episode_0012

“Phew, not too late.”

I washed up and tried to take a little rest.

But…

“By the way, you seem worried.”

I heard Director Letid muttering.

Worried.

For some reason, that word piqued my curiosity.

“What are you worried about?”

“Oh… It’s you. You look so different that I almost didn’t recognize you…”

Director Letid let out a light exclamation at my cleaned-up face.

Then he continued speaking.

“That’s the thing…”

Director Letid hesitated for a moment before speaking.

His hesitation in speaking.

Then, as if he remembered something, his expression brightened a bit.

“Come to think of it, you were the fiancé of the Asian lady.”

Director Letid recalled my status and spoke.

“It seems that Waltz is worried that he might offend the lady by trying to match his son with her.”

“Offend her?”

“Well, there’s probably no actual chance of a match, but still, the lady might get annoyed. She can’t afford to offend her, so she’ll just have to endure it quietly… Ugh… It’s frustrating.”

“I see.”

In short, it was a problem I could solve.

“To think that someone would dare to flirt with a lady who has her fiancé right there…!”

There was news of a man making advances towards the fiancée.

To truly play the role of a fiancé, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

After all, it must have been why Gumsung sent me to prevent such incidents.

I quickly headed to the restaurant where Asia was.

And confidently opened the door.

“Oh, there you are!”

I surveyed the situation inside.

First, a table filled with luxurious dishes.

“Indeed, noble meals are lavish.”

I felt a bit envious.

Compared to those cooked dishes, my main meals were usually just grilled game.

Next, my gaze fell on Asia.

“She seems quite flustered, doesn’t she?”

It seemed she was quite taken aback by my sudden appearance.

Next…

“Oh… Aren’t they quite grand?”

And two men who seemed to be in a wealthy relationship.

A middle-aged man with a bushy mustache and a chubby pig-like man.

As if to prove their wealth, their faces were greasy.

“How dare you rudely barge into a noble’s dining table. Are you insane?”

He would probably shout after finishing chewing.

The greasy middle-aged man’s saliva splattered all over the luxurious food.

I belatedly straightened up and greeted them.

“Oh, I apologize for the late introduction.”

First, I turned to the wealthy man whose name I didn’t know.

“My name is Arthas. I am Gumsung’s disciple…”

Then I shifted my gaze to Asia.

And our eyes met.

I gave her a smile.

“I am her fiancé.”

Silence filled the restaurant.

The flustered chubby son turned to Asia and asked.

“Oh, is it true, Asia?”

“Yes…”

Asia nodded reluctantly.

“Thank goodness. It would have been awkward if she had said no.”

I maintained a relaxed attitude and sat next to Asia.

It seemed that Asia didn’t appreciate my actions.

She turned her head abruptly in the opposite direction.

“Well, it’s an embarrassing and unpleasant situation.”

A situation where the fiancé appears during a meal, trying to rescue her.

It felt like a scene from a cheesy drama like ‘Men Over Flowers.’

And Asia was not acknowledging our engagement.

But it couldn’t be helped.

“If I can’t even handle this situation, I might get scolded by the elders.”

“Hehe, denying the engagement with a prince… It’s because you have a lover, right?”

The mustached Waltz glared at me and said.

Then he started to inspect me from head to toe.

As if trying to figure out my identity.

“Ahem!”

The mustached lord cleared his throat once.

Then he asked me.

“By any chance, where is the family of Asarth…Kyung?”

“Oh, there is no family.”

The mustached lord smiled at my words.

As if he had won.

“Ah, I see.”

His words became shorter unconsciously.

The chubby son sitting next to him also had a smile on his face.

He, too, seemed to have won.

“It seems Lord Geomseong does not have discerning eyes. To think he would accept a commoner as his fiancée.”

“…”

The difference in status.

Indeed, the difference in status was significant.

A viscount’s daughter and a commoner.

There was only one child of the current Messiah Viscount in Asia.

This meant that anyone seeking to engage with Asia had to enter as a son-in-law.

“Of course, if the other party is from the royal family, they would rather elevate the viscount to the royal family.”

In other words, the next viscount.

Or if Asia were to take the viscount’s place, she would be the viscountess.

It was only natural for a commoner to be looked down upon.

“Nobles are very particular about bloodlines.”

While commoners might praise it as a novel-like story, among nobles, it was a given.

“Well, it’s probably best for similar beings to be engaged to each other.”

The mustached lord alternated between talking about Asia and his son.

His words implied that it was appropriate for nobles to engage with each other.

Knowing that I was a commoner, he openly spoke disrespectfully.

Seeing him deny the facts of the engagement in front of the parties involved.

“Tsk, this is what authoritarianism is all about!”

However, there was nothing I could do even if they were disrespectful.

I was a commoner.

I couldn’t speak out against nobles.

Because it could be considered a crime of insulting nobility.

But…

“Similar beings…do you think so?”

A voice devoid of any emotion.

The voice belonged to Asia.

She seemed almost angry.

“Huh?”

The mustached lord looked puzzled at Asia’s words.

“Do you know? Among the emperors of the neighboring empire, there were commoners too?”

“Haha, are you referring to the Meru Empire as the neighboring empire?”

“Yes.”

“You’re still young and don’t know much… They are an empire where instinct-driven beings are central. That’s why they choose their spouses without regard for status, like animals in heat. That’s how the unfortunate event of a commoner becoming an emperor happened.”

The mustached lord’s dismissive remarks about the neighboring empire.

But it wasn’t unusual.

Because of the animosity between the neighboring countries surrounded by beastmen.

But…Asia did not change her mind.

“It’s an interesting story. Like animals in heat… But it’s strange. Even animals in heat choose only one mate… Humans…”

Asia didn’t finish her sentence.

But everyone present knew what she meant.

Polygamy.

Only humans had a system where one could have multiple wives.

In other words, she seemed to be asking if humans were more like animals in heat.

The mustached lord looked uneasy at Asia’s words.

“Hmm! You may not know, Asia, but humans chose polygamy for mutual benefit.”

“Hmm… I see. Well, since it’s Lord Waltz who has three wives, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“…Ahem! Since it seems everyone has finished their meal, please leave the table.”

And so the meal came to an end.

It wasn’t a pleasant ending, of course.

But it wasn’t the worst ending either.

Asia had uttered words that seemed to insult the mustached lord.

But it was acceptable because she had a reason.

“Because he ignored me, his fiancée.”

Even though she had a reason, I didn’t know Asia would get angry like this.

“Perhaps the first impression was somewhat restored?”

The mustached lord and his son left the restaurant first.

Leaving only Asia and me at the table.

I looked around.

There were no servants around, just Asia and me.

A space where there were no eyes on us.

It was perfect timing.

“Miss Fiancee, I have news to deliver.”

“…It wasn’t for your sake.”

“Yes?”

“My grandmother was a commoner.”

“Ah, I see.”

Asia’s response was not for my sake, but for my grandmother’s.

‘She must have felt offended that I insulted her grandmother.’

Come to think of it, in such a short time, my first impression on Asia may not have been enough for her to act on my behalf.

“And…”

“And…?”

“Stop calling me your fiancee. Just call me Asia… Yeongae.”

“Yes. I will deliver it to Asia Yeongae first. About why Lord Geomseong sent me…”

I couldn’t say it until now because there were eyes around.

So, this moment was just right.

The reason why the old man sent me away.

And the reason why I didn’t have to reject it to this extent.

“Fake engagement, do you know?”

“It’s a common theme in novels.”

“I’m trying to write that novel in reality.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will pretend to be your fiancee until Asia Yeongae finds someone she likes. That’s why Lord Geomseong sent me.”

Asia’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had occurred upon hearing my words.

I added a comment about the duration of this pretense.

“Five years. This pretense will end in at least five years. By then, Lord Geomseong will surely return to the family.”