IALFMFL CH 04

I wondered why he wanted me to come again.

Trying to hide the corners of my mouth that kept wanting to curl upward, I pretended to cough and raised both hands to press firmly against my cheeks.

“You said what you need is a girlfriend, right?”

His dark, low-saturated red eyes came close enough to be right in front of me. I subtly leaned back and nodded vigorously.

As his straight nose lowered closer to mine, I felt like I could barely breathe. Worried that he might hear the loud pounding of my heart, I scooted my hips as far back as I could.

Nezar grabbed my arm as if telling me not to move, then lightly flicked my forehead with his finger.

“Don’t do anything strange on your own, like memorizing men’s names for no reason. I’ll introduce you to Ezaret, so spend some time with her.”

What? Was he talking about the princess?

Nezar had two half-siblings. Princess Ezaret, the daughter of the current Empress, and the youngest prince, Andrew.

Out of all the women in the world, he wanted to introduce me to his own half-sister…

According to imperial law, marriage between relatives within the sixth degree was forbidden in the Kabal Empire. So even if I somehow became close to Ezaret, it obviously wouldn’t help me at all in breaking off my engagement.

I hurriedly lowered my hands and shook my head vehemently.

“No! Ah, I mean, it’s not that I dislike her. I’m fine.”

“Why? Ezaret is only a year older than you. Unlike you, she’s calm and composed, so I think the two of you could get along well.”

“Calm and composed? Aren’t people who have opposite personalities more likely to clash?”

“That’s only when they’re complete opposites. You and she actually have quite a few things in common. Like getting worked up over pointless things, or sometimes making it impossible to tell what you’re thinking…”

Was he insulting me right now?

When I simply sat there listening without answering, Nezar pulled my arm a little closer and spoke in a calm voice.

“I don’t know what suddenly came over you, but the image people have of Katrina Ezelrot isn’t going to change that easily. Even I, who have known you for seven years, came all the way here because I thought something had happened. Imagine how strange other people must find it.”

“…Then what should I do?”

“If you’re not willing to throw away your pride just to cater to women, then give up.”

After uttering such a coldhearted remark, Nezar smiled as softly as whipped cream sitting atop a cake.

That was too cruel.

There was a very clear reason why I needed a girlfriend: I wanted to cancel my engagement. Of course, I couldn’t exactly explain the details, but how could he just tell me to give up?

A pang of disappointment rose to my throat. I frowned and pushed Nezar away.

“Don’t talk so carelessly just because it’s someone else’s problem. And no matter what you say, I’m going to make a girlfriend. Just not Princess Ezaret!”

For some reason, I felt as though I was getting worked up over something insignificant all by myself.

Nezar openly scoffed and reached out to stretch both my cheeks.

The sensitive and gloomy atmosphere from earlier had vanished without a trace, replaced by his usual mischievous expression.

“How dare you turn down an offer personally made by His Highness Nezar himself? You still haven’t come to your senses. I’ll come again tomorrow, so think carefully about your answer by then. And like I said before, don’t waste your time memorizing the names of strange men.”

He got up, leaving me all alone in the drawing room before walking away.

He was probably going to meet Rockhard.

I slowly stood up after him. His words about coming again tomorrow lingered in my ears, spreading like an afterimage.

It was a rather strange feeling.

He wasn’t normally the kind of person to say things like that…

That night, which arrived before I knew it, I spent a long time poring over books on tea-party etiquette before getting into bed.

After staring at pages densely packed with words for the first time in ages, I felt as though my stomach was turning upside down. When I finally decided I couldn’t take it anymore, I shut the cover of the book I had been stubbornly skimming through.

“Daisy.”

“Yes.”

Daisy, who was sitting beside my bed and diligently brushing my hair, answered.

Her voice had become considerably gentler than it had been a few days ago, when she had been so flustered by how much I had changed.

“About girls… Is it really true that talking about men helps you become friends with them?”

“Isn’t it a little different for everyone? But the maids, myself included, usually become close by talking about romance or men. It’s the most fun, after all.”

“Are there even any men in our estate to talk about…? Who on earth is that popular?”

I thought I had memorized quite a few names earlier that afternoon, but the only one I could actually remember was Pansion Entera.

Perhaps it was because I had only heard his name and rumors about him without ever seeing his face.

Now that it was time to sleep, I found myself curious about what kind of person he was.

Daisy lightly ran the brush through my hair one last time before putting it away and standing up. I could hear her light footsteps behind me.

“Usually, the main topic is the knights of our family. Since Ezelrot is close to the Imperial Capital, stories about the Imperial Capital Guard come up quite often too. As for the Imperial Capital Guard, not many of us have actually met any of them. The stories just spread through word of mouth.”

This was why rumors were frightening.

The thought that people I didn’t even know were going around talking about me wasn’t exactly pleasant.

And this wasn’t something I could simply dismiss as someone else’s business. I had already heard from Rockhard that despite being only fifteen, my infamous reputation was already causing quite a stir outside.

My future looked incredibly bleak.

I couldn’t even begin to guess what kinds of rumors were circulating about me.

I let out a deep sigh and crawled beneath the thin summer blanket.

Daisy finished tidying up the vanity and walked over, pulling the blanket up to my chin.

I whispered softly toward her face.

“You know, I don’t know a single one of the knights you mentioned. How am I supposed to talk to them when I don’t even know who they are?”

Daisy looked up at the ceiling as though thinking about it before speaking.

“Why don’t you ask Young Master Rockhard? Since he’s also a knight of the Imperial Capital Guard, perhaps you could go watch their training. I don’t think that would be a bad idea.”

“What?”

I was horrified by her suggestion and immediately shook my head.

I’d rather go to the Imperial Capital alone while pretending to be insane than ask Rockhard for a favor.

“You want me to ask him? You’re being so careless just because it’s someone else’s problem! I’d rather stick my nose in a bowl of water and die…”

Daisy giggled softly, kissed my forehead, and walked away.

The room quickly grew dark as the door closed with a quiet click.

I turned toward the window and grabbed my head.

To become friends with women, I needed to talk about men.

But I didn’t know any men.

Women were interested in the Imperial Capital Guard.

Rockhard was a member of the Imperial Capital Guard.

No matter how much I thought about it, asking Rockhard seemed like my best option.

It felt like an ant lion’s pit—I could search all I wanted for an escape, but I couldn’t get out.

“Fine. I’ll just bring up the dressmaking room. Or maybe suggest embroidery…”

That was what I had decided.

But once the sun rose, my feet were already carrying me toward Rockhard’s room.

From early in the morning, when the servants were already bustling about, I wandered around Rockhard’s room.

In the end, I actually came.

I had thought I would never ask Rockhard for a favor until the day they put the lid on my coffin, but I suppose you never know what might happen in life.

Knock, knock.

With trembling hands, I knocked on Rockhard’s door.

Even bowing down in front of a dog would probably have been less humiliating than this.

Before long, the door opened, and Rockhard stepped out dressed in his uniform.

He lowered his gaze until our eyes met, and his eyes widened in surprise.

But soon, as though he had never been surprised at all, a bright smile spread across his face.

More precisely, it was an unbearably irritating smile—so irritating that I almost felt nauseous just looking at it.

“My adorable little tomboy came to see me first thing in the morning. Did the sun rise in the west today?”

Rockhard’s voice was so syrupy it felt as though he were rolling around in butter, and goosebumps rose all over my arms in response.

I was certain that, among all the faces I had seen recently, the smile right in front of me was by far the most repulsive.

I wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave immediately, but that remained nothing more than a wish.

I hadn’t come all the way to Rockhard’s room on a whim.

After hesitating for a moment, I finally forced the words that had been stuck in my throat out.

“Oh, what time are you leaving for work today?”

“Right now.”

Oh, no.

I had expected to have at least thirty minutes.

Instead of getting ready to go out, I had come here wearing nothing more than light indoor clothes.

Perhaps he noticed my flustered expression because Rockhard lifted his chin.

With a suspicious look, he slowly scanned me from head to toe.

“Is something wrong? If you have something to say, say it quickly, Kate. Like I said, your older brother has to leave for the Imperial Capital right now.”

The capital of the Kabal Empire, where the Imperial Capital was located, was only about three hours away from Ezelrot territory.

However, the Imperial Capital Guard was responsible for numerous duties both inside and outside the Imperial Capital, at least officially. Because of that, Rockhard, as one of its members, could only return to Ezelrot about once every four days.

In other words, if I couldn’t bring it up today, I wouldn’t get another chance to see Rockhard for four days.

“Take me to the Imperial Capital too.”

Because I was in such a hurry, the words simply burst out without any explanation.

Yet Rockhard, who had just been asked to take me along, merely straightened his back without showing any surprise.

He casually rolled his shoulders and reached for the doorknob.

“Fine. I’ll give you ten minutes. Get ready and come downstairs. I can’t wait any longer than that, so you’d better hurry.”

Huh?

Was he really agreeing that easily?

When I couldn’t seem to move my feet, Rockhard grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back a little.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said ten minutes. Hurry back to your room and get ready. You’re not planning to go dressed like that, are you?”

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“I know well enough without you having to tell me, so don’t worry. Now then… Didn’t I tell you to hurry and get ready? Should I just carry you there myself?”

Rockhard grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up, throwing me over his shoulder.

Not only was my field of vision suddenly high above the ground, but my upper body was swaying back and forth with every step he took. I felt as though the beef soup I had eaten for breakfast was about to come back up.

I clenched my fists and pounded hard against Rockhard’s back.

At least, I thought I was hitting him hard.

Rockhard didn’t seem to feel a thing.

“Put me down! I told you to stop treating me like a child!”

“Yesterday, you were making such a fuss about being a proper lady, and today you’re back to being your old tomboy again. Was it all just a whim?”

“It wasn’t a whim! I really am going to become more ladylike, so put me down!”

When he laughed, the shoulder supporting my stomach shook along with him.

No matter how much I struggled and flailed my arms and legs, Rockhard continued walking without the slightest hesitation.

Why did he always so wholeheartedly do exactly what I told him not to do?

I suppressed my irritation and merely let out an angry breath.

Hearing it, Rockhard laughed again, and after descending a single flight of stairs, he finally set me down in the hallway.

“Nezar has morning duties, so you won’t be able to see him until late afternoon. You’ll get bored waiting, so bring that thick book of general knowledge you were reading yesterday. Even looking around the garden will probably bore you within ten minutes.”

“Nezar?”

I opened my bedroom door and looked up at Rockhard strangely.

“I’m not going to see Nezar.”

At my words, Rockhard’s expression immediately twisted as well.

“You’re not? Then why are you coming along?”