This Marriage Will Surely Succeed

hat's how you hold her head upright…'

 

Leroy didn't know, but he was sure that these were not the words that could come out between close family fights.

 

'Should I consider it fortunate that it wasn't the voice of my marriage partner?'

 

But after all, Leroy couldn't be happy to hear such a unilateral rant.

 

“Okay.”

 

Leroy replied briefly.

 

He didn't want to say something because he didn't mean to save the man in front of him from trouble.

 

Leroy's cold attitude made Count Modrov break into a cold sweat.

 

Perhaps this situation would be very unfair to the opponent.

 

Hayden wouldn't have expected that the duke would arrive 10 minutes earlier, not keeping the manner to come on time.

 

It wasn't that Leroy had no excuses, though.

’

 

Earlier he and Jonas talked about it.

 

“You'd better go inside and wait.”

 

“Is it polite to arrive early and look at the unprepared appearance?”

 

“If they knew that the carriage with guests was only going round and round around the area, they would be horrified on that side as well.
Is that polite behavior?”

 

“If the other person doesn’t know, of course, it is.”

 

Leroy suppressed Jonas' argument, but he was not in a particularly imposing position.

 

Arriving an hour earlier and wandering around was excessive, no matter which country's standard of etiquette.

 

Leroy, who peered out the window repeatedly at the scenery passing by, decided to stop admitting that he had been looking forward to today's meeting.

 

In the end, he decided to commit the rudeness of arriving 10 minutes early – or using it as an excuse – for Jonas, who was complaining of back pain.

 

Thanks to this, he even learned the inner circumstances of the count's family, so even if this was a small harvest of information, it was good.

 

“Rather than that, Duke, let's not talk here and go to the drawing room.
If you are resting comfortably, I will call my daughter…”

 

“It doesn't seem necessary.
She seems to be coming down.”

 

Leroy cut off Count Modrov's invitation and looked up at the top of the stairs.

 

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from upstairs.

 

The moment the woman turned around and reflected on the landing, Leroy reflexively paused.

 

'Is it because of the changed outfit?'

 

A woman with a completely different impression from the one he had encountered in the corridor of the imperial palace a few days ago entered his field of vision.

 

'If the situation was not like this, I might have proposed marriage right away.'

 

Recalling the not-so-funny family, Leroy quickly suppressed his embarrassment.

’

 

No wonder the woman was a great beauty enough to evoke such a reaction.

 

She stood out even when she was wearing a rugged uniform, so it was only natural that she would attract attention when properly dressed.

 

Leroy, who was staring at the thick lips the same color as her eyes, intentionally looked away.
Because he couldn't deny that he was giving the woman a disrespectful look.

 

Leroy wasn't the only one who recognized the other person's existence, but the woman who came down to the lobby also had an agitated expression.

 

Realizing that the guest had arrived earlier than expected, the woman reflexively looked upstairs.
She seemed conscious of the quarrel that had just occurred.

 

But the delay was short, and the woman soon approached them with steady steps.

 

Count Modrov greeted his adopted daughter with an exaggerated attitude.

 

“Iona.
I was about to send someone up, but you came just in time.
The duke has just arrived.”

 

“Hello, Lord Leroy.
I apologize for the delay in welcoming guests.
I would have come down sooner if you had given me a message in advance.”

 

“I apologize for coming earlier than the time.
I was looking forward to today's meeting very much.”

 

Leroy, who naturally followed Count Modrov, held Iona's hand.

 

After lightly kissing the back of her hand, he raised his head and saw the other's smiling face.

 

It was an expression that seemed to know that the greeting he gave was not his intention.

 

He didn't expect the other person to blush like all the ladies, but this reaction was unexpected again.

 

“…I have been waiting for the day when I will see you again.”

 

She answered slowly in a calm voice.

 

The red eyes that were revealed, were full of welcoming emotions.

 

'She is also a strange woman.'

 

'What's more, the lies she gives seem to be sincere.'