Chapter 36

Eleanor arrived at the Dorkness residence in the capital city. Of course, I was surprised by her unexpected visit, and so was Patrick. But the one who was most surprised was probably Prince Edwin.

Patrick hurriedly led the flustered prince out of the reception room.

"Trouble, did Eleanor also witness the dragon?"

"Your Highness, let's go to another room. Yumiera, I'll hear more details from the prince. Please take care of Miss Eleanor."

"Wait, I don't want to." Before I could protest, I was left alone in the reception room.

As I was considering whether to escape, the door was forcefully opened, and Eleanor appeared. It seemed she had narrowly missed the prince, which was a relief.

"It's been a while! Yumiera, I've come to see you."

"It's been a while. If you had let us know in advance, we could have prepared a proper welcome."

"Oh, you were looking forward to my visit that much?"

"..."

I had indirectly told her to let us know in advance if she was coming, but it seemed to have no effect on her. From what I observed at the academy, Eleanor was always like this. She wasn't intentionally ignoring my sarcasm; she genuinely didn't understand it.

Thinking to get rid of her quickly, I prompted her to state her business.

"So, what brings you here? Since you came unannounced, it must be something important, right?"

"Business? Do you need a reason to visit a friend's house?"

"..."

"Friend"… it sounded sweet, but I couldn't be fooled. She was Eleanor Hillrose, the daughter of a duke from a radical noble family. Even if she were a kind person who genuinely liked me without any ulterior motives, I would still want to keep my distance.

Hmm, maybe I should bring up Prince Edwin and let her talk freely before sending her off.

"How have things been with Prince Edwin recently?"

"You want to hear? ...I meant, I can tell you if you want."

Eleanor's eyes sparkled, but she quickly regained her composure. She was just being condescending. From her reaction, it was clear she had been eager to talk about the prince all along.

I said without any emotion, "I'd love to hear it, please tell me."

"Fine! It's a special treat for you!"

Got it, just talk and leave quickly. Eleanor began speaking in a slightly higher voice.

"Where should I start? From the beginning, my encounter with Prince Edwin was—"

"I've heard that story about ten times. How have things been recently, since you graduated from the academy?"

I could have just let her talk, as I had done at the academy, but I also wanted to gather information. If I could learn more about the current situation in the capital or the Duke of Hillrose's thoughts, it would be beneficial.

Eleanor, who usually talked freely, hesitated and her expression darkened.

"Recently...?"

"Yes, the most recent events."

It was unusual for Eleanor to hesitate, especially when talking about her beloved prince. After a moment, she began speaking hesitantly.

"Since graduating from the academy, everyone around me says now is the perfect opportunity. They say I can become Prince Edwin's lover and even marry him. But Prince Edwin lost someone he loved a year ago... I can't believe they call this an opportunity..."

She was still concerned about Alicia, whom she had once called a "thief cat," and understood that Prince Edwin had been in love with her. Despite this, she still liked the prince and continued to pursue him, perhaps because she was being encouraged by those around her.

It was easy to imagine that Eleanor's friends were using sweet words to manipulate her. Eleanor was essentially a kind and good person. A little... a little? She was quite condescending, but from my interactions with her at the academy, I suspected that her bullying of Alicia had been influenced by her friends. She was so innocent and easily swayed by others' words.

"Do you know who said now is the perfect opportunity?"

"Well... all of my friends."

At the academy, all of Eleanor's friends were daughters of radical nobles. It was reasonable to assume she was being used in the political struggles of the radicals. This likely included her father, the Duke of Hillrose.

"What about your family? What did the Duke of Hillrose say?"

"My father said I shouldn't get too close to Prince Edwin and that I should wait for a while."

"Wait, the Duke said that?"

I had assumed the Duke of Hillrose was the mastermind behind the plan to make Eleanor the queen by having the second prince ascend to the throne. Why would he put the plan on hold? I had only met the Duke once at the ceremony after the defeat of the demon king, and he had only given a brief speech of thanks. I had no idea what kind of person he was.

While I was lost in thought, Eleanor asked, "What do you think, Yumiera? Is it okay for me to visit Prince Edwin?"

"Considering what the Duke of Hillrose said, I think it's best to wait for a while."

"Then I will! It was hard not to show a sad face in front of Prince Edwin! I don't want to cause him any trouble!"

I thought she had already caused him enough trouble, but I could see she was trying to be considerate in her own way. However, I still had one question.

"Isn't that a quick decision?"

"Yumiera, you're never wrong!"

I was flattered, but it was also a bit troubling. Her tendency to easily believe and follow the advice of people she wasn't close to was what had led to this complicated situation.

"I don't think you should believe everything I say."

"Yumiera, you're different from others... you only tell the truth. No one would tell me not to trust them."

Well, I do say a lot of things off the cuff. Regardless, it was convenient for me if she kept her distance from the prince, so I decided to stay quiet. Eleanor continued, "Besides, you remind me of my brother! Even though you don't seem to show much expression, you actually have a lot of facial expressions."

"Do I really show that much expression?"

"Yes, a lot!"

I was supposed to be expressionless, but Patrick had also said my expressions changed quite a bit. So, she must have been paying close attention to me... Let's not go there.

"Does your brother also not show much expression?"

"He always smiles, even when he's angry."

"I see."

When I thought of someone who always smiled, I thought of Headmaster Ronald. His pasted-on smile was very unsettling. Was the Duke's heir like that? I didn't like the idea. Just because I reminded her of her brother, she trusted me. From what I heard, he sounded like a suspicious person.

Eleanor took my hands forcefully and said, "That's why I was so happy when you said my marriage to Prince Edwin was certain."

"I... I think I said that in the moment, just to make you feel better."

"Really? I took it seriously. What should I do?"

After that, she talked about Prince Edwin's good qualities for a while and seemed satisfied. Taking a breath, she whispered, "So, how about you?"

"Me? What about me?"

"Your relationship with Patrick, of course."

"We recently became officially engaged."

It was embarrassing to say out loud, but it wasn't a secret, so I said it plainly. Eleanor smiled like a flower.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you."

"So, when is the wedding?"

Seeing her genuinely happy for me, I felt a bit guilty for always avoiding her at the academy and trying to keep my distance now. But if asked if I wanted to become friends, it was a complicated matter. I hated judging people based on their family background.

"The wedding date is undecided."

"Then you haven't chosen a dress yet? I'll help you pick one!"

Wait, I could let her attend the wedding, but getting involved in the preparations was a bit much. It seemed silly to take her seriously. No matter how much I tried to keep her at a distance, she would just push her way in. This current distance was just right.

"I'll choose my own dress. Actually, is a dress even necessary?"

"Of course! Yumiera, you're missing the point."

"What!?"

I never thought I'd be told I was missing the point. I knew a dress was necessary for a wedding. What I meant was whether a wedding was necessary. Both Patrick and she assumed a wedding was a given.

"Let's start from the beginning. Is a wedding even necessary?"

"Oh, Yumiera, you really... Poor Patrick. A beautiful wedding is an essential part of marriage."

Eleanor sighed dramatically and began enthusiastically talking about weddings. It was going to be a long speech.

◆ ◆ ◆

"---But, you can wear as many dresses as you want if you change during the ceremony!"

"Eleanor, it's about time—"

"Oh, did I talk too much? I'll come again soon!"

Satisfied with her lecture on weddings, Eleanor left. She said she would come again. I decided to go out tomorrow.

A little while after Eleanor left, Patrick and the prince returned to the reception room. They had abandoned me and fled. Seeing my unusually expressionless face, Patrick asked with concern, "Sorry, Yumiera. Are you tired? What did Miss Eleanor say?"

"She said she'll hold off on visiting the prince for a while."

That was good news for Prince Edwin. I wasn't particularly happy or sad about it, but the prince seemed more surprised than relieved.

"Miss Eleanor? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything special. Oh, what's her brother like? She said we're similar."

"Miss Eleanor has a brother? I thought she was the Duke's only daughter."

What? The prince didn't know? That was impossible. They lived in the same capital, and he was royalty and she was from a ducal family. They must have met at least once, and it was hard to believe he didn't even know she had a brother.

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