Chapter 20 (1/2)

“To be honest… I find it difficult to talk about myself, but I have a marriage interview with the daughter of a certain n.o.ble.”

“What, because of that?”

Hearing that much was enough for me: my premonition got even worse than last time.

Oh man, I don’t want to listen anymore. My ears and brain vetoed the idea quite firmly, but since I was the one who asked, I reluctantly prodded him to continue.

“Until now, I have refused for various reasons and delayed it, but this past incident was resolved more quickly than I thought. I unfortunately sent a fairly accurate report to the imperial capital, which resulted in a more forceful appeal than any other thus far.”

I see, it’s that thing. The so-called political maneuver whatsit. As expected of Mister Lord n.o.ble, Sir. Compared to us common folk, his troubles sure are on a different level, I thought sarcastically.

His expression serious, Leon’s talk was all very ‘Woe is me’, but whatever, just get to the point.

“However, I don’t wish to marry yet. Therefore — ”

“I refuse.”

Without hearing the last of it, I slammed on the brakes right then and there.

“…Please listen to the end,”

Leon murmured, his face looking sorrowful.

“What, are you an idiot? I already know what you’re getting at. Anyway, you’re thinking of using me as a stand-in to chase off the girl, am I right?”

“How did you know?”

“How could I not!”

Is he making a fool of me? I wondered, but he was so astonished that I’d guessed right. Astounding as it was, he seemed fairly sincere.

Yeah, therefore please marry me. Won’t you? So it wasn’t completely just a joke.

I finally understood, but whether I’d agree was a different story altogether.

“Please. It’s a very troubling matter.”

Leon wore an expression of sincere distress. Strangely, my heart wavered when I saw it.

No, wait. This might just be an act. He was just making fun of me a minute ago.

A desire to help appeared from G.o.d-knows-where, but I swallowed it back.

“Go be as troubled as much as you want! For starters, I’m a guy, you know! A guy! Do you get that?”

“But you are female now, correct? Then that shouldn’t be an issue, should it?”

“I’m saying that I’m a guy on the inside, okay!”

After the words came out of my mouth, I realized that we were going down the same path as before.

Wait. Could he be teasing me again?

“No, I’m completely in earnest this time… In any case, it’s not as if I’m saying that I’m especially serious about wanting to get married. To put it bluntly, it’s the imitation I want. The appearance. In other words, I’m requesting your a.s.sistance in a performance.”

When I easily guessed the exact contents of his thoughts, it left him at a loss for words; he spilled everything as if I were interrogating him.

Request. Request.

In a sense, if it were a request, it couldn’t be helped.

Aira’s lonely ‘How long can we stay?’ resurfaced in my mind.

If I were to accept, we could continue this lifestyle for a little while longer.

Though I’d firmly deny it, the idea had an appeal that was difficult to resist.

“…look, I mean, do you hate marriage that much? Isn’t it fine if you pick up one or two of them here and there?”

Quas.h.i.+ng my growing sense of impropriety, I deliberately switched to a completely different question.

Even if I say so myself, I think I’m talking pretty recklessly. But this guy’s n.o.bility in the first place, so even if he gets married, isn’t it just fine for him to throw in a Concubine A or a Concubine B? Isn’t that what n.o.bles do?

“I don’t know what you think of me, but marriage is still marriage. One for an entire lifetime. I’d like to be married for life to a woman I truly love.”

“Huh.”

A thoughtless question, a serious answer. A little embarra.s.sed, I sighed.

Saying ‘love’ this honestly. Well… you might even say it’s sincerity unbefitting for a n.o.ble.

Look, do I even need to bring up Guibenague? The image I’ve developed of ‘n.o.bles’ thus far, is someone devoted to their l.u.s.ts — even if he has a wife, he’ll still want to build a harem of concubines, and even if he has his concubines, he’ll still put his hands on the maids.

Compared to that, it was impossible for me not to feel a surge of goodwill toward Leon for his very reasonable view on the matter.

I don’t really get it, but whoever marries this guy could become happy, I thought vaguely.

Because of that, I felt some sympathy for his partner in the marriage interview, who he wanted to avoid this badly.

“Do you know about the other person? In the marriage interview, I mean.”

“Well, more or less.”

A political marriage of convenience. Going without even knowing your partner’s face until you meet them for the first time during the wedding.

Right? As expected.

“But is that the part that you dislike so much? Is she incredibly hideous or something?”

“No, that isn’t it, you know?”

Leon fished out a sheet of parchment from somewhere and handed it to me.

On it was drawn a woman around twenty years old, who did look as if she had high social status. She was seated, wearing an expensive-looking dress and holding a folding fan in one hand. It was quite an exquisite picture — simply by looking, I could get a feel for the atmosphere.

The female lead was plenty beautiful. Of the beautiful women I knew, Aira was the most similar to her.

Only, compared to Aira’s indescribably ditzy atmosphere, the woman in the picture was fairly neat, or perhaps demure — that was the impression I got. If we’re just talking impressions, she was closer to Palmira.

“Isn’t she a beautiful woman?”

“Well, that’s true. But you are beautiful, you know.”

My heart jumped in my chest, being told fed that line so smoothly.

But almost immediately, I pulled a face1.

Sure, I think I’m beautiful. I know it sounds like I’m way too full of myself, but that’s an objective evaluation coming from a former man.

That said, hearing it from other people, well… it doesn’t feel bad, but I’m not jumping for joy here either.

“Drop it.”

I made a special effort to be brusque.

Leon grinned the way he always did.

Seeing that p.i.s.sed me off, somehow.

“First off, why me? Palmira… well, even if it wasn’t her, there’s Aira, and if neither of them will work, then there are maids around too.”

Thinking of Palmira’s blunt discourtesy, and excluding Irene as well, I suggested some alternatives. 2

I wasn’t serious when I brought it up, but honestly, wasn’t Aira a suitable choice? The night Leon picked us up, she was chatting away so smoothly, putting on an act.

Well, we did get found out though…

“There is a proper reason for that.”

I bet it’s a total trash reason. But without any other options, I’ll hear him out for now.

“The truth is, it isn’t the appearance or the talent that’s important, but the hair color.”

“Hair color?”

Suddenly, I looked at my own hair.