As he buttoned my sleeve, he quietly muttered the question—more to himself than to me. It didn’t seem like he expected an answer; perhaps no answer would satisfy him anyway.
“I don’t want to be denied…”
Oh dear… Isaac, who fiercely warded off others with intimidating glares, now looked like a dejected cat seeking comfort.
The only thing to do was to pat his head.
“Isaac, that’s just something a madwoman said. She’s interpreting things her own way. In reality, you chose me and earned me. That’s destiny. Besides, when we first got engaged, everyone was already calling me your ‘Destined Lady.’”
“Oh… that’s right. I guess it depends on perspective…”
I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
“Isaac, you should try to consider perspectives beyond just me. The world isn’t divided into just ‘us’ and ‘everyone else.’ Most people agree that I’m your destined partner, and the only exception seems to be that poor heroine, who wasn’t taught any better by the baron’s family.”
“Thank you for coming to my rescue. By the way, didn’t you have a meeting with His Highness?”
“Oh, that. It was about the baron’s daughter. His Highness wanted to warn me that she’d been raving about how ‘Lady Linntia was supposed to be destined to marry the prince, not Isaac.’ Naturally, he thought it best for me to stay with you, so I came running—and, well, you saw how that turned out.”
“I can’t believe she even went to the prince…”
The heroine was completely detached from reality. Speaking such nonsense to royalty was reckless, especially since the prince already had a fiancée—the princess of a neighboring kingdom. Such behavior could spark diplomatic conflict.
“We owe His Highness our gratitude. But we must act quickly to address this ridiculous girl.”
“Agreed. His Highness mentioned he’s been lenient because she was only recently taken in by a noble family, but we need to handle this ourselves. After all, the attack was on us.”
Oh, His Highness is kinder than I expected. He has the luxury of showing leniency, but we don’t.
Isaac had already suffered enough damage—mentally and emotionally. There was no room for us to show mercy.
I wrapped my arm around Isaac’s left arm and hugged it tightly.
He froze in surprise, his expression turning from fury to stunned stillness.
“Leave it to me, Isaac. Since she insists on calling me the villainess, I’ll grant her wish. I’ll be her villainess.”
I smiled softly, and Isaac, blushing deeply, nervously asked, “What will you do?”
“Simply lodge a complaint with the baron who took her in. I’ll detail the harm she’s caused and explain the consequences if it continues.”
I absentmindedly adjusted Isaac’s tie and smoothed his chest, feeling the rapid thudding of his heart beneath my palm.
The baron and his wife must have heard about my and Isaac’s relationship. Explaining that their daughter had shouted treasonous nonsense like “You’re not meant to be together!” and “Become the prince’s fiancée!” should be more than enough.
To ensure there’s no misunderstanding, I’ll also investigate businesses tied to the baron’s family. Most enterprises are backed by my marquis family. If we hint at withdrawing support, the baron’s dealings will surely falter.
If even this fails, there’s always the direct approach: “We’ll crush you.”
“And if they still don’t improve, we’ll follow through—together. Right, Isaac?”
“Y-yeah…”
"If the baron’s family refuses to listen, we’ll resort to direct action. Both the heroine and the baron’s house will be thoroughly dealt with."
For such a clean resolution, Isaac’s strength would be essential. When the time comes, we’ll act together.
Smiling sweetly, I looked at Isaac, who seemed dazed, as though feverish, his reaction making me question whether he had even been listening.
Isaac, you’re weak when it comes to physical closeness. You love it, but you can’t handle it.
Whether it’s insisting on riding double while horseback riding or being reluctant to let go during a dance, it’s clear that he adores being close to me. However, since we’re in our adolescence, I’ve been setting boundaries to ensure things don’t escalate unnecessarily.
Even now, hugging his arm like this was enough to completely capture his attention.
From my perspective, I was trying to comfort him after the earlier upset—after all, he enjoys close contact.
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