Chapter 15.2

My Mistake. Cermiane’s Point of View. (2)

Oh, no, I will tell her how I feel. It is not that I did not think of giving her a gift. But there was no way to deliver a letter or a gift this far away. It would cost a considerable amount of money to ask someone to do it, and I had to consider that there was a good chance that the person would abscond with the letter or gift. Once I asked the Marchioness if she could take care of it, but she refused. I heard later that the Baron’s son was going to give a large number of gifts directly to Ralphine, but the Marquis, who did not want Ralphine to know about the proposal battle, stopped everything at the border of his territory. Therefore, he also refused my letter because it would be unfair.

I had put too much emphasis on the fact that “marriage is decided by parents,” and had neglected my appeal to Ralphine. It could be said that I had disrespected her feelings. I slumped my shoulders in disappointment. But I could not give up. Somehow I had to make her understand my love for her.

I desperately tried to persuade her. I told her how moved I had been that day and how much I loved her. I told her about the circumstances of my proposal, and apologized for not being able to propose directly, but emphasized how hard I had worked for her.

I found out that she was apparently anxious about not being able to see her foster parents here, so I promised her that I would make it possible for her to come and see them whenever she wanted to. I lied about talking to the marquis, but I did not lie about being able to come anytime she wanted because I had permission to pass through the border of the territory.

I also laid out other conditions that she might like, such as not having to socialize, being free to go hunting, and cooperating even if she wanted to hunt king bear and even the dragon if she wanted to go hunting. These were promises that I did not know if I could fulfill even if I wanted to, but in my desperation to get her attention, I promised without any guarantees.

Finally, I obtained Ralphsine’s consent to our marriage. I hugged her tightly in my arms. However, the insincere promises made from my careless mouth at that time would haunt me for a long time.

We decided to depart in three days. Ralphine was busy preparing for the journey and saying goodbye to her friends, so we didn’t have much time to talk. But there was no need to rush. We will be together for a long time from now on.

Two days before departure, I was lying on the bed in the guest room. The journey here had been quite exhausting, and I was tired from finally receiving approval for the marriage. The straw-filled bed made a rustling noise as I moved.

Then, there was a knock on the door. When I said “yes,” the door opened, and Baron Kix poked his head in. He spoke in a gentle voice.

“I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re tired. Would you mind keeping me company for a bit?”

There was no reason to refuse. I got up and followed him to the living room.

When we sat at the table, Baron Kix brought a bottle and a glass cup.There were two cups. He placed one in front of me and poured a golden liquid from the bottle. From the smell, it seemed to be honey wine.

“This was made by Ral,” he said.

When I looked surprised, the baron chuckled.

“She found a beehive in the woods and brought it back. She made a lot of it and sold most of it, but she gave me one when I asked for it.”

Well, I can’t really drink much, but… I said as I licked my glass a little.

“Is it alright to drink such an important drink?” I asked.

If Ralphine married into the capital, this drink would never be made again. However, the baron blushed a little when he replied.

“It’s okay. A drink that isn’t drunk has no value. Besides…”

The baron muttered with a truly happy expression.

“It was my dream to drink with my daughter’s husband.”

I felt a lump in my chest.

Really. I realized I made a grave mistake. By marrying Ralphine, the Baron and his wife will lose their lovely foster daughter forever. All I thought about was getting permission from the Marquis, and I didn’t think about the situation of Ralphine or her foster parents, the baroness and his wife. It was natural for Ralphine to get angry.

The Baron and Baroness suddenly lose their beloved daughter whom they have loved and cared for many years due to circumstances unknown. It must have been such a surprise and a lonely feeling. I couldn’t help but say, “I’m sorry”.

“That’s nothing to apologize for. It’s a joyous occasion. If the Lord of the Manor chose the man, then it must be right. That shows he has a good eye for people,” said the Baron, as he took a sip of his drink and began to reminisce about Ralphine

“When Ral first came to our house, she was still small, and we raised her on goat’s milk…,” he began his story.

At first, he was understandably confused. It would be strange not to be perplexed about taking care of the daughter of one’s lord. However, when the Marquis Caliente said, “I’m going to marry her off to a commoner in the future, so you can raise her as your daughter,” they decided to raise her as a commoner without hesitation.