episode_0151

The Imperial Arboretum was a historic park built by Alexander Bel, the first emperor of the empire, around the time the empire was founded.

Since it was located near the capital, it was a place that even commoners would visit at least once in their lifetime, and it was also a place where nobles would often stop by to take walks with acquaintances.

Today, a man and a woman were walking side by side through a well-maintained forest.

“Indeed, this is a landscape worthy of being left behind by Emperor Shi Huang at first sight.”

“I didn’t know it was your first time here.”

“Haha, I haven’t had any reason to leave Somerset Estate in the meantime.”

A blond young man and a blue-haired woman were walking and talking, and at first glance, they looked like a loving couple.

‘I am the first woman to come to the arboretum with Rupert!’

Now, the woman who was thinking to herself that she had made a good choice in choosing this place for her date was none other than Amelia.

Amelia, who had asked Rupert out of the blue if he would come with her to the arboretum, was being rewarded for her courage, as she felt she had to take action before anyone else.

“I saw a tree deep in the arboretum that was over 1000 years old before, and it was so mysterious.”

“Is that so? Then I guess I should take a look while I’m here.”

Amelia leads Rupert deep into the arboretum according to the plan she and her maid had worked hard to make.

So far, everything has gone smoothly.

She felt that just being alone with them was making all the anxiety and nervousness she had felt until now disappear.

‘I didn’t know he was this kind of person at the time.’

Thinking back to her first meeting with Rupert, Amelia never imagined she would fall for him so much.

A cold first impression and blunt speech.

Rupert’s attitude, as if she were an awkward person to deal with, was a bit shocking, although he didn’t show it.

Because of her status as the youngest daughter of a duke and her natural beauty, no one had ever treated her that way, so Rupert had a deep impression of her as a cold person.

however,

She was the one who had been bothering Rupert ever since he handed her a picture book that looked just like her.

And as her heart gradually grew, there was a time when Rupert warmly comforted her when she was afraid that it might be her own mistake.

Amelia realized.

That she truly liked this man.

“Rupert, I have something to tell you.”

“… Yes, go ahead.”

As they walked, chatting about this and that, they soon found themselves in a fairly deep place.

Amelia, now that she was sure there was no one around, spoke to Rupert, and after a moment’s hesitation, he answered.

“I like you.”

“… .”

“So please be my lover.”

Rupert was surprisingly not surprised or embarrassed by Amelia’s confession, but simply maintained a stern expression and a brief silence.

But to Amelia, that short moment of silence felt like a thousand years.

The confidence that had been close to certainty until just a moment ago had long since disappeared, and now a terrible and unsettling ending kept lingering in my head.

“Amelia, I… .”

And finally Rupert opened his mouth.

***

‘Rupert, I have two marriage proposals for you. Choose which one you want.’

‘Father, I told you to reject all marriages for now.’

Rupert responded with a tired grin to the Marquis of Bradley’s suggestion that he make his own choice as he was presented with a marriage proposal.

After his work became successful and his fallen family was revived, Rupert received countless marriage proposals.

But Rupert, who now had little time to focus solely on his work and business, turned down all of the offers.

In the future, Marquis Bradley would politely decline any offers that came in.

‘This is not something I can handle.’

But Marquis Bradley would have handled it on his own terms if it had been an ordinary marriage proposal, but this time he could not do so.

‘Bluewell and the Imperial Family?!’

Rupert couldn’t help but be surprised when he saw the identity of the person who had sent the proposal.

The marriage proposals to Amelia, Lady of Bluewell, and Iolin, the Emperor’s daughter, were enough to make Rupert’s mind wander.

‘What the heck… is this?’

Rupert couldn’t understand how things had come to this.

In fact, Rupert was one of the most promising sons-in-law in the empire, but these two places that had just sent marriage proposals to the Somerset family had to give up even Rupert a few steps.

Even Rupert, who was doing well at the moment, could not compare to the value given by the Duke of Bluewell, the highest noble family in the Empire, and the Imperial Family.

‘Wait a minute, then… .’

Suddenly, memories of his past with Amelia began to flash through Rupert’s mind.

Rupert couldn’t help but smack his forehead as he recalled his first meeting with Amelia, who had shown him a particularly strange attitude.

‘This is crazy!’

I remembered that at the time, I had used Amelia as a model for a fairy tale book, and that I had been asked to write an invitation to a family banquet.

Not only that, Amelia even came to find him when he collapsed.

Although he didn’t mean to, it was obvious to anyone that this was a fling between a man and a woman.

‘So this is a story about someone I know… .’

‘Haha, Young Master. If some guy did that to my daughter and then tried to deny it, I would go to the Assassin’s Guild.’

Just in case, I asked Esteban about it as if it was someone else’s story, and the answer I got back was that it was the Assassin’s Guild.

– Mr. Rupert, do you have any plans this weekend?

With his head in turmoil over the sudden wedding, Rupert couldn’t refuse Amelia’s weekend proposal.

Now it was my turn to solve it.

***

“I like you.”

“… .”

“So please be my lover.”

Rupert looked at Amelia’s expression as she confessed to him.

Even on Earth, it was rare for a woman to confess to a man, but in this world close to the Middle Ages, it was by no means easy for a noble young lady like Amelia to confess first.

Her lips were slightly trembling, perhaps due to nervousness, and her fingers were pinching her clothes impatiently.

Anyone could see that she was shaking terribly.

‘Amelia.’

Since she was the heroine of the original novel, was it because she thought it had nothing to do with her until now that she didn’t care?

When he realized it, Rupert was also trembling at the sight of her dazzling beauty.

‘Is this Rupert’s body reacting? Or am I reacting?’

The Rupert we are talking about now was originally a character who liked Amelia.

An extra who followed her around, drew pictures for her, and hung around to win her favor.

That’s why he had long ago given up on Amelia, the original heroine.

Because I didn’t want to be obsessed with something that couldn’t be achieved like Rupert in the original.

But now it was different.

Rupert now knew that this world was not a world in a novel, but a real place created by a goddess.

I also knew that the future could change as I walked, rather than as a set story in a novel.

Like Alex, who went from a loser to the steel prince.

Rupert stopped thinking and looked at the woman in front of him.

Amelia, whose blue hair suited her particularly well, was looking at Rupert with trembling eyes.

She had been waiting for a long time, so it was time to give her an answer.

“Amelia, since you spoke so sincerely, I will be honest with you.”

“Yes.”

Rupert wondered if this was what Amelia was feeling as she confessed to him.

I’m in a state where my mouth won’t open and my heart is pounding so hard I don’t know what to do.

“I am… .”

As for Rupert’s feelings towards Amelia, he was closer to liking her.

Because it was strange that he hated a woman who not only liked him, but was also kind and beautiful.

However, there was another reason why I couldn’t readily give a yes answer.

“Do you hate me?”

“It’s not that I don’t like Amelia. Rather, I like her.”

Amelia’s expression brightened noticeably at Rupert’s words that he liked her rather than disliked her.

She was also nervous that Rupert might find her confession burdensome, so her current answer did a little to calm her nerves.

“Then is there any other reason why you can’t answer my confession?”

And when Amelia noticed Rupert’s hesitation and asked why, Rupert had no choice but to tell her what he was thinking.

“I have a goal that I want to achieve.”

Rupert, who at first had only his family to take responsibility for, now has to lead many people.

The sense of responsibility he felt was enormous.

If he makes a big mistake or is lazy, those who believed in him and followed him will suffer great losses.

I had to keep drawing cartoons while constantly taking on challenges and pioneering new businesses.

Because no one else but Rupert could do it.

So Rupert couldn’t readily respond to Amelia’s confession. Asking her to wait for him was too much to ask for his own goals.

Amelia’s expression was subtle when she heard Rupert’s reason.

At first glance, Amelia appears angry, but if you look at it another way, her expression looks like she is deeply contemplating something.

‘Even if I get angry, I have nothing to say.’

Rupert was prepared to take Amelia’s wrath and even slap her in the face.

however,

“Then, will it be okay later?”

“Yes?”

“As you said, I asked if there would be no problem when the things you are doing now reach a stable point.”

“Amelia, it definitely won’t be a short time… .”

Rupert’s words were cut off by Amelia’s fingers.

Her index finger touched his lips.

“It’s my heart that liked you, and it’s my heart that waited for you. So, Rupert, please answer only about yourself.”

-Can I wait?

Amelia finished speaking and took her finger from Rupert’s lips.

Rupert was finally able to answer, but his answer was set.

“When that time comes, I will definitely respond to your current confession.”

Rupert’s answer was calm, but determined.

And Amelia smiled with tears in her eyes as she watched Rupert like that.