For these reasons, I ended up missing the prime age for marriage, and before I knew it, I was 21.
Still, I wasn’t concerned in the slightest. I had already decided that one of Flone’s children would inherit this estate, and I would enter a convent. But when I told my parents, they vehemently opposed the idea and suddenly started searching for a suitor for me. A little late for that, isn’t it?
Yet, Father managed to find someone—the second son of the Earl of Palermore, Lord Kernes.
I had already resolved to join the convent, so I intended to decline this marriage proposal from the outset.
However, my parents begged me, tearfully.
“Please, just meet him. That’s all we ask,” they pleaded.
Although they had wanted me to stay close when Flone married, it seemed they had become deeply worried about their now 20-something daughter who showed no signs of marrying. They were desperate to make this match happen.
I found their approach a bit selfish, but I couldn’t blame them; they acted out of concern for me.
To appease my parents, I agreed to meet the Earl’s son, Lord Kernes.
…In the hope that he would reject me instead.
I also wondered if there might be some issue with him, given that he was still single past the usual age for marriage (though I was hardly in a position to judge). But my concerns turned out to be unfounded.
When I met Lord Kernes, I found him to be a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes, possessing a gentlemanly demeanor. Undoubtedly, he must have had countless admirers, yet he remained unmarried at 23. Was he perhaps uninterested in the opposite sex? That thought crossed my mind, but it didn’t matter to me.
After all, I had no intention of marrying him.
However, he surprised me with an unexpected proposal.
“There is someone I love dearly. I will never be able to be with her, but I also cannot forget her. For this reason, I must be honest: I will never be able to love you. But it seems those around me will not allow me to remain single. I know this is a selfish request, but if you are willing, I would like to propose a marriage in name only.”
"A woman he can’t forget”—
This was why he had remained unmarried until now.
As I listened to his story, the image of Cardi came to mind.
“Are you proposing a platonic marriage?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“What will you do if people ask about children?”
“We can say we were unable to have children and adopt from a branch family.”
“I have a married sister. If I were not to marry, her children would inherit the Lufen family estate, so that arrangement would not pose any problems.”
“…Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
Lord Kernes seemed genuinely surprised by my response.
“Yes, I’m fine with it. I had no plans to marry and intended to join a convent in the future. However, my parents are adamantly opposed to that. So, your proposal is actually convenient for me as well.”
There was no way I would ever encounter such favorable conditions again. A platonic marriage would preserve appearances for both my parents and society. For me, it was nothing but advantageous.
Although I had resolved to join a convent, I wouldn’t go if I could avoid it.
“As allies with shared interests, let’s work together to make this arrangement successful,” I proposed with a smile.
“Allies…”
“Yes, what do you think?” I asked, still smiling.
“Allies… I like the sound of that,” he said, his lips curling into a soft smile.
It was the first time I had seen him smile since we met.
And so, Lord Kernes and I decided to marry.
I had gone to meet him intending to refuse, but to think I would end up agreeing to marriage instead… Life truly is full of surprises.
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