Chapter 36
No way!
Aveline inwardly screamed as she watched Theron’s mouth begin to open.
She had been sending silent threats not to open his mouth since earlier, but Theron just kept smiling like someone looking forward to something fun.
“Actually, Lady Herolds and I—”
“Ouch!”
Aveline cried out before he could continue.
“Sister!”
“Aveline!”
Ares and Count Herolds reacted immediately, startled by the sudden scream.
“What’s wrong?”
She even succeeded in diverting Serio’s attention.
Aveline shot a warning glance at Theron telling him not to say another word, then began her act.
“My chest hurts because I was emotionally wounded by Count Huan’s words earlier.”
Aveline placed both hands over her heart as if her words were true.
“What?”
Ares was the first to react.
“What did that bastard say to my sister?”
Ares demanded fiercely, already dropping honorifics for the other party.
“He said… that I’m a worthless lady who was even rejected by Viscount Berta…”
“I-I never said anything like that!”
Count Huan exclaimed in shock, trying to defend himself.
“But isn’t that what you were trying to say in a roundabout way? Sniff…”
Aveline pretended to wipe away tears as she observed the reactions around her.
As intended, everyone was looking at Count Huan like he was trash.
“Count Huan, is everything my daughter said true?”
Count Herolds was the first to speak up.
“I had no idea Count Huan was so deeply interested in others’ private affairs.”
Duke Nor, who had been observing the situation, also chimed in.
“I never said such things…!”
“I witnessed everything from the side. You approached Aveline with the intention of insulting her from the start.”
Logan, who had observed the whole situation, also stepped in.
“Hmm.”
Serio seemed lost in thought as he rested his chin on two fingers.
“Count Huan, is that true?”
“Ah, no, I…”
Soon Serio joined in interrogating Count Huan.
When even Serio started questioning him, Count Huan’s face turned pale.
“Aveline, are you okay?”
While everyone’s attention was focused on Count Huan, Logan spoke up in a concerned voice.
“I didn’t know you had a matchmaking meeting with Viscount Berta. If I had known, I could have helped prevent you from meeting such a person…”
“How?”
Ares, who had been standing next to Aveline the whole time, reacted to Logan’s words.
He looked at his friend as if genuinely curious.
“Well… Such a ridiculous marriage proposal came in because Aveline doesn’t have a fiancé yet, right?”
Logan’s pale cheeks turned slightly red.
“If it’s that kind of problem, I could help…”
For some reason, Logan couldn’t look directly at Aveline.
‘Hmm?’
Aveline tilted her head at her friend’s suspicious behavior.
“What are you talking about?”
Ares cut in, frowning.
“Even if it’s you, where could you find a fiancé for my sister?”
“T-That’s…”
Logan’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
‘What? Did he have someone in mind as my potential fiancé without me knowing?’
Aveline was just as surprised by Logan’s words.
‘But… it looks like he’s about to burst.’
Logan’s face was getting so flushed that it was worrying, as if he might faint at any moment.
“In my opinion,”
Theron, who had been quiet all along, opened his mouth.
“It seems that Young Lord Casey is offering to be Lady Herolds’ fiancé himself.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Ares and Aveline shouted in surprise at the same time.
“Logan, is what Duke Ribes said true?”
When Aveline asked, Logan stuttered, unable to answer promptly.
His reaction confirmed that Theron’s words were true.
‘Logan wants to be engaged to me?’
While Aveline was shocked by this unexpected truth, Ares also spoke up in a dazed voice, seemingly surprised.
“Why are you two getting engaged?”
“Uh, what?”
Logan was flustered by Ares’ confrontational tone.
‘Right. It is a bit surprising.’
Even if they were childhood friends, it wasn’t common to offer to get engaged just to help someone out.
‘I’ve never even thought about it before.’
She thought this reaction wasn’t unreasonable, but what actually came out of Ares’ mouth was something entirely different.
“Aren’t you being too self-sacrificing?”
Ares looked at Logan as if he had heard something unbelievable.
“Even if you’re friends, what if this ends up ruining your own marriage prospects?”
Ares seemed to misunderstand that Logan was trying to make a great sacrifice for his childhood friend.
“I-It doesn’t matter.”
“Young Lord Herolds is correct.”
Theron interjected.
“It’s truly touching friendship, but there’s no need for Young Lord Casey to make such a sacrifice.”
“No, I’m fine with—”
“That can’t be.”
Theron cut off Logan’s words with a gentle voice.
“Besides, there’s a reason why Young Lord Casey doesn’t need to step forward.”
“A reason…?”
Logan asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes.”
Theron’s eyes crinkled as he nodded.
The smile of the handsome man created an illusion that the surroundings had suddenly brightened.
“It’s because I’m currently courting Lady Herolds.”
At Theron’s bombshell statement, the three people who had been questioning Count Huan turned around simultaneously.
Even Count Huan, who was being interrogated, opened his mouth with a pale face.
“…Courting? Did he just say he’s courting?”
“I believe he said ‘courting.'”
As Serio denied reality, Duke Nor calmly pointed it out.
“W-What did you say…”
Count Herolds was equally shocked.
“Then the flowers you sent yesterday were also to court…”
“That’s correct.”
Theron gave Count Herolds a relaxed smile.
“Of course, I couldn’t find flowers more beautiful than Lady Herolds.”
Theron’s words brought silence to the surroundings once again.
Everyone’s faces showed that they were thinking ‘That doesn’t seem right,’ but no one dared to say it out loud.
However, the person who was undoubtedly most embarrassed by Theron’s bombshell statement was none other than Aveline.
‘How could you do this without discussing it first!’
Even though they had agreed to spread rumors about being lovers in the dream, she hadn’t expected him to drop it so suddenly like this.
‘I guess it’s fortunate that he at least phrased it as Duke Ribes’ one-sided courtship.’
If this was Theron’s way of being considerate, maybe it was considerate.
But still.
Looking around, she saw that everyone wore shocked expressions.
Ares and her father seemed stunned, and even Duke Nor looked quite surprised.
Even Count Huan still couldn’t close his gaping mouth.
‘And on top of that…’
For some reason, Logan looked hurt.
‘Now I feel guilty for no reason.’
Although Aveline hadn’t done anything wrong, seeing her friend’s reddened eyes—the friend who had been willing to even endure an engagement for her sake—made her feel a pang of guilt.
“I don’t quite understand.”
At that moment, Serio cut in.
“So you’re saying that you, Theron, are courting Lady Herolds? Why on earth?”
Serio asked as if he truly couldn’t believe it.
And for good reason—until now, there had been no connection between Aveline and Theron.
Aveline hadn’t left her mansion for the past few years, and Theron rarely showed himself unless necessary.
Moreover, since their families belonged to different political parties, there couldn’t have been any point of contact even if they wanted.
“I’m grateful to Count Huan for that.”
Theron calmly replied.
“Me, me?”
Count Huan was flustered when his name suddenly came up.
“Thanks to Count Huan arranging the meeting, I was able to meet Lady Herolds that day.”
At Theron’s words, everyone’s attention turned back to Count Huan.
“Ah, no, I didn’t intend to—!”
Count Huan was shaking his head vigorously at the sudden attention, but he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Who are you trying to set up Viscount Berta with?”
Countess Huan appeared, pushing through the crowd.
“My dear!”
“Darling, what’s all this about?”
Countess Huan, with her intense red hair, looked down at her husband, who was shorter than her.
“So, Viscount Berta suddenly going down to the monastery was all…”
Countess Huan staggered as if shocked.
Everyone looked perplexed at the Countess who had suddenly appeared and was reacting so seriously.
“Do you know my son?”
Even Duke Nor asked, seemingly confused.
“We know each other well.”
The one who answered wasn’t the Countess.
“Well enough for her to rush out unable to contain her emotions like this.”
“What on earth are you saying! I was just curious…!”
Countess Huan cried out, startled.
“You seem more than just curious.”
Theron’s indifferent gaze passed over the Countess and settled on Count Huan.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know that your wife was in a secret relationship with Viscount Berta?”
“What nonsense are you spouting now!”
Count Huan retorted, trembling.
“Ask your wife. Whether my words make sense or not.”
As soon as Theron finished speaking, Countess Huan’s face turned pale.
