Part 2

*Simon's POV*

"Simon, you're not going to get married?"

In the middle of attending an inspection, His Highness Sevran asked this without any logical connection.

"Those words, I would return them to you as they are"

"I am still scrutinizing the other party. I don't remember declaring to be in the bachelor doctrine."

Just what on earth are you saying while my subordinate are in the surrounding? I took a breath.

"I don't remember declaring my bachelorhood"

"Then why aren't you married yet? Are you not searching for a companion? You'll soon turn thirty and you still don't have a fiancé, you're going to get improper suspicion"

"Don't worry. If I were to get that kind of suspicion, the other partner would end up being His Highness' without a doubt"

"That's why I am telling you that I am worried! For my sake, get married already!"

I wonder what he is saying already? His Highness that turned desperate thrusted his finger at me.

" Your mother is also worried, you know. It'll be bad if the heir is a forever bachelor, right. I don't mind finding you a companion. So go to marriage interviews. Do it quickly."

"Marriage interviews……that's right"

His Highness worries aside, it's not that I didn't thought of marrying.

Recently, on these days, my parents – my mother in particular – had been pestering me frequently about it. I wouldn’t say that rus.h.i.+ng things about women is unnecessary, because my fiancé still hasn't been decided despite me being already twenty-seven. It can't be helped that they would feel anxious.

Shall I start to seriously consider it? I thought.

It's not like I don't want to get married, or that I am not interested in women. The reason is simply that I postponed it while giving priority to work with, thus it is just a story of not having a partner to consider.

However I didn't feel like going to marriage interview. I feel uneasy toward what kind of young miss that would come from it. For example if someone's like Miss Aurelia, perfect on the outside but with an intolerable problematic personality on the inside. I'd like to be introduced to someone by prioritizing the personality, but women are good at hiding their true nature. They introduced me to girls professing to be someone with good disposition and conduct with rect.i.tude, but the possibility that in reality they may carry vicious nature undercover wasn't scarce.

I don't desire much. it would be such a relief and nice thing if I can get along with the other party.

So I replied, and His Highness showed a terribly troubled face. His Highness himself had troubles in selecting his consort, so he sympathizes with my position. If I found my ideal-type companion, I would have done a marriage proposal myself before the introduction.

It is something difficult.

As I was thinking of what to do inside me, I had the opportunity to talk with Miss Marielle's father Viscount Clarac.

He asked me if I could refer a marriage partner to him for his daughter.

"Among your subordinate, is there perhaps anyone that seem just right for it? This year my daughter is eighteen and…….Maa, she can't be a.s.sessed as a beauty to compliment her but, her head is not bad. She conducts herself cleverly, and if she had to accomplish a duty, she would clearly fulfill it. On other aspects I will properly discipline her. I have confidence I can get her to be a wife. However, she is also a quiet girl, and she doesn't easily catch men’s eyes. She might look unsatisfactory to the people of the brilliant Imperial Order, but she shouldn't be a bad marriage partner. She'll be different from a wife or a lover. To leave a house to someone, fidelity and reliability are necessary. My daughter is bargainable on that point—-and so, would you please talk to someone about it?"

The Viscount said it in quite a skillful way, despite having the look of a nice person. The beauty and brilliance that Miss Marielle doesn't seek were written up, while also emphasizing that she has the adequate disposition as a marriage partner. He is skillful in getting in the way of the world in contrast to his look. It's a strategy of steady advancement that is really like him; and if you promote like this, there will be some men that will come by riding on the story.

However, it's just a bit not honest.

You explained one aspect of Miss Marielle but the main part is missing. Err, her other part of eccentricity that can't be seen, it's an essential factor that can't be discarded as a triviality for a fiancé.

If you say it like this I wouldn't find out the story that I had discovered. I understand the very reason to hide it. However, as I am someone that knows himself, I'll hesitate to go and hold a conversation with my subordinate like that.

If the engagement were to be cancelled because her true character was exposed on the way, then even Miss Marielle would feel hurt, right. In case the rumor were to circulate in society, then it would affect the search for a future companion. Nevertheless, for her it's likely not just a connection, and it will cause a fatal stain on her.

……Iya, if it's her, then she might happily make materials out of the situation? It seems likely.

I can easily imagine Miss Marielle's figure while facing it with a note in hands br.i.m.m.i.n.g with joy, and a sigh came out. To that girl, certainly the introduction of someone with good affinity is indispensable right. Unmistakingly, she doesn't intend to find a fiancé by herself.

It would be good if there was a man that could accept and understand her hobby but…..thinking about it, I realized the fact that there was no such person.

That's right. There's no need to turn the talk to a subordinate, wouldn't it be fine if I accepted?　

I know of her hidden hobby. I also know of her little odd personality. And I don't hate it. As of now, I do enjoy observing her.

Miss Marielle, without a doubt has an eccentric personality, but she isn't ill-natured. Even though she enthusiastically collect rumors, she doesn't do something like spreading them. In the end, her conduct is for the sake of coming with references for her novels. She holds interest in things like other people's rumors, but she isn't interested in amusing herself by making them public. One way or another, she get excited by gossips in n.o.ble society, I might say that she is someone that is difficult to come by.

I would say that her princ.i.p.al behaviour is usually for the sake of her novels.  I honestly can't praise her for her virtues but….she's not that bad?

I am also searching for a marriage partner. Thinking that it was just right, when I told the Viscount to count my name as a candidate, he was really surprised.

"Iya, I am really honored by your words but….to be honest, this marriage arrangement wouldn't come out to be really balanced? Our House's status is different from the Flaubert House. If it's someone like Simon-dono, then you'll find any number of good young misses. You are separated by quite a few years too…."

He didn't jump at negotiation, rather he pointed out his concern instead, I see that he isn't a happy go lucky man as his looks suggest. He doesn't immediately bite at the feast dangling in front of him. He has the wisdom to beware of traps.

About what the Viscount took caution of, I understood. If it was a man with a parallel standing with the Clarac family, in case of Miss Marielle's true character were to be exposed, he'll be able to successfully smooth things over and face down the opponent. Even if it was just the case of having a little strange hobby, he had the intention of deceiving them properly, right. And if I were to be her partner, he couldn't pa.s.s it just like that. From the beginning, the relations.h.i.+p itself would be unbalanced. If one complaint were added, he wouldn't be able to oppose. Even in case that he were to take out his greed and jump into it, in the end since he can't bear any losses, did he judged that he must avoid it?

I dare say that the Viscount might be thinking of the possibility that I might have some kind of problem, right. I wonder if that's why he cautiously said it would be such an unbalanced engagement. That's wise.

"Right, certainly from the eyes of an eighteen years-old young girl, I wonder if I look like an oji-san (TN:uncle)"

"Iya, iya, there's no woman that would think so by looking at Simon-dono. Maa, having age differences of nine years or so are common story"

"Yes, my parents have also age differences of eight years. So, I thought that my request was good, but might Lord Emile not be interested?

"Iya, That's not it"

While he calmly replied with a gentle smile, I guess that he is busy considering things in his head. Sensing his hards.h.i.+ps, without showing it on my face, I laughed.

Cautious people, sometime think too much and end up having unnecessary troubles. Since I am the same type of  person, I can't bring myself to make a fool out of him. I properly understand the Viscount's hesitant feelings. To tell the truth, it's totally a needless worry. I wonder if he understood what to do?

……..It's not like it's no good if he didn't understand. Continuing our talk like this seem interesting.

Either way it's not like I want to marry Miss Marielle. If it were to be refused then, this and that I wouldn't mind. I am interested at how the Viscount would deal with this, without disclosing the secret of the trick and continuing the talk as we were doing.

"For us it's an undeserved wonderful talk but…..what would your honorable parents think? If your partner is from a not too high-ranked family, won't they show disapproval?"

" You should not be this humble. Isn't the Clarac House's lineage a long-lasting one too? Even if not in a noticeable way, you served the king for generations, and certainly gained a constant high acknowledgement. You and your capability at work, that is."

"Iya, hahaha, to be elevated in such a way"

"Our House is an earl, yours is a Viscount, I think there's no problem with the balance"

"Haa, is that so…."

Fufu, it felt like someone's cold sweat is running down in the atmosphere. Still it's quite admirable considering the fact that he didn't show it on his expression.

"Iya, however my daughter is, how should I say this? She's a plain child. She lacks many things as a lady of an Earl House to take for public appearance"

"There is no problem in entrusting the House to her, didn't you mention this? I am looking exactly for this kind of woman. I would be troubled if my wife wasn't sufficient at household affair and only keenly enthusiastic towards trends and gossips. It's alright if she only do the necessary social intercourse. Even if she is extraordinary, I desire a person that will firmly protect the household."

"Ho, your thoughts are unexpectedly conservative"

"I might be regarded as conceited but there are many women that approached me. And I am already fed up toward women that are only gorgeous . Since she'll be my partner who will accompany me for a lifetime, I would like to give importance to her content other than her outside appearance. I'd like to marry a composed, reliable woman"

"Fumu…."

Does those words moved his heart, I wonder. The Viscount's face became pensive. The marriage companion of a playboy being a plain person. If various women only saw that, you'll properly see through the true worth of their character. As I recalled such a case, looking like I was inquiring, I stopped smiling to deceive him.

"…..Truly, in one word she really looks plain you know?"

"There's no problem whatsoever."

"She's always quiet, and isn't interesting"

Iya, she's interesting you know. A person more interesting here… right, right, there aren't any.

"Even for a quiet person, I wonder about your daughter's charm?"

"…..She's a child who likes to read stories since long ago, because of that she tends to daydream a little, and there are cases where she distances herself from reality"

What a thing to say. Far from just a little. It's questionable whether her daydreaming tendencies could be described as being on the range of being cute.

"That is, you're meaning to say that she's really sensible?"

"I wonder if I can say that as well……"

It's not a lie right. The fact that she gathers materials from everyone in the surroundings, was just expressed in a little bit glorified way.

That's right, and then the Viscount breathed in.

"Then, would you like to meet once for the time being? If after actually seeing her you feel that she's not of your fancy, it's fine to say no clearly. Without the person in question present, we can't just go along with the talk on her part too. Please, do ascertain personally without fail."

The Viscount finally gave his acknowledgement, and decided to introduce Miss Marielle. It seemed like he thought that I would change my mind after seeing her myself. Of course such a thing won't happen. I visited the Clarac's Residence, exchanged words with Miss Marielle for the first time, and proposed to officially engage on the spot.

TN:Naoriel

ED:Ally-el

Naoriel’s little corner°•○°○

Lol, and so, it was like this that he got to engage our little fujos.h.i.+~

(。⌒∇⌒)。how do you find it?

Oh and, for those that follow the other series that I’m translating, I almost finished translating  chapter 11! Just wait a lil’ more!