Chapter 6

"Xiao Ming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter given to him by his mother."

In the wind, cherry blossoms danced as Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

I don't quite understand what the princess is saying.

"Althan, what about Hadley attracted you?"

"I'd like to know too."

In response to the king's question, Lord Althan answered curtly.

"There's no reason worth mentioning."

After all, it was a marriage of convenience based on financial terms, with no romance involved.

"Well... You're still as boring as ever. Hadley, what about the viscount attracted you? Was it his face?"

What? You're asking me? Even though it's not a love marriage...

"Hadley, you don't have to answer. They're just teasing you."

I was a bit confused, but I calmed down a bit at Lord Althan's words. Yes, that's it.

"Lord Althan always helps me when I'm in trouble. Today, he even said he would stay by my side all the time, worrying about me since I haven't made my debut in society yet."

"Well..."

The princess's eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she nodded.

"You really made a good marriage. Invite us to the wedding in the capital. I want to celebrate."

A royal wedding... I want to decline, but I can't, can I?

After somehow finishing the greeting, the next was to greet the second prince and princess.

"Well, it's really 'The Dark Spirit King and the Fairy,' isn't it?"

No, that's not it.

Princess, what are you saying? That's not it at all. What did Lord Noe tell you? Don't believe it.

"Finally got married, didn't you? I'm really glad."

Said the sparkling prince with golden hair and blue eyes.

"Because you didn't get married, I was suspected of being a homosexual and it was a bother for me too."

No, what are you talking about?

I did suspect it, though.

"As compensation, I'll invite you to the new hot spring town we're building."

"It won't be completed for over a year."

"Hot springs are great. Just being able to use a lot of water makes you feel luxurious."

"I'm looking forward to it too. I've heard hot springs are good for the skin and improve your health by warming your body. Cold is a big enemy for women, after all."

Lord Althan and the second prince seem to get along well, and somehow the greeting to the second prince was also finished.

Next was the dance. I planned to dance one song and then relax, but...

I ended up dancing three songs in a row. I was so tired that I wobbled over to the wall.

Meryl came, and we went to the restroom together, then rested while drinking fruit water.

In the adjacent room, food, desserts, and drinks were prepared. There were chairs, but few people were resting.

"Lady Hadley, you danced very well."

"Really? It must be thanks to Lord Althan's lead."

While we were talking, five young ladies approached without greeting and immediately said,

"How did you trick Lord Althan?"

"You must have used some underhanded tactics, right? You're a viscount's daughter, aren't you? It's audacious for someone from a lower noble family."

Meryl held my hand, but I nodded, saying it was okay.

These ladies seem to be Lord Althan's fans.

They were insulting me with the worst words they could muster, but compared to the baroness's abusive language, their attacks lacked power and were not very threatening.

"Just because you have a cute face..."

"You're called the 'Little Bird Lady,' aren't you? You're really small and scrawny."

These comments sounded like compliments. Then,

"Your father has no business talent and is just playing around, isn't he?"

"Viscount Rynx is rumored to be incompetent in the capital."

Indeed, he is incompetent, and I agree.

I couldn't help but smile and nod.

"What are you doing?"

Lord Althan came to check on me. Maybe he called me because Meryl's fiancé was behind me.

"Lord Althan, these are all your fans, aren't they?"

"…It looks like they're attacking you one-sidedly, doesn't it?"

"No, there's nothing to worry about. In fact, I have a governess who is... quite a strong lady. Compared to the baroness's incoherent abuse, these ladies' criticisms are almost endearing."

"Baroness Tausig...?"

One of the young ladies looked shocked.

"You know her?"

"Know her... I don't know her personally, but she's been the subject of recent rumors in the capital."

She got pregnant and gave birth, but the child didn't look like her husband at all.

However, the baroness insisted it was her husband's child, causing a big fuss that eventually spread her bad reputation to the capital.

"Wow, to have an affair with that baroness... That's quite a brave man."

"But it seems the other party is a gardener."

"Really, how shallow."

"Really? Choosing a commoner from a nearby place makes you wonder about his sanity."

"She had no sanity or common sense from the beginning."

She was someone who thought she was always right and put herself at the center of everything.

"That must have been a disaster for the gardener. I hope he managed to escape safely. Baroness Tausig is a sadistic and tenacious person, like a snake."

The young ladies sighed in disbelief.

"Your father chose such a woman as a governess?"

"Since he's known as incompetent in the capital."

"He's too incompetent. There are many better teachers available."

"Can you introduce me to some? I haven't received proper lady education... I might cause trouble for Lord Althan someday."

The young ladies consulted and narrowed it down to three.

"These teachers should be willing to come to the border barony under certain conditions. They are all unmarried and have dedicated their lives to educating young ladies."

"Thank you! We're building a hot spring town in the border barony. When it's completed, I'll invite you all."

I asked Meryl to take their names.

This way, I'll have customers for the hot spring town. Someone said that trends are created by women, so I need to build good relationships.

"See you, Lady Hadley, Border Baroness. I'll write to you."

"Yes, I look forward to meeting you all."

The young ladies left in a friendly atmosphere.

"Good girls, weren't they?"

"…Are they?"

"At this level, it's not even malicious."

The most frightening malice is the one that is done unconsciously. If it's conscious, there's a chance for improvement, but if it's unconscious, there's no way to correct it.

"Would Lord Althan like something to drink?"

"Ah... What about you, Hadley?"

"Fruit water. I'm not very hungry because I'm nervous."

While we were talking, a nobleman who knew Lord Althan came to greet us. I smiled and let Lord Althan handle the conversation, but some tried to involve me.

"I understand you want to monopolize your wife, but a dance would be nice, right?"

Lord Althan declined, but some were persistent or tried to touch me forcefully when drunk.

In such situations, I maximized my appearance, clung tightly to Lord Althan's arm with a frightened look.

"My wife is not yet accustomed to society. She's scared, so please be considerate."

Some men became even more determined to protect her, but such men were forcibly removed.

What are they thinking?

I'm a viscount, but I have the title of border baroness, and I'm young. I know I'm not suitable for my position and not used to it, but I want them to show proper etiquette.

Do they understand... Viscount Rynx?

My father, Viscount Rynx, appeared before us without any shame. He looked quite worn out.

"Hadley, it's been a while. You've... become quite beautiful."

"Viscount Rynx, we have severed our ties, so please call me Border Baroness."

He looked surprised at my cold voice.

"Hadley, I... No, Border Baroness..."

"If you have something to say, say it quickly."

"Um... If possible, in private."

"I decline. I have no intention of meeting Viscount Rynx without Lord Althan. Please communicate through the border barony in the future."

Viscount Rynx looked even more surprised. A young man appeared from behind him, looking... ordinary? He didn't have the charm of a prince or Lord Althan. Who is he?

Lord Althan looked at him with a very displeased, unhidden expression.

So, he's an enemy.

Understood.

I may look like a little bird lady, but I've been trained since childhood and have the attacking power of a bird of prey. I haven't used it much, but I won't hold back against Lord Althan's enemy.

Lord Althan told me in a low voice.

"He's Sir Amber of the Bafros Marquessate."

"Is he an acquaintance of Lord Althan?"

"…Don't you remember?"

I'm sorry, I tried to memorize the noble directory, but I couldn't remember the children and daughters.

"He was your former fiancé."

I was surprised.

What, really? A former fiancé... I searched my memory.

"I was once engaged to the marquessate's son, but we never met or corresponded. When I met my destined partner, the engagement was dissolved."

"That makes sense. You were so busy in the viscount's domain..."

Unimportant things fade from memory.

Lord Althan's expression softened as he explained.

"After the engagement with Hadley was dissolved, Sir Amber became engaged to a baron's daughter, but she had another lover and eventually eloped with him."

"That's... quite a scandalous situation."

"If he was deceived, he's seen as a foolish man, and if she ran away, he's seen as an unattractive man. He's a victim, but he can't avoid being gossiped about."

"If he approached me, wouldn't it just spread more bad rumors?"

I dissolved the engagement, and now I'm a border baroness. The marquessate is higher in rank, but Sir Amber is just a son, so as an individual, Lord Althan, who inherits the family, is higher.

Is he challenging someone in a higher position?

"He must be confident."

"I don't understand. Please explain it to me."

"Assuming Hadley's marriage is unhappy and she wants to leave me, he probably plans to take her back and inherit the viscount's family after the divorce."

"Both are unacceptable."

"I understand."

Before the marriage... Before going to the border barony, I might have accepted it reluctantly, but now that I know, I can't.

"Even if I return to the viscount's family, there's nothing good for me. I was bullied by the notorious Baroness Tausig, my mother was driven out of the house, I was overworked to the point of not having time to sleep, and in the end, I was thrown out with nothing but the clothes on my back."

I couldn't help but raise my voice.

Noticing the silence and attention around us, my cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

I thought I had failed, but I was pulled closer by Lord Althan.

"Viscount Rynx hasn't read the marriage contract. Even if I suddenly died tomorrow, Hadley wouldn't be removed from the border barony's registry. She would only change from a wife to a daughter of the Armulux border barony and wouldn't return to the viscount's family."

That's true, I don't think it will happen, but if it does, it would be very sad, and I would move to the hot spring town as a widow.

I don't think that will happen. Lord Althan doesn't drink much (due to past trauma from being drugged) and doesn't smoke (also due to past trauma). He will become even healthier with the hot springs.

"Also, Sir Amber, I feel sorry for you being deceived by a woman, but it's quite bold of you to come here after you initiated the engagement dissolution."

That's right, that's right. I wanted to say more, but the marquessate's side came to retrieve him.

"Border Baron Armulux, I apologize for my brother."

The older brother quickly took him away.

Only Viscount Rynx was left.

He muttered in a small voice that the viscount's domain was in trouble and needed help, but it didn't move me at all.

Even if I helped him now, he would just run away again.

Running away from unpleasant things all his life... Such a way of living is not allowed for nobles.

I wasn't the only one who was born into the wrong family.

The ball ended successfully, I think. Lord Althan was smiling in the carriage on the way back, so it was fine.

"Still... I didn't expect to see the face of a former fiancé after the engagement was dissolved."

"Really, you never met him?"

"Yes. The Bafros Marquessate and the viscount's domain are quite far apart, and I never went to the capital."

"If you had met, the engagement might not have been dissolved."

Sir Amber judged based on information from my father, I think. That's why he was deceived by a cunning woman. Important things must be confirmed with your own eyes.

"If he knew Hadley's cuteness, he wouldn't have dissolved the engagement."

"The way you say that makes it sound like you think I'm cute."

"…I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought of marrying you."

Wow, wow, wow... I'm quite happy.

I couldn't help but ask when and how he noticed.

"When you were jumping on the bed... You fell off and rolled to the floor."

After confirming no one was watching, I returned to the bed as if nothing happened, and he saw the whole thing.

"Is that proper for a gentleman? Peeping into a maiden's bedroom?"

"I was called by Katia and the others to reflect on being cold."

"That's terrible. There are other things too, right?"

"There are... Do you want to hear them?"

We both turned red... Let's not.

"If I heard them now, my heart might stop."

"You're right. I... I did plan to tell you someday, but saying it now... It's different."

Since we're married, there will be many more opportunities to tell you.

During my stay in the capital, I met several nobles and merchants, and after finishing my schedule, I returned to the border barony.

I prepared for the wedding while working on the hot spring town.

I'm busy, but the maids give me massages, and my iron-hard shoulders are gradually relaxing.

"This is what it feels like to have a weight lifted off your shoulders."

"What, you're making a good point... This stiffness is still at an abnormal level?"

Lord Althan started giving me massages because of my severe shoulder stiffness.

"Ugh, I want to go to the hot springs soon..."

"Me too."

"By the way, someone applied to move to the hot spring town, but I declined."

The former Baroness Tausig. She was divorced and cut off from her family, becoming a commoner. The baron's family was looking for an adoptive family for her child, saying, "The child is innocent."

The former baroness, even as a commoner, had a mysterious superior attitude.

"Contact Hadley. Prepare a house for me to live in and provide maids. It's time to repay your debt, so be grateful."

Since she showed no remorse or regret, Evans and Miss Deena turned her away.

A wanted poster with her portrait was circulated in the border barony, even though she wasn't a criminal.

In a way, she was more troublesome than a criminal. I had to prevent her from settling in the border barony.

There was also progress in the viscount's domain. The second wife left, leaving behind a child. As the child grew, it became clear that he looked different from Viscount Rynx, but he was recognized as a son.

There was no choice but to raise him as the viscount's son.

After driving out his real daughter and raising someone else's son, he still couldn't escape the responsibilities of a noble. With no one to work in his place, he had to work hard on his own.

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"

"The future is longer. It might be even more eventful."

"If that happens, I'll give up everything and live a leisurely life in the hot spring town."

"That... sounds nice. When that time comes, I'll go with you."

The completed hot spring town became one of the top tourist destinations in the country, greatly helping the border barony.

"But why can't we get out of the 'Top 10 Least Desirable Places to Live' list?"

The young border baroness, running around for the domain, shouted, and the border baron calmly replied.

"It's because it's a border area and it's cold."

"Ugh, I'll definitely get us out of this list and make this place the number one place to live!"

"That's good, but for me, this is the best place. I have my beloved wife and children now."

The charming little bird lady, now the little bird lady, worked for the domain alongside the border baron until her later years, and after retiring, she lived leisurely in the hot spring town as she had hoped.

Leisurely?

"Retired Lord, what should we do with this?"

"Retired Lord, please review the new proposal."

"Retired Lord, please taste the new menu."

"Okay, okay, don't say it all at once. I'll take care of it in order."

The border baron, who watched his wife run around, enjoyed the hot springs leisurely. In his youth, he was a charming man who bewitched people of all ages, but now, due to his age, the surroundings had calmed down.

What was most effective was...

"I really got a good wife. That was... a fateful encounter. I found true love. My wife is cute no matter how old she gets."

Seeing him speak happily, those who had a crush on him gradually disappeared.

Thank you for reading. I confirmed that it is the number one in the daily overall ranking. Thank you.