Chapter 3

She was dumped.

No, it’s not that she was dumped, but rather just discarded.

“…No… Ah, nooo…”

Leaving the bustling venue, Laila headed to an uninhabited balcony. As expected of the prestigious Bartsek family, even this small balcony was neatly maintained, making it the perfect place to rest her tired body.

The guard at the entrance to the balcony, upon seeing Laila’s state, silently stepped aside and said, “I’ll step back a bit,” without a word. She hadn’t intended to cry out loud, but she was grateful for the solitude she craved at the moment.

Leaning against the beautiful railing, she let her mind wander in the night breeze. Below her, a meticulously maintained garden spread out, and in the distance, the wave of lit-up mansions in the capital could be seen.

Joachim, whom she was supposed to marry, was going to marry her friend Carol.

This fact gnawed at Laila’s stomach like a heavy stone, but she quickly realized it wasn’t the pain of a broken heart.

（I wasn’t in love with Joachim.）

About three years ago, when they first met, each accompanied by their parents, she had thought, “I don’t think I can like him.” It seemed Joachim felt the same way, as he had driven the point home in their room after the parents left, saying, “I’m not marrying you because I like you.”

Still, she had thought that over time, she might come to like Joachim. Or, perhaps, after marriage. Even more so, if they had children.

She had thought they might laugh about it someday, saying, “We used to think like this back then.”

But Joachim had chosen Carol.

Carol’s family, the Levy family, held a baronial title, but in terms of status, there wasn’t much difference from Laila’s. For this reason, they had been in the same class at the academy they entered eight years ago, when they were both ten, and had been fairly close ever since.

Carol was not good at studies but was skilled at socializing and had many male friends. On the other hand, Laila had female friends but hardly spoke to any of the boys in her class.

Even after graduation, they had exchanged letters and gone shopping together. When Laila reported the engagement talks with Joachim to Carol three years ago, Carol had congratulated her, saying, “That’s wonderful! Invite me to the wedding!”

It seemed the baron’s family was after the Kyrka family’s wealth, but the Levy family also had assets, though not as much as the Kyrka family. From the baron’s side, it probably didn’t matter whether it was Laila or Carol, as long as they could have children and bring in money.

（...What is this? I feel so hollow.）

She wasn’t sad because her fiancé had been stolen or because she had been betrayed by a friend. Instead, she realized she felt like she had lost, and she couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

Laila had lost to Carol.

She had never lost to Carol in her studies at the academy, but in the grand stage of life, marriage, she had been utterly defeated by Carol. And she had been seen losing in front of a large audience.

Marriage is a grand stage in life, but for Laila and her peers, it was also a “competition.” Sometimes, even close friends or siblings could become rivals.

She hadn’t expected such an important matter to be brought up at someone else’s mansion. Laila had dressed up for the occasion and was waiting for Joachim to arrive.

（Ah, but now, my path to marriage has become much harder...）

Laila was eighteen this year. In the Kingdom of Rendia, commoner women often married around the age of twenty, so she still had a chance based on her age alone.

But would anyone pick up Laila after she had been defeated in front of so many people? Laila’s social circle with men was already narrow, and since the talks with Joachim had started, she had avoided any marriage proposals. Would anyone say, “Then I will” to such a Laila?

（If no one does... What should I do?）

Her parents had been looking forward to her marrying Joachim.

The Kyrka Trading Company was doing well, but having ties with the nobility was a dream for any commoner. Laila’s father had jokingly said, “If you’re going to marry, it should be a noble or a mage.”

In the Kingdom of Rendia, the probability of being born with the potential to be a mage was about twenty percent. Commoners were overwhelmingly non-mages, while the majority of the nobility were mages. Therefore, many women wanted to marry a mage to have children with magical abilities.

However, Laila’s parents didn’t treat her as a pawn for a political marriage. The company was set to be inherited by her cousin from the beginning. If Laila said she wanted to marry a farmer, they would likely send her off with a smile in the end.

（But... If that happens, my parents’ goals...）

She didn’t want to be a burden to her family. That’s why she had studied hard to marry Joachim and had honed the skills necessary for a noble wife, such as sewing and poetry. Her baking, which started as a hobby, had become so good that people said she could open a shop.

She clenched her fists and tapped her chest.

（I can’t be weak! There’s still a chance. I need to face forward, try to talk to men, even though I’m not good at it, and write letters...）

Being less social than Carol, the thought of approaching men made her feel queasy. But if she could struggle, she wanted to struggle until the end and report to her parents with a smile, “Joachim didn’t work out, but I found someone better.”

She lightly slapped her cheeks to muster her courage and looked up at the night sky. Just then, a shooting star streaked across the sky above her head.

While shooting stars were considered a bad omen in other countries, in the Kingdom of Rendia, they were seen as a harbinger of good luck. It was said that seeing one alone brought good fortune, seeing one with two people brought a lasting bond, and seeing one with a group brought peace. Surely, this shooting star was cheering for her.

（First, I need to get back to the venue. Joachim must have explained to my parents, so I need to... Whoa!?）

Turning around, Laila, who had been walking briskly, stumbled backward as a dark shadow suddenly appeared in front of her, and she almost screamed as she stumbled.

（I’m going to fall!?）

Her body bent, and she fell forward—only to be caught by someone’s arms. Her hair and the hem of her dress fluttered as someone’s arm wrapped around her chest.

“...Huh?”

Laila looked up.

And she almost screamed for various reasons.

The man holding her in one arm was a stranger. Dressed in the long-tailed jacket of a Rendian adult male, with a badge of some family crest on his chest, he was clearly a guest at the party.

However, the man, dressed in white, blue, and gold, had an unhealthy appearance that didn’t match the vibrant jacket.

His wheat-colored hair, tied at the nape of his neck, lacked luster, and the area around his hazel eyes was sunken. His cheeks were gaunt, and even in the moonlight, his skin looked pale. His overly thin, almost sickly, physique suggested he was too skinny.

He was probably in his mid-twenties, but his features and lifeless expression made him look older.

His appearance made him seem difficult to approach. And she was being held by such a man.

（...N-no, no! This person helped me when I was about to fall! He might look scary, but I need to thank him!）

“Ah, thank you. I’m sorry, I must be heavy.”

Laila tried to stand up, but the man kept his arm around her and remained silent. Staring into her hazel eyes, Laila averted her gaze.

Although he was staring at her quite rudely, it didn’t feel too unpleasant. Still, being held by a stranger was not a good situation in many ways.

“Ah, um. I’m fine now. Thanks to you, I didn’t fall.”

“...”

She wanted him to say something or let her go soon. She lightly pushed his chest, but despite his thin chest muscles, he refused to release her.

（T-this... is a problem! A big problem!）

She was considering reporting him to the guards nearby when he finally opened his thin, pale lips—

“...You”

“Yes!”

“Will you marry me?”

“...What?”

He had proposed.