Side Story 4.2

After a long pause, Karen remembered they weren’t alone.

All those young, fit, handsome staff, busy preparing for opening, had stopped and were watching their conversation with interest.

“W-what are you all looking at? Get back to work! Go do your jobs!”

Karen shouted, her face so red it looked ready to burst.

“Come with me. Let’s talk inside.”

Lennon, dumbly following as Karen pulled him along, suddenly burst out laughing.

“Ahahaha. Karen, I really do like you. I love you. Marry me. It has to be you.”

This time, Karen’s face went blank.

How long had it been since she’d seen him laugh so openly?

Her eyes filled with tears.

Lennon laughed, truly happy.

He approached Karen, leaned in, and touched his forehead to hers.

“You like me too, right? Hurry and say so.”

“…Don’t laugh. Why do you keep laughing?”

“Because I’m happy.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“I know. You don’t have to say it now. I can tell from your face how much you like me.”

Lennon’s lips curled into a smooth smile.

That relaxed, confident look—just the way she liked it.

“Karen, if you really don’t want to marry me, I won’t force you anymore. But please, don’t push me away here.”

Just confirming Karen’s feelings was enough for Lennon.

Why had he tried to force things into the shape of marriage? Things were already good as they were.

“…It’s not that I don’t want to marry you.”

Lennon quickly erased his previous thought.

‘She doesn’t hate marriage? Then what’s the problem?’

He knew Karen was hesitating about something, but he didn’t rush her and waited.

He’d waited this long, so he could wait longer.

“I just… I’m not confident. I’m not good enough for you.”

Her words were hard-won after a long wait, but Lennon couldn’t quite understand and frowned.

Then, slowly, his face hardened.

“Who said something to you?”

His decisive question made Karen flinch and look away.

“It’s not that. It’s just…”

“If you don’t want to talk, forget it. I’ll find out myself.”

“Lennon!”

Karen hurriedly grabbed Lennon as he turned to leave.

His eyes flashed with a rough emotion she’d never seen before.

Startled, Karen let go of his arm.

No matter how much she grumbled or even spoke rudely, he’d never gotten angry before.

However, what filled those deep eyes was anger.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t spoken properly all this time… Of course you’d be angry.”

Karen trembled with narrow shoulders, tears welling up in her eyes, and Lennon pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’m not angry at you. I’m so angry at myself. Why didn’t I try to understand sooner? You’ve been acting so strangely. I’ve never thought I was this foolish in my life.”

She said she wasn’t confident. Yet she was the one who used to challenge Lennon so boldly.

Clearly, something had happened to Karen.

Why had he so readily believed her when she said she wanted to try something new?

Love really did dull a person’s senses.

“Tell me the truth. Maybe you couldn’t trust me, but please, try to trust me a little more.”

“It’s not that. I just… I hated the thought that, because of me, people might look down on you too.”

“What are you saying? It’s the opposite. Even if that were true, do the words of people who don’t even know us really matter that much?”

People who didn’t even know them. If it were just those, Karen might have laughed it off and pretended not to care.

“……Even your family opposed us.”

“Opposed us? What are you talking about? I’ve told you before—my family welcomes you with open arms.”

“In truth… I met your second sister. It was a few days after you proposed.”

“My second sister? You mean Veronica?”

Lennon’s face showed genuine confusion.

* * *

Three years ago, Karen was full of excitement.

It wasn’t hard to find the woman who’d contacted her at the shop.

Dark blonde hair and eyes like blue lakes.

The woman who’d introduced herself in a letter as Lennon’s second sister looked just like him.

‘What could this be about?’

It was her first time meeting his family.

“Th-thank you for meeting me. I’m Karen Bellacita.”

After her greeting, Karen secretly bit her lip.

Was her tone too stiff?

Her voice sounded odd.

She’d even stammered like a fool.

She’d only said hello, but her head was already full of regrets.

“Yes. Nice to meet you. You’re as beautiful as I heard. Please, sit.”

A clear, high soprano tone—like a singing ‘sol’ note.

Her smiling face, so like Lennon’s, and her gentle voice made Karen even more nervous.

She wanted to make a good impression.

First impressions are important, they say. Was her outfit okay?

She worried that her hair was sticking up, of all days.

Karen moistened her dry lips and managed to speak.

“May I ask why you wanted to see me today…?”

“I heard. Lennon said he wants to marry you.”

Karen’s eyes widened.

‘He already told his family?’

He could at least have given her a heads-up.

It hadn’t even been a week since the proposal.

Calling it a proposal made it sound grand, but it was nothing like the romantic proposals women dream of.

They’d spent the night together, and the next morning in bed he’d casually asked, ‘Should we get married?’

No ring, no ceremony.

But even that was romantic and perfect to Karen.

Embarrassed, she couldn’t give a proper answer and just snuggled closer, but that was probably answer enough.

She’d felt their hearts connect in that moment.

She’d grown impatient since he hadn’t said anything since, but learning he’d taken it seriously touched her.

“I know all about your situation, Karen.”

“My situation…?”

Karen’s heart thudded loudly.

“I’m truly sorry about your past. It must have been so hard… Now you’re the adopted daughter of Marquis Bellacita, right?”

“…Yes.”

Her voice unintentionally grew quieter.

She lived well enough now, but only thanks to the Marquis’s kindness.

If anyone dug into her past, she was just an illegitimate child, looked down on by the world.

To start with this kind of talk right after meeting…

She had a bad feeling.

“This may be a rude question, but you don’t have any personal wealth or savings, do you?”

“……No.”

With her answer, Karen let out a short sigh and bowed her head like a criminal.

“What’s there to worry about?”

The woman’s quiet muttering pierced Karen’s ears.

Her face burned.

She hated that all she could say was ‘yes,’ and hated her situation.

She thought she knew why she’d been called here.

She’d always forgotten, seeing Lennon’s easy smile, but he was of noble blood, part of the Imperial Family.

“It’s awkward to say this myself, but our Ruicen family is quite influential in the Empire. My mother is the former Emperor’s sister and the current Emperor’s aunt. You know that, right?”

“…Yes.”

“With things as they are, we can’t help but be conscious of how others see us. Especially marriage? That’s another story. From the dowry to the smallest details, people will talk. There are more people than you think who want to find fault and tear us down.”

“……Yes.”

“No matter how freely Lennon has lived, when it comes to marriage, he can’t escape being Ruicen’s second son. He says not to worry about such things, but that’s just naive. He needs someone who matches him in every way. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

She’d gone on at length, but it was simple.

She didn’t measure up.

Karen nodded.

She couldn’t help but nod.

Not a word was wrong.

“Thank you for understanding.”

The woman smiled prettily.

Karen squeezed her hands tightly under the table.

The smile that resembled the man she loved made her feel even smaller.

“Please accept this.”

A white envelope was slipped under Karen’s lowered gaze.

“What is this…?”

“It shouldn’t be insufficient.”

The thick envelope proved her point.

Karen’s heart pounded again.

She was still naive about the world, but she wasn’t so foolish as to ask what the envelope meant.

The woman, noticing Karen’s stiff expression, hesitated slightly.

“I hope you won’t take offense if you understand my position.”

“…….”

“Oh. Will Marquis Bellacita be angry if he finds out? I hope you won’t misunderstand.”

At the sudden mention of the Marquis, Karen’s pupils shook.

‘Right. If I refuse, it might look like I’m rejecting the Bellacita family.’

Karen didn’t want that either.

If this reached the Marquis, he might formally protest to the Ruicen family for Karen’s sake.

‘He’d definitely do that. I don’t want to cause trouble.’

Karen bit her lip until it hurt.

“I understand your intention.”

She forced out the words, though her voice barely came out.

Her dry mouth made a scratchy sound with every word.

“I hope Lennon and the Marquis don’t find out about today.”

“If you wish, that’s fine. I prefer it that way too.”

“And I can’t accept this.”

Karen pushed the envelope back and stood up, surprising the woman.

“No, you should take it…”

“I understand, but I didn’t say I’d accept.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I know it’s shameless, but please give me some time. I beg you.”

She bowed deeply, then rushed out before hearing the answer.