The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ～ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.10

As Leonhart had predicted, the notice for my bridal education arrived shortly after. Initially, the matter had been postponed due to my contraction of Ice Stone Disease, but with the recent upheaval surrounding the annulment, the royal family—particularly Lady Lione—seemed to have hastened the preparations in a panic.

On the first day of my visit to the castle, I was, as expected, escorted to Lady Lione’s chambers. My heart pounded so hard from nervousness that my chest felt hazy. She was, after all, my future mother-in-law. What if I made a poor impression and she took a dislike to me? It would be disastrous if I ended up being mistreated. Retaliating against a royal consort would surely be unwise.

After instructing the maids to serve tea, Lady Lione dismissed them, leaving only the two of us in the room.

“I must first apologize for my son… for Leonhart. I failed in his upbringing,” she admitted.

“I see…,” I replied.

I refrained from saying, It’s fine. She was an adult, and in this situation, I had no reason to act mature if she wasn’t.

As always, Lady Lione was adorned with a lavish array of gemstones—large ones at that, which looked unbearably heavy.

“I am sure you have many thoughts on the matter, but please endure it. I promise, you will not be treated unfairly,” she said.

“Yes…,” I murmured.

(Endure it? Endure what, exactly?!)

Though I screamed inwardly, I couldn’t bring myself to voice it aloud. The ingrained common sense from my past memories held me back, proving to be quite the nuisance.

“In any case, I’m relieved. I had heard you were a rather lively young lady, but it seems rumors can be quite unreliable,” she said.

I neither affirmed nor denied her words, merely returning a well-practiced smile. That said, the conversation was going nowhere. I had no particular topics to discuss with her, nor did I feel inclined to flatter her.

Just then, salvation arrived—Leonhart entered the room.

“Leonhart, take Lady Lydiana on a tour of the castle,” Lady Lione instructed.

“Understood.”

Thank goodness. I felt far more at ease with Leonhart than with Lady Lione. Perhaps she intended for us to grow closer.

The guards and attendants followed at a reasonable distance as we walked. Even so, the castle was vast—no matter how far we went, the buildings never seemed to end.

“This castle was largely completed during the reign of King Archibald I. He placed great emphasis on the towers, ensuring that the entire city could be viewed from them…,” Leonhart explained.

(He sounds like a tour guide.)

Something about him seemed off. He was unusually subdued, barely making eye contact, and his demeanor felt distant. Yet, it wasn’t as if he was disregarding me as before—he was matching my pace and escorting me properly.

“Your Highness, is something wrong?” I asked.

“W-what?!”

“You needn’t be so startled… If it’s nothing, then that’s fine,” I said.

“…It just feels strange having you here,” he muttered, averting his gaze with a slight flush.

“Your Highness… Are you blushing?”

How amusing. Was he embarrassed that his fiancée had visited his home and spoken with his mother? It felt like a school parent-teacher conference.

“Of course not! Besides, you’re acting unusually reserved today!”

His face remained red.

“That’s only natural. Do you expect me to behave the same way inside the castle?”

I wasn’t foolish enough to damage my own reputation on purpose. It was already riddled with unsavory rumors as it was.

As we stepped outside, I caught sight of knights training in the distance. One of them waved in my direction.

Suddenly, my heart lurched violently. A surge of emotions crashed over me. That hair color, that silhouette… It couldn’t be…

“F-Finley… my lord…!”

I barely managed to squeeze out the words.

(No way, no way, no way—Is it real? It is, right?!)

I turned to Leonhart for confirmation. He heaved a sigh and gave me a reluctant nod, his expression bitter.

“Just remember, you are my fiancée,” he muttered under his breath while glancing toward the approaching figure. He had a point—I needed to maintain my composure. I couldn’t afford to be the guilty party in an engagement scandal.

But as I watched the approaching figure grow larger, my mind spiraled into chaos. I couldn’t stay calm. I wasn’t prepared for this!

(He’s someone I’ve admired for so, so long… even beyond death.)

When Finley Rias appeared before me, his radiance was indescribable—so ethereal, it felt otherworldly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lydiana. I have heard much about you. You are truly beautiful,” he said with a dazzling smile and an elegant bow.

Ten-year-old Finley was even more charming than in the stories I had once read. Had I been reborn just to witness this moment?

I forgot how to breathe. Every function of my body dedicated itself solely to staring at him.

“A-ah… U-um… I-I-I am Lydiana Flo… Flores. P-p-please… be kind to me…”

My lips trembled as I stammered through my introduction. Oh no, I was panicking—I must have looked ridiculous. Someone, save me!

“Haha… No need to be so nervous. You are quite charming,” Finley said warmly.

(No, my lord— you are the charming one!)

I could no longer speak.

“Indeed,” Leonhart muttered dryly, his gaze heavy with disapproval.

“Haha! I had heard that the two of you had some difficulties, but it seems you’re getting along just fine,” Finley remarked, clapping Leonhart on the shoulder.

“Well then, until we meet again,” he said before striding gracefully back to the training grounds.

I watched until he disappeared from view, frozen in place. The shock was overwhelming. I couldn’t move. So this was what it meant to be in a daze.

“Lady Lydiana appears exhausted. Prepare a room where she may rest,” Leonhart ordered.

His voice snapped me out of my trance, and before I knew it, I was ushered into a guest chamber, where I was guided to a plush sofa.

“You may not need a healer, but the royal physician will be arriving shortly,” he said.

Perhaps it was because I had finally calmed down, but suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. I tried to hold them back for a moment, but it was pointless. The overwhelming excitement and emotion—the sheer intensity of it all—made it impossible to stop crying.

Leonhart was visibly startled, his expression turning to one of panic. He had no idea why I was crying.

“You… like him that much?!”

“No.”

“But you’re crying this much!”

“It’s more like… he’s someone I revere.”

“…!?”

It was similar to romantic admiration, but not quite the same. If anything, it was the kind of adoration one would feel for a beloved idol. The best way to put it was that I knew my place.

“He’s alive…” I murmured in awe.

“Well, yes, obviously.”

“His fan service was incredible…”

“…Fan service?”

Just this single moment—this memory alone—felt like enough to sustain me for a lifetime.

Leonhart looked utterly baffled, as if he couldn’t make sense of a single thing I had said. I felt a little bad for confusing him so much.

“Your Highness, thank you for today,” I said sincerely.

“Uh… sure…”

I had mentioned Finley to him before, so he must have arranged for me to meet him. He actually had a good side! My bad for everything up until now!

In the end, I went straight home that day. Not that it mattered—I was too dazed and giddy to process anything else.

“Deep breath in… and out…”

As I was leaving, I took several slow, deep breaths.

“What are you doing? Are you alright?”

“I just… wanted to take in the air of the same space Finley was in.”

Leonhart’s expression turned to one of complete and utter disbelief.

And with that, my first day of bridal education came to a close.