The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 51

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 51

 

So I didn’t treat Leopold particularly warmly. I treated him the same as everyone else.

 

Which meant I treated him cynically while keeping a proper distance.

 

“What’s our assignment, Brisa?”

 

“We need to practice the philosopher Orphita’s Social Etiquette. I personally agree with Orphita’s method. For people you don’t particularly want to be close with, you just tell them their opinion is right.”

 

“I think Orphita’s Social Etiquette is the worst. There are expressions like ‘interesting’ – why do you need to go as far as agreeing?”

 

“Your opinion is right.”

 

Then his cousin Silvia would see this and say to me:

 

“To be able to look at that face and still treat him fairly like everyone else, truly the Ice Princess of Sears. Your optic nerves must have frozen.”

 

I wasn’t the only one who didn’t give Leopold special treatment.

 

Leopold was the same way.

 

He didn’t treat me particularly special either. For him, who originally made neither friends nor enemies, everyone was the same.

 

However, I knew he didn’t like this engagement itself.

 

“Um, Leopold. About the graduation ball partner…”

 

“Ah.”

 

The school held a graduation ball every graduation ceremony.

 

Usually, men and women who had mutual interest would partner with each other.

 

However, Leopold and I were in an awkward situation since we were engaged to each other. We were the only engaged couple at the Academy.

 

It was during our first year.

 

I received a partner request from a graduating second-year senior. So I carefully asked Leopold first.

 

“Well, I received a partner request from Harrison. I wanted to ask you first.”

 

Actually, I had hoped Leopold would smile leisurely and say, ‘Ah, I naturally assumed I’d be going with my fiancée.’

 

However, Leopold made an awkward expression and said this:

 

“I already have a partner, Brisa.”

 

That was a declaration that he didn’t consider us to be in a normal engagement relationship.

 

He even shrugged his shoulders as if telling me to do well.

 

“I didn’t know Harrison’s taste ran to younger girls. All those ‘older sisters’ waiting for him in the Southern Region will be wailing.”

 

His first ball partner was Silvia.

 

He seemed quite close to his cousin sister, more than I had thought. Considering the relationship between Dahlia and me, it was unimaginable…

 

He couldn’t attend our graduation ball. He had gone down to his territory because of the monster wave in the Western Region long before graduation.

 

‘Well, even before that, I hadn’t received any requests to be partners at the graduation ball.’

 

Anyway, I had vaguely noticed it even before the first ball.

 

When I was talking with Harrison, he would quietly step aside. As if to say, if we wanted to get along well, don’t mind him.

 

Whenever there was an opportunity for a boy and girl to do something together at the Academy, he absolutely never did it with me.

 

“Ah, my partner is Silvia.”

 

Before anyone even asked, he would say that. Then Silvia would sigh deeply with a face that showed she was utterly annoyed.

 

“If there’s someone here who has too much time on their hands in life, could you please pass a law that blood relatives can’t be partners?”

 

In other words, even though Silvia disliked it, he absolutely never partnered with me.

 

So even though we were engaged, there was a prevailing atmosphere at the Academy that ‘there’s still a long time until we come of age, and won’t they break off the engagement at this rate?’

 

That could be seen as entirely Leopold’s intention.

 

It seemed like he thought it would be better if I liked someone else, so I wouldn’t be hurt even if the engagement was broken off.

 

So I came to a conclusion while I was at the Academy.

 

‘After seeing my mother’s madness, he must have given up on the idea of marrying me.’

 

He probably just felt sorry for me, so he wasn’t breaking off the engagement right away.

 

Because Leopold was a kind person.

 

No, it wasn’t kindness.

 

It was just that he had the luxury to be considerate within reasonable limits because he lacked nothing.

 

So when I received the annulment letter, I wasn’t surprised.

 

Even sending flowers anonymously was predictable.

 

‘He didn’t send them to comfort me.’

 

That guy was annoyingly smart.

 

‘He sent them to prevent me from having to comfort the maids.’

 

If those flowers hadn’t been there, the maids would have wailed loudly.

 

Then I would have had to comfort them instead, without even being able to savor the bitterness of the broken engagement. It would have been the worst situation possible.

 

Leopold wasn’t just ‘an avoidant person who sent flowers anonymously out of guilt after breaking off the engagement.’ He knew my environment well and made the best choice for me at that time.

 

“Alpheus, we’re still young.”

 

So I said a word to Alpheus, who was engulfed in shock.

 

“We’re at an age where we can play together and bicker, then make up and giggle again, then fight again, get engaged and break engagements.”

 

“Huh? Uh, yeah. But, um. Uh. How can this be.”

 

Alpheus was broken.

 

Meanwhile, we arrived at the warp close to the Duke’s Estate.

 

At the warp, Baron Forman and the Western Knights were gathered.

 

“Leo!”

 

Baron Forman came running.

 

“What happened, huh? Was there really a strange energy felt from the Duke’s Estate?”

 

“Yes. It seemed quite serious.”

 

Leopold spoke leisurely.

 

“And it’s no longer our concern.”

 

“That can’t be! What on earth happened? Let’s go find out more…”

 

“It seems a monster has appeared.”

 

“Really? Then it’s right to stay out of other people’s business.”

 

Baron Forman, the information agent who had spent his life being interested in other people’s affairs, quickly nodded his head.

 

After confirming me and Alpheus, as well as the maid and Wendy who had been following behind us, the old man said urgently.

 

“Then let’s depart.”

 

Even though he was a former information agent, he seemed to have no intention of getting caught up in a disaster.

 

“L-leave like this? Will it really be okay?”

 

Only Alpheus continued to meddle.

 

“Maybe they need our help! If it’s something that requires dealing with monsters, I might need to step in. Brisa, you might not know this well, but I’m really strong. I’ve never once in my life turned my back and left weak people behind!”

 

I nodded and praised him.

 

“The shock therapy really was effective. To speak this long without making a single ‘um’ sound. Let’s hold a celebration party soon.”

 

Alpheus looked at Baron Forman and Leopold with an earnest face.

 

Baron Forman cleared his throat and said.

 

“Marquis, the Eastern Region is not weak. They have sufficient power to protect themselves. Moreover, since the Young Duke is Crown Prince’s closest aide, he can receive ample help from the Imperial Family in case of emergency.”

 

“Ah… Is that so?”

 

“Yes. But I have something to ask your understanding about.”

 

Baron Forman skillfully changed the subject.

 

“Would it be alright if we stayed at Duke Nogen’s Residence for just one day before going to the baron estate?”

 

The person who answered that question wasn’t us.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

It was Leopold.

 

“Duke Nogen’s Residence all of a sudden? Didn’t you clearly say earlier that you were inviting us to Baron Forman’s Estate?”

 

Then Baron Forman answered seriously.

 

“I need to report what happened in the Eastern Region. Right now, while we’re gathering information about dark mages, shouldn’t I immediately report about those who buried magic stones and fled?”

 

“I’ll report it.”

 

“You naturally have to do your part.”

 

Baron Forman drew a line as if it were separate.

 

“I need to report what I observed.”

 

The experienced information agent made it clear that his level was different from that of a fourteen-year-old boy.

 

“B-but… didn’t you prepare a dinner at Baron Forman’s Estate? Duke Nogen’s Residence wouldn’t have received any notice.”

 

“I already sent my people to Warp earlier. They’re probably preparing.”

 

Leopold seemed to be holding back the words ‘So you’re suddenly going to the Grand Duke’s residence?’ with desperate patience. Instead, he said this.

 

“Ah… I wonder if it might be inconvenient. Since you’ll have to stay overnight due to time constraints, I’m not confident that we’ll be well-prepared to host guests. It hasn’t been long since Warp was activated.”

 

In the end, it meant he was reluctant.

 

Then Alpheus waved his hand and answered.

 

“Oh, it’s fine! We were heading to Baron Forman’s Estate right after being invited anyway! So we decided to travel as simply as possible.”

 

That was true. Our party consisted of just me, Alpheus, one maid, and Wendy.

 

Because Alpheus alone could handle the work of an entire knight order.

 

“If food is the problem, I’ll eat very little!”

 

“Ah, no, that’s not it…”

 

“Brisa, eat my portion too. I’ve lived by peeling and eating tree bark before. I can go without food for a day.”

 

In the end, Leopold gave up.

 

“No need for such worries. The Western Region’s food storage is always abundant.”

 

In the end, the oblivious one always won.

 

However, Leopold spoke in a reluctant voice.

 

“Instead, I’ll be absent for ten days starting tomorrow due to personal business. I had no idea guests would be coming…”

 

“Ah, that’s understandable! But we’ll get along fine by ourselves!”

 

Alpheus answered cheerfully.

 

I also shrugged my shoulders and said.

 

“We didn’t come to see you, Leopold. There’s no need to show off your inflated self-consciousness in such a creative way.”

 

And so we stood at the warp heading to the Nogen Ducal Territory.

 

This warp activated normally.

 

When I opened my eyes, we had arrived in a cave within the Nogen Ducal Territory.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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