The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 85

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Chapter 85

“…Then, Lady Selena, you would never forgive someone who hid their true identity from you?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Honestly, it makes me question their motives, shatters any trust we’ve built, and just… ugh.”

Selena’s words were punctuated by the decisive crunch of a cookie. Lemon’s face paled visibly, his tightly clenched, cookie-crumb-dusted fist trembling slightly.

“B-But what if there were unavoidable circumstances? What if they didn’t deceive you with malicious intent?”

“Hmm, even then, if they hid it for more than a year, I think it would be hard to forgive.”

At her words, Lemon frantically began calculating the date. He’d met her around this time last year… One year. It had been exactly one year. His complexion now a stark white, Lemon’s lips trembled as he asked, “Does ‘more than a year’ include exactly one year?”

“Huh?”

“Couldn’t you be flexible and, you know, exclude a year and a few months from ‘more than’?”

“What are you talking about?” Selena, who had been absentmindedly enjoying her cookie, looked at the rambling Lemon with bewilderment.

“Well, ‘more than’ seems too rigid. Time could be more… generously interpreted. It’s too strict….”

“Lemon, what are you trying to say? Calm down and summarize it for me.” Selena set down her cookie and looked at him seriously. He swallowed hard and slowly began to speak.

“I’m wondering if you could forgive someone who hid their identity… for your sake.”

“For my sake? That’s such a cowardly excuse. If it was that dangerous, they shouldn’t have approached me in the first place.” Selena’s reply was ice-cold. “Although… I suppose if they were a wanted criminal or something, and everyone around them would be immediately executed if they were caught, I might be a little more understanding.”

“….”

“But the fundamental breach of trust would remain. If they hid their identity, the person I knew wasn’t really them.”

Lemon now wore the expression of a prince facing the imminent downfall of his kingdom. “…Is… is that so?”

“Yes. But why are you grilling me about this? Are you hiding something from me?” Selena narrowed her eyes. Frozen, Lemon couldn’t answer immediately.

“Don’t tell me, Lemon, you’re…”

Lemon inhaled sharply, his mouth suddenly dry. He never got hot or sweaty, but now his palms were practically flooding. What do I do? Did she figure it out? Should I confess before she finds out? Lost in a whirlwind of panic, his eyes darted around nervously.

“Lady Selena, it’s—”

“You’re not, like, a fairy prince from some magical realm, are you?”

“…Excuse me?” The taut tension that had been constricting his breath suddenly snapped. Lemon stared at Selena blankly. She relaxed her deliberately serious expression and smiled brightly.

“Well, they say that somewhere on the continent, in some sacred forest, there are fairies who look just like humans. Elves, I think they’re called? You have a rather elven look about you, so you never know.”

“Ah… No. I’m human, Lady Selena.” Lemon answered earnestly to her playful question. Selena laughed and pinched his cheek lightly.

“Oh, right. You feel human. Can I check your back too? Just to see if there are any scars from fallen wings.”

“…Are you teasing me?”

“Now you’ve noticed?” Lemon’s eyes softened. It was just like him not to even grumble after realizing he’d been teased.

“Why were you suddenly so invested in someone hiding their identity and asking all these questions? It’s not like you.”

“That’s…” Selena watched him hesitate, then said cheerfully, “Alright, alright. Just for you, I’ll forgive you three times if you deceive me.”

Being an informant does come with certain… considerations. “As long as you haven’t lied about basic information like your name, I’m fine.”

“….”

“Does that satisfy you, Lemon?” Selena asked brightly. Lemon, unable to cry, smiled and nodded.

***

The Carlton Empire held a festival every summer. It was called the White Nights Festival, named for the phenomenon where the sun didn’t set for a week, bathing the land in perpetual daylight.

The Empire considered this week of endless sun a time of blessing from the Sun God. Consequently, the festival was always a grand affair, a time for everyone to eat, drink, and be merry. Serenade also saw a significant increase in clients during this time. People of all ages, hoping to find love during the festivities, flooded their services.

Five days before the festival, Serenade’s mailbox was overflowing, more packed than ever.

“Oof!” As Randy brought in the enormous pile of requests, Lucy pulled out her rimless glasses, and Selena quietly rolled up her sleeves.

Just because the quantity of requests had increased didn’t mean the quality had. They had to carefully sift through the mountain of requests and select those specifically suited for the festival season.

“Boss, how about this one? This guy’s been in love with a woman three years his senior for five years, but she turned him down, saying she doesn’t see him as a man. He wants to show her his masculine side during the festival and win her heart.”

“Not bad, Randy. But it doesn’t seem like a request that specifically needs to be fulfilled during the festival.”