Chapter 22 - Escape from the Charade
"...Dahlia?"
Unfortunately, a voice she recognized called out to her.
The person who called her name so casually, interrupting her good mood, ranked first on her list of men she never wanted to meet.
He stared at her with widened eyes, a look of disbelief etched across his face.
Pretending not to notice, Dahlia quickly averted her gaze.
"Dahlia-san!"
The one who rushed toward her wasn’t Tobias but rather a girl who resembled a small animal.
Her light, honey-colored hair was soft and wavy, her gentle brown eyes slightly downturned.
She was petite, with a slender figure that seemed to stir protective instincts in others.
Her face, lightly made-up and still retaining a hint of youthful innocence, was charming enough to attract the gazes of men passing by.
"I'm so sorry! I hurt you, and I’ve been wanting to apologize..."
"This isn’t Emilia’s fault! It’s mine!"
All at once, the surrounding eyes turned toward them, causing Dahlia’s discomfort level to spike.
Why couldn’t they just walk by and pretend not to see her?
Why did they have to make a scene here of all places?
Even as the girl apologized with tearful eyes, Dahlia felt no emotion stir within her—no sympathy, no interest.
"Because of me, you had to break off your engagement, Dahlia-san. I’m truly sorry!"
"It’s already in the past."
Though phrased as an apology, it felt more like a deliberate attempt to announce and explain the situation to everyone around them, digging into old wounds. Dahlia couldn't help but think so.
"I’m truly sorry... Please forgive me..."
"Dahlia, don’t hold it against Emilia."
She wanted to ask—where in her five-word response of "It’s already in the past" had he found even a hint of blame?
If anything, she wouldn't mind if he explained it thoroughly using the essay paper from their academy days.
Spending any more time with these two seemed meaningless and unnecessary, but she also didn’t want to cause trouble for Volf. Just as that thought crossed her mind, she noticed his return.
Not only Tobias and Emilia, but all the gazes around her shifted from Dahlia to the figure walking up behind her.
He wasn’t the kind of person who merely caught attention; he seized both eyes and voices with his striking presence.
From behind her, his low, soft voice reached only her ears.
"Any lingering attachments?"
"None whatsoever."
Her reply was short and curt.
"...Lady Dahlia, since you’ve broken off your engagement, it must mean that you’re now single."
Standing directly beside her, Volf suddenly changed his tone.
With a smile so picturesque it resembled a painting for sale, he transformed into a suspiciously theatrical prince.
"I must thank the goddess of fortune from the bottom of my heart. I have long wished to invite you to dine with me, Lady Dahlia, but you’ve never accepted. It brings me great joy to meet you again on a day when you’re by yourself."
His elaborate phrasing, combined with a voice as sweet as sugar candies drenched in honey, made Dahlia’s face stiffen. A chill ran down her spine.
"Dahlia, who’s that?"
Tobias asked with a frown.
She felt that he no longer had the right to call her by name so casually or questioned her company. Before she could respond, however, Volf spoke up.
"I am Volfred Scalfarotto of the Chivalric Order. And you are?"
"!"
Dahlia swallowed her surprise.
What happened to being from a lower-ranked noble family?
The Scalfarotto name was well-known in the royal capital as an esteemed count’s house, renowned for their expertise in water magic and control over water mana stones and water purification.
Both Tobias and Emilia froze, their expressions stiff.
"I-I deeply apologize! I am Tobias Orlando of Orlando & Co."
"I... I’m Emilia Tallini, a receptionist at Orlando & Co."
"Is that so."
Wolf replied curtly. After that, he neither spoke to them nor even acknowledged their presence, and instead elegantly stepped closer to Dahlia. He extended his hand toward her.
"Lady Dahlia, perhaps a change in atmosphere would be good. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a recommended spot? There are many things I’d like to discuss."
Though her meal was only two-thirds finished, this was an invitation to escape the charade.
Without hesitation, Dahlia placed her hand on his flawlessly offered one.
"Yes, gladly."
Volf’s hand was warm.
・・・・・・・
"Thank you for earlier."
After leaving the shop and walking a short distance, Dahlia expressed her gratitude to Volf.
"No need to thank me. I just wanted to wrap things up back there. But did my actions cause any trouble for your work or daily life? If they did—"
"No, not at all. I was just surprised by how smoothly you delivered your words."
"Still, I wasn’t lying. I did invite you for a drink at the castle gate but I was brushed off. And when another carriage arrived, I said, 'I’d like to see you again'."
The words he’d said when the carriage had approached, which she hadn’t caught over the rain, had apparently been "I’d like to see you again."
Realizing they had been on the same wavelength made Dahlia feel a small sense of joy.
"Sorry, I couldn’t hear you because of the rain. And I felt bad for deceiving you by pretending to be a man."
"Let’s drop any guilt about that, please. If I’d known you were a woman at the time, I probably wouldn’t have washed myself in the river, which would’ve made my eyes worse. I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the meal, and I wouldn’t have had that white wine, either."
Volf stopped walking, furrowing his brow slightly as he looked at her.
"But... did I force you to keep me company when you wanted to be alone?"
"No, I was just going to have a meal. Besides, the engagement was something our fathers decided. Before we even married, he apparently found his 'true love.'"
"'True love'... Yeah, I can’t make sense of that at all."
"Neither can I."
Dahlia gave a single nod, matching the exasperation in Volf’s tone.
It seemed that declarations of "true love" like these, especially in such contexts, were widely unpopular.
"No wonder you don’t have any lingering feelings about it."
"Yes, none at all."
"Good thing the marriage papers hadn’t been submitted yet."
"Yes, I truly think so from the bottom of my heart."
Dahlia nodded, smiling sincerely as she said it.
"Honestly, I feel like that whole scene ruined the taste of a good drink. I’m still not done talking, and I haven’t had enough to drink. If you’re up for it, would you join me for another round?"
An unfamiliar man, and a noble at that.
In the past, Dahlia would likely have declined outright, even if she wasn’t engaged.
As she instinctively began to lower her gaze, a desire to continue their conversation pushed her forward, urging her to lift her head.
Looking directly at Volf, she gave her answer.
"Yes, I didn’t eat enough earlier, either."
The two began walking again. Remembering only after a moment, they gently let go of the hand they had been holding.
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