The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 31

Schedule: Tuesday and Friday

Chapter 31

* * *

Oh, the woes of being a sole proprietor. Even with a broken arm, I had to go to the office because I was the boss. If it had been my leg, I could have worked from my mansion, but alas, it was my arm, so I had to sit on the office couch and oversee operations.

“I’ll sign the documents as your assistant manager.”

“Yes, Lucy.”

As Lucy left with the documents, Randy approached with a cup of tea.

“Take a break, boss. I’ll help the assistant manager with the rest.”

“Oh, really? Thanks, Randy.”

“You’re welcome.”

Randy smiled gently and cut a beautiful slice of roll cake for me. How lucky I am to have such a capable assistant and a kind employee. As I was about to pick up a fork with my left hand, feeling grateful for my good fortune, I heard, “Oh, right. This letter arrived this morning.”

Randy, who had been organizing the scattered documents on my desk, handed me a white envelope. I took the envelope, my mouth still full of cake.

“Who sent it?”

“Duke Ratliffe.”

“Ah.”

My eyebrows narrowed, a sign of my displeasure. This duke always manages to make his presence known. I tried to tear open the envelope with one hand, but failed. I silently handed it back to Randy. He neatly opened the envelope, extracted the letter, and handed it to me.

[To Lady Irving,

This is Noel Ratliffe. How are you, lady? It feels like we haven’t seen each other for a long time, even though it wasn’t that long ago. I’m doing well, by the way. I know you probably aren’t curious, but I wanted to let you know. And since I think you don’t like long introductions, I’ll get to the point.

The hunting festival is coming up soon. How about we have dinner beforehand? Of course, it’s fine after the festival as well, but it’s better to strengthen our bond beforehand so we can be closer there. I’ve been on the battlefield for so long that I don’t know many nobles. You’re the closest friend I have. You’re the one I’ve talked to the most since returning to the capital. So, think about it and let me know if you’d like to have dinner before the hunting festival. I’ll be waiting.

– Noel Ratliffe

P.S. I prefer meat over seafood. What about you?]

Noel’s letter wasn’t long, but there were several points that made me gasp. First, he had sent a letter urging me to meet for dinner. Second, he reminded me of the hunting festival, which I had completely forgotten about. And finally, the most shocking point was his use of the phrase “closest friend I have” to me, someone who had chosen dinner to avoid becoming friends.

He even suggested that we strengthen our bond through this dinner.

‘Wouldn’t he be the only one who gets strengthened?’

I felt a dizzying sense of dread. I quickly folded Noel’s letter in half and tossed it onto the table.

“Randy, put the letter back in the envelope and hide it somewhere safe.”

“Yes, boss.”

Randy obeyed, as if he had received a letter of terrible curses.

“Oh, and don’t let it get torn or damaged. Preserve it in its current state. Got it?”

Just in case the duke asked about the letter later, I was being thorough. As Randy tucked the letter deep inside a drawer, he asked, “But isn’t it a letter from the duke? Shouldn’t you write back?”

“It’s okay. He said to think about it and get back to him. I just need to think about it for a long time,” I answered with a touch of bravado, raising my injured right arm.

“Besides, I can’t write with my right hand now. Surely the duke wouldn’t be so cruel to an injured lady.”

“Haha, right. I’ve only met him briefly, but he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Randy chuckled in agreement. I paused for a moment. What is this strange feeling of fondness for the duke? My intention was to say that if he pressured me for a reply, he’d be the one who looked bad, but Randy seemed to be thinking differently.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

“Why, Randy? What kind of person do you think the duke is?”

“Huh? Oh… he’s a handsome duke who smiles easily, has a kind tone of voice, and seems like a kind person.”

Randy innocently blurted out his thoughts and smiled brightly.

Hmm. I crossed my arms and crossed my legs, looking displeased.

Does Noel Ratliffe smile easily? Yes. Does Noel Ratliffe speak with a kind tone? Yes. Is Noel Ratliffe a kind person? Half-yes. He’s too polite to be called a ruffian, but he’s a bit too self-willed to be called kind.

Then, finally, is Noel Ratliffe a handsome duke? This one…

‘Yes, absolutely. Yes.’

Even when he was my future husband, I couldn’t deny his flawless face.

‘But this puts me in a tough spot with Randy.’

I couldn’t find anything to pick on, and I couldn’t get angry at him for saying something right. But I didn’t like that Randy thought so highly of Noel, so after much deliberation, I said, “Randy, let’s make sure you remember this.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t judge people by their looks. Just because someone is handsome or pretty doesn’t mean they’re good. Except for me. Got it?” Selena said seriously.

Randy nodded diligently.

“Okay.”

I smiled contentedly, picked up my fork, and continued eating my roll cake. The roll cake was incredibly sweet and delicious. It was enough to wash away even the slightest worries I hadn’t known I had.