Marietta-hime no Konrei

Seeing Belvant enter the room dressed simply in his military uniform, Marietta rose from her seat to greet him, but found her eyes captured elsewhere.

The deep blue, practical work clothes reinforced Belvant’s intrepid aura. With his thick chest between broad shoulders and his tall stature, he reached two full heads taller than Marietta. The reliable muscles stretched across his body formed an appropriate figure for the man called the Guardian (or Devil) of Oltaire.

Such a dreamy gentleman. How could I ever encounter such a man.

The sheltered Marietta had certainly seen the royal guards tasked with protecting her, but those who had wielded their sword on a true battleground, soldiers forced across scenes of carnage, had always been beyond her world. Though she had been introduced to men at dinner parties as well, and they certainly were talented in dancing and tasteful dialogue, each and every one was merely an aristocrat focusing upon his own position.

As she paused in her thoughts, Belvant’s eyes were also captured by the risen Marietta.

In the effort to make prominent her gifted earrings, Marietta had done up her blonde hair and wrapped around her body a light rose coloured dress. The skirt portion’s subdued chiffon and lace arrangement lent a gentle and tender atmosphere, such that Marietta appeared like a delicate flower sprite. Her deep eyes, as clear blue as a sunny sky, were fixed upon Belvant, the wide open, round, cherubic pools rousing the image of an innocent kitten. The full, pink lips upon her small, white face, slightly parted as she attempted to let out her lovely voice, seemed to hold the power to charm men’s hearts into a torrent.

In this moment, as the couple fixed eyes upon each other, the a.s.sorted gallery around them constructed their own markedly different understanding of the atmosphere.

The one who broke the strange tension in the air was Marietta. Her face holding a soft blush, she bent her lovely waist towards the man decided to be her husband, her figure the very image of a refined woman.

Propelled to action, the king hurriedly arranged his words.

“… General Fargus, this is Princess Marietta, who is to become thy wife.”

“I am Marietta. I would like to thank you for your timely rescue a short time ago. It is a great pleasure to be able to meet the honorable General Fargus. Please grant me your favor in the days to come.”

“Right.”

Is that it?! The silent retort washed across the room.

“Also, I sincerely thank you for the lovely flowers and wonderful gift. I am greatly obliged to Sir General’s solicitude.”

“… ‘s that so.”

And! A! Gain! Couldn’t you say just a bit more!

Before even considering the one receiving this att.i.tude was his future wife, Belvant’s sheer unsociability shocked the surroundings.

As Marietta raised her head, her eyes fixed themselves on Belvant’s own ice blue irises. Jewels of that exact color swayed with her movement and b.u.mped against her cheeks. Filled with a strange awareness, Marietta grew embarra.s.sed. Unable to withstand the feeling, she cast down her eyes and restrained her mouth with a hand.

It’s useless, he’s so beyond dreamy that my heart can’t take it.

“Princess, are you alright?”

At Marietta’s side, her acquaintance Sierra quietly supported her body.

“Yes, thank you. I am fine.”

Marietta gave Sierra a soft smile, the lovestruck maiden’s eyes teary in heartache and bashfulness. At her pitiful appearance, the surroundings saw a fairy that had been frightened by meeting a vicious beast of prey, or so they wrongly guessed.

“Ah, you must be hungry after your long trip right? Please, continue your meal.”

With another misunderstanding, this one born from ignorance of romance, the general also a.s.sumed his seat for the meal. It seemed the innocent Marietta’s love would face many difficulties.

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“Well then princess, please sleep well.”

“Good night, Sierra. Thank you again for another day’s service today.”

“Please think nothing of it.”

At her master’s usual honest consideration, Sierra gave a brilliant smile as she bowed her head.

She had a truly kind and magnificent princess, she thought. Sierra loved her princess beyond mere loyalty, and wished only for Marietta’s happiness.

As her reliable attendant left, Marietta was left alone on her bed.

“Kyaaaa! Lovely, dreamy, he’s just so cool!”

With the covers firmly over her head so that her voice wouldn’t leak, she was free to writhe about to her heart’s content. Between her ragged breath and suspiciously glittering eyes, the figure of a refined lady had long since departed.

“Sir Belvant, so large and st.u.r.dy, so good looking, so ohmygosh, what do I do! I think my heart is beating strong enough to burst from my chest! That man, my beloved husband? Goodness. Goodness! I think I will have a nosebleed. If we are married, we will touch, right? I wonder if he’ll also want to share a touch, or a k-kiss! Our faces will come together right, and, ah, I’m nervous merely thinking of it! And then, our l-lips, kyaaaa!”

Simply considering a kiss was enough to stimulate the innocent Marietta. She had never truly considered such a thing before.

“That’s right, it would be terrible to make a mistake due to nerves, so it would be good to practice.”

Leaping from the bed, her nightgown rustled as she fished through her luggage and produced the carefully transported portrait. Then, she sat once more upon her bed, an image of Belvant from the chest up cradled between her hands.

“… I’m so happy I was able to meet you today, Sir Belvant. If you would take me as your bride…”

And so, with eyes closed, the portrait inched towards her lips.

“Ah, that’s not right; it’s not good practice if I can’t properly see your face.”

As she snapped her eyes open and saw the portrait above her, Marietta’s face flushed.

“I-I can’t!”

Her hands flew from the portrait as she grasped her pillow and tumbled about the bed.

“How can I do the impossible? I can’t endure it! Sir Belvant is beyond dreamy! Please forgive me, but for today I can only do this much.”

Marietta stood the portrait on a nearby table, angling it so that she could see it from her bed.

“… Good night, Sir Belvant.”

Facing the arranged portrait, Marietta blew a kiss. Then, softly squealing in glee as her face blushed bright red, she hugged her pillow close and, a smile floating across her lips, gradually fell asleep.