The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 87
Chapter 87
The Summer Fairy Selection competition had narrowed down the applicants to ten suitable candidates. Selena, who had submitted her application just before the deadline, was thankfully chosen.
The day before the festival, the candidates received a summons to the Bonnie Ducal Residence, as Duchess Kaitlyn Bonnie was overseeing this year’s competition.
Arriving last at the drawing-room, Selena slowly surveyed the nine other participants.
‘Hmm, none of them look like salt-cured pearls or soggy seaweed.’
They all exuded the refined air of aristocratic young ladies, not at all resembling disloyal dogs. Taking an empty seat, Selena observed them more closely. Two stood out as the most likely contenders: Lady Courtney Raven, Countess of Raven, sitting elegantly by the window with her eyes downcast, and Lady Luna Meyer, Marchioness of Meyer, arms crossed and sporting a sharp expression.
‘Lady Raven is famous for her beauty, and Lady Meyer… for her fiery personality.’
Luna Meyer was known for tying up her cheating ex-fiancé, putting him on a horse, and parading him through the busiest streets. It had made headlines, but due to the ex-fiancé’s undeniable fault, she hadn’t faced any consequences.
‘Lady Meyer is a bit… well, not quite a dog, but maybe a bad-tempered puppy.’
It was too early to jump to conclusions. The ladies in the drawing-room refrained from idle chatter. Selena, too, remained silent. The awkward silence stretched until Duchess Bonnie appeared.
“Good afternoon, ladies. I am Kaitlyn Bonnie, and I’ll be overseeing this year’s Summer Fairy Selection.” She offered an elegant greeting, hand on her chest. “The applicants this year were all so highly qualified that the document review alone took quite some time. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the ten of you.”
Her amiable chuckle warmed the atmosphere of the room. Standing before the ladies seated on the sofas, the Duchess clapped her hands to gather their attention.
“Now then, let me explain the test for selecting the Summer Fairy.” Everyone in the room focused on her words. “It’s quite simple, really. The same every year. You must receive a rose, one from each of three designated men—three roses in total.”
“What if several people manage to collect all three?” one of the ladies asked, raising her hand.
The Duchess smiled in her direction. “That won’t happen. Each gentleman has a different number of roses: five, three, and one. Only one person can receive all three.”
Ah, so that’s how they prevent multiple winners. It seemed simple, yet there was a clever mechanism in place.
“Much less daunting than you imagined, isn’t it?” The Duchess beamed, glancing around the room.
Selena quietly nodded to herself. The test wasn’t as difficult as rumored. ‘This is nothing.’
“The three gentlemen this year are Duke Noel Ratliffe, Raymond, the Tower Lord, and His Highness, Crown Prince Maximilian.”
‘This is something!’ Selena was shocked by the unexpected names. If she’d been drinking tea, she would have choked. This wasn’t the Summer Fairy Selection; it was the Selena Irving’s Search for a Murderous Husband competition.
Unlike the horrified Selena, the other ladies reacted favorably.
“I was hoping to meet Duke Ratliffe.”
“I’ll finally have a chance to speak with the Tower Lord.”
“Receiving a rose from the Crown Prince must be thrilling.”
These three men were the most eligible bachelors in high society.
“For your information, the Crown Prince only has one rose. Whoever receives it will be instantly declared the Summer Fairy, and a separate schedule and location for meeting him has been arranged. You’ll have to find the other two gentlemen yourselves.”
“Is it first-come, first-served?”
“No, it’s entirely up to the gentlemen to whom they give their roses. You could be the last to arrive and still receive one, or the first and receive none.”
The Duchess’s answer caused a stir in the room. Selena desperately clenched her fists to resist the urge to suggest, ‘Why? Why can’t we just draw lots?’
“If there are no further questions, we shall conclude this meeting. I wish you all the best of luck.” Duchess Bonnie smiled brightly.
Selena returned to her carriage, feeling half-dead inside.
‘…The only way is this.’
Find the client from the request as quickly as possible and make her the Summer Fairy.
‘I must ensure she receives all the roses.’
It was too late to back out of the request now; she had no choice but to commit.
The festival began. The Summer Fairy selection test began. Selena investigated the candidates. The client, she determined, was one of four ladies who weren’t engaged, narrowing it down from the initial five.
Among these four, the most likely candidates were Courtney Raven and Luna Meyer, as she’d initially suspected.
‘Neither of them is currently engaged, and there are strong rumors that both will be engaged by the end of the festival.’
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