The Beloved Fiancee Is Likely to Be the Villain - CH 16

After talking with Lord Domenic and calling Harold over, I went out to the garden to read “Otohoshi”.

Surrounded by topiaries of animals in funny poses, the bench in the garden received ample sunlight and a pleasant breeze. A pet peacock of my Mother passed by me from time to time. It is the perfect place to think. My room is decorated with Elizabeth’s portraits, so I hesitated to read “Otohoshi” in front of it – no, I shouldn’t blame Elizabeth.

I must confess that although I forgave Miss Serena, reading the novel frustrated me with the terrible treatment of a villainess who resembles Elizabeth and made me want to glue the pages together. ……

Incidentally, for the same reason, I can’t read the lovey-dovey novels about me and Elizabeth that Miss Serena sends me once a week in my room. There is nothing more embarrassing than being seen fainting in agony with my head in my hands by a portrait of Elizabeth herself.

Harold suggested that I turn the portrait inside out, but I don’t know if he wants me to show Elizabeth the wall.

So I’ve been doing a lot of reading here lately. When I looked up from my book, I saw a chameleon bowing and a rabbit standing on its head. The green of the plants is also very pleasing to the eyes.

But after a while, I came to regret this little idea.

“Greetings to you, Your Highness Vincent.”

When I first heard the voice, I thought it was a complete auditory hallucination and did not respond.

I thought it was impossible that I could hear Elizabeth’s voice in the palace. I felt sorry for my love, thinking that I had been thinking about Elizabeth somewhere in my mind while reading “Otohoshi. I wondered what Harold would say to me if I listened to my auditory hallucinations because I was too eager to see her.

But the very same voice repeated the same line, a little louder this time.

“Greetings to you, Your Highness Vincent!”

“Eeeeeeeeee Elizabeth!”

I jerked my upper body up and stood up as I recoiled in astonishment.

From the square where the benches are located, a diameter extends in all directions. On the cobblestone pavement in front of me, Elizabeth was standing with her father, the Duke of La Montlivre.

“It has been a long time, Your Highness.”

“It’s been a long time, Duke of La Montrivere.”

I returned the greetings to the Duke, whose eyes met mine and bowed to me. Elizabeth also bowed, holding the hem of her skirt. As I managed to get around and greet the father and daughter, Elizabeth’s gaze fell on my hand.

I quickly shoved the book I was holding under the cushion.

“What’s the matter, Elizabeth? It is unusual for you to come to the palace.”

It’s a miracle my voice didn’t waver.

I didn’t know what the feeling is, but I was feeling awkward, as if I had been caught cheating on my wife. I wanted to make some excuse, but I couldn’t come up with the right words. I wanted to let them know what was going to happen at the school, and I also wanted them to know what was going to happen next. But the Duke would be suspicious, and Elizabeth would suspect that I was not good at distinguishing between fantasy and reality.

In front of me, Elizabeth’s face fell a little, but she immediately smiled.

“I am here to accompany my father on his official duties. I was wondering if I could meet His Highness …….”

“You want to meet me……?”

“I am sorry for my impolite visit, but there is not enough time for me to write to you and inform you of my visit.”

“No, it’s okay. That’s okay. I’m sure you wanted to see me as soon as possible.”

I knew that Elizabeth is usually very respectful.

Elizabeth’s smile shined even brighter at my words.

“I wanted to give this to His Highness Vincent.”

With these words, Elizabeth took out a leather sachet. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

I accepted the sachet from Elizabeth, who wrapped it with both hands and offered it to me. I felt as if her slender fingertips were made of glass, remembering Lord Domenic’s majestic body whom I had met just before made me more afraid. I am afraid that if I had a body like him and hold her hand tightly, I might break her hand.

The sachet had a little weight.

“May I open it?”

“Of course you may. Please take a look.”

There was cotton inside. In the middle of the cotton, there was a glass rabbit with a faint purplish tint. It was standing on its head with its ears stretched out. Is …… this a popular motif?

“Don’t you think it’s cute? A merchant came to the mansion and I bought two for the two of us. Here is one for me.”

Elizabeth said in a bouncy voice, holding up another leather bag and gently opening it. A similar sky-blue glass rabbit on a bed of cotton could be seen.

“-Why did you…..?”

“I will think of this as His Highness Vincent and display it in my room. Would you permit me to do so at ……?”

Ohhhhhh, you shot me in my heart! Mothereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee！！！！！

And it’s an incredibly romantic gift, a small item in the color of each other’s eyes.

I cried out inside as I barely supported myself on my knees, which were about to collapse, and smiled at Elizabeth with the most beautiful smile I could ever master after my training in front of the mirror everyday.

“Of course,” I said. “Thank you, I’ll consider this cute bunny to be you too. …… Elizabeth”

I wanted to call her Liza*, but I couldn’t muster the courage in front of my father-in-law.

[T/N: Sorry, It’s actually Liza not Riza. The letters L and R pronounced similarly in Japanese and has same letter. So I was confused and wrote it wrong in the previous chapter.]