Can Someone Please Explain What's Going On?! Volume 2

1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7183-1420-7
Verlag: J-Novel Heart
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, Band 2, 316 Seiten

Reihe: Can Someone Please Explain What's Going On?!

After entering into a contract marriage with noble superstar Cercis Fisalis to save her family from a life of debt, 'show wife' Viola is now faced with a new challenge: updated terms and conditions in said contract! What's more, the duke still seems intent on wooing her and is not afraid to spend some dough to do it! Now that they're living under the same roof, though, she finds herself slowly growing closer to him... but what's this? Rumors about Cercis!?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Tsuredurebana

Weitere Mitwirkende

Hagiwara, Rin

Hirsh, Matthias

Leseproben

Prologue: Recollections from Rohtas

“I hate to say it, but I’m getting married.”

I—the Fisalis family butler, Rohtas—had been called into my master’s long-unused study. No sooner had I poked my head through the doorway than I was met with those words that I never, ever thought I would hear.

My master is Duke Cercis Tinensis Fisalis, a premier duke of the Flür Kingdom and the young head of the great Fisalis family. He had just told me that he was going to be wed, despite having turned down multiple fine candidates proposed by his own father and peers.

At this point, however, he was harboring his lover in an outbuilding on our garden grounds, and not only that, but he was living there himself.

One Miss Calendula, a dancing girl, was the lover in question. I am not certain how or where they first met, but she had her claws in him almost immediately and by the time I noticed, she had settled into her new role as his lover.

From then on, Master was a changed man—but changed for the worse.

He continued to take his work seriously, but threw all other responsibilities to the wayside, particularly those pertaining to his noble status.

It felt like a family crisis then. Meeting her, not only a mere vagrant dancing girl but also one of unknown origin, turned him into a spineless fool.

It would have been fine if they had brought out the best in each other, but if anything, all they did was make each other worse. Marriage, therefore, was out of the question.

A turbulent sea of opposition surrounded them, as well.

Master’s parents, relatives, and even His Majesty the King appeared to disapprove of their relationship. Naturally, all of the servants were opposed to their union, too.

Master, taking advantage of the hustle and bustle around his parents’ retirement to the territory, thereupon moved Miss Calendula into the outbuilding.

It had already been five years since that day.

Despite it having been so long that even we servants had given up hope, and without any sign that the two of them were breaking up, Master suddenly announced that he was getting married. Unable to believe the news, I was compelled to confirm it for myself.

“To your companion in the outbuilding?”

‘Companion.’ That’s what we called his lover. We simply did not want to acknowledge her as a lover or girlfriend, in our minds.

“If that were possible, we’d be long since married by now! No one would allow it, though,” Master answered, somewhat irritably.

Hearing him say so made me sigh in relief.

“You are correct about that, Master. So you intend to separate from her, then?” I asked, perhaps too straightforwardly.

“No! That’s not what I meant at all. It would just be a sham marriage so that I could continue living with Callie just as I have been. My bride is going to be Earl Euphorbia’s daughter. Oh, and Callie does know about it, so that’s not going to be a problem,” Master said, his tone suddenly changing at the end.

There was no denying that what he had just uttered was absolutely diabolical.

...Well, to quite be honest, what he grew into was not my concern, but that was neither here nor there.

“I see,” I answered particularly flatly as I held back my desire to call him a bratty little imp.

“I told her that instead of betrothal money, I would take on her family’s debt; so to that end, I leave the arrangements to you.”

I understood his statement to mean that Miss Euphorbia had consented to him keeping a mistress as a reward for him shouldering her debt. No matter how sorry I felt for the poor girl, it was impossible for someone like myself to overturn my master’s decision.

“...as you wish, Master,” I replied with a quiet bow before I left the study.

My research into the family situation of Master’s fiancée and her background revealed that, although they did in fact have an enormous debt on their hands, it was not due to extravagant spending, but rather an attempt to help their starving population during a famine. In truth, it was a rather praiseworthy debt. And in regards to the earl and his family, he was widely said to be a kind soul and his wife a woman of good character; in other words, although they were poor, they had a positive reputation, by-and-large.

They had three children, including Miss Viola Mangelica, but she almost never went to social gatherings, so information was limited. Even so, there were no rumors that she was interested in another man, nor any nasty stories about her floating around, so I could find no issue with her.

Being under the impression that Miss Viola had not ever even met Master, it was not hard to imagine her surprise when he appeared out of nowhere with a marriage proposal.

The girl who came to the manor after the wedding ceremony did not seem to bear nearly enough resolve to hold my master’s keeping a lover against him; instead, she was bright and lovely, albeit perhaps set in her ways.

There was not a drop of pessimism to be seen in her regarding the position that had been thrust upon her, and in fact, to the relief of us servants, she seemed to very much enjoy her new circumstances.

She redecorated the manor, did the cleaning and the washing with the servants, and weeded the garden as if she were the gardener. She was quite unlike any other noble, and upon realizing that I could do nothing to change her cheerful and friendly nature, I gave in. We servants were having a wonderful time, though.

While Madam reinvigorated the manor simply with her presence, I, in turn, made a project out of her.

I could not be too careful; seeing as she was a duchess, we never knew when she might be dragged out to some social event. I instructed her in dance, and her maid Mimosa made her sparkle inside and out through beauty treatments and cosmetics.

It seemed that, until then, she had not had the time to take care of herself—although she still managed to give the impression of sophistication since she possessed a kind of natural beauty—so once she was properly looked after, she quickly blossomed into a truly lovely flower.

“Madam is simply a diamond in the rough! She’s certainly worth the elbow grease!” Mimosa frequently asserted. And goodness, did we ever give it our all polishing that little diamond!

I could see the fruit of my laborious dance lessons, too: her day-to-day movements slowly became more refined and graceful. She did not notice it herself, but she certainly had become a flawless lady in every regard!

Her strawberry blonde locks were so glossy, that it was almost a travesty to not allow them to hang loose around her face. Her pale, smooth skin shone like glass. Her slender, elegant frame looked stunning no matter what she wore.

She had become such a thing of beauty that one might have easily mistaken her for a queen.

We servants were completely enchanted by her as we watched her make her way around the manor, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling.

“It’s because I’m having such a good time cleaning and doing the laundry with you all, and chatting with you while I eat dinner.”

...now as much as before, she loved being with the servants. That, too, was amusing.

Madam’s arrival made the manor warm and bright, and Master noticed when the servants began to take pride in their work.

“The house has really changed since Viola came here!”

Little by little he had begun to come to the main house after work, the same place he had once barely acknowledged!

Dear me, I shouldn’t say something like that out loud.

When Madam was unwell, he came home with medicine from the Royal Palace; when there was a soiree to attend, he bought her a new dress and jewels—it was apparent that he was a changed man, through and through.

I realized for the first time that Master was a very diligent person.

I could not hide my surprise at this transformation, but when I thought about it, I determined that his transformation was a good sign.

I decided it was better that he dote on his legal wife than obsess over his companion. The amount of time he spent at the main house steadily increased as he endeavored to see her as often as possible.

Looking at it objectively, this was around the time I sensed that Master was beginning to develop feelings for Madam, little by little.

To no one’s surprise, Master’s companion complained. To which Master would give a noncommittal answer, like a thoughtless oaf.

The arguing between Master and his companion was none of my concern, but harming Madam was something I would not tolerate.

“I’ve come to see the madam, so let her know I’m...