That Marriage, I’ll Do It in this Life - Chapter 31

‘Nineteen. Already old enough to hide intentions behind actions.’

Saena herself hadn’t been capable of such things at that age, so it never occurred to her back then.

Now, with her mental age having advanced by more than ten years, she could see through such behavior. In her previous life, she would never have noticed.

Regardless, Saena stood up to greet them.

“Hello. I’m Saena Debov.”

There were some unfamiliar faces, but most of them she recognized.

Judging by the presence of two individuals at the center, they seemed to be the leaders of this group.

Merilyn Harper and Elaine Barnes.

“I’m Merilyn Harper.”

She was the daughter of Marquis Harper, whose family often clashed with the Ackroyd Marquis family.

“I’m Elaine Barnes, the Crown Princess.”

“……”

Saena raised an eyebrow slightly at Elaine Barnes introducing herself as the Crown Princess.

She was a hebeta, not the Crown Princess.

The title of ‘Princess’ required marriage.

However, Saena didn’t bother to point this out. Although Elaine, who wasn’t yet the Crown Princess, had no right to address Saena informally, Saena chose not to mention this either.

She had no interest in arguing over trivial matters with someone she didn’t care about.

“Since you’ve just debuted, you must be busy looking for other friends to associate with.”

Elaine Barnes nodded as if she understood Saena’s situation.

That wasn’t necessarily true, but Saena didn’t refute it.

“As Elizabeth’s friend, I’ll graciously invite you to my palace tea party.”

“……”

“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but it’s not a tea party just anyone can attend. You’re quite fortunate.”

Saena blinked as she chose her words carefully.

Elizabeth may have been her only friend in her previous life, but things were different now.

The thin friendship they had once shared had been worn down by the hardships of her past life, and in this life, Elizabeth had risen to the top of her avoidance list after trying to introduce her to George Hollander.

Still, there was no need to openly show hostility.

“I see.”

So Saena gave a neutral response, neither affirming nor denying.

‘Well, I can just make an excuse about being unwell or go down to the estate and pretend to be traveling for recovery.’

As she thought about how to get through this situation, she looked for an opportunity to leave the lounge.

Bang.

The door opened again.

The lounge was unusually crowded for the early part of the ball. What was going on? Who could it be this time? She turned her head absentmindedly and was startled.

“Oh my, Saaaya~?”

Kirsten was striding toward her with confident steps.

“Oh, Sis… Sister Kiki?”

“Hehe. My pretty girl. Here you are.”

Kirsten, who had closed the distance in an instant, hugged her instead of greeting her. Of course, she did so at an angle that wouldn’t mess up Saena’s hair or wrinkle her dress.

Why did her heart feel like it was fluttering just because another woman hugged her?

As soon as I saw the gentle smile, it felt like my heart started racing faster.

“Ah, right. Pretty one, are you free next week?”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll send you an invitation to a tea party, so make sure you come, okay?”

“Ah, um. Yes.”

“What’s this, are you saying you don’t want to come?”

Kirsten brought her face so close that their noses almost touched and smiled.

“Oh, it’s not that… I’m just not used to this.”

“You’ll come, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Good.”

Kirsten lightly brushed Saena’s cheek with her finger, teasingly, almost touching her, and smiled sweetly like honey melting. It was a smile that seemed like it should be used to seduce someone, but instead, Saena found herself captivated.

“By the way… Why is this place so crowded from the beginning of the banquet?”

Thanks to Kirsten and her group entering together, the lounge was packed. Kirsten glanced around and locked eyes with Merilyn Harper. Zap. It felt as if lightning had struck between them for a moment. The two groups glared at each other like mortal enemies who had encountered one another.

“Oh my, the Ackroyd family may be powerful, but how could you not greet the Crown Princess?”

Merilyn Harper scolded Kirsten for not acknowledging Hebeta.

“Hmm? If the Crown Princess were in this room, of course, I would have greeted her. My lady, I not only have proper manners but also excellent eyesight.”

Kirsten feigned ignorance with an expression that seemed to genuinely question, ‘Where is the Crown Princess here?’ The young ladies who came in with Kirsten nodded in agreement.

“On the other hand, I do see Miss Hebeta. Hello. Are you enjoying the banquet?”

Elaine Barnes’s face twisted with frustration. It was clear that the two groups were at odds with each other. Saena couldn’t help but feel awkward, wondering if she was the only one feeling uncomfortable, as everyone else seemed familiar with each other.

When comparing the status of Elaine Barnes and Kirsten Ackroyd, it was slightly ambiguous. While Elaine Barnes was a viscount’s daughter, Hebeta’s status was by no means low. However, the issue was that she had been engaged for two years already. Looking at the precedent set by Prince Gillian Macfeyden, the engagement period was a maximum of two and a half years. Those who failed to show signs of an heir within that time frame were all broken off. As a result, Elaine’s current situation was precarious, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Elaine glared fiercely at Kirsten, then scanned each member of her group with a sharp gaze before finally landing on Saena. It seemed as though she was making a vow like, ‘If I truly become the Crown Princess, I won’t let any of these people go unpunished.’ …But that must be a misunderstanding, right? Saena felt a pang of guilt for no reason and wanted to grumble.

“Hmph!”

Elaine Barnes turned sharply and left the lounge. Lady Harper smirked and followed her, and the rest of the group trailed out after them. During this commotion, Saena briefly made eye contact with Elizabeth. With an awkward expression, Elizabeth glanced at her departing group, then subtly approached Saena and held her hand.

“Saya, I can’t talk for long now. Let’s hang out next time.”

In an incredibly kind tone, she spoke as if it were already decided that they would meet and spend time together. She then glanced at Kirsten before turning back to Saena, giving her a lovely smile, and waving as she left the lounge.

“Hmm. Saya, are you friends with that lime blonde?”

As the chaotic atmosphere settled, Kirsten pulled her to sit on the couch. Once seated, blood flowed back to her feet, which had been squeezed by high heels, causing a tingling sensation. Saena discreetly slipped her heels off under her skirt as she replied.

“Well, I suppose it depends on how you define a friend.”

At Saena’s ambiguous response, Kirsten made a curious expression and asked again.

“Saya, if you had a very critical secret, could you tell that lime blonde?”

Saena’s eyes widened slightly. Was Kirsten defining a friend as someone you could share secrets with? Even ‘critical’ secrets? Could such friendships exist in noble society?

“Sister Kiki, do you have a friend like that?”

She was genuinely curious. With wide eyes, she earnestly asked, and Kirsten exhaled sharply through her nose before pinching Saena’s cheek.

“Ah, seriously, you’re so cute.”

Even though it was just a light pinch, her naturally pale skin quickly turned pink.

“Alright, maybe a critical secret is too high of a standard. Let’s lower the bar a bit. Hmm…”

“……”

“Oh! Would you be able to introduce her to your male sibling as a romantic partner?”

Elizabeth with brother Sage or Yuri? That would make her my sister-in-law?

“……”

Hmm… I can’t quite imagine it. It’s not a situation I’d particularly welcome either.

“No, it probably depends on the circumstances. Hmm, I know! This is a better example.”

“……”

“Let’s say something very good happens to you.”

“…Something good?”

“Yes. Something that most young ladies would be envious of. For example…”

Kirsten tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking briefly, before continuing.

“You’re getting married to an incredibly handsome, wealthy, and high-status man!”

Getting married itself didn’t seem like a particularly happy event… Since she was skeptical about marriage itself, she didn’t feel envious at all. Naturally, she couldn’t imagine it well either.

“Right, someone like Duke Kramer! Handsome, rich, and an unmarried duke! Perfect.”

“……”

“Saya, if something like that happened to you, do you think Lime Blonde would sincerely congratulate you?”

…Of all examples, why Duke Kramer?

‘She’s asking me to imagine marrying Elizabeth’s former husband…?’