My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - Chapter 7

“No way. Lady Felicia, I swear to be faithful only to you. Please, take my hand.”

Arnold extended his hand toward me with a gentle smile.

Seeing that—I slowly removed my lace gloves.

Then, I placed them on top of his hand.

“…Unfortunately, it seems I am not worthy. Please, find a lady who truly suits these gloves.”

Arnold glanced at the gloves I handed him, then smiled and asked,

“Is this some kind of riddle? Or is this your way of saying yes? After all, you are still engaged to Felix.”

“There is no deeper meaning. It’s simply too much for me. If you were to ask whether these lace gloves suit me beautifully, I could not say yes. Items meant for noble ladies should be worn by those truly beautiful.”

—Yes, for example, someone like my sister.

At my words, Arnold looked at me with an expression that seemed troubled.

He probably thought I was being self-deprecating.

“You are already beautiful. No, rather than beautiful, you are lovely. More than anything, I like your eyes. Tell me, how does the world look through them? I want to see the world as you do.”

“The world through my eyes? It’s nothing grand. The forest looks green, and the sky looks blue. Lord Arnold, is it not the same for you? If you see something different, perhaps you should visit a doctor?”

I answered with a bright smile, and even Arnold, as composed as he usually was, seemed taken aback.

Taking advantage of that moment, I gracefully performed a lady’s courtesy and left.

“Well then, I shall take my leave. I hope you find a lady who truly suits those gloves.”

I deliberately said ‘lady’ instead of ‘young lady.’

It was an intentional jab.

I couldn’t help but think it was a bit petty of me, but with someone like him, flattery wouldn’t work. That is the way of the world, both in this life and the last.

As I quickly left the corridor and turned a corner, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

(If my engagement with Lord Felix is annulled… what will happen to me?)

No, more importantly, what do I want?

What do I want to do?

Even if I were suddenly asked, I wouldn’t have an answer.

Even though I have memories, knowledge, and experiences from my past life, the fact remains that I have lived as a noble lady in this world.

I couldn’t simply forget everything I had built over eighteen years.

(But still…)

I am the daughter of the Duke of Frenzel.

As a noble daughter, I must marry and continue my bloodline.

That is my duty and responsibility.

For eighteen years, I was raised as a noble.

I enjoyed the luxuries of nobility.

Yet to indulge in the privileges while discarding the responsibilities… I could not do that.

Perhaps because of my past life memories—my experiences as an adult—I felt this even more strongly.

(Hmm… Even if I’ve suffered injustice, throwing everything away would be too irresponsible. I was born as the daughter of a duke, and I have reaped all the benefits that come with it…)

Knowledge and education that would have been impossible to attain had I been born a commoner.

Never having to worry about food, clothing, or shelter—delicious meals were simply a part of everyday life.

For eighteen years, I lived with such privileges.

That was because I was a noble.

To enjoy the benefits and abandon the duty… I couldn’t do that.

(…But still, the thought of marriage… or rather, being bound to this noble lifestyle forever… I hate it.)

Arnold’s proposal, from the perspective of a noble daughter, was ideal.

It was a proposal I should have eagerly accepted, and rejecting it the way I did was unheard of.

If I told Father about it, he would probably arrange the engagement immediately.

After a brief moment of thought, I reached my conclusion.

(Marrying Arnold… No way!!)

Was it instinct? A gut feeling?

Regardless, I just hated the idea.

There was arrogance hidden in his words of ‘helping me.’

He was like a fisherman, baiting his hook to reel in his catch.

If he truly wanted to help me, if he truly cared, he wouldn’t test me like this.

In other words, I saw no sincerity in him.

Even now, I longed for a genuine connection with my partner.

I knew I was asking for too much.

But still, suppressing my emotions, letting duty and responsibility crush me, and settling for ‘it can’t be helped’—that was even worse.

(Should I get engaged to someone else to avoid an engagement with Arnold? If I become an old maid, it would trouble Father… And I’d surely be mocked in high society.)

Ah, I thought to myself.

I was reincarnated into another world.

Born as a noble’s daughter.

And yet—what a difficult world this is to live in…!!

Honestly, my past life was much easier.

At least, I wasn’t forced into marriage.

(Come to think of it, I never got married in my past life either…)

I had thought about it.

But in the end, I enjoyed being alone, got absorbed in work, and before I knew it, I had missed my chance.

(And then…)

How old was I when I died?

Or rather, how did I even die?

(…I can’t remember!!)

No matter how hard I tried to recall the last moments of my past life, I had no idea.

I could remember the experiences and emotions of that life.

But when I tried to recall details, they blurred.

(I clearly remember taking up rock climbing for my health in my old age and telling my relatives, ‘My partner is someone who can never marry’—referring to a fictional character—just to avoid awkward conversations about marriage…)

And yet, after that, rumors spread within my family that I was having an affair, and I was treated like an outcast.

I remembered all the useless things, but not the important ones.

Sighing, I left the castle and headed for the carriage stop.

I had to report to Father.

About my engagement with Lord Felix.

And about my sister and Lord Felix.

(If my sister and Lord Felix are ‘destined,’ then they will be prioritized. In that case, I—)

☆

Left alone in the corridor, Arnold smiled meaningfully.

“…She really is fascinating.”

Her words and actions always defied his expectations.

That was why he couldn’t look away.

Looking at the lace gloves she handed him, he brought them to his lips and kissed them.

“…I will have you, Felicia. This is not a declaration of war. It is a declaration of victory.”

Because the pieces were already in place.

Muttering words that would never reach her, Arnold placed the gloves into his coat pocket.

If Felix’s ‘destiny’ was Agnes—

Then naturally, his own ‘destiny’ had to be Felicia.

Destiny was nothing more than a superstition, something that could be shaped however one wished.

And he had never believed in it from the start.