Looking for My Fiancé's Lover

As soon as our eyes met, Nezar’s hand quickly fell as if it had been burned.

“Wait a moment. Kate, I’m sorry, but please don’t say anything for a second.”

Before I could question him, I heard him clearing his throat loudly. Nezar’s back straightened, which had been bent forward to meet my gaze. I looked up at Nezar, with the glass paperweight in my hands.

“First of all, thank you for waiting for me during these five years, Kate.”

Somewhere, I heard the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. However, the lingering sound of the light spring breeze soon faded into the distance with Nezar’s calm and serene voice.

“Therefore… Hahh, saying this feels much more difficult than coming back alive from the battlefield. If that bastard Lockherd hadn’t scared me, I’d have been able to say it without a problem.”

Does he mean that it was hard to say thank you?

It was strange. Nezar’s face was not of the colour and expression I had seen thus far in my entire life. He looked a bit troubled, but at the same time, he seemed to be in high spirit. To me, it was a strikingly different look from the typical appearance. Even when I was flustered that he didn’t recognise me in the party hall, I didn’t have this weird kind of expression.

But I quietly waited for his words. I didn’t know why, but it felt like I had to.

“Kate, will you marry me?”

And it was really instantaneous.

“Gosh! I finally said it.”

Nezar lifted his arm to hold his head for a brief moment before he continued.

“I’m sorry, Kate. It sounds like an excuse, but it was hard to get the word out, so I wasted my time at the party… how laughable, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t figure out exactly what had happened. It’s like tens of thousands of large firecrackers exploded at once in my head which was once filled with a peaceful quartet of chirping birds and flowing rivers.

‘When will Nezar get married?’

I still remembered. Nezar, who was quietly tidying his horse’s mane while sitting on it, was startled by my words and almost fell off the saddle. The same went for Lockherd, who was pulling an arrow out of the body of a rabbit he had hunted. His movement was abrupt and without much care, so its fur was severely damaged.

‘Why are you asking that out of the blue?’

I looked away as I stroked the horse’s head as it was busy shaking off its muzzle. I averted them because I didn’t want to answer, but Lockherd’s tactless mouth opened very quickly.

‘Eden’s marriage partner was decided a few days ago. And it was a girl around Kate’s age.’

Because it was pulled out in a hurry, the arrow shaft was in poor condition. Without hesitation, Lockherd threw down the broken arrow and hung the rabbit’s body from the back of the saddle. There were three or four pieces of meat hanging next to it, as if they were trophies.

‘How old is the County’s heir(Eden) this year?’

Lockherd immediately answered Nezar’s question.

‘Twenty one.’

‘How about you? Lockherd, don’t you have a marriage partner you can talk to yet? It’s not that early anymore.’

I got off the saddle and walked to the stream. Sitting on a rock and untying the laces of my leather boots, I felt the stuffiness go away a little. While I took off my boots and rested, Lockherd came down to the side and washed his hands in the stream.

‘You can think of me as a neglected mountain goat. It won’t even matter much if I take a man as a concubine or if I become one, as long as the family’s honour is not shamed.’

At those words, Nezar frowned.

‘If you’re going to become a concubine, then is there even honour in the first place?’

‘Is there? I guess it doesn’t mean anything. My father and mother value the individual more than family honour.’

I felt like I was stuck in a conversation I couldn’t understand at all. Glancing at Nezar’s face, I brushed the mud off my fingertips and opened my mouth.

‘So when are you getting married?’

Nezar’s gaze toward me turned strange. It was hard to understand what it meant. Only the corners of his eyes were slightly raised. The answer I had been waiting for did not come from him, but from Lockherd.

‘He’ll do it soon. We already know who’s names are on the list. By the way, your name was in it too, Kate.’

My eyes widened at the unexpected words.

‘Really? My name is on the list of candiates for Nezar’s fiancée?’

‘It’s just a list.’

Nezar’s voice was indifferent and businesslike, as if he was sternly drawing a line. When I stared at his face with a twinkling gaze, he turned his head away as if he was embarrassed.

‘It’s probably because our family is somewhat related to the royal family. Chances are one of His Majesty’s most desired crown princesses would be Kate.’

‘But don’t worry Kate, if you don’t want it, you will be ousted. There are nearly ten other young ladies beside you…’

‘Who doesn’t want it? Even if the sky falls, there’s no way I’d hate it. So choose me, Nezar. Marry me!’

Jumping up from my seat, I left my boots and ran through the meadow on bare feet. At the same time, Nezar, who was on his saddle, let out a deep sigh. Stretching his arms from above, he lifted me lightly and seated me in front of the saddle.

‘Kate, do you know what marriage is?’

‘Don’t take me as an idiot who doesn’t even know what getting married is like. Do you really think I’m not aware of that? Marriage is to swear lifelong partnerships in front of the bishop, and to have children and offspring.’

‘And how are you going to have descendants?’

‘If you pray earnestly, on the first night of the honeymoon, a stork will fly to your bed and drop off a child.’

‘Pft-hahaha!’

Lockherd, who was slowly coming up the meadow, flipped over and laughed his head off. I was talking to Nezar, so why was Lockherd laughing at me? At that, I forgot the fact that I was confessing passionately and glared at Lockherd’s hateful face. Lockherd, who struggled to control himself, climbed onto his favorite horse, Anastasia, and cleared his throat.

‘It’s a very remarkably clear answer that would surprise even biology professors. Fourteen is just right for an engagement pledge. Our Kate is all grown up now, all grown up.’

‘Are you teasing me right now?’

‘Not at all.’

As I pursed my lips, Nezar got down and walked slowly to the stream. His hair, as black as the night sky, fluttered gently under the clear blue autumn sky. He then grabbed my leather boots, which were lying on the side of a rock, passing by Lockherd, and came back to my side.

‘If you marry me and become the Crown Princess, you will have to stay in the castle for the rest of your life and do nothing beside breathing. You will never experience this kind of freedom again.’

‘It doesn’t matter. I am very used to living only indoors, so I will stay by Nezar’s side for the rest of my life.’

‘Stop being immature and quickly put on your boots. I’d rather be single for the rest of my life than take you as my wife.’

‘What? How could you? Did I do something wrong?’

Before I knew it, the soles of my feet, which had been covered in dirt and grass, were clean, only a little dust remained. Nezar flipped the dirty handkerchief around, stuffed it roughly into his back pocket, and put the boots on my feet carefully. As I pouted, I heard Lockherd’s tongue clicking from the back of my head.

‘I don’t think I’ve seen anyone whose words and actions are this contrasting except for you.’

‘Shut up.’

‘Yes, yes.’

Eventually, Nezar, having tied my bootlaces loosely, let me off his horse. His sweat-drenched black hair fell down his forehead and gently swayed along the light breeze. Seeing my dissatisfied expression, he faintly smiled. I couldn’t have been more impressed by the shape of his finely curved eyebrows.

From that day on, whenever I saw Nezar, I would be whining and bugging him for an engagement pledge. Looking back, it was really amazing how I was persistently clinging onto a man, begging, not even minding to save face as a noble lady.

Still, to me, Nezar wasn’t just some man.