Lady Milietta, daughter of an earl, was utterly exasperated.
Her appearance was average, she wasn’t particularly smart, nor did she have any special talents—everything about her was just plain ordinary.
Her father, Earl Gordon, was a prudent man who managed his estate with modest success, generating a slight profit each year. He was reliable but unremarkable, and Milietta was well aware that she had inherited these traits from him—neither good nor bad, just average.
“Just hand it to anyone!”
This was the “Handkerchief of Encounters” event, where ladies would present a handkerchief they had embroidered with their feelings to a gentleman who caught their eye.
Milietta sighed again, reluctantly attending the evening ball to search for a fiancé, as her mother had instructed.
As usual, she wasn’t approached by any eligible young men who might make suitable marriage partners. Instead, she spent her time chatting with the elderly nobles, and it seemed that today’s fiancé search would end in failure once again.
But tonight was different—her mother had set a goal for her: she had to hand the handkerchief to someone, and Milietta couldn’t go home without doing so.
...However, being not very sociable, Milietta had no idea which unmarried men were suitable candidates. She decided to ask one of the older gentlemen she had been conversing with earlier.
“Your Excellency, to be honest, I need to hand this ‘handkerchief’ to a gentleman at tonight’s ball. Could you recommend someone who is unmarried and wouldn’t take offense?”
When Milietta asked, the white-haired gentleman she addressed as “Your Excellency” responded with an amused gleam in his eyes.
“Well then, how about that knight standing over there? He’s one of the Crown Prince’s personal guards, quite skilled. He’s a serious and diligent man, though a bit dull and silent. He doesn’t have a fiancée or a lover, so even if you later correct it as a mistake, it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Thank you. I will follow your advice.”
Thinking it would indeed be troublesome if he took it seriously, Milietta also worried that such a stern man might refuse to accept it. Nonetheless, she quietly took out the handkerchief and approached the knight.
Ignoring the intrigued gaze of the gentleman and the curious stares from around her, Milietta began to feel self-conscious, sensing that all eyes were on her every move.
“Um… excuse me…”
When Milietta called out to him, the knight on duty widened his eyes in surprise.
He appeared to be just over twenty years old. As expected of a royal guard, he was so tall that Milietta had to tilt her head forty-five degrees to meet his gaze. His eyes, as black as obsidian, locked onto her and didn’t let go.
Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Milietta could say nothing more and silently extended the handkerchief toward him. She saw the knight flinch in surprise.
“C-could you please accept this?”
The atmosphere around them seemed to ripple.
For some reason, the area around Milietta grew quiet, as if a wave had just passed through, making her feel even more uneasy.
What if he refuses?
She hoped he would forgive her for stammering due to her nervousness.
With trembling hands, Milietta offered the handkerchief. After a moment, the knight silently reached out and accepted it.
“Th-thank you so much! It doesn’t have any deep meaning, so just accepting it is an honor for me!”
She wanted nothing more than to escape from the situation as quickly as possible.
As soon as she expressed her thanks, Milietta turned on her heel and hurriedly left the hall.
* * *
Why did I listen to my mother and give him the handkerchief?
And in front of everyone, no less!
I just want to cry…
Overwhelmed with shame, Milietta felt like shutting out the world as she lay sprawled out in her room. Just then, the doorbell rang from downstairs.
Curious about the visitor, she quietly stepped out of her room and peeked out to see who it was. To her shock, it appeared to be the very knight she had met at the ball last night.
Covering her mouth with both hands in surprise, she cautiously peeked out again. Her mother had personally come to greet him, and now even her father, who had just emerged from his study, was joining the conversation with a smile.
What? Is he here to return the handkerchief?
But would he really go to all that trouble? Heart pounding, she anxiously observed the scene.
After showing the knight to the guest room, her mother gave instructions to a maid, and soon several maids were seen heading up the stairs towards Milietta’s room.
Panicking, Milietta quickly retreated to her room and pretended to be engrossed in a book as if nothing had happened.
“Miss, excuse me. You have a guest, so we need to get you ready quickly.”
Completely bewildered, Milietta let the maids hastily dress her up at triple the usual speed, and then her father called her to the guest room.
Rushing to the guest room, she found the knight standing up and striding directly toward her.
“Good afternoon, Lady Milietta. My name is Jade Tulio. Thank you for speaking with me yesterday.”
He gave her a courteous bow, his right foot drawn back in a noble gesture.
Dressed in a simple shirt, he bowed his head respectfully. As it turned out, he was the second son of Duke Tulio.
“I’m Milietta Gordon. Thank you as well for yesterday. …Um, what brings you here today?”
Now that she knew his name, she couldn’t help but be curious about the purpose of his visit.
“I apologize for the short notice. I’m here to express my gratitude for last night, and to propose an engagement.”
Engagement proposal!?
Milietta gasped at the sudden turn of events, slowly turning to her parents with wide eyes.
The very next day!?
Catching sight of her mother nodding with a smile, Milietta quickly turned her gaze back to the knight.
"Um, Sir Tulio... As I mentioned last night, there really was no deep meaning behind it. I apologize if I gave the wrong impression, but perhaps we could just forget—"
"No!"
Milietta's words were abruptly cut off as the knight vehemently denied her, practically leaping forward. She stared at him in shock, wide-eyed.
"Even if it had no deep meaning for you, Lady Milietta, for me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I cannot let this chance slip away!"
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