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Chapter : 9
Why is that man more embarrassed when I’m the one who got confessed to?
Well, it’s kind of cute.
He somehow felt like a boy going through puberty.
“Is this your first time confessing?”
“Yes, it is. Liking someone, and confessing like this—Freya is my first.”
“Then am I your first love?”
“That’s right. I’ve liked you… for a long time.”
Perhaps he had calmed down a little, because he lowered the hand that had been fussing with his hair and spoke with a smile.
A long unrequited love. Her guess had been half right, but it didn’t make her happy.
“Since when have you liked me?”
“Seven years ago.”
“Seven years ago… then since the academy days?”
“That’s right. At first it was just a simple interest, but it didn’t take long for that to turn into affection.”
She had wondered if it was love at first sight or something like that, but thankfully it didn’t seem to be.
Still, to have liked her from the start…
“…As far as I remember, our first meeting wasn’t very pleasant.”
“Ah, you remember?”
“A little.”
In truth, it had just come to her mind.
On the day of their entrance ceremony, Freya and Raiden had their worst first encounter behind one of the buildings.
At the time, Raiden had been helping a commoner who was being bullied by nobles, but Freya had misunderstood and thought he was the one doing the bullying.
‘What do you think you’re doing right now? Don’t you know that here, everyone is equal regardless of status?’
‘No, this is—’
‘Who do you think you are to treat that person so rudely?’
‘I’m telling you, that’s not what I’m—’
Because of Freya’s firm misunderstanding, Raiden had been greatly flustered. In the end, the commoner and the nobles stepped in to clear things up.
‘It wasn’t him!’
‘We did it!’
‘He tried to stop us!’
‘…Is that so?’
Freya had doubted Raiden until the very end, then felt awkward after finally realizing her mistake.
Even if it was accidental, wasn’t that hardly something that would make someone feel fondness?
She had apologized afterward, but she remembered that Raiden had felt uncomfortable and kept his distance because of it.
‘…Come to think of it, he was the one who approached me first.’
And then, belatedly, another fact came to mind.
They had been in the same class, but because Freya had diligently avoided him, they were only on face-recognizing terms.
However, around the end of their first semester of freshman year, Raiden suggested they join the student council together, and that became the turning point in their relationship.
After that, they had grown close enough to be good friends—well, calling it that felt embarrassing—close enough to be called “colleagues.”
“It was a pretty… embarrassing incident.”
When Freya said this while averting her gaze slightly, Raiden smiled gently.
“For me, it’s a pleasant memory.”
“That? I misunderstood you, Your Grace.”
“That can happen. I got to know that you can’t stand injustice, and it was interesting, so I was fine with it.”
“Interesting?”
“Yes. I suppose I should say it was refreshing. It was something I’d never experienced before, so it intrigued me.”
“……”
What a peculiar taste.
After all, who would dare to interfere with the young lord of Bethelheim seven years ago without fear?
Freya in the original story hadn’t known, but even back then, the reputation of House Bethelheim was so high that no one could treat him lightly.
Why do these things always come to mind so late? She recalled the flustered faces of the nobles who had actually been bullying the commoner, and of the commoner who had been bullied.
It really had been a strange meeting.
‘But this…’
At that moment, Freya froze.
Isn’t this way too much like a heroine’s role?
They start off misunderstanding each other and on bad terms, then clear things up, start seeing each other in a good light, and their relationship develops…
No, I’m just a supporting character who coldly rejects the male lead’s first love without even knowing it.
That’s it. It has to be. Absolutely.
Freya bit the inside of her mouth to drive away the distracting thoughts. Biting the soft flesh hurt properly, and it worked in its own way.
‘Anyway, I’ll reject him. Unrequited love or not, I can’t become a daughter-in-law.’
She couldn’t give up her free and peaceful single life like this.
Since the original story had already gone off track, she would need to think about what to do next, but that didn’t mean she wanted to get entangled with the male lead and his mother.
“First of all, I understand your feelings, Your Grace. But I’m sorry—I can’t return them.”
“Freya, wait a moment. I’m not asking for an answer yet.”
At her rejection, Raiden waved his hands urgently. He’s already said everything he wanted—what is he talking about now?
“You confessed, and you said you wanted us to try seeing each other with marriage in mind.”
“That’s true. But I’m not saying that because I want an answer about my feelings right now.”
“Then what?”
“I said it because I want you to meet me first, as I suggested, and get to know me and my feelings.”
“So you’re saying that if I meet you, my thoughts might change?”
Isn’t that an awful lot of confidence? Just from her reactions so far, he should know she’d reject him.
Freya looked at him suspiciously, but Raiden was so resolute it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been blushing just moments ago.
“I’ll do my best to make your thoughts change.”
“There are things that can’t be done even with effort.”
“Hardship exists to be overcome. I’m rather good at difficult things.”
“You’re shameless—and incredibly confident.”
When Freya said this with a hint of sarcasm, Raiden lifted the corners of his mouth in a gentle smile and replied,
“I think I need at least this much shamelessness and confidence for it to work on you.”
“I’m sorry to pour cold water on you, but I clearly said I’m refusing. And like Lady Savanna, you’re not considering my position at all, Your Grace.”
Mother and son are really alike. No consideration whatsoever. Freya’s sharp gaze reached Raiden.
“What do you think would happen if Astella found out about this? I came here because I was asked to, but if I say that I received a proposal about marriage and dating in her place, have you thought about how she’d react?”
“That’s…”
“And if Astella makes a scene, House Binok will surely be turned upside down. I might even be expelled from my family for supposedly stealing my cousin’s lover.”
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but with her family, it might actually be possible. They weren’t particularly favorable toward her.
“That can’t happen. Why should you suffer something like that for something you didn’t even do?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. What you’re trying to do now could lead to that kind of result. So please, let’s pretend this never happened.”
“……”
Raiden bit his lip hard.
He must also know well that Freya’s situation wasn’t good, so it would be hard for him to argue further.
‘This should be enough.’
She had heard enough of the story, and there was no reason to stay here any longer. This time, Freya moved her body, truly intending to stand up and leave.
“I’ll be going now. I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion.”
“Freya, this is also a kind of selective attempt for me.”
“Please let go.”
Raiden grabbed her wrist. Startled by the cool sensation of his touch, Freya frowned.
“And it’s also the best method I can think of right now—regarding the excessive actions of the young lady of House Binok.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Astella’s excessive actions?
Her ears naturally perked up at those words, and Freya’s heart began to waver.
She knew she should shake off his hand and leave right now, but after hearing that, her feet wouldn’t move easily.
Watching her hesitate and roll her eyes in conflict, Raiden continued,
“To be honest, my mother is very angry because of the young lady of House Binok.”
“I’m sure she is. Since Astella lied that she and you were lovers.”
“That, and also the fact that she’s been telling people at will that she’ll be marrying me soon. Not just to you, but to everyone she meets.”
“Well, that’s something Lady Savanna would be angry about.”
Since she’d been spreading something untrue as if it were real, it was only natural.
No matter how much Astella was a duke’s daughter, Raiden himself was a duke of the Empire.
Even if she had feelings for him, considering the etiquette between their statuses, it was common sense that spreading lies like that was unacceptable.
And if people took Astella’s lies as fact, Raiden would be put in an awkward position.
For Savanna, it was also something that could stain her only son.
“That put me in a bit of a difficult spot as well. I got scolded by my mother, and she questioned me closely.”
“But you didn’t do anything wrong, did you, Your Grace?”
“That’s right. I felt wronged, so I told her everything honestly—that I had only happened to meet the young lady of House Binok a few times by chance, and that there was absolutely nothing private between us.”
“Hmm, and then?”
Freya tried to hide the prick of guilt she felt. In truth, those “chances” had been coincidences she herself had arranged for Astella.
‘Let’s just pretend for now.’
Judging by his reaction, there was no good that would come from telling him. Unaware of Freya’s awkward expression, Raiden went on,
“Thankfully, she believed me right away. And she became even angrier about the young lady of House Binok.”
After briefly glancing at her, he hesitated before continuing,
“…Actually, there’s one more reason my mother is so insistent on you, Freya.”
