Chapter 15

An Inferior Insect

“My, you have made such a fantastic dress, thank you.”

When the wedding dress was finished, it was brought straight to Marietta. She quickly tried it on for a final check, but thanks to the seamstress’ considerable skill, there were almost no adjustments necessary.

The white dress, undying symbol of a pure maiden, was constructed of flexible fabrics and decorated with lace, favoring Marietta’s simple beauty.

“So I will be wearing this, when I marry Sir Belvant.”

Watching the innocent princess gaze at her reflection with a smile, Sierra sighed.

“Concerning your liking of General Fargus…”

She was still embarrassed about her own misunderstanding.

“My lady, when did you first find yourself attracted to General Fargus?”

“Oh, since the first time I saw his portrait, of course! I think that no matter who saw such a dreamy portrait, they would fall hopelessly in love. That’s why I immediately confiscated it from dear father and made it my own, hehe. Here Sierra, I’ll let you see it.”

Once she changed back into her casual clothes, Marietta rushed off to the luggage and rustled through it until she found her important portrait, turning it around to show Sierra.

“Hii-!”

Sierra felt her breath stop.

Is this a ward against evil?!

With a perfect depiction of Belvant’s absolute zero glare, the portrait waxed with his fiendish intensity. If she were to call it dreadful, it would no doubt be dreadful enough to effectively scare away demons.

At that, Sierra had a recollection.

Marietta had always liked her stories, but she had especially enjoyed the ones featuring knights, swordsmen, and warriors. She was primarily infatuated with stories where these characters who found body language distressing would obtain the heroine. She didn’t seem to have much motivation for the stories of beautiful princes, in fact. Come to think of it, Marietta’s interest hadn’t been much of a mystery by the time this strong portrait came along.

However, even Marietta’s taste had to have limits.  In Sierra’s mind, there was no way a normal woman could fall in love with such an engagement portrait.

“Right? Isn’t he dreamy?”

Sierra’s face cramped and she made no comment in reply, so Marietta embraced the portrait and continued the conversation ecstatically.

“But, as I thought, the gentleman himself is so much more fan-tas-tic. Hey Sierra, I wonder if I will be able to meet with Sir Belvant today?”

“That’s right, if Mister Adlan is able to free up some of his time after lunch, someone will come to let you know.”

“How wonderful, I want to see him soon. And then, when we are married, Sir Belvant and I will be able to spend even more time together, right?”

“… Please forgive me if I have already said it, but I feel you spend a great deal of time together already.”

Sierra, who had come to know a new aspect of Belvant after Marietta’s “Breast Nurturing Proposal”, wore a weary face. What would happen to Marietta when that sullen lecher of a general obtained her in her entirety, Sierra wondered.

Right, that event is already on the horizon. The princess ought to be instructed on nightly matters. Especially since there’s no mistaking that that general is taking advantage of the princess’ ignorance through that ridiculous pretense.

Sierra had never even known a man herself, but despite that, the responsibility for this education likely fell squarely upon her shoulders. Thinking this far, Sierra sunk further into her melancholy.

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“My, Mister Adlan, salutations. Have you perhaps come to pick me up?”

After lunch, Marietta was relaxing in her room, waiting for her meeting, when Belvant’s right-hand-man-cum-delivery-boy arrived.

“Afternoon, Princess Marietta. I’ve finally arrived, but this pair of legs can only move so fast. I hope Belvant’s messenger hasn’t kept you waiting?”

Adlan asked with a sarcastic laugh, his overly familiar tone completely relaxed.

“Come on now, I’m sure the general is waiting for his cute fiance, you know.”

“Well, Mister Adlan, if you insist.”

Already dressed in preparation for her long awaited meeting with Belvant, Marietta and her attendant fell in step behind Adlan and made their way to Belvant’s study. However…

[Here it is here it is ITS THE DRAMA]

In the corridor just in front of their destination, they found Belvant and a young lady in a gorgeous dress locked in an embrace, the woman’s slender, graceful arms wrapped around Belvant’s torso.

“Huh? Sir Bel… vant…”

“Gaaaah, the hell are you doing, blockhead! Hold up, Marietta, calm down and we’ll figure out the circumstances!”

Adlan yelled out, ignoring his own advice to keep calm.

A localized blizzard was budding around Sierra.

And finally, Marietta had her hands pressed to her mouth, at a loss for words.

With a glance their way, the young lady floated a wicked smile.

Belvant, still locked in the glamourous young, curly chestnut haired woman’s embrace with his back to the three, turned his typical sullen face around. Under Belvant’s unreadable gaze, Marietta’s lips trembled as she turned around and ran back down the corridor.

“Princess! Geez, Belvant! Hurry and go after the princess, explain things before this gets any more complicated!”

“No, providing my lady an explanation is unnecessary.”

“The heck are you saying Miss Maid, she just ran off crying ya’know!”

“The princess received the love of all in her surroundings, and so grew up to be an upright and honest lady. If there is something she wishes to say, she is able to clearly assert herself.”

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

Her face contorted, Marietta came charging back.

An approach run? She needed to add an approach run??

Before the dumbfounded Adlan and seething Sierra, Marietta ran straight for Belvant, ramming herself right into the space between the general and the glamorous young lady.

The woman raised a short shriek upon impact.

“How violent, what are you doing!”

Even as she spoke, Marietta was pulling her arms away with all her might, forcefully brushing the lady aside.

“Please don’t touch him! This gentleman is my dear husband!”

Marietta yelled, her arms wrapping Belvant’s torso and squeezing him tight.

“And he is mine alone!”

She sternly scowled at the woman, but unfortunately, she looked more adorable than intimidating.

“M-my, but, it is said he is only your fiance?”

“We will absolutely be married.”

“Also, your arrangement is a political marriage of convenience, correct? Yes, as I understand it, it was a situation where there were no options besides Sir Belvant.”

The curly haired young lady lifted her red lips in a smile.

“For this to be forced onto such a child, you have my sympathies.”

“I am no child; I am a young lady with bright future prospects… That’s right, might I ask your age, then?”

“…”

In the end, it looked like the lady did not want to enter a contest of youth.

“In any case, Sir Belvant is mine, so please do not become too overly familiar with him.”

“I, thought to give you the freedom to love who you wish.”

“I already have everything I need.”

Belvant, silent throughout the exchange, suddenly swept Marietta up in his arms and spoke.

“And since I am satisfied being with Marietta, there is no problem. Moreover,”

Belvant turned a tender gaze to the maiden in his arms.

“I am not being forced into anything, because I want you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Sir Belvant…”

Marietta flung her arms around Belvant’s neck and clung to him.

“Um, well, since it’s like that, think you could stop meddling with General Fargus? Since I think it’ll end up bringing you an assortment of troubles.”

“The relationship between these two is the connection between country and country. If a situation arises that causes discord between them, I imagine the king himself would be sure to bring punishment upon the source of that discord.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t even pay attention to your full name; he’d just hear your family name before censuring your whole household, ya’know?”

“Without resolving yourself to face such an end, your excessive meddling is an exercise in futility.”

As the lovey-dovey couple sunk into their own world, Adlan and Sierra stepped forward to put pressure on the glamorous lady. With every comment, her beautiful face warped further until she finally turned about and left.

“Lately, some eccentrics have gotten all excited and come over, but there’s no need to worry, since Belvant resolutely turns them down.”

Adlan quickly tried to smooth things over, but Marietta donned a sullen look.

“But, it’s still unpleasant. I don’t want Belvant to be touched by inferior insects. Look, there is an unpleasant stink sticking about.”

Marietta frowned at the remaining scent of the glamorous lady’s perfume hanging about Belvant’s body.

“Is that so? Well then, I should wish to take a bath and change my clothes. Will you join me, Marietta? Refresh yourself?”

“Huh, um, I-“

“Yeah? You also had to deal with that woman’s odor, Marietta. You even touched her, as well.”

“How detestable!”

“Since it can’t be helped, it seems I’ll need to wash you thoroughly.”

Saying that much, Belvant stepped into his room with Marietta still in his arms.

Hey wait no hey!

Don’t attack her!

This sullen, lecherous schemer!

As a click resounded from the door locking before them, the two left behind shouted in their hearts.

[Author Note]

Afterwards, Marietta was able to escape taking a bath, but after being hit with the sight of a half-naked Belvant fresh out of the bath, she ended up stuck in embarrassed anguish.