‘Choosing Aaron was definitely the right choice.’
He was suitably simple, suitably fond of women, handsome, and capable. The perfect man.
Lizzy smiled contentedly and leaned her head on her fiancé’s shoulder.
***
Ariella, leaving the dining room, quickly turned down the corridor instead of heading to the front door. She had heard that the men’s restroom was down this way.
‘He can’t have gone far. Where is he?’
The person she was looking for was Izan Wrexham. As she hurried along, she spotted the Izan’s shiny blonde hair in the distance.
Just as she was about to call out to him urgently.
“Arri, wait a moment!”
She heard a voice calling her from behind. In that moment of hesitation, the Izan disappeared into the restroom.
Now, she had no choice but to wait until he finished his business and came out. Ariella swallowed a sigh and turned around.
Soft light brown hair, an unusually small stature, and round green eyes came into view.
It was Zaria Demetrius, the eldest daughter of the Demetrius family and one of Ariella’s friends. It was a bit awkward to call her a friend now.
“Zaria, what’s wrong?”
“I, I mean… um…”
Zaria couldn’t find a place to look and kept rolling her eyes, eventually bowing her head deeply. It was frustrating to see her fumbling for words.
At this rate, they would be stuck like this until the Izan came out. Ariella frowned, feeling anxious. What kind of nonsense would she say to ruin her mood again? She felt quite displeased.
But what came out of Zaria’s mouth was completely unexpected.
“I’m sorry, Arri. I couldn’t say anything while you were hearing those words…”
“……What?”
“I’m weak. No, I’m just selfish. I’m really sorry.”
Drip! Tears splattered on the floor of the corridor.
Ariella stared blankly at Zaria’s confession.
“That hat is really pretty. It doesn’t look cheap at all. Everything those people say is a lie. I’m weak and mean, so I couldn’t say otherwise in front of them… But I hope you don’t get hurt by such low-quality words. Please don’t think you did anything wrong.”
I’m sorry, but please. Zaria added in a wet voice.
Ariella gazed at her for a long time.
“……I’m fine. So please go inside. It would be troublesome if we were caught together.”
“I’m really… really sorry. If there’s ever a time I can help, please let me know. I’ll pay any price.”
After repeatedly apologizing, Zaria returned to the dining room.
Why was it? Even though she had received an apology, her mood strangely sank even lower.
It wasn’t because she was hurt by the low-quality people, as Zaria said, nor did she think she had done anything wrong. Rather, it was the opposite.
The reason she felt uncomfortable hearing the words of apology was that there was something to feel guilty about.
The low-quality things Zaria spoke of.
Because she was thinking of becoming just like them in the future.
***
It took a full 15 minutes for Izan Wrexham to come out of the restroom.
Whether he had a stomach issue or was just trying hard to look good so as not to lose to Aaron in beauty, it was a very tedious time for Ariella, who wanted to leave the Count’s residence as soon as possible.
“Izan Wrexham.”
“Eek! Wh-who… Lady Arri?”
As she revealed herself from behind a pillar, the Izan jumped as if he had seen a ghost.
“Did you wait for me here?”
“Yes. I have something urgent to discuss.”
Izan Wrexham made a complicated expression. He thought he knew what Ariella was going to say.
‘She’s going to ask me to help her not get kicked out of society, no matter what.’
It was a troublesome situation for a woman who had once been at the pinnacle of society to come asking for help. But aside from that, he felt a bit pleased.
However, what came out of Ariella’s mouth was something entirely different.
“Izan, do you have feelings for Lizzy?”
“W-what do you mean all of a sudden?!”
So surprised was he that Izan Wrexham’s voice shot up.
“How dare you make such a strange accusation! This is troublesome!”
His gaze was unsteady, and his limbs fidgeted, the biggest traits of someone lying.
Having only seen Lizzy, who always performed perfectly, it felt very refreshing to see such a clumsy person.
“I’m not accusing you. I just thought it would be nice if you did.”
“Y-yes?”
“As you know, I was Aaron’s fiancée until recently. Now Lizzy has taken that place. I can’t help losing the title of Princess of Abercorn… but I still don’t want to give up Aaron. My feelings for him remain unchanged.”
Unlike the Izan, Ariella’s lie was very well-crafted.
Not wanting to give up Aaron. It was an utterly terrible thing to say, but her face as she spoke it was merely sorrowful.
“Why are you telling me this…?”
“Well, because Lizzy has liked you for a long time.”
