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chapter 02
The midday sunlight streamed in, illuminating the library of the academy during vacation.
“Who could it be?”
A whisper from a female student caught the ear of Sherillotte, who was organizing the books.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Don’t you know? The one where Bascalia and Leonat were supposed to get married but it fell through.”
“Oh, that? Of course I know. Bascalia rejected him because she already had a lover.”
“Exactly, so the question is… who is that lover…!”
At the mention of the name “Bascalia,” Sherillotte’s eyes widened like those of a dead fish.
“Everyone’s talking about that guy, everywhere.”
The central city was buzzing over the “Bascalia Grand Duke Escapade Incident” from three days ago. Sherillotte had come to the quiet library to avoid hearing Eonian’s name, but apparently, even here, there were people gossiping.
As a student librarian, she considered chasing the girls out but quickly dismissed the idea.
“Sherillotte.”
The girls had spoken directly to her.
“Do you know who it is?”
“….”
Sherillotte remembered how the magic department students usually ignored her.
And now suddenly they were speaking to her?
“Are you curious if the ring given at the wedding is real?”
Indeed, the newspapers had reported that Eonian entrusted her with delivering the ring. Speculation began to spread that there was something special between them.
If it became known that Sherillotte and Eonian were childhood friends, the gossip-hungry students would surely go wild.
“Of course, I’ll never be at the center of the rumors.”
She shook her head as if she didn’t understand what they were talking about.
“I don’t know.”
“Really?”
“No matter what crazy thing he does, it’s none of my business. What I received was my aunt’s ring.”
Sherillotte narrowed her eyes at the girl, who pouted in response.
“Don’t act so prickly. That just makes you more suspicious, you know?”
“Do you like Bascalia?”
“What nonsense! Why would I… it’s a tree I can’t even climb…”
“Or do you like me? Coming all the way to a library corner like this… suspicious.”
“….”
The girl frowned, clearly unnerved, and fled the library with her friend.
‘Dismissed with nonsense.’
Sherillotte clenched her fist and returned to organizing the magical tomes.
But sorting magical books was a task Sherillotte had done for years in the library to avoid her aunt—it was more tedious than difficult. Naturally, her mind drifted back to the conversation of the girls.
“Sorry, Princess. He already has someone.”
“…What an idiot.”
How could someone waste such an opportunity?
The bride in question was from a ducal family. Not as influential as Bascalia’s grand ducal house, but still a direct member of the Lion family.
“So he had a lover precious enough to reject a woman like her? Even with rumors that he was a perfectionist…”
Even those rumors had quickly faded because Eonian acted as if he had no interest in romance.
So she wondered if he intended to marry under divine sanction.
“…Who could it really be?”
Sherillotte checked the shelves for any missing books as she thought.
Could it be someone from the same student council? Perhaps the girl was a clerk or an ordinary citizen, not nobility?
If she could figure out the identity, she could avoid the “Eonian’s lover” landmine in advance, so she sped up her thinking.
Just as she was going through all the faces related to Eonian:
“…Tr—”
“….”
“…illotte…!”
A faint voice pierced her eardrums.
“Hey, Sherillotte!”
“…Huh?”
Startled at her name being called, Sherillotte flinched, dropping a book from her hands.
A boy with light brown hair entered her line of sight.
The Lion beastman’s tail twitched, distinctive with its fluffy tip. His arms crossed in dissatisfaction, his shirt worn carelessly—altogether, a familiar delinquent look.
“…Noel.”
He was her fiancé candidate, Noel Leonat.
His red eyes looked down at her as he ruffled his hair.
“Hey, what are you doing being so reckless?”
“…Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, just take the book. You’ll hurt your wrist.”
Sherillotte quickly took the book and placed it back on the shelf.
Noel clicked his tongue at the complicated magical book title, leaning against the bookshelf.
“What were you thinking so deeply about? You didn’t answer when I called.”
“I couldn’t hear you, it was too quiet.”
“Well, it’s a library, of course it should be quiet.”
Sherillotte was slightly surprised that Noel, who had no interest in books, followed common sense. He had once scolded her for working there as a student librarian.
“…I’ll just check the returns. Stay here.”
After organizing all the books, she pulled a chair for Noel.
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
“You got the ‘Promise of a Thousand Days,’ right?”
Sherillotte’s shoulders trembled slightly.
It was the name of the heirloom Eonian had given her.
“What did that bastard say when he gave it to you?”
“He told me to return it to my aunt. It’s the ‘old thing’ from the wedding.”
“Ha…!”
Noel chuckled bitterly, grinding his teeth.
“That crazy bastard rejected my sister?”
“….”
“How dare he…”
Sherillotte watched him. He often got angry easily, but today, the intensity of his rage was different.
“That guy was rotten from the start. Even so… he said no to Bascalia…! Ha…”
Noel slammed the desk and sighed deeply.
He seemed infuriated at how pitiful his sister was, never considering that the culprit behind the marriage was Duke Leonat himself.
Sherillotte gently rested her hand on Noel’s shoulder, as she always did.
“Noel, let’s think of something pleasant first.”
“…Ah, right.”
The library, library, library. Repeating the name of the place several times, Noel’s frown gradually eased.
Suddenly remembering something, he turned to Sherillotte.
“Come to think of it, we don’t have to return that heirloom to the Grand Duchess, do we?”
“Why not?”
Noel grinned, showing his teeth.
“Because we’re going to get married.”
Sherillotte’s lips twitched into a faint smile.
“We haven’t even gotten engaged yet. How can you be sure we’ll marry?”
“I can tell my father. Skip the engagement and go straight to the wedding.”
“….”
She wondered how to calm this immature young master.
But she was young herself, so she found no way. Honestly, just letting it slide was best.
“When we marry, we’ll live in our mansion, right?”
“…Probably.”
No, absolutely not.
“How many kids should we have?”
“I’d like to wait a bit.”
“What if the first one joins the Leonat family?”
You’re having them?
He assumed, as if it were natural, that they would marry, as if no other possibility existed.
Sherillotte sighed. It was a painful thought, but not wrong.
If she married Noel, her name—weak compared to Leonat—would become Sherillotte Leonat.
* * *
Young Sherillotte had no guardian.
Her parents disappeared one by one around her tenth birthday while fighting northern beasts.
The only one left in the Duchy of Chartreuse was Sherillotte, a frail cat beastman.
“Sherillotte, my niece. You are too young to take charge of the barbarian-infested north. I shall manage the Chartreuse family in your place.”
Her aunt volunteered as her guardian, taking everything from Sherillotte.
To make matters worse, they even forced her into an engagement with the eastern vassal family, Leonit.
Even after finally reaching adulthood and reclaiming her title, her life remained under her aunt’s control.
No wonder she felt uneasy around Noel Leonat.
“He has no urgency. His brain is pure.”
The young Viscount Leonat was only used to girls of his own age who catered to his mood since adolescence.
“I need to get out before I get more entangled.”
After parting with Noel, Sherillotte returned to the inn where she was staying.
“…Haah.”
But how should she escape?
Flopping onto the slightly stiff bed, Sherillotte rolled the ring in her hand.
“Damn… I can’t see a solution…”
She pressed on her eyelids, groaning.
To reclaim the Chartreuse Duchy her parents loved, she needed to go north—but she couldn’t even prevent this marriage.
“Maybe if I could pull a stunt at the wedding, like Eonian did with that guy…”
But Sherillotte knew she could never create chaos. She had no chance against Odeli.
Just as she set the ring on the nightstand with a bitter expression, a faint sensation pricked her.
A trap magical device she had set nearby was triggered.
‘An intruder.’
