Chapter 43: Why Should I Approve This Marriage?
The Marchioness of Gosville stared at her son in disbelief and asked,
“Are you asking for my approval, or just for my cooperation?”
“If the result is the same, either is fine.”
She let out a laugh of exasperation.
“Miss Classie must be something else. Even the most outstanding young ladies never caught your eye, yet she’s managed to change that.”
“I think so too.”
A vein popped out on the Marchioness’s forehead.
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“But she’s truly a good person.”
The Marchioness scoffed sarcastically.
“In what way? Her face?”
“Appearance isn’t important.”
“For someone who says that, you sure picked a pretty one.”
“It’s a coincidence.”
The Marchioness narrowed her eyes, searching his expression for a reaction, but as always, Kishin was nearly expressionless.
Seeing her son’s resolute demeanor, the Marchioness decided to try thinking positively—at least for now.
“Well, for a block of wood like you to like someone, she must have some merit. A big one. I just hope it’s not only her face.”
“Of course.”
The Marchioness crossed her arms and leaned back deeply into her chair before asking,
“In most families, children wouldn’t dare say something like, ‘I will marry so-and-so.’ They’d be kicked out on the spot.”
“You mustn’t kick me out.”
At his calm response, the Marchioness let out a short laugh, then resumed her sharp expression.
“I raised the youngest Duke in the empire, so I’ll give you a fair chance. List the girl’s merits—at least ten. And they’d better be objective reasons. If you think that’s unfair, let me say this: I can list ten good things about my husband.”
Kishin rolled his eyes briefly, then asked seriously,
“Can I include her face as one of them?”
“I thought you didn’t fall for her looks.”
“I need to hit ten.”
“Fine. Then give me nine more without the face.”
Kishin fell into silent thought, his expression contemplative. The Marchioness rested her chin on her hand and waited patiently for her son to gather his thoughts.
Finally, Kishin opened his mouth.
“She has a lot of dreams, but they’re never unrealistic—she’s clever. She’s enthusiastic about everything she does, yet never overly greedy. She faces things head-on with courage and always makes her thoughts clear. She’s honest enough to say what needs to be said, but also has the patience to endure others’ rudeness. She’s positive, but not to the point of being naïve or detached from reality.”
Kishin paused briefly before adding, “And… she’s beautiful.”
“Hard to fill all ten with just personality traits, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Nine is already a lot. Hearing it like this, she sounds nice. From what you’ve said, she seems like a level-headed, gentle young lady.”
Kishin stepped forward slightly.
“Will you give your permission?”
“How long have you been seeing this young lady?”
“It’s been about a month since we met. We confirmed our feelings for each other on November 20.”
The day of the ducal banquet. No wonder they looked close that day—they must’ve had that conversation then.
The Marchioness calculated the date and sighed. So her son was saying he wanted to marry a girl he’d only known for a month.
Of course, in political marriages, one often wed someone they’d never even dated—but that was a different matter entirely.
Engagements didn’t usually lead to immediate marriage, and it was likely that one had at least seen or met the other since their social debut.
She let out another sigh.
“You’ve observed her for a month, but I haven’t even met her. I can’t give my blessing based solely on what you say. I haven’t even met the girl’s parents.”
“They said they’ll be visiting here soon.”
“That’s good. In any case, I understand your opinion, so don’t pester me about it any further. I need time to form my own judgment, don’t I? I’ll learn more about what kind of girl she is. I’ll also meet her parents.”
* * *
Even after Florence had left, Classie had to spend the New Year weighed down by a heavy heart.
She had once been full of joy over receiving a proposal, but now she wandered the house with slumped shoulders, and the gloom spread throughout the entire household.
“Miss Florence was just here, but this is the first time I’ve seen you like this afterward,”a maid said worriedly as she served breakfast.
“I know,”
Classie replied weakly, absentmindedly picking at her salad.
Now that the Marchioness of Gosville knows about the rumors, Kishin will find out soon too, won’t he? She must’ve told him about me.
Would Kishin be disappointed? Would the Marchioness fiercely oppose the idea of marrying someone like me?
Classie lost her appetite entirely. She couldn’t even finish half her salad before standing up.
With every bite, anxious thoughts flooded in, making it hard to breathe.
“Miss, you’re not going to eat any more?”the maid asked.
Classie glanced at the clock. Kishin always sent a letter at 8 a.m. It was now 7:50.
“I’m not hungry,” she murmured, sitting back down.
Then came ten agonizingly slow minutes. Classie sat with her hands tightly clasped together, and the moment she heard the door open, she jumped to her feet.
The butler was just coming in, closing the door behind him. When Classie spotted the letter in his hand, she rushed over to grab it.
Holding her breath, she unfolded the letter — and the first thing she saw was a mention of the Marchioness of Gosville. Her body went still.
— I’ve told my mother about us. She said she’d like to meet your parents.
But the next lines weren’t the terrifying words Classie had imagined.
‘Huh?’
And Kishin didn’t bring up the rumors at all.
‘Did the Marchioness not say anything about them…? But why?’
In a daze, Classie flipped the letter back and forth.
“Miss? Is something wrong?”
The butler asked with concern. Only then did Classie snap out of it, shake her head, and excuse herself back to her room.
‘Florence did say the Marchioness doesn’t seem like the type to be swayed by gossip. Maybe… she wants to judge things for herself. That must be it. If she believed the rumors, she wouldn’t even bother meeting my parents.’
She wanted to call it hope, but the feeling rising inside her was more fear than relief. Classie leaned against the wall to steady herself.
After a moment to catch her breath, she changed her clothes and headed outside.
She rode the carriage straight to the city guard station. Fortunately, a guard who recognized her greeted her politely.
“You must be Miss Classie. You’re here to see the vice-captain, right? Shall I let him know?”
His voice was kind.
Classie gave an awkward smile and nodded. The guard quickly went inside.
A different guard, unfamiliar to her, looked curiously between Classie and his colleague before turning his gaze forward, expressionless.
Not long after, the guard who had greeted her reappeared.
“You may go in now, Miss Classie. Also, I’m Will, part of the 1st unit under the vice-captain. Please feel free to speak comfortably. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
At those words, the unfamiliar guard looked at Classie with wide eyes, clearly startled.
‘Seems like there are rumors going around about me and Lord Kishin.’
Classie smiled awkwardly and quickly stepped inside.
Kishin had been standing in front of his desk, and the moment he saw her enter, he rose and strode toward her.
When he kissed the back of her hand, the guard who had shown her in jumped back in surprise.
‘He doesn’t look angry.’
Classie carefully studied his face and let out a breath of relief.
“So today, instead of a letter, you came in person,”
Kishin said, gently taking her hand and guiding her to the sofa.
Classie spotted a single pink cushion sitting in the otherwise monochrome room and burst out laughing.
“What is that?”
“Don’t you like the color pink?”
“How did you know?”
Kishin walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. Inside were neatly stacked pink envelopes—letters from Classie. Embarrassed, she rushed to shut the drawer.
“I do like pink. I also like yellow and light green. But since I like you, I just happened to use a lot of pink.”
Kishin brought the pink cushion and placed it in her arms.
“I don’t let anyone else use it.”
Hugging the cushion, Classie peeked up at him with a smile, and Kishin let out a quiet laugh.
“When you look at me like that, my heart skips a beat.”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like someone who knows they’re the most lovable person in the world—and is showing it off.”
“Oh, stop!”
Classie lightly swatted his arm with the cushion, and Kishin playfully pretended to dodge.
She chased him around for a moment, laughing, until a knock on the door made her quickly return to her seat.
“I’ve brought your drinks.”
The guard who entered with the coffee was also someone Classie recognized.
“Miss Classie, I’m Phils, the vice-captain’s aide.”
As their eyes met, he smiled warmly and greeted her first.
Classie felt strangely uplifted.
In the past, everyone had looked at her like she was some strange guest. But now, they treated her like part of Kishin’s inner circle, and that alone made her happy.
She sipped her coffee quietly, smiling to herself.
“But Miss Classie,” Kishin asked, “what brings you here today?”
The fluttering feeling vanished in an instant. As soon as she remembered the reason she came, nervous tension washed over her again.
Classie set her coffee cup on her lap and looked at Kishin.
Seeing his face—still unaware of anything—made her want to forget everything and just enjoy this moment a little longer.
She hesitated for a long time, and Kishin patiently waited. At last, after much inner struggle, Classie managed to speak.
“It’s nonsense, and it’s absolutely not true… but there’s something I felt I should tell you in advance.”
* * *