Chapter 15.1

My Mistake. Cermiane’s Point of View. (1)

I arrived at the Marquisate of Caliente after a journey that would normally have taken me eight days on horseback, but took me only seven. I was surprised when I arrived at the capital and found the house of Baron Kix, the deputy of the Marquis of Caliente. It was a small, one-story building attached to the walls of the marquis’s residence, and it was completely a commoner’s farmhouse. Baron Kix used to be a gardener, and the house was exactly the same as it had been then.

TL: Marquisate means Marquis Territory.

I entered the property and approached Mrs. Kix, who was there.

“Excuse me. Is this really Baron Kix’s house?”

The slightly plump lady’s eyes widened when she saw me, and she answered with a hint of caution.

“Yes, it is. What can I do for you?”

At that time, my traveling clothes were dirty and tattered from the hard march. Perhaps I should have been a little more careful since this is for my marriage.

At that moment, the door of the house opened and a slender man came out. He was holding a pipe in his mouth. When he saw me, his slanted eyes widened, but he observed me for a moment and seemed to see that I had no hostile intentions.

“What is the business of a central knight in the countryside? Are you here on behalf of the lord of the manor?”

These two are the Baron and Baroness Kix. They are the parents in-laws Ralphine was talking about. It seems certain that they are the parents who raised her. From the way Ralphine spoke, it seemed that she missed these two very much and was grateful to them. I must definitely avoid offending these two.  I bowed like a knight with a hand on my chest.

“I am a Knight, Cermiane Emilian. I have just become the fiancée of the Lady Ralphine.”

Needless to say, the two of them were astonished by these words.

I was then ushered into what I assumed was the living room and faced Baron Kix at the table. I was offered tea, but Baron Kix did not say a word. He looked a little unhappy. It was extremely uncomfortable. However, I couldn’t show my dismay at this point. I sat quietly without disturbing my posture.

Soon, I heard a conversation outside the room. My heart fluttered. Then my goddess peeked out from the entrance of the room.

“Ral!”

I exclaimed, and Ralphine looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. Oh, she hasn’t changed. Or rather, she seems to have become more beautiful. The silver hair and golden eyes I had dreamed of so many times. Her face, which at that time still had a childish appearance, has completely changed into that of an adult woman. She has grown taller and her curves have become more beautiful. She was a little tanned and dirty now, but to me, she shone with radiance.

I was so moved that I couldn’t even speak. Ralphine looked at me with a suspicious expression, but she seemed to remember me soon.

“…Mia?”

I exclaimed, moved by the nickname I hadn’t been called in a long time.

“You remembered me!”

I was elated, but it was as if I had not realized that Ralphine was not as pleased as I was at this moment.

So I was completely unaware that the atmosphere in the room froze as I continued to exclaim:

“I have finally received the permission of His Excellency the Marquis. Please marry me. Lady Ralphine!”

Ralphine was astonished. I explained the situation, showing her the documents the Marquis had given me to prove our engagement, but Ralphine seemed confused, and the three of them left the room at the Baron’s urging. I sat there stunned, not understanding at all what had confused Ralphine. Then I heard a flurry of footsteps, and as soon as Ralphine’s came running in, she shouted loudly,

“I don’t want to marry you!”

I jumped to my feet. I couldn’t understand why she would say such a thing.

“Why? I have your father’s permission.”

“What does it matter if you have my father’s permission? What about my feelings?”

“No, I mean, I’ve asked you many times to marry me.”

“Not to me, but to my father! You never came to see me since then. You didn’t even send me a single letter!”

Ah, I finally realized my mistake with that. It was true.

It is true that I had never directly asked Ralphine to marry me. It was because she was here, far away from the capital, and could not easily come, but it was not impossible for her to come if she pushed herself. However, I gave priority to appealing to the Marquis and to working hard as a knight and rising in the ranks. I thought it would be more efficient that way. But…

“First of all, you have never told me that you like me or love me! I can’t just go and marry someone like that! Please leave!”

That’s absolutely right. I had been thinking about Ralphine every day and working so hard for her that I had forgotten that to her I was merely a knight who had accompanied her for half a day two years ago. The Marquis had apparently not told Ralphine about my marriage proposal.