Chapter 9: Brian-sama’s Visit 1

After leaving the breakfast room, I took a walk through the garden for a while.

I had eaten quite a lot, so I needed to work it off a little.

I walked slowly through the garden, looking at the flowers and the fresh green leaves.

Tired, I stopped at the terrace and took a deep breath.

When I did, I remembered how my family had looked earlier, and laughter bubbled up.

I looked up at the sky and smiled.

My brother—that brother—had been opening and closing his mouth at me.
Like a fish.

That made me think I should go feed the fish in the garden pond.

Our garden has a small pond where we keep carp.

They’re plain fish, but the way their mouths open and close is amusing.

When I told Bell I wanted to feed the carp, she brought a small basket filled with breadcrumbs.

Twirling my parasol, I headed toward the pond.

I had never spent time this freely before.

It felt like I had been released from something.

Maybe it was because I had been living while staring at my own death a few months away.

But even before my engagement to Jason-sama, I don’t think I had ever been this free.

“Hey, Bell.
I really like how I feel right now.
I feel incredibly free.”

“I’m happy to see you looking so happy, Young Lady.”

Bell was smiling brightly.

“We have no idea what will happen from here on, though.
Even so, I feel much better now than I ever did before.
It’s strange, isn’t it?”

When I dropped a few breadcrumbs by the pond, the carp immediately began to gather.

Their round mouths popped up above the water, and it was amusing.

After a while, too many carp gathered, piling on top of one another and flopping about.

“My, Brother.
How ill-mannered.
Climbing on top of others just to beg.”

As I laughed and tossed more breadcrumbs, a low chuckle came from a short distance away.

When I turned around, Brian-sama was standing there with Lloyd.

“Good afternoon.
I was told you went out for a walk, so I was shown this way.
Is that carp named Eric?”

“Good afternoon, Brian-sama.
I thought you would be arriving this evening.
Have you already visited the Deal Marquis House?”

Brian-sama walked toward us slowly.

He stopped in front of me, looked at me with mild curiosity, then smiled pleasantly.

“Lady Maria, you are even more beautiful today than yesterday.
Not only because of your lovely hairstyle and dress, but you look very lively.
When I saw you earlier, I momentarily doubted my eyes.”

Well, slipping out polite compliments so smoothly—just as expected of a duke’s son.

I wondered if this was a visit as a noble heir today.
The difference from last night was so great that it caught me off guard.

However, unlike last night’s formal attire, he was wearing his Royal Guard uniform today, so it was probably best to think of this as a visit on duty.

The Royal Guard uniform, famous for its elegance, suited him extremely well and looked wonderful.

I had seen my brother and Jason-sama in uniform many times, yet this felt completely different.
I couldn’t help but wonder why.

He must be popular, I thought vaguely.

“Thank you.
I’m happy to hear that.”

I replied politely, but felt a little excited, since this was my first time having such an exchange.

Up until now, even when men spoke to me with social pleasantries, all I could manage was “Yes” or “No.”

And even then, I would be so stiff and awkward, or my voice would be so quiet that they might think I was ignoring them.

Bell and Lloyd were clearly surprised.

When Lloyd’s eyes met mine, he smoothly masked his expression.

So this is what he’s like, I thought in surprise.
He might be a more interesting person than I had imagined.

Since Brian-sama didn’t know what I was usually like, he continued the conversation naturally.

“I contacted the Deal Marquis House early this morning and paid them a visit sooner than planned.
After the ceremony, I assigned some fellow guardsmen to stay with Jason, so it seems he hasn’t taken any action yet.”

Lloyd stepped forward smoothly.

“Shall I prepare tea here, or would you prefer to speak indoors?”

When I looked at Brian-sama, he gestured that here was fine, so I conveyed that to Lloyd.

“Very well.
Please wait a moment.
I will call for you once everything is ready.”

I handed the basket I was holding to Bell and began walking alongside Brian-sama.

We walked together casually, talking about the names of flowers and the carp from earlier.

When I said the carp’s face looked like my brother’s this morning, he laughed out loud.

There was none of the discomfort I always felt when I was with Jason-sama.
It was strange how completely absent it was.

And Brian-sama’s demeanor was completely different from last night.

“When I met you last night, you were looking at me with suspicion, but now I don’t feel that at all.
Why is that, I wonder?”

It was a question that slipped out easily in the relaxed atmosphere.
I had completely forgotten that this was a visit related to his duties.

I hurriedly added words to take it back.

“I’m sorry.
That was too familiar of a question.
This is a visit in your official capacity.”

“No, not at all.
Rather, I apologize for imposing last night.
It felt like no ordinary matter, and although it wasn’t an official duty, I ended up behaving as though it were.
I’m sorry for that.”

I silently shook my head.

“Thanks to you, I was able to calm down.
My brother Eric called my words a farce.
I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you took me seriously.
I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Brian-sama thought for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“Last night, I suspected there might be some issue on your side as well.
For example, melancholia, or perhaps some grudge against Jason.
But after speaking with you directly, I saw no such signs.
Your story was consistent and never wavered.
Rather than harboring resentment, it was clear that, just as you said, you were desperately trying to escape the marriage.”

He stopped slightly and turned toward me.

“Are you angry?”

“Not at all.”

When I said that, Brian-sama smiled in relief.
Seeing that made something ticklish flutter in my chest, spreading warmth.

“My, this is completely different from how I felt when I was with Jason-sama.
I was always so exhausted and miserable.”

Brian-sama looked at me in surprise.
His gaze was a little confused, probing.

“Ah—um—didn’t you tell your parents that?
That being with him made you uncomfortable?”

“I did, but they wouldn’t listen.
And although I’m speaking like this now, until recently I was very poor with words and couldn’t express myself well.
With everything that happened this time, it feels like something finally broke free, and my heart feels lighter.
Now the words just come out.”

“Ah, I see.
Your words are very straightforward, and they catch me off guard.”

Brian-sama smiled gently.

Hm?
Did I say something strange?

When I looked at Bell, she was faintly blushing and looking at me, then nodded emphatically.
I didn’t understand what she was trying to convey, so I decided to ask her later.

A footman came to call us, so we returned to the pond and had tea together at a leisurely pace.

Since it would be better for the whole family to hear about what happened at the Deal Marquis House together, the topic wasn’t brought up at that time.