Heya! We’ll start with part 2 this week! Here’s the prologue for part 2! ……also, this is just the prologue, but it’s already sugary sweet and I was tempted to throw my mouse to the screen while translating this lol.
TL: clover
ED: clover
"It still feels like a dream……"
I exhaled softly. The breath came out much, much sweeter than I thought.
The society debut's evening part ended without a hitch, I returned to the mansion, changed into a loungewear and sat on the sofa with a dreamy feeling.
"Welcome back, Milady. You must be tired. Please have a cup of tea."
"Yes."
My butler Luke gave me a cup of tea, so I drank it.
When I took a sip as usual, although I knew what I drank, I couldn't taste it at all today. But I don't mind. Luke said that this is a cup of tea.
"……Milady. You're terribly absentminded today. The tea you just drank is chamomile, you know?"
"Yes……it's delicious."
"I didn't know that your taste has become strange. Shall I put chili pepper in it?"
"Chili pepper……it may be delicious too."
Hearing my answer, Luke, who gave up and declared me as hopeless, sighed blatantly.
"At any rate, it is all good and well that everything went smoothly with His Highness in the evening party, but this is enough, please come back to reality soon. Your grinning face is unseemly."
"W-what do you mean unseemly! B-but Luke. Even though I didn't say anything, you knew that something happened with Al."
Being told that I was unseemly, I tightened my expression. I am aware that I was being absentminded, so in order to gloss over it, I held my cat Noel, who had been examining my state nearby, and put him on my lap.
Luke looked at me with an exasperated expression, and said "Of course I knew," as he poured me another cup of tea. Even though it was already evening, his butler outfit doesn't seem to get wrinkled. Straightening his spine, Luke said while taking care of me gallantly.
"You have a dreamy-looking expression on your face ever since you came back. It's obvious that something good had happened. And since we're talking about Milady, the good thing that happened must be related to His Highness Alan. From your expression, it looks like you've made your confession safely. Have you become lovers with His Highness?"
"……y-yes."
While wondering just what kind of expression was that, I nodded.
Right. As Luke said, I have officially become lovers with the First Prince of Roseblade Kingdom, Alan—or Al, just before.
I have always thought that Al was only helping me so that I wouldn't become a 『villainess』. Although I have a close relationship with him, I've always believed that I became his fiancée for convenience sake, because it was necessary for our cooperation.
But, last time he told me that it wasn't like that at all.
He told me that he loves me and that he intends to marry me in the future.
On the other hand, I was able to finally gave him my reply on the evening party of my society debut.
He hugged me when I said, "I love Al," and kissed me.
He gave me a gentle but sweet kiss, his lips touching mine, which was something that only lovers would do.
I was too happy and I thought I was dreaming, I didn't think it was real, but he was hugging me close and I knew that it wasn't a dream……aah jeez, I don't know what I am thinking right now.
Anyway, Al escorted me, who was in cloud nine, back to the carriage because it was late and said, "I will contact you again."
"We finally become lovers. I want to talk with you a lot, and go on a date with you. I want to hold hands with your cute self as lovers and occasionally touch you. I want to experience such things with you. Is that fine?"
It was only natural that I wasn't able to act normal when he told me this just before the carriage door closed, and since then, I have always been thinking about Al, my mind is not here at all.
"Al was wonderful today as well. Um……t-to think that such a wonderful person loves me……"
My face became hot when I recalled what happened this evening. When I put my hand on my cheek subconsciously, Luke said with an exhausted expression.
"Isn't that great? I also feel relieved that your feelings were mutual. If not, then I'd be depressed from the usual unmindful flirting from the both of you. During that time, even if you say that you were not dating and were not lovers, no one would believe you. Ah, you are his fiancée, you know. Fiancée…….haaah. This obstacle is finally gone, so I always thought that you guys should just get together already."
—It seems that my butler's sharp tongue is in full-swing tonight.
My silver-haired exclusive butler, whose outstanding aspect is only his appearance, is thoroughly sarcastic towards me, his master. Well, it's fine because I understand that I allowed him to speak his mind.
However, I can't agree when he said that we were flirting. Because we didn't do such a thing.
"What do you mean flirting, we didn't do anything like that. We, we didn't do such a thing."
While remembering that we had kissed, although we were in a secluded place during the evening party, I complained to Luke thinking that he shouldn't know about that.
But, Luke stared at me.
"Eh, what are you saying, Milady. I remember that you were giving His Highness a lap pillow recently though? I would like you to tell me what that means if it wasn't flirting."
Unfortunately, I couldn't say anything to that.
I remembered that I gave Al a lap pillow when he came to the mansion. Aah, that was embarrassing. But……I think, more than anything, I was happy.
Seeing me turn even redder than before, Luke clapped his hands several times as if to end the conversation while saying, "Yes, yes."
"Let's end the conversation here. I know that I will only get a heartburn. —Well, I said various things, but I'm glad, Milady. After this, if there is nothing happen, you will marry His Highness."
"R-right……"
Get married to Al……
I imagined it and got embarrassed.
In a few years, will I wear a bridal gown and marry him? Just thinking about it makes me happy.
"I, I want to be Al's bride quickly."
When I kept my head down while saying so bashfully, Luke picked up Noel from me and said.
"Please say such words directly to His Highness. I feel troubled if you told me that."
"T-to Al……"
That will be quite difficult.
But, if I say that, will Al be happy?
He will probably reply with something like: "Me too. I want to quickly make you my wife."
I imagined it. Yeah, I'm very happy.
"……Milady. Haah……please don't immersed yourself in the world of delusions……I mean, I know your feelings are mutual with His Highness, Milady, but aren't you becoming somewhat a doofus on your own will? In which case, I think you're still far away from your goal of becoming a perfect lady."
"I, I know that!"
He hit my weak spot.
As Luke pointed it out, I shook off my delusion.
That's right. Certainly, I may not have been a 『villainess』. But I am still far from being a perfect lady, and I don't know when I will turn back into a 『villainess』 once again.
Human beings cannot change their nature just by a slight effort.
It is highly likely that my old habit will come out.
In order to avoid that as much as possible, I can't stop the efforts I've put into so far, I have to gather myself together and keep doing my best.
—It would be a very difficult path.
In all honesty, I don't know if the day when I can become a 『perfect lady』 will come.
"So that I can be with Al. I will do my best."
I don't want to leave him. I don't want to lose his feeling.
It will be completely different from now on.
This time, it is not to prove myself superior to Prince Wilfred.
I will become a perfect lady for myself. This is an effort to become a woman suitable for Al.
I nodded resolutely.
Luke, who saw it, said with a very nice smile, "Please allow me to continue to help you."