CH 53

That’s ridiculous!

However, I couldn’t find any evidence to deny it. In the first place, I don’t even understand what romantic feelings are. Of course, I understand physical compatibility, but what is love?

If I did fall in love with Lady Lorraine, as she says, when did I start feeling that way?

I decided to ask her honestly.

“Why do you think that? Can you tell me? I don’t really understand it myself.”

“Well, isn’t it because you feel jealous when you see a woman dancing with another man? There’s no other explanation for it. If you’re jealous, it means you like that person, right?”

That’s right. She’s not wrong. However, I couldn’t accept it right away. Therefore, I decided to put the conclusion on hold for the time being.

“I see. So at least I have feelings for her. There’s no doubt about that. I don’t have any bad feelings towards Lady Lorraine.”

“That seems a bit different, but oh well.”

“But why is she so plain? I saw her up close for a little bit, but as the daughter of Lady Valcourt, she has a beautiful figure. She should dress up… It’s strange.”

Tatiana says as she looks at Lady Lorraine talking to her family. I nodded my head.

“I definitely thought the same thing. As far as I know, the Baron Valcourt family is not so impoverished that they cannot afford new dresses, and the Baron and his wife are not so extravagant, so it’s not about money. I can only think that there is another reason.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Tatiana was so enthusiastic about it, so I took a look. I think if she dresses up, she could become the belle of the social scene in one go. So, I thought about it a little, and maybe someone said something about her appearance.”

I tilted my head at Bruno’s words. He explained to me, “In other words, she may have been teased by someone when she was a child. Considering that she looks more like her father than her mother, she may have been called plain or unremarkable. Even childhood memories can sometimes leave unexpected scars.”

“Ah, I see. That’s very possible.”

If that’s the case, it’s a shame. I thought that from the bottom of my heart.

However, I suddenly realized something. If she had stayed the way she was, there wouldn’t have been many people besides us who would have noticed how lovely she was.

Until my feelings come to a conclusion, I can’t have her get married.

It might actually be a good thing that she’s plain.

“Right? Well, you can only ask the family or the person herself about that. Oh, the music has changed. Tatiana, what do you want to do? Do you want to dance a little more?”

“Yes! I love this dance.”

“Okay then, Jeremiah, I’ll excuse myself. Oh, and one more thing. If you’re planning on talking to Lady Lorraine, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.”

I didn’t understand why he said that and looked at him with a puzzled expression. He told me, “From what I’ve seen in the past few days, she leaves early. That’s all.”

Bruno said “okay” and went with Tatiana to the center of the hall. I was left by the wall and couldn’t help but smile wryly, thinking that they were also observing her.

I knew that she didn’t stay long at gatherings she attended. However, I didn’t plan on talking to her today. I just wanted to observe her from afar. So, I searched for her figure as usual.

Suddenly, I felt a piercing gaze. It wasn’t Lady Lorraine’s. It was a group of young girls. I avoided their gaze, which seemed to be asking me to dance, and searched for her honey-colored hair, but couldn’t find her.

Perhaps she was already getting ready to leave.

If that’s the case, it’s a shame.

I sighed and thought about going home. I had no plans to dance with anyone. Dancing with anyone would just be boring. Even the strong, bewitching, and beautiful ladies, the cute ladies from well-bred families who were raised to have empty heads, and the daughters of wealthy people who were after noble status were all out of the question.

When I let slip my true feelings, I was told that my ideals were too high.

Marriage in the upper class is impossible without calculation or obligation. Love may or may not arise from there. However, the important thing is the survival of the family, I remembered being scolded.

I looked back at where Lady Lorraine was and asked myself if she was the same.

At that moment, I saw the young man she had danced with earlier among a group of young men walking ahead of me. He was well-dressed, not a noble but a young man from the upper class who incorporated trendy clothing.

His features were sweet, and he looked like the kind of young man that young girls would make a fuss over.

They were a little drunk and seemed to be talking loudly, so much so that I could hear them. I furrowed my eyebrows at their voices.

“Come to think of it, you were dancing with a lady who isn’t your type. Is she rich?”

“No, she’s definitely from a decent family, but she’s not rich.”

“Then why did you dance with her? Do you know her?”

A young man dressed in flashy clothing, looking like a young man from a good family, persistently asked. The young men nearby, who seemed to be military personnel, also listened with interest.

The young man who was asked replied with a slightly annoyed expression, “I was asked to do it. She’s a friend of the lady I’m interested in, but no one wanted to dance with her, so I asked her to dance just one song.”

Then the young man next to him patted him on the back and laughed.

“I see, I thought it was something like that. Otherwise, who would want to dance with such a plain and unremarkable girl? Her face is ordinary, her body is thin, and her head is probably not much better.”

The flashy young man made a gesture indicating “idiot” next to his head.

The young men watching burst into laughter.

It had been a long time since I had felt like I wanted to punch someone. It had been since my childhood fights when I lost my temper.

Her face appeared in my mind, the one who said that betraying someone was painful.

It must be that their eyes are clouded if they can call such a kind person an idiot.

If Lady Lorraine dressed properly and showed off her charm to the fullest, they would surely regret what they said.

Thinking that way, I wondered why I was so angry about her honor being tarnished.

I couldn’t think of the reason right away.

However, I couldn’t bear to see her being insulted. She is not someone who deserves to be spoken to like that. I am convinced of that.

But how can I do something about it?

First, it would be best to approach her as a friend.

In that case, it seems easiest to become close to her brother, Claudio. However, I don’t even know what kind of person he is.

As I was thinking about that, the voices of the young men faded away.

Young girls who were only following them with their eyes. Lady Lorraine was not among them.

Relieved by that fact, I caught sight of her honey-colored hair. And there she was, looking at me with those shining eyes.

That strange feeling of excitement welled up in my chest.

She didn’t even glance at the young man she was dancing with, and instead looked at me with eyes full of admiration and joy. I still don’t know why she was staring at me like that.

But I was happy.

To be looked at by her with such eyes.

——Jealousy means you like that person, right?

Tatiana’s words hit me hard.

I see… I reluctantly admitted to myself that I seem to be attracted to that plain lady. That thought had become an undeniable fact within me.