Chapter 39
How to Make a Boring Man Lose Interest
The banquet hadn’t officially begun yet, so guests were gathered in small groups, chatting.
Scanning the room, Anje took Ollie by the arm and led her to a bench tucked in a corner.
The duke was busy discussing business, the duchess had slipped off to comfort a countess in the lounge, and Mariana had disappeared who-knows-where.
Well, it’s not like I have anything else to do.
Sitting here was better than standing around alone.
Anje leaned toward Ollie.
“Is Sir Jeremy… not handsome?”
It might sound shallow, but looks did matter.
“No, he’s as handsome as a flower,” Ollie replied.
Huh? Then why—?
Anje tilted her head. “So… is he terribly cold, then?”
“Not at all.”
Rustling through her pocket, Ollie pulled out a letter and handed it over. It was from Sir Jeremy.
Anje unfolded it without thinking, only to blush at the overly intimate lines. She quickly folded it back, embarrassed.
“Um… am I even allowed to read this?”
“Go ahead.”
Completely unconcerned, Ollie sipped her strawberry wine and let out a long sigh.
Anje skimmed a few more lines.
“Ahem, hmm!”
Clearing her throat at the saccharine words, she folded the letter neatly and returned it.
“Still, the fact that you carry his letters around… it doesn’t seem like you dislike him,” Anje ventured.
“I only just received it,” Ollie cut in, sounding irritated.
“There wasn’t anywhere appropriate to throw it out, and with content like that I can’t just toss it. Not for his sake—just so my poor parents don’t become gossip fodder.”
With a look of pure distaste, she stuffed the letter back into her pocket, crumpling it without care.
“But he’s handsome and kind. What about Sir Jeremy bothers you?”
Ollie studied Anje for a moment, hesitating.
“You look younger than me, but age isn’t something to brag about. Just call me Ollie.”
Her throat dry, she finished the last of her strawberry wine.
“At first I couldn’t believe it. You’ve probably noticed I’m a bit difficult. My father even offered a huge dowry, yet I’ve never had a proper proposal.”
She glanced around and took a glass of apple cider from a passing servant.
“From the letters you can tell… well—” She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
“Sir Jeremy sends flowers and gifts every morning, plans every date to the minute. At first it was like a dream. Then I started wondering, how could a man like that really like me?”
“What’s wrong with you? You’re beautiful and clever,” Anje said.
A girl full of promise—even if it didn’t show yet, someday it surely would.
“Thank you.” Ollie sniffled.
“But I can’t stand myself. I know I don’t have time to think this way. Grandma keeps saying I should marry any man, if not Jeremy.”
“No, Ollie, you’re plenty charming and accomplished,” Anje insisted, though Ollie didn’t seem convinced.
“It’s kind of you to say, but hearing that from someone I met only an hour ago isn’t much comfort.”
Anje sighed. It’s the truth, though.
But to Ollie, Anje probably seemed just as odd.
“Anyway, once I had doubts, I started noticing things. Like how he’s kind to everyone, not just me. Women flock to him without him even trying.”
“Are you saying he’s cheating?” Anje asked.
Ollie thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“No, I don’t think so. He’s witty and sweet, but… he gets bored easily. I keep wondering when he’ll tire of me.”
“So, not cheating yet, but you expect he will?”
“Why do you keep bringing up cheating?”
Ollie snapped, then glanced around, embarrassed.
“Sorry, Anje.”
“Just call me Anje. And you’re right—it’s unfair to assume the worst before anything’s happened. You could keep dating and decide later.”
“No. It’s already a mess.”
Ollie buried her face in her hands.
“I haven’t even decided how I feel, but Father keeps pushing, and Jeremy wants to set a wedding date. And here I am, stuck as a wallflower while he disappears somewhere.”
“I’m a wallflower too,” Anje said wryly, spotting the duke across the hall chatting with Baron Miller. He clearly hadn’t given Anje a second thought.
Trust him? Ha!
Not a chance.
“But you’ve made a good friend in me,” Anje said. “And I think your feelings matter most. If you love him, you could trust him and marry.”
“Love…?”
The word seemed to bother Ollie.
Right. Nobles treat marriage like business, not love.
Anje tilted her head. “Don’t you like Sir Jeremy at all? Not even a little?”
Frowning, Ollie slowly scanned the hall, clearly searching for him.
Her gaze halted at one spot.
It didn’t take Anje long to follow her eyes. A man matching Ollie’s description stood surrounded by young ladies, laughing brightly.
“You read the letter, right?” Ollie said.
“…Yes.”
“He claims he loves me.”
“….”
“Why can’t I believe it?”
After staring at Jeremy for a while, Ollie shook her head.
“Anje, you’ve given me my answer. I don’t love that man. I don’t even like him. I knew it all along, but part of me wanted to believe it might be real.”
Smart girl, Anje thought. Jeremy’s horoscope practically shouted classic player.
Maybe not a serial cheater, but someone who flits from one novelty to the next—sure to leave only hurt behind.
“But what now? Father will accept the proposal. And actually…”
Biting her lip, Ollie finally looked Anje straight in the eye.
“This is a secret, but… the Academy is hiring a sociology professor. I applied in secret. They’ve never hired a woman before, so I thought I’d be rejected. But yesterday I got an invitation for an interview.”
“Oh! Congratulations, Ollie!”
“I don’t know if it’s something to celebrate. Everyone will say I should marry instead.”
Her faint smile faded.
Anje tapped her chin, then wagged a finger.
“I have an idea. Hold on.”
After a moment of thought, she reached out and plucked a few ornaments from Ollie’s hair.
“So you don’t want to marry Sir Jeremy, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Gently pushing Ollie’s back, Anje said,
“Then show him your true self. Boring men like him get uncomfortable around smart women. They expect women to be cute and princess-like.”
She pouted.
“That’s what they think, anyway.”
“Aren’t most men like that? And… what’s a ‘boring man’?” Ollie asked.
Anje frowned.
“Never mind the term. Just go tell Sir Jeremy exactly what you think. Everything will sort itself out.”
No matter how much her father offered, Sir Jeremy wouldn’t be able to handle Ollie’s straightforward words.
