The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 62

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Chapter 62

One shouldn’t go back on their word. Seeing her face brighten, Selena sighed. She felt a little deceived, but she wasn’t at fault. It was a case of someone feeling deceived when no deception had taken place.

“So, you’ll accept my commission?”

“Yes, I’ll do my best to help you confess.”

“Thank you!”

Layla clasped her hands together, beaming. Since she hadn’t made a terrible choice after all, Selena decided to see it as a good thing.

* * *

‘But I have no intention of actively helping Lady Verrilyn’s love life.’

Of the three potential husbands so far, Noel Ratliffe was the most unsettling. She couldn’t intentionally set him up with another woman.

Unless they fell for each other while she was pursuing her own interests with him.

‘I’ll just set the stage for her confession.’

She’d accepted the commission, and Selena planned to simply create an opportunity for her to confess.

She wouldn’t interfere beyond that. If Noel accepted Lyla’s confession, he wouldn’t propose to her, unlike in her previous life, which would be a good thing.

Even if he didn’t, it would be an opportunity for Lyla to move on and find someone better.

‘Still, just in case, I should look into the Duke’s preferences.’

Feeling slightly uneasy about being completely hands-off, Selena asked Lemon to investigate Noel. A few days later, Lemon sent a thick report detailing Noel’s preferences: his likes and dislikes in food, his hobbies, his usual attire, his daily routine. However, there was no information about his preferred type of woman.

[- No prior engagement experience.
– No dating experience (presumed).
※ No records, testimonies, or sightings of him with any woman.]

Noel Ratliffe, who had been on the battlefield since his mid-teens, had no time for romance, and his ideal type remained a mystery. Since he had never dated, it was impossible to determine what kind of woman he liked.

‘He seems quite popular, so why hasn’t he dated anyone? Oh, wait. If there’s a possibility he’s a crazy bride-killer, it might be better if he doesn’t date anyone…’

Selena frowned, flipping through the pages. Then, her eyes stopped at a familiar phrase. ‘Huh…? His favorite novel is ‘Melting the Cold Princess’s Heart?’

Selena also loved that novel. It was a story about a princess cursed by a witch, whose heart was frozen, unable to love anyone until she met the male protagonist, a knight, who melted her frozen heart and taught her about love.

It was a deeply moving story about the power of love, and a treasured book on Selena’s shelf.

‘I didn’t know the Duke liked this kind of novel.’

It was surprisingly conventional for someone with seemingly discerning tastes. Reading the next piece of information, Selena was surprised again. It stated that Noel’s favorite author was ‘Blue Forget-Me-Not.’ Blue Forget-Me-Not was the author of ‘Melting the Cold Princess’s Heart’, and one of Selena’s favorite romance novelists.

‘Wow, this is unbelievable.’

As Selena gaped in astonishment, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

‘Wait, if that’s the case, could the Duke also be… going to the Nibera Bookstore in two days?’

A limited edition of fifty signed copies of Blue Forget-Me-Not’s latest novel were to be sold at the Nibera Bookstore in two days.

Selena planned to go if she had time, and she wondered if Noel would be there too. It seemed plausible, yet also unlikely.

‘Honestly, I’m still not thrilled about meeting him, but I have to see him at least once to proceed with the commission.’

Prepared to dedicate herself to any commission, Selena clenched her fists.

***

Two days later, she headed to the Nibera Bookstore. The store was packed with Blue Forget-Me-Not fans. Commoners and nobles alike were eager to purchase the limited edition books.

“I grabbed it first!”

“What are you talking about?! I got it first!”

“Hey, I had my eye on that one!”

“That’s ridiculous! First come, first served!”

Seeing people squabbling over the books, Selena momentarily forgot her mission and became equally fixated.

‘I want a signed copy too!’

Before Lucy could stop her, Selena jumped into the fray. Scanning the crowd, she noticed the left side of the display was relatively less crowded and made her way there.

Selena reached for the book that had been jostled to the edge of the table by the bickering crowd. Suddenly, a large, white-gloved hand darted out from beside her, bumping into hers.

“Lady Irving?” Selena, startled, turned to see Noel standing incredibly close.

‘It can’t be! The Duke himself?’

Noel, impeccably dressed as always, offered her a gentle smile.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Neither did I.”

‘I certainly didn’t expect to see you here…’

Noel’s gaze swept over her, his voice laced with concern. “Are you feeling better now?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks to your concern, I’ve fully recovered.”

Her somewhat formal reply was met with a warm smile. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d heard rumors you’d started working again, but with no word from you, I was beginning to wonder if they were true.”