I’m Troubled That My Fiance’s A Villain 410 min read

The reason was:

Because I’m plain, my dress is pale and unimpressive as well.

Panicking as all my clothes were removed, I was dressed in a moss green, collared, classic dress. Looking at it, this dress suits me more. Before I knew it, the similarly collared, blue-dressed Katarina nodded, satisfied at her own work.

That’s what this is, right? Matching dresses.

The highly excited Katerina, whilst laughing Ohohoho, grabs my hand and twirls us around. Round and round.

For some reason, having another friend aside from Tia makes me a little elated.

As we frolicked around like girls of our age, we heard a knock.

Suddenly opening the door, my fiancé finally showed his face, and with his blank expression, was surprised and muttered under his breath. Even though he doesn’t look surprised, he’s surprised in his own way. That aside, because of how we were going round and round, we were also taken aback in return. I jumped a little in response.

“I came here to greet Miss Lizia but… It looks like you guys are getting along pretty well.”

“O-Ohohoho. That’s because Lizia and I are future in-laws. It’s only expected that we’d get along.”

“I see. Miss Lizia, Father and Mother would like to meet you.”

Thinking about it, Katerina just pulled me over here. I have yet to greet the Duke and his wife. W-w-what should I do? They probably thought that was rude of me. Even though I finally got along with Katerina… No, wait, because of my carelessness, they might cancel the engagement, and then… No, no, no.

Watching me get flustered, Bernhardt let out a small smile. With gentle eyes flowing with tenderness, he looked like a doll. For some reason, Bernhardt also laughed, seemingly strangely impressed.

However, he quickly went back to his usual blank expression, as if I was hallucinating.

Giving Katerina a sidelong glance, she was also blinking her eyes at what happened. I guess that laugh really did happen… Wait, for his sister to be this surprised just by him laughing, what in the–

“I’ll tell them you were keeping Katerina company so you don’t have to worry.”

“Th-Thank you! Even though I should have greeted them first.”

For some reason, he’s staring at me intently. W-what is it? Do I look weird?

“Dress.”

“Eh? Katerina-sama lent this to me.”

“I see… It suits you.”

Even though I knew that was a compliment, with such a sudden attack, I unconsciously felt embarrassed. To my side, Katerina, with a proud, tsun-like face, held her chin up high.

As I finished greeting both of my fiancé’s parents, I relaxed.

Despite this being the first thing I should have done, it’s thanks to Bernhardt telling them that I became friends with Katerina that I didn’t incur their wrath. Being bullied and hated on the first day is no laughing matter.

It seems that both their parents dote on Katerina. If that’s the case, I figured it’s also the same with Bernhardt, but for some reason, their attitude towards Bernhardt seemed somewhat cold. I get the feeling that since I’m his fiancée, they don’t have much interest in me as well. Moreso than being hated, being ignored hurts a little more.

Of course I’m curious about it, but in the end, each family has their own circumstances. An outsider like me can’t say much.

Bernhardt told me that he had somewhere he wanted to take me to, took my hand and lead me there.

This feels like déjà vu.

Because we’ve been holding hands too much like it’s natural, I feel that a kid might misunderstand something like that. But then, I don’t think they’ll mind a kid’s words as much as they would a 10-year-old noble’s. Or maybe he’s just really lonely.

“Today’s warm, huh?”

Was he talking about the weather?

“It is. The wind isn’t as strong, either.”

“I’m not talking about the weather.”

Bernhardt’s gentle eyes softened, and grasped my hands tighter.

As always, I relaxed and thought about things.

As usual, he wasn’t as talkative, even at the tea party. Not knowing what to talk about either, concentrating on the various nerves in our connected hands, my heart started racing.

It isn’t an uncomfortable silence. It’s the type of relaxed atmosphere where needless, boring chatter isn’t needed.

In my previous world, I’ve jealously fantasized about those couples that would ride bikes together.

Like that, he’d look over his shoulder and tell me to not fall. And I’d hug that back tightly. With his big back, smelling him, it’d get my heart racing~!
Something like that. Though compared to that, I think what we’re doing now is much better.

I’m certain we’re going to be riding together.

Except what we’re riding is a horse. Even more, with my legs to the side, he’s holding me in his arms.

It seems like Bernhardt remembered what I had said at the tea party about wanting to ride a horse. Showing me to the stables, we then got together on his favorite horse.

But anyways, this is amazing.

First of all, I’m stuck to him like glue. Our faces were 30 centimeters away from each other, and surprisingly, I could see his muscles even through his clothes. I could also feel them. Even though he looks slender, he’s nicely built.

There was also one other amazing detail. While supporting my body with one hand, he’s able to skillfully maneuver the horse.

Being unused to the height of being on a horse, I became stiff, and to not fall, I held onto him tightly.

Wait, if I get too nervous, I’m going to get a heart attack.

“If the rider’s too nervous, the horse will get nervous as well.”

“O-okay.”

I don’t have to worry much as long as I relax.

Besides, if I think about it, I’m not that good at exercise. ‘I wanna ride, I wanna ride,’ because of these thoughts, I completely forgot that it could end up not going so well.

“It’s like a dance. Look straight in to the distance, and match your body with the horse’s rhythm.”

Look straight into the distance, and match your body with the horse’s rhythm… While looking at the distant line of the hill as he said, I consciously swayed my body to match the rhythm of the horse.

After having done that for a while, the excess tension in my body disappeared, and I was able to enjoy the scenery from a higher viewpoint. The sense of security from Bernhardt supporting me also helped.

As the sun set, the shadows stretch over the ground. From far away, light shines over the smooth slope of the mountain ridge, and with the cold breeze, the smell of the ground becomes damp.

I fearfully stroke the silky black mane of the horse. As if happy, the horse let out a huff of air from its long nose.

“Was it fun?”

Bernhardt’s voice sounded a little bit like he was teasing me, but because I really did have fun, I nodded frankly. Watching him blissfully brush his horse, I delightfully noticed that he looked like a kid doing so!

Someday, I’d like to happily ride together with my own horse on a field.

With the embarrassment of our closeness disappearing for some reason, I secretly watched Bernhardt’s face.

Light glittering in his gray eyes, it looked like fine silver.

“Why did Bernhardt-sama choose me as his fiancée?”

The question I have always wondered came out.

Somehow afraid of seeing his face, I looked away.

No answer came. Is it something he hesitantly talks about? Half curious and half scared, I patiently wait so I wouldn’t pressure him.

“Can I call you Lizzy?”

“Y-yes.”

“You can call me Bern then. I’m fine with you talking casually with me.”

“That’s…”

Making the best of the forced silence, he replied. He probably only stayed quiet because that’s just how he is.

“It’s because Lizzy has no interest in Prince Edwin, I think.”

I looked like Bern wasn’t planning on answering my question, but he answered, carefully choosing his words.

“Although this is a troublesome topic, Katerina is seriously in love with His Highness, and because their social statuses and age are close, she’s always dreamt of becoming his fiancée. And because she is extremely spoiled, I didn’t want you to be her rival.”

I see. Because Katerina has been saying things like that from the beginning, so that’s what happened.

“Plus you’re a little weird.”

“…Bern…sama, I… don’t want to be told that by you.”

As I expected, I can’t just suddenly call him that. Unlike of a noble, Bern raised one eyebrow and said nothing about it.

“That’s true. But you didn’t get angry when I first greeted you.”

Our first conversation? I wonder if I said something rude then. I tilted my head to the side, trying to remember, but I can’t think of anything.

“I replied ‘Nice to meet you’ after you greeted me so formally.”

“I see!”

I finally realized what it was.

At that time, I just replied to him the way I would to any noble, and he replied casually. Normally, because he’s the Duke’s son, it wouldn’t have been weird of me to be affronted at that. But because I had my previous life’s common sense, I didn’t think it was weird at all. Additionally, at the time, I was thrown off by my memories of Katerina and Bern.

Huh, wait, doesn’t this sound like he’s praising me? As a marquis’ daughter, was it okay for me to have gotten angry…? Well, that’s fine. Let’s just say it’s okay. Yep.

“It might be impolite of me to think this way, but why did you say, “Nice to meet you”?”

“Because if I sincerely did that, I’d be able to get your attention away from His Highness.”

‘That remark was one step away from being narcissistic, but with Bern being beautiful, he can get away with it!,’ I wanted to say but not a single word came out.

“Then what about your absentmindedness?”

“Absentminded?”

Ah, so he’s not pretending.

‘Ah, so it isn’t because of the reasons that Mother and Katerina said,’ I thought, and noticed as disappointment bloomed somewhere inside my heart. Although I know that that was the case, I’m still more or less a girl. Still, it’d be a lie to say that there wasn’t at least one millimeter of hope inside me.

Wanting to slap myself for how ashamed I was, I avert my gaze instead.

Hmmm. For some reason, the mood changed just now.

Shaking my head, I get over my feelings and scolded myself.

You’re not supposed to get caught up in girlish thoughts like that, Lizia. You have to carefully watch over this morally ambiguous* boy and not let him go astray. This isn’t the time to think of whether this is love, or something else!

Sigh~ At the very least, if Bern was a love interest, I’d feel at ease knowing what his trauma was.

I wonder if I’m not allowed to think of careless things like that. A few months later, I witnessed something unbelievable.

*She accidentally spoke formally to Bern in this sentence.

*morally ambiguous — I settled for this because the raws mentioned waaay more, and Japan likes run-on sentences and phrases.

Katerina’s adorable. Bern is also adorable. I want them to hold hands all the damn time now, but also, Lizia is adorable for being disappointed at that.