FMFR Chapter 7

Chapter 7 — Pierre’s Test

‘Even if she is his maternal aunt, how could he speak Aragonian properly when he has never even been there? …And so fluently, at that.’

Even Medeia, who had grown up in Aragon her entire life, found his speech completely natural, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

“I’m already familiar with those words because she often says them to me as well, so it doesn’t really matter. Don’t worry.”

“…Thank you for understanding, Your Highness.”

As expected, he was not an easy opponent. He gave her no opening to slip away.

She had anticipated it to some extent, since she already knew that in the future, he would ascend to the throne.

But there was no doubt that his entire attitude had changed.

‘Before my regression, whenever I occasionally went to the palace at my aunt’s command and happened to encounter him there…’

They had merely exchanged greetings, and he had never shown any particular interest in her.

He certainly had never possessed the suffocating intensity he displayed now.

If anything, he had been excessively polite.

Whenever she greeted him courteously, he would smile gently and ask her to treat him more casually.

He always seemed flustered, as though even receiving a greeting was unfamiliar to him.

All of that had been an act. If so… Was this his true self? Or… Was this also something he had fabricated? Then why had he changed his attitude so drastically?

It seemed there had to be another reason.

It was hard to believe it was simply because of the ruby necklace.

“I was curious about what kind of person the young lady who received even that necklace from my aunt would be, since she isn’t normally someone who readily lets people get close to her.”

Medeia hesitated for a moment before reaching a hand toward the ruby necklace.

‘Queen Greta died, and it became the property of the Aragon royal family again, which was why he couldn’t take it with him….’

He must be attached to the ruby necklace, so perhaps returning it to him would earn his favor.

“Would you like me to give you the necklace?”

“…No. Keep it. It suits the color of your eyes.”

Just then. The door opened slightly, and Sisanna’s voice could be heard.

“Your Highness Prince Pierre. The Duke and Duchess of Heidel are coming this way. It seems they are looking for the young lady.”

Pierre gave a relaxed nod and looked at Medeia.

“There are many things I’m curious about regarding you, Young Lady. I’ll hear the answers to those questions next time.”

His voice fell slowly, carrying an air of composure.

Even though the Duke and Duchess of Heidel were on their way, he showed no sign of urgency.

It was as though he already had a way to deal with them if they happened to run into each other.

“…Shall I formally visit you at the palace?”

“No. There are too many eyes watching in the royal palace.”

“……”

“Let’s meet at the Delphium Dress Shop at noon two days from now. What do you think, Young Lady?”

He had already decided when and where they would meet, yet he was asking what she thought.

On the surface, it sounded as though he was politely asking for her opinion, but in reality, she had no room to refuse.

With the Duke and Duchess of Heidel approaching, it was difficult to continue their conversation. And since Medeia knew he hadn’t summoned her merely to make small talk, the Delphium Dress Shop, where they could avoid other people’s eyes, was actually more convenient.

Medeia gave a slight nod and rose to her feet.

Just before getting out of the carriage, she felt someone’s gaze and turned her head slightly.

Pierre was watching her with cold eyes, as though carefully observing every one of her movements.

The moment their eyes met, he raised the corners of his lips again as if he had never been staring at her that way.

Feeling uncomfortable, she hurriedly stepped down from the carriage, and Sisanna lowered her eyes.

In the distance, the approaching Duke and Duchess of Heidel were drawing closer and closer.

Pierre probably wasn’t nervous despite their approach because he had his own way of getting out of this situation.

Medeia’s case was different.

She knew that if the Duke and Duchess of Heidel found out that she had been with him, she would have to spend a long time explaining what they had talked about.

“Please go on ahead, Madam Sisanna.”

Just thinking about the trouble it would cause made Medeia sigh inwardly, so she whispered to Sisanna.

Sisanna nodded and climbed into the carriage.

Shortly afterward, the carriage set off, and just after it passed through the main gate, the Duke and Duchess of Heidel approached.

Guilt was written all over the Duchess of Heidel’s face.

Her eyes were brimming with tears. Given her personality, it was only natural that she would feel sorry, even if what she had said had merely been intended to comfort Daphne.

‘I just want to go upstairs and rest.’

She was already exhausted and didn’t want to repeat what had happened earlier or spend any more time facing them.

“Medeia, why are you getting out there?”

The Duke of Heidel seemed to have seen her getting out of the carriage and asked in confusion.

Medeia deliberately furrowed her brows and pressed a hand to her forehead as though she were suffering from a headache.

“Madam Sisanna asked me to accompany her to the dress shop regarding my coming-of-age dress. But my headache got worse, so I told her to go ahead.
I’ll visit separately another time.”

“Does your head hurt badly? You don’t look well. Wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor and have you examined?”

“……!”

The Duke of Heidel reached a hand toward her face.

Just before his hand touched her forehead, it overlapped in her mind with that same hand striking her cheek. Medeia instinctively stepped backward and raised her arms to shield herself.

Her heart pounded violently and refused to calm down.

She flinched even though there was absolutely no reason to react that way in this situation.

Medeia forced herself to take deep breaths and tried desperately to calm down.

After barely managing to part her lips, she said, “…I’m sorry. I was just startled all of a sudden….”

The Duke of Heidel’s expression instantly turned serious, and he furrowed his brows.

The Duchess of Heidel also looked deeply distressed.

It was as though they had realized that she hadn’t simply been startled by the sudden touch that her reaction was something her body had accumulated over time.

So it was obvious that they would think this way.

They would wonder whether someone had ever laid a hand on her while she was living in Aragon.

“Did someone hurt you while you were in Aragon? Is that why you were so startled?”

As expected, the Duke of Heidel became furious, convinced that his guess was exactly what Medeia had in mind.

“Who on earth dared to…? This won’t do. Tell me who it was. I’ll deal with them right now…!”

“…It’s okay.”

“You are the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Heidel. No one has the right to treat you carelessly, yet someone dared to. Come on, tell me. Just tell me who it was, and this father will do the same to them.”

‘…How troublesome.’

Even if she told him, it wasn’t as though the Duke of Heidel could strike his own cheek himself.

Medeia shook her head as though she were someone who simply didn’t want to make things more complicated.

“It’s a relationship that has already ended anyway. I don’t have any desire to try harder or win their favor anymore….”

In truth, she simply no longer considered them anything to her, so she felt no need to do so.

“I don’t want to dig it up again for no reason…. I think it would only make things harder for me. I’ll just accept the concern you have for me.”

They would probably never know.

“If that is what you want, then all right. I understand.”

They would never know that the words she had just spoken were actually meant for him.

The Duchess of Heidel carefully asked, her voice sounding even more distressed than when she had first arrived.

“…Dea, did you happen to hear what happened earlier…?”

“…I wasn’t trying to listen in. Did it make you uncomfortable?”

“Dea, Mother didn’t mean it that way. You had a rather difficult time in Aragon… Um, what I mean is—”

“…It’s okay. You were right. Daphne was only trying to look after me, but as you said, I think I was being too sensitive.”

After speaking with Pierre, Medeia had learned something.

She had learned that she needed to take control of the conversation and never give the other person an opening.

Rather than becoming hurt, sulking because of it, and putting up a wall, it was better to embrace their words, show understanding, and make it seem as though she was willing to make an effort.