Tell Me To Regret, Don’t Tempt Me - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
A 10-year-old had no way of understanding exactly what a husband’s duties were, but Vivian thought Louis’s words sounded like he was trying to get her to like him.
But seeing Louis’s expression, Vivian had a sneaking suspicion that his confession wasn’t about liking her, and she hesitantly raised her head.
“Louis!”
Just as Vivian was pondering what to reply to Louis’s non-confession confession, someone called out to Louis, and she quickly shut her mouth.
“Your Highness! I hear your prospective fiancée is at the banquet, let’s go check if she’s really as ugly as rumored! Ugh!”
A rose suddenly flew out and struck Arnold in the face, its petals scattering with a ‘puck’ sound that was like a gush of blood. Arnold looked at the fluttering petals and gritted his teeth.
“They say you shouldn’t hit people even with flowers, but where do you get off hitting so hard with a flower…?”
Arnold, holding his nose, looked at the small brown-haired, green-eyed girl next to Louise and clamped his mouth shut.
Arnold’s mind raced through dozens of thoughts as he looked at the girl.
Who is this girl? I’ve never seen her before. Is she with Louis? Is this brat a young lady? I don’t know who she is, but she’s probably important. Brown hair, green eyes? Hm… No way. Could it be?
Arnold’s thoughts were gradually converging on one conclusion.
Could she be the rumored Vivian Dinever?
Arnold’s face turned pale.
What did I just say… I definitely said we should go see if she’s as ugly as the rumors say.
Idiot.
Louis gestured to Arnold with his mouth.
“Haha. Ha. Your fiancée must be pretty, right? Isn’t that so? Haha. Don’t believe rumors. What kind of idiots say such things!”
Louis, looking at Arnold’s rambling, pitiful expression, then glanced at Vivian.
It was impossible that Vivian hadn’t heard Arnold’s loud words. But Vivian’s expression was inscrutable, showing no hint of what she might be thinking.
“Introduce yourself. This is Vivian Dinever. The only lady of the Duke’s mansion. Vivian. This is my…… friend. Arnold Bynes. The Marquis’ son.
After briefly considering, Louis introduced him, and now wasn’t the time to confront him. Arnold formally introduced himself to Vivian.
“I apologize for the interruption, not knowing there was a lady here. I am Arnold Bynes.”
Vivian looked up at Arnold, who was sweating profusely as he introduced himself. With his red hair and mischievous face, he looked very similar to Reina.
As Vivian stared at him, sweat began to bead on Arnold’s forehead.
“Hello. I’m Vivian Dinever.”
As Vivian greeted him, Arnold found a smile and scratched the back of his head.
“I hope I’m not interrupting your conversation with Louis.”
“You did.”
Louis replied on Vivian’s behalf, motioning with his chin toward the entrance to the garden. Arnold had just nodded and was about to bow to Vivian when Louis’s aide, Jayden, came running up.
“Your Highness! His Majesty is looking for you.”
“Now?”
“Yes. It seems urgent.”
In Jayden’s words, Louis rubbed the nape of his neck and looked at Vivian
“It’s okay, go ahead. Louis.”
As Vivian spoke, Arnold nodded beside her.
“Yeah. Yeah. Go check it out first. I’ll escort the young lady to the banquet hall.”
“That makes me even more uneasy.”
“Heh! Trust me a little! Come on. Go on, His Majesty is waiting.”
Louis looked back as he left the garden with Rayden. Arnold, waving his hand at the anxious Louis, sighed deeply once Louis was out of sight.
“Ha. Really, his temperament…”
Then, noticing Vivian looking at him, he smiled broadly.
“Well, you’ll soon realize, but isn’t His Highness the Crown Prince has an unusual personality? That’s why he doesn’t have many friends. I’m probably his only one.”
Vivian nodded in agreement. It was true.
“By the way, you call our crown prince ‘Louis!’”
“Well, that’s what Louis wants me to call him……”
“I’m surprised. Very few people call him Louis.”
“Is that so?”
Feeling uncomfortable under Arnold’s sparkling gaze, Vivian thought she should leave this place soon.
“Well then, I should… It was nice meeting you, Sir Vynes.”
“Oh! I have to escort you wherever you’re going. I promised Louis, so I must.”
Louis had said there was no need… Vivian couldn’t bring herself to insist, seeing Arnold’s sincere expression.
In the end, Vivian decided to follow Arnold’s guidance and return to the banquet hall.
Arnold talked incessantly as they returned to the banquet hall. But surprisingly, what Arnold said turned out to be informative for Vivian.
“When Louis was 7 years old, he got scolded by His Majesty and ran away. Ah! It wasn’t really running away since he just moved to another palace. It was still within Dovelia Palace. Haha.”
Arnold’s mouth was full of stories that Louis, if he knew, would grab and tug at, threatening to sew it shut if he spoke one more time.
Vivian’s ears perked up, partly because she found the stories amusing and partly because she was getting to know a new side of Louis.
“Sir Bynes.”
“Just call me Arnold.”
Vivian slowed her pace as she heard the music and voices coming from the banquet hall.
“Um…?”
“Yes. Feel free to ask!”
Vivian stopped and looked around the corridor. Seeing nobody around, she cautiously spoke up.
“Louis, I mean, what kind of lady does the crown prince like?”
Arnold blinked at Vivian’s question. He seemed about to respond cheerfully, but instead of saying anything, he just blinked, making Vivian’s face flush red.
“No, that’s… I mean.”
“Hmm…”
Arnold was puzzled by Vivian’s question.
What kind of lady Louis liked?
At 5 years old, he had been with Louis since he toddled around the palace as his playmate. There had never been any talk about romance or love from him.
There were many peers at the party who blushed when they saw Louis.
However, Louis had never approached anyone of the opposite sex. His main interests were books, swords, and how to become a great emperor.
Even if Arnold wanted to tell Vivian, he had nothing to say. Then, a faint memory flashed in Arnold’s mind.
“Oh! I remember one thing.”
Vivian, who had been covering her face with both hands out of embarrassment, opened her fingers slightly at Arnold’s words.
“Louis once said he would marry someone who resembled Her Majesty the Empress at a party. Yes, that’s right. He did.”
Vivian felt despair at Arnold’s words.
Her Majesty the Empress Annette Lindez Tapeullon.
She was a famous beauty in the empire, along with her mother, Daisy. Moreover, she was currently praised by the people of the empire for her wisdom, prudence, and humility, alongside Emperor Henry.
Empress Annette was undeniably beautiful. To marry someone resembling her…
While Vivian despaired, Arnold felt extremely proud. Although it was a memory from when he was 5 or 6 years old, the fact that he could provide an answer to Vivian was simply gratifying.
In the corridor leading to the banquet hall, Vivian and Arnold had different thoughts.
After that, Vivian and Arnold continued on their way to the ballroom without saying a word, but were suddenly stopped in their tracks by a red, bold cat.
“Brother!”
The cat glared at Arnold, its fur standing up in anger.
“What?”
Ignoring the growling cat completely, Arnold replied nonchalantly.
“Where are you going with her?! I mean, Lady Vivian?”
“Huh? Oh. I went to find Louis, but he got summoned by His Majesty, so I’m taking Lady Vivian to the banquet hall.”
When Arnold mentioned that Vivian was with Louis, Reina’s already raised eyebrows went even higher.
“Why would you?”
Reina, gritting her teeth, pinched Arnold’s side.
“Oh! Of course! She’ll be the future Crown Princess! I couldn’t leave my friend’s partner alone in the garden! That’s not what a gentleman does. Ow. That hurts. Such a small hand but so strong.”
Rubbing the side where Reina pinched him, Arnold glanced at his sister.
“Future Crown Princess…”
Reina turned her head and murmured softly.
“Brother! Isn’t Prince Louis coming to your birthday next month?”
Suddenly changing her expression, Reina hooked her arm around Arnold’s and shook him.
“Why, why are you asking suddenly?”
Stepping on Arnold’s foot firmly, Reina bit her lip and whispered in his ear.
“Just answer quietly.”
“Ah, yes. Yes. He’ll come. Probably? Ah!”
Satisfied with Arnold’s response, Reina clapped her hands and smiled warmly.
“Really? He’s coming to our mansion?”
Glancing at Vivian, Reina repeatedly mentioned that Louis would visit the Bynes Marquisate.
“Why are you being like this? Seriously. It’s creepy.”
Rubbing his goosebump-covered arms as he watched another friend call out to him, Arnold looked at Vivian.
“Can you go from here alone?”
“Yes. Sure. Go ahead and meet your friend.”
As Vivian nodded, Arnold, looking at his younger sister with an anxious expression, said,
“She’s my younger sister. She’s probably around the same age as you. She’s a bit difficult to get along with…”
“Brother!”
“She’s not that bad though, so I’m sure Reina would consider it an honour if you befriended her…ouch!”
As soon as he finished speaking and got pinched in the side, Arnold bid farewell to Vivian, saying they would meet again, and left.
Watching her brother’s retreating figure until the end, Reina suddenly turned to Vivian.
“I don’t want to be friends.”
“I don’t want to be friends with rude people either.”
Vivian lightly brushed off Reina’s jabbing words. Just as she started to walk away to head to the banquet hall, Reina grabbed her and spoke.
“The talks about your engagement with Crown Prince Luideos are purely because of your family, not because of you.”
Ignoring her, Vivian continued walking.
“If you weren’t the Duke’s daughter, someone like you wouldn’t even be noticed by the Crown Prince.”
Seeing Vivian not responding, Reina clenched her fist tightly.
“Someone like you doesn’t belong next to the handsome and splendid Crown Prince. Understand?”
Even though Reina harshly spoke, Vivian showed no reaction. Quickly walking ahead to block Vivian’s path, Reina, intending to shout at her to go home and look in the mirror to realize her place, was startled by Vivian’s expression.
“So, what I’m saying is…”
“Thank you. For making me realize.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I wasn’t sure if I was someone who would fit by the side of His Highness, but listening to you made me realize something. I want to see what it’s like standing by Louis.”
Reina instinctively took a step back from Vivian’s determination.
“Whether I’m suitable or not, I’ll see for myself and judge.”
With her chin raised, Vivian passed the dumbfounded Reina and headed towards the banquet hall.