Leah had no idea why she had suddenly become engaged.
She met Sieghardt again in the beautiful gardens of the imperial palace.
As the gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, they spent the time almost entirely in silence. Once he finished his tea, he simply left.
Thus, their second meeting ended.
They had barely spoken at all.
Just as she thought, he didn’t seem to like her.
(Then why… would he get engaged to me?)
It was a mystery.
Because Sieghardt resembled Paul, Leah found herself feeling conflicted.
A trace of Paul’s image crossed her mind, making her chest ache.
Even if they remained silent, she didn’t mind.
When she was with him, feelings of nostalgia, happiness, and sadness all mixed together.
She absolutely did not want to cause trouble for the ducal family.
Since her engagement to him had already been decided, she intended to accept it.
◇◇◇◇◇
Their third meeting took place a few days later.
Just like before, they had tea together in the same place.
When he finished drinking, he stood up as if to leave, so Leah called out to him.
“Um…”
He stopped moving with clear irritation and sat back down.
“What is it?”
Leah asked the question that had been on her mind the entire time.
“Why did you become engaged to me?”
She hadn’t been able to ask last time, but she had come today determined to ask.
Sieghardt blinked languidly.
“Why? I already told you.”
(When was that…?)
Leah thought about it but couldn’t recall.
“I don’t remember you telling me…”
“I said it the first time.”
“I’m sorry. Could you please tell me again?”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“Because it’s troublesome.”
Leah was stunned.
“…Troublesome?”
“Yeah. Will you at least remember it this time?”
“…Yes.”
He crossed his legs and explained.
“I’ve met plenty of potential brides before. I’m done repeating the same thing over and over again. So I chose you. Because it’s troublesome. That’s all. Understand?”
His eyes looked almost mocking. Leah felt a surge of irritation.
“You chose your marriage partner for such a reason?”
“No matter what reason I use, it’s my decision, isn’t it?”
“…But I think it’s something very important. It concerns your entire life. Are you really sure it’s alright to choose me as your marriage partner, Lord Sieghardt?”
For such a reason.
“It’s the same no matter who I marry. It won’t make much difference.”
With that, he snorted and turned his face away.
For royalty and nobility, marriage came with many restrictions. It wasn’t something they could decide freely.
Perhaps that was why he had become so cynical.
“What? Do you have a complaint?”
“…It’s not that I have a complaint.”
“But it looks like you want to say something.”
He placed his hand on the table and glanced at Leah.
“If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”
His sharp gaze, his imposing attitude, and his bluntness were completely different from Paul.
Yet whenever she looked at him, she couldn’t help but remember Paul.
Standing before someone who resembled him so much made her chest tighten painfully.
“My parents loved each other, and they looked very happy…”
Originally, Leah had believed that marriage was something you did with the person you loved.
But after becoming the adopted daughter of the ducal family, she had accepted that such a thing would be impossible.
As a member of the ducal house, she would marry someone who benefited the family.
She understood that logically.
Her engagement to Sieghardt had already been decided, and she had no intention of objecting or rebelling.
But she still had feelings.
And before she realized it, those feelings slipped out of her mouth.
“I think it’s best to marry someone you love.”
“Someone you love…?”
“Yes.”
Sieghardt stared at her in astonishment, then suddenly shook with laughter.
He laughed for so long that Leah began to worry.
“Hahaha! That’s a good one.”
“…………”
Leah regretted speaking her feelings so honestly.
As Sieghardt continued laughing, she gradually began to panic, wondering if something was wrong with him.
When she turned pale, he finally stopped laughing.
“You really are an interesting woman.”
Sieghardt stood up from his chair. She thought he was about to leave, but he turned back to look at her.
“Come.”
“…Yes.”
Though she hesitated, she followed after him.
