Chapter~30
Since that day, Pierre had been troubled.
Sonnet had begun keeping her distance from him.
To be precise, it was natural—she had been busy with her missions and they couldn’t meet often.
‘Was what I felt that day just my imagination?’
He would subtly ask those who knew the truth or sometimes sneak a peek. But the more he did, the stronger the feeling that he still didn’t understand her true thoughts became. He clearly still remembered that face of hers, flushed red…
‘Maybe I was mistaken again…’
Sonnet threw herself into her duties like a madwoman.
She seemed genuinely pleased to finally be doing real work as a knight. And her growing reputation subtly unsettled him. He couldn’t stop her from working so hard, nor did he have any reason to hold her back…
“Ben.”
“Oh, again? Same as today, huh?”
During moments between handling his duties, Pierre asked his vice-captain, Ben, whether Sonnet had shown any interest in him, but the answers were always unsatisfying.
“No particular signs today?”
“None.”
He would patiently wait and only ask when she returned from long missions. She was often away, so he only got to see her after the mission was complete. If anyone mentioned she had briefly shown up at the knight headquarters, he’d immediately inquire, but that was all he could do.
“Today too?”
“Yes, though she acted passionately in front of others as if she were your ardent lover. Don’t worry.”
“…That’s not what I’m worried about.”
If only she had fumbled her act, he could have teased her and spent time with her. If she had shown any reaction in front of Ben, who knew everything, there might have been hope… but his mind kept spinning with thoughts.
He knew himself that he wasn’t acting like his usual self. That much was clear: Pierre wanted to remove the word “fake” from “fake lover.”
“Really no reaction at all? Today too?”
“Yes, she didn’t even ask first, and even when you told her you had free time, she just listened and let it slide.”
He asked every time, but the answer was always the same.
Seeing him increasingly gloomy, Ben finally spoke:
“Your Grace, judging by how often you ask about Lady Sonnet… it seems you have developed romantic feelings for her?”
“How did you know?”
“Anyone would notice your behavior! It doesn’t seem like you’re cautious about crossing a line, does it? You appear sulky when you see her diligently following her duties!”
Indeed. Everyone who knew that Pierre and Sonnet were “fake lovers” could guess his predicament. It was too obvious.
Pierre had no idea that Ben and his aide secretly grumbled, “Why don’t you just confess?”
Today, Ben brought it up only because his aide nudged him to take the lead.
“…Is that so?”
Pierre replied irritably, unaware of anything, and Ben laughed heartily.
“Frustrating, isn’t it! I can’t believe our young marquis is such a clueless fellow!”
“Aren’t you clueless too?”
“Not at all! I’m a married man, mind you! So listen closely, young marquis—I’ll teach you how to court a woman!”
Objectively, Ben wasn’t particularly handsome. By appearance, he gave off a strong “macho” vibe.
“…I hate to ask, but was your marriage a love marriage?”
“Ah, that would be rude to say! We truly fell in love before marriage!”
“Hmm…”
“If it doesn’t come naturally, one must at least make an effort! And I succeeded even with less good looks than you, so you might want to hear my romance techniques!”
“Really…?”
Perhaps because of his earnestness, Pierre began to be subtly swayed by Ben’s confident words.
“First, do you know Lady Sonnet’s type?”
“…Type?”
Pierre was embarrassed without realizing it when Ben mentioned “type.”
“Well, someone handsome, isn’t it?”
“No! You don’t understand at all! Not all handsome men are the same! You should know this!”
“Ugh…”
Pierre felt like a failing student, unable to keep up.
“Then, has Lady Sonnet ever been impressed by your appearance?”
“…I’m not sure. She blushed before, but now I can’t even be certain that’s what it meant…”
Pierre had lost much of his confidence when it came to Sonnet. Between what had happened at the engagement and the current situation, he was unsure.
He rambled unnecessarily, and all it led to was “I’m not certain.”
“Hmm… Since you haven’t met her frequently since, you couldn’t be sure…”
“Yes. She’s been on consecutive long missions, so I couldn’t intervene.”
“Honestly, I hope it’s just that ‘she avoids me because she’s aware of me’—but judging by her attitude, it’s probably just diligence.”
“Is that so…”
“Yes! She even apologized for missing missions due to your schedule… And opinions of men are subjective! So we must interpret everything pessimistically!”
“Is that so…”
Pierre slumped further.
“For now, let’s assume she has unilateral interest in you, and that Lady Sonnet respects you enough—that’s a reasonable starting point.”
“Is that so…”
“Don’t be too depressed! As your fake lover, you have a valid reason to be near her, right? This sets the first step: ‘frequent encounters!’”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes! Trying to approach without a reason often fails! And while pretending to be your lover, she officially won’t get involved with anyone else, right?”
“Sonnet is diligent. She wouldn’t even think of having a lover in the first place.”
Ben laughed heartily at the small measure of hope mixed with objective facts. The young marquis in love looked like any other youth his age.
“Then let’s figure out how to appeal to her!”
Bang! He pounded the knight headquarters desk and grinned.
“Don’t worry! This Ben will, as a knight of the marquis family, make sure you get what you want!”
A few weeks later, it finally led to today.
“D-Date?”
“Yes.”
Pierre clenched his fists under the desk discreetly.
Could it work? Would she accept? Anxiety stabbed his chest repeatedly, but after several rehearsals, he managed to hide it.
‘Many people value work over ambiguous relationships. Even with a valid reason like being fake lovers, telling them to abandon their duties might just create negative feelings.’
‘What should I do then? Sonnet has too much work. There’s no time at all.’
‘Don’t be anxious. I’ll suggest she take a short vacation, since she’s done several long missions. It’s customary and won’t seem odd. And…’
‘And?’
‘On the day of the vacation, Your Grace will be at the knight headquarters in my place. You’ll stamp the completion and check her vacation schedule. No way out!’
Hearing the word “date,” Sonnet stiffened slightly, unfamiliar with the concept. This was the perfect moment to press forward.
“Yes, we haven’t had much time together, and I noticed others approaching you. Even if it’s not the social season or a ball, we need to appear together in public.”
“Ah, I see… I thought…”
Seeing her calm expression made him frown. Why was she so reassured?
“Even if that weren’t the case, I haven’t spent much time with my dear fiancée, and I miss you.”
“Ugh… Do you have to say that here too?”
“Yes. Aside from official matters, I am personally interested in you.”
“…Personally? So… still about the contract…”
“Sonnet.”
The young marquis held back a sigh.
‘Use the fake lover excuse to make time, but subtly show that you have personal feelings.’
‘Why?’
‘So if she develops feelings, it will be easier for her to approach. You made the contract to stop interference, right? This way, she knows you don’t like others getting in the way.’
‘Right.’
‘Romantic feelings… Since you often seemed tired of them, if she develops feelings, she’ll assume she might be disliked by you.’
‘She’s different.’
‘She won’t see it that way.’
So he kept it hidden. Or did she really have no interest? Pierre fought the urge to ask immediately. She was an excellent knight. If she wanted, she could have changed jobs or run away.
“I want to grow close to you beyond the contract or master-servant relationship. You’re reliable, kind, and likeable to anyone.”
Pierre’s words made Sonnet think seriously.
“So… you mean you want to be friends? Beyond duty and contract?”
“Yes. Let’s put it that way. For now.”
“For this reason, I want to spend time with you and show it to others.”
Pierre pressed his feelings into his words and reached out his hand.
“So… will you accept my request for a date?”
Even though he framed it with an official excuse, he was prepared to step back if she refused.
‘Above all, respect the other’s feelings.’ That was what Ben repeatedly emphasized.
Still, Pierre hoped… she wouldn’t say no.
“…Yes.”
When she took his hand, he had to clench his fists again to contain the joy that made him feel like he could fly.
