.

Once fooled. Twice fooled?

I even tried to find the man, but Serdis might interfere again, so I didn’t.

“Why don’t you stop even talking about marriage first? Or at least say you can’t marry!”

If I ever run into him again, I’ll kick his shins.

Even though I had resigned myself, when Betty came in, my heart thumped with hope.

I probably hoped she’d bring news of the proposal letter. Foolishly.

But from Betty’s indifferent expression, it wasn’t about the letter.

“Miss…”

Betty closed the door tightly and came in as if she had something important to say.

“Is something wrong at home?”

“No. I heard something strange.”

Betty came closer, looked around the empty room, and continued.

“This is what the maids whispered—His Highness Serdis ordered an expensive ring at the Tier jewelry store.”

“Tier?”

Tier was a famous jeweler for engagement rings in wealthy families.

If Serdis was getting a ring there…

No explanation was needed.

“I thought things were quiet for a few days. What on earth is he up to?”

I jumped up.

Leaving Serdis alone to make progress, I couldn’t just wait quietly any longer.

I thought marriage was the safest way to get off the original plot. If that’s not possible—

‘It’s plan B now.’

A way to avoid Serdis, even if imperfect.

If that failed, there was still the plan to enter a convent and cut my hair.

“I have to go out right now.”

I opened my wardrobe and took out a neat dress.

“Where are you going?”

“I can’t just sit in my room waiting for Serdis to bring the ring.”

“Why don’t you like His Highness?”

“I don’t like obsessive men, remember?”

Betty looked at her pile of romance novels and nodded.

“I should find novels with kind men as protagonists.”

“Yeah, do that.”

Leaving the enthusiastic Betty behind, I hurried outside the mansion.

“Coachman, I have to go out urgently, so I’ll need the carriage.”

I went to take the count’s carriage that was nowhere to be found yesterday.

“Oh dear, what to do? The carriage is too old, so the master ordered all carriages to be repaired today. They’re all with the repairman now. They’ll only arrive after sunset, miss.”

Of all days, today?

“All the carriages repaired?”

The coachman frowned.

“Yes, it’s just words for now.”

I had no choice but to turn back.

If there was no carriage at the mansion, I could borrow one.

I just hoped I wouldn’t run into Serdis by chance.

Just as I was about to step out, shielding my face with a wide floppy hat,

“Miss Leangberaye!”

Someone called out loudly.

A woman with purple hair hurriedly got off a carriage.

“Princess Violet?”

Unexpectedly, she came running.

“Where are you going without a carriage?”

Violet asked in a much more relaxed tone than at the banquet.

“I have somewhere else to go. How about you, princess?”

“I was on my way to find you. I wanted to thank you for what happened that day.”

She grabbed my hand tightly.

“You came all this way, but what should we do now? I don’t have time.”

I didn’t have time to leisurely enjoy tea with Violet. To quickly succeed with plan B, I had to hurry to the palace.

She was about to let go but changed direction and pulled me along.

“Then I will take you to your destination.”

“Huh?”

“Even if just for the travel time, please give me that time.”

Reluctantly, I followed her into the Sharpennen carriage.

When I asked to go to the palace, Violet silently agreed.

She smiled gently as soon as she sat in front of me and expressed gratitude.

“Thanks to you, I was able to get through the banquet without tarnishing my father’s and brother’s faces.”

“That’s a relief.”

I was curious how the banquet ended since I didn’t stay until the end.

If Violet came to find me, it meant my choice wasn’t wrong.

Even if other plans failed, I was glad it wasn’t a nightmare banquet for Violet.

“But… I felt sorry for making it hard for you to be seen at the banquet because of my dress. I was thoughtless. I should have told you to bring another dress from the mansion.”

“No. I wasn’t there to enjoy the banquet anyway.”

“Thank you for saying that. I misunderstood Miss Leangberaye. I shouldn’t have hated you just because you like His Highness…”

Violet fiddled with her hands and sighed.

“Don’t you hate him now?”

Looking up, I met her eyes.

“Of course not. I rather hate myself for blaming you.”

“That’s enough. It’s enough.”

She knew I wanted to distance myself from Serdis and had proven it, so she wouldn’t doubt me easily. That was enough.

“But… why are you going to the palace?”

She asked cautiously.

“I’m not going to meet His Highness.”

“You don’t have to say that for me to believe you.”