TN: Happy (early) Chinese New Year! Sorry, for disappearing like that, my schedule became busier after my vacations. Still, it made me happy that you guys are still waiting for my update. :3
[Maa, Norsama. Welcome.]
Once inside, Maria went to prepare tea and sweets.
I guided Nora to her seat and then sat down myself. The cushion of the chaise sank down as if wrapping my big buttocks.
(Finally, I'm released from my crutches! But it feels a bit strange that the cushion sinks too much.)
Nora whose anger had calmed down looked quite normal.
However, I had not noticed that she had such intense emotion inside her.
Even when she was angry with Merrill in the past, I thought that she was just temporarily angry when her territory was spoken about.
The other girls were also getting more severe against Merrill compared to before.
(I had thought that I should speak to Merrill to prevent Marlow-sama's assassination. It might have been better to manage this earlier… I was a little worried since a while ago, but this has developed into petty bullying.)
If Nora was to take actions like the manga version of Angela or myself… it could be serious. Furthermore, just like what Emirya had spoken about before, I felt that all of the men who were Merrill's admirers could become hostile. It would be dangerous in many ways.
Anyway, I asked her a question.
[Nora, what were you doing at the garden?]
[Aa, that. There was something I wanted to say to Princess Merrill… the other girls that gathered also have the same thoughts. Since I could say what I wanted to say, I felt refreshed.]
[What you wanted to say…?]
[That princess, she has been calling out to men who were working at the castle since a long time ago. Even if said men have fiancée, she didn't hesitate. Thanks to that, those men became captivated by Princess Merrill, and the young ladies who are their fiancées are not amused.]
[That's right, those men… Nora, you're angry about that too? For those young ladies?]
When asked, Nora glanced away from me a little.
[Well, that's not all…]
[If you don't want to say it, I won't force you.]
[…It's fine since you're Britney. I said it a while ago that I'm looking for a marriage candidate right? However, it didn't turn out well.]
I had heard a bit about her situation.
It seemed that she had met several men before as fiancée candidates, but the results were questionable.
[After talking about that with other young ladies, it became an introspection group of young ladies whose engagement talks did not go well. After a while, Princess Merrill happened to pass by…]
[Aa…]
I guessed that she gave an advice that wasn't needed.
[Towards us, "Don't be so depressed and blame yourselves, if you don't like yourselves, who will tell you that they like you? You need to have more confidence in yourselves!" was what she preached about.]
[…Is that so.]
Even though it's better to just pass by silently, Merrill just had to poke her nose into other's business.
Certainly what she said was always a just argument. But she did not perceive that there were humans who couldn't accept such words.
It was sometimes necessary to feel depressed. If it was denied, then one wouldn't know how to deal with their emotions.
Moreover, there were people who lack self-confidence.
It would be in bad taste to say to someone who had been knocked down mentally many times to be self-confident or to like themselves.
Of course, Merrill did not harbor ill-will. That girl just didn't know the truth.
(Maybe, until she came to the castle, malicious feelings had never been directly directed towards her.)
For better or worse, without knowing such a thing, Merrill had grown up in a gentle world.
[I wonder how I can like myself. Thinking such a thing… as expected, there is way I can like myself! Even if I held on, there's still no reward!]
[…U-n, I feel that it's unusual for people to like themselves. I like Nora though?]
[Un, thank, thank you. I also like Britney. But, it's not like that.]
What she wanted now was not the "like" from friendship; that was what Nora's eyes eloquently said.
I waited for her words.
[People like Princess Merrill do not care much about people's appreciation. Their standard for self-evaluation is themselves and is not affected by other people, that's the impression. It's how they live in their environment so far, and I don't think it can be changed suddenly…]
[For Britney, what about you?]
[I'm similar to Nora. I do not like myself whose weight has rebounded. Unlike a strong-minded person, I wonder if I can be more confident in myself than I am now. But when I got approved by someone else, I felt like I can like myself a little better.]
[Aa, like Ricardo-sama.]
Nora saw me with feeling like relief.
[It would be nice for me if there's someone who is like Ricardo-sama to Britney.]
[That's true. I hope your next match goes well… your territory is going to be succeeded by your brother right?]
[Ee, that's right. He's still small, but I have a younger brother who is far younger than me, so I will be married off to another household.]
[Your territory has developed considerably when compared to a few years ago, so I think an engagement proposal will surely come again.]
[Un… I hope the next one will come from a good man. Like Ryuze-sama.]
[…Gufo!?]
It's not possible for me to say that Ryuze-niisama wanted to be engaged to me.
[That's right, Britney. That Princess Merrill, it seems that she's spending a lot of time with Ricardo-sama. I wonder what she's thinking even though Lucas-sama is there. Nonetheless, it's hard to argue against royalty. Ricardo-sama is my lover so don't steal him… something like that.]
[Gufufu, that's right. We're not engaged either.]
While saying that it's hard to argue against royalty, Nora seemed to have been complaining about her a while ago…
(Since I trust Ricardo, I do not worry that he would be swayed by Princess Merrill.)
Recalling the fact that Merrill told me that she like Ricardo… if I had to answer whether it's amusing or not, the answer was no.
However, I was a countryside noble while the other party was royalty, there's no way that I could say "Ricardo and I are in love with each other, you can't steal him!" to her face.
(Based on common sense… it's useless.)
Besides, since our engagement had grim prospects, it's difficult to say it.
If such a thing could pass, my father wouldn't have eloped and my mother wouldn't have left the household.
I had understood the process ever since I was 12 years old.
My mother, a daughter of a marquis, had an unrequited love towards my father.
However, my father at that time had a mutual love with a daughter of a baron.
Due to that daughter of a baron, my mother became frenzied after she was informed. She forcibly married my father, while his lover was pushed forcibly onto another male… the son of Dan viscount household.
After that, my father and the daughter of baron eloped, they both were now missing.
I heard that my mother was hurt by various reprimands after she returned to her marquis household and was married off to a foreign country.
In a sense, they were my trauma.
(I do not think that Merrill will take similar actions like my mother, but with her whole-heartedly pursuing her purpose, I doubt she will give up.)
But it also made me anxious on how long I could endure.
(Before, when Merrill was touching Ricardo, I felt unpleasant.)
I wondered if I could suppress my ugly emotions. If I would become just like the Britney of manga.
(Merrill is not a bad person and she's still slowly maturing… but in terms of love, such things do not matter.)
I took a deep breath to dispel the bad thoughts.
[Nora, my engagement has grim prospects but… I will try my best.]
After I said so feebly, Nora suddenly moved towards me.
[Britney, I have a favour to ask. Can you come with me to my next marriage interview?]
[Ma, marriage interview!? Do you have plans?]
[Ee, from the personal histories that had been sent, my otou-sama has chosen someone with good prospects. Well, I want you to make sure of it, Britney.]
[…That, is a serious responsibility.]
[I think I can trust your eyes to discern other people. Anyhow, can I request you to do this?]
If Nora's matchmaking went well, her self-confidence might recover.
If so, she won't bear a peculiar risk by participating in the princess' bullying.
While the current situation was different from the manga, if she repeated such a thing, Nora's position would be in danger.
(I do not know the correct answer, and I don't feel confident with myself.)
I became fat due to my weak will.
Even if I became thin after working hard, I still reached for food when stressed and did not refuse others due to my conscience even though I knew that it would make me fat.
Even if I proceeded forward a little, if was because there was someone who would affirm me even though I was useless like this.
(If Nora has a partner like that, then possibly…)
But thinking of entrusting this to others, it didn't feel good from my point of view.
I would be a no good friend if I wished for a third person to just appear like that.
[All right, Nora. I'll attend your matchmaking!]
I answered after hesitating, Nora's face then shone.
[Thank you, Britney!]
Genuinely, I just wanted my friend to be happy.
[So, when is it?]
[The day after tomorrow.]
[O, oo… is, is that so. That's so soon.]
I prayed quietly that her marriage interview would be successful.