Chapter 55 - 19. The Duke’s Successor (2)

「#4. Tea House of The Guelder Family

As the summer season approaches, a tea party is held in the shaded garden to avoid the heat.

Chamberlain: Lady, are you really sharing this precious thing?

Vasago: It was ice that I couldn’t use all by myself anyway.

All the nobles were amazed when the host, Vasago, brought out the ice given by her relative.

Amore: As expected, Lady is different because you’re loved by Lord Preta and the Duke. I heard that you recently received a huge amount of ice as a gift, but I didn’t know we would be getting it too.

Noble 1: That’s right

Noble 2: Thank you very much!

Noble 1: Besides, at the party a few days ago, even the handsome Naverius asked Lady Vasago to dance. There are a lot of wonderful people around her, so it’s fun to watch.

Amore: (Frowns) But why are you hanging out with a man like Naverius? I know you keep him by your side because of his family… but his family is just your distant relatives. That kind of treatment is overkill.

Vasago puts down the teacup she is holding.

Vasago: Lady Amore, I highly respected Naverius’s ability and considered him a close friend. As long as I think they’re okay to be my friend, they’re my person from then on. Please refrain from speaking ill of him.

Amore: I’m sorry.

Noble 1: Except for his family, Naverius is really cool. I don’t think you will find a more gorgeous man than him at the ball. I won’t wish anything else if I get a dance request from someone like that!

Noble 2: But I’m a little concerned. That woman is attached to Naverius.

Vasago: That woman?

Noble 1: That woman is his fiancée. Her rumor has been bad for a long time. Naverius even did many deeds and cheated on her many times. Still, she wanted to have a handsome man, so she forced her family to get her engaged to him.

Amore: I’ve heard that before.

Noble 2: Oh, poor Naverius. After all, he caught the eye of such a person!

Vasago: Did you all see that with your eyes? It’s not right to raise your voice with an uncertain story.

Noble 1: But I’m worried. I’m sure that woman will grit her teeth after seeing Lady Vasago being close to her fiance. She would think she lost her man.」

「#1. Vasago’s Room (evening)

After the tea party, Vasago, who has changed into her indoor clothes, is lost in thought alone in her room. This is because she was concerned about what happened during the day.

Vasago: Naverius has always been reluctant to talk about his fiancée. So is that true?

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Butler (V.O): Lady. Lord Naverius is here.

Vasago: At this time? I’ll be there soon, so take him to the parlor.

#2. Parlor (evening)

When she arrived at the room, Naverius lowered his head with a red face.

Vasago: Have you been drinking?

Naverius: Vasago, Vasago. Please listen to me. I’m so frustrated these days… I’m just on my way back from a fight with my fiancée. It’s so sad and frightening that I can’t be free because of such shackles, even though I have someone I love.

Vasago: You…

Naverius: You once said. What is the use of power if it is difficult to get married according to one’s will?

Vasago: …

Naverius: However, the reality of the Kingdom Kasius is that someone born into a powerless family like me can’t even dream about it. Do I have to get married to someone I don’t like?

Vasago: I didn’t expect you to suffer… this much. I will personally come to the young lady Celcius…

Vasago holds Naverius’s hand. Then Naverius stopped crying.

Naverius: I love you, Vasago.

Vasago: (Surprised)

Naverius: The one I loved was none other than you! I have endured it because I fell in love with you. My heart now feels like being stabbed by a dagger!

Vasago: What are you talking about?

Naverius: Isn’t it obvious? You’re so beautiful, and every time you smile at me, I can’t help but fall in love with you. Didn’t you have a single feeling of liking me? Then why did you treat me so kindly?

Vasago: !

Naverius: Only you, only you didn’t look at me as someone from the Demangdwi family, but as a person named Naverius.

Vasago: I, I…

Naverius: I like you. My heart feels so stuffy that I have to tell you these words now.

Vasago: You’re too drunk. Calm down.

Naverius: Yes. I’m drunk! I can’t control myself. So, if you don’t like it, just get away.

Naverius grabs Vasago’s shoulder and tries to kiss her.

Vasago falls into a moment of reminiscence.

#3. Montage (reminiscence)

At night in the salon, Vasago meets Naverius at the request of a distant relative.

Naverius expressed his political views and declared he would stand by Vasago’s side.

A figure of Naverius who kindly takes care of Vasago whenever they meet at a party.

#4. Parlor (evening)

Naverius finally reveals his feelings.

Vasago is surprised when she realizes that Naverius, whom she recruited to increase the faction she joined, felt this way. She feels conflicted about the kindness that Naverius has shown her in the past. But at the end of her reminiscence, Aloken’s face pops up, making her push him away with all her might.

Naverius: Vasago…!

Vasago slams out of the door without saying a word」

“So something like this happened.”

Following last week, I, who finished writing today’s scene where Naverius confessed to Vasago, briefly put my pen away and closed my eyes.

It was nice to be able to know a side of the world that you didn’t know about.

“Vanora…”

Vanora Celcius.

I soon traced my own name on the paper.

The midnight novel with a narrative of this world. The next page’s content was vivid in my memory, even if I didn’t have to look at it.

“The protagonist of this world, Vasago… I wonder how she saw me when I was driven off a cliff.”

I recalled the past without opening my eyelids.

The hunting festival was held on the day not long after Naverius, who had confessed to Vasago, assaulted me by saying I was the culprit behind the tea. I could still remember the color of autumn flowers that bloomed that day.

* * *

A few years ago. The Autumn Hunting Festival in the Kingdom of Kasius.

“How dare you to the Princess!”

After all the hunting was over, the after-party was about to begin. When the black-haired woman ran to Vasago, standing in the banquet hall, and asked for a conversation with a desperate face, the green-haired figure calmly nodded.

“Let go of her. I have something to talk to her about.”

When she ordered, the knights who had stopped the black-haired woman quickly retreated. After a while, only the two of them were left on one side of the banquet hall, so the person with black eyes opened her mouth first.

“G-Greetings, Princess. I have a favor to ask of you! Please listen.”

“What is it?”

The conversation between the two continued for a long time, starting with the answer of the beautiful woman.

“My fiancé, Naverius, has been demanding that he wants to break our engagement because he has been in love with you since one day.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Yes? Th-that… engagement is not such a light matter. And I would be in a lot of trouble if our engagement was broken. It’s hard to find… a new fiancé… that’s why I have to marry him…”

“I mean, what does that matter have to do with me?”

That time, Vasago gave her a sharp attitude, so Vanora tried to correct her gibberish attitude and said,

“The reason why I’m here… was because Naverius misunderstood the Princess’s kindness. The Princess treats him so well that he thinks as if the Princess has a heart for him, so if you correct it, everything is gonna be fine…”

“…”

“B-But Princess doesn’t love him! Right?”

At the words that followed, Vasago flinched her eyes.

“If Princess really wanted to keep my fiancé by your side, you could have broken our engagement at any time, but you’re staying still, which means you don’t have that kind of motive.”

“…that’s right. No matter how high my position is, I wouldn’t break engagement between the families without any reason.”

“So, Princess! Please keep some distance from my fiancé. Please make it clear that you have no feelings for him.”

Soon afterward, Vanora wept and bowed her head, and Vasago’s eyes captured her completely.

“Until now, Naverius has only said that he would rather lose his eyes or become someone else’s concubine rather than marry me. Moreover, as time passed, he regretted cheating and apologized frequently. But this time, it’s so different.”

“Different?”

“A noble man like him can’t be someone’s concubine, so Naverius is tormenting me when he first talked about a breakup, and I oppose it… He said that would break free from me and form a bond with you.”

“Ho.”

“I can never break up with him. So please, please don’t dance with my fiancé anymore. Please tell him that you don’t like him…”

Vanora begged desperately as if no matter how harsh words and deeds her fiance did, she could never break up with him, no, as if she would not be able to live any longer if they broke up.

“Tell Naverius I don’t like him… and keep the distance…?”

“!”

Was Vasago willing to grant the request of the Vanora?

As Vasago repeated her request, Vanora nodded with a tearful face. But the following words were not what she had hoped for.

“Why should I do that?”

Vanora hardened in her seat as she noticed Vasago’s eyes had turned cold.

“Are you saying that Naverius looked away from you because I was friendly with him?”

“Yes? That’s, that’s not it.”

“Then, are you saying that in the future I shouldn’t talk to the nobleman who has a fiancée?”

Why, why is she speaking with such a cold attitude?

Vanora didn’t want this atmosphere. It’s just that she’s in a tough situation, so she just came to ask for the last favor, as if holding a rope.

“It’s not that. These days, Naverius keeps saying that Princess likes him in his sleep…”

“It’s not an illusion. I like Naverius.”

“…yes?”

“He’s kind to me, and what he wants to achieve is similar to me. I like him as a friend.”

Tak.

Vasago put down the glass she was holding in her hand and moved closer to Vanora.

“I can’t hurt my friend just by listening to your request. I can’t suddenly cut off our relationship and make some distance.”

“…”

When Vasago spoke confidently, Vanora lost her words for a moment and then answered with a slightly red face. It was because blood rushed to her face without her realizing it.

“He’s my fiancé. My fiancé…  is trying to have an affair with Princess right now…”

The hot tears in her eyes looked like they were about to flow out at any moment, but she struggled to hold them back. However, tears dropped from Vanora’s eyes at Vasago’s following words.

“If you don’t like your fiancé cheating on you, you should improve yourself. So why are you telling me to stay away from him?”