“……How may I help you?”
“You’re still as cold as ever.”

“Hmph,” Yule snorted mockingly, and Aurora frowned in annoyance. The door closed behind her as she stood there, but he didn’t offer her a chair; instead, he stared her up and down rudely. Aurora sighed, thinking that his attitude was very different from the last time they met in front of the fountain.

“If you dress up, you will look a bit better, but to attract everyone’s attention, you need to wear something unconventional, don’t it? Well, it’s true that the shape of the dress and the craftsmanship… even the embroidery on the chest is wonderful. But it probably is the work of Duchess Laetus anyway, isn’t it? If the person wearing it isn’t excellent, then it’s just a waste of the treasure.”
(Come to think of it, this man is known for being dandy…..though, he doesn’t get the concept of formal attire……But, the embroidery on the white uniform is nice, I didn’t know it was a different design from the navy blue uniform.)

Surprisingly, he approved the dress, but then she remembered,
Men’s fashion is somewhat different from women’s, from the way a tie is tied to the colour matching of the vest, to the weave and material of the fabric. Yule is well known in this area as well.

“It’s a pity, it would have been better if another girl had worn it.”

Aurora glared back at Yule in disgust.

“Of course. But if it were anyone else, there would be no need for them to wear this colour, so there’s no point in talking about what ifs.’
“But even so, your voice and face are both very ordinary….. I still don’t understand ……. Why are you Clavis’s fiancée?　Do you have a special skill? Or, have you found out something about his weakness?”
“All I can say is that I was chosen by the ring.”
“I have heard the details of that story. But it would be foolish to believe it as it is.”
(Well, that’s true!)

Only a very simple-minded or dreamy child would believe such a ridiculous reason. If Aurora had been a stranger, she would have thought that there must be something behind it. There must have been a reason why they had to get engaged, but that reason was not something that could be revealed to the public.
Unfortunately, however, the undeniable truth in this case is that she was ‘chosen by the ring’. How on earth can she even convince him?

“Why are you so concerned about Felix-sama’s fiancée?”

When she implied that it was none of his business, Yule’s beautiful features were distorted in a wasteful way.

“…… that’s because he’s Clavis.”

After a long pause, the words he uttered came out almost like a groan.

“We were both born in the same year, in households with the same rank and standing, of opposing factions, also as a legitimate son!　Both have beautiful faces!　Even though we followed the same path, from the military academy to the Imperial Knight!”

Dang! Yule’s hand hit the wall. Aurora stared blankly at the man who had declared himself beautiful. He had been acting theatrically that time as well, but it seemed to be a habit of his.

“And yet, I have never been able to beat him, not even once!　His magic, swordsmanship, and horsemanship are outstanding among his classmates. He is the only one of his classmates who has joined the Imperial Knights and is already a captain. The people around him, who have an overwhelming advantage over the others, simply praise him. It’s no wonder, because the gap between him and the rest is so great. But do you know how irritating and miserable it is for me, who is always coming close and never able to beat him at the last moment?!”

As Yule began to speak, golden light danced on his hair. Aurora could only watch as his white fingers wavered in the dark space, tracing faint paths.
Aurora, who was not a knight and had hardly ever compared herself to people of her generation, could not understand what he was saying, so it was hard to relate to.

“Are you saying that ……Felix-sama is too good to be true, and you don’t like it?”
“No!”

DADAN!　His fist strikes the wall again.

“He’s …… he’s perfect. He’s beautiful, strong, aloof and calm – you’ve seen it, that mock match!　I always come up just one step short of him, even with a little cowardice. I’ve wanted to make him crawl once, I’ve wanted to knock him to the floor, I’ve thought about it many times since I was fifteen …… or even five when I first met him!　Not once!　Not even once!　I can’t beat him!”

His canines peeked out from his thin lips. Yule’s bloodshot blue eyes flashed brightly as he glared at Aurora. She grimaced, and Yule pointed his finger at her nose.

“A guy like that! My eternal rival! Why!? He wants to marry an ordinary woman like you! He must forever be my wall! He has such a beautiful big sister! I thought he would marry a woman of insurmountable beauty, which would make me gnash my teeth! But why?　You! It would be too easy for me to marry a woman more beautiful than you! If I couldn’t overcome this insurmountable wall, then I cannot call it a complete victory!”
“Um… so, what you’re saying is, you can’t forgive the perfect Felix-sama for having a flaw like me?”
“That’s right!!”
(This is …… no way ……)

When Yule made a sweeping statement, Aurora’s mouth, which was about to open, snapped shut.
In other words.

(……So Loomis likes Felix-sama, so much so that it can’t be helped.)

I was prepared to be surrounded by women and to be belittled, but I never thought I would be told, not by a lady, but by a man, “You are not worthy of him!” I never thought that the day would come when a man, not a lady, would say to me, “You are not worthy of her! This is a perfect example of the saying that reality is more improbable than fiction. It is like a maiden who is blindly in love, so that she can’t allow someone other than her to be associated with the person of her dreams.

(What should I do? No, I don’t need to do anything, right?　I didn’t mean to be prejudiced, but I was surprised! My brother also said that he had a few close calls, and I’ve heard that it’s not unusual for boys to fall in love with each other in male-dominated places such as school dormitories and the Order of Knights! Ah, school dorms and the Knights’ Order… aren’t those the same situations they were in?)

–Whether or not this was the correct understanding was aside, Aurora concluded. She stole a glance at the man. Yule didn’t notice her gaze and was heaving his shoulders up and down, trying to calm his rough breathing.

(I can’t shatter this person’s maidenlike dream by saying that Felix-sama’s expressionless face is just because of his shyness. But if I tell him it’s a temporary engagement, he might get angry. How can I get him to accept me peacefully?….. No, in this case, I’m the one who should leave them alone.)
“What are you doing, making a stupid face?”
“…… Well, this is my usual self.”
“What a disappointing woman. I still don’t understand. Why you?”
“As I said, the ring made the choice.”
“Don’t think such nonsense will work!”

Yule spat out. Aurora was yelled at, but she was not the type to flinch. She was used to the shouts of the knights. Aurora glared back at Yule, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

“I suppose I can appreciate his strength and boldness. But I’m not that good enough person to be able to accept such a lie. –Hmm, if you look closely, I can see you have a voluptuous figure. Did you seduce him with that body?”

A vein popped on Aurora’s head. A sickening, spiky feeling rose from her stomach. What a thing to say to that earnest, single-minded, clumsy person!

“How rude! Felix-sama is a gentleman! He is not the kind of man who would touch a maiden before marriage!”

When she yells at Yule, implying not to lump Felix with him, he gets annoyed and replies.

“Then what else do you have?! Why you?! There must be something! Tell me!”
“As I said, the ring chose me! It’s real!”
“There’s no way that’s true!!”
“Ahhh?!”

With a thud, Yule’s arm reached out and pushed Aurora’s shoulder. Aurora staggered, but still managed to take a step back without falling.

“I don’t accept it! His fiancée is an ordinary person! I won’t accept it! –I see, so I just need to remove you from the equation?! I’ll just have to make it so that you will be removed!”
“Huh?!”
“If that body of hers is tainted, she will never be able to become the fiancée of the Marquis!”
“What are you talking about――!”

In his excited state, Yule’s arm reached out towards Aurora again, causing her to hurriedly escape in the opposite direction.

“Hey, what’s going on? Don’t take matters into your hands!? If that happens, then you’ll end up taking responsibility, when I’m no longer Felix-sama’s fiancée, don’t you know! Don’t be desperate for an unfulfilled love!”

She dodged the outstretched arms three times, flapping her dress and jumping, and she avoided the long legs that were extended towards her. The table next to the sofa fell over, and the glass broke with a clang, spilling out the remaining liquid.

“Shut up! If I can teach him a lesson, that’d be great!”
“You are worse. Are you drunk?”
(I thought something was wrong with him!　Come to think of it, this guy was drinking when I came into the room!)

Considering that he had already drunk wine at the evening party, this was a considerable amount of alcohol. If he were drunk and out of control, this outrageous act would be understandable. Nevertheless, even if it is understandable, it is still a pinch for Aurora.

(This is indeed not good. What should I do?)
“Oh well, just a little!”
“Ouch!”

She ran left and right across the chair, knocking over small pieces of furniture, and circling across the desk. Chased by a knight in a small room, there was no way the young lady could keep running for long, and without much pause, Aurora was driven back against the wall. He placed a hand on the left side of her neck, and she gasped in fear as the rough hand approached the vital spot that held her life. She furiously ran through her memories, hoping to find a way out of this situation somehow.

(Oh, yes, in times like this, bend over and ……)
“Give up!”
“Who would!”

Aurora looked up at Yule with a snap and sat back down. She remembered her brother’s words.
Her brother, who had the beauty of a young girl and a slender body, but had to behave like a man of the household, had learned several self-defence techniques that could be used even by children who lacked physical strength and arms. He taught them to Aurora the year before she went out to socialise, saying, “Laura is a girl, after all.”

(Breathe in, lower your hips, aim for the chin, and with all your might….headbutt!)
“Take that!”
“Guh!?”

Bang! Without any hesitation, she headbutted with all her might, landing perfectly on Yule’s thin jaw. A sparking pain and shock hit her forehead and Yule’s jaw. He staggered back with the sudden shock, probably not expecting the Count’s daughter to strike back at a knight.

“Ugh… ugh!”
But he did not fall, though he held his chin and wobbled. His long fingers hung around Aurora’s thin neck.

(Ahhh, what a quick revival, as expected of a knight! …That’s right, earrings!)

『Help me, Felix-sama!』

At that moment, the magic power rushed into the earpiece.

Author’s Note:-

A gag episode (or so it’s intended).