I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

Still, he didn’t want to call off her marriage with Madrenne. Honestly, he couldn’t imagine how he would live without her now.

So, at the jewelry store where he stopped by with great determination, Madrenne came out with only a small diamond-studded coupling set, let alone a necklace earring set.

His fellow knights were grumbling, saying things like, ‘That amount of money could cover several months of our salary.’ So he was well-prepared and ready for some serious effort.

Dale, who was carefully looking at Madrenne, who was humming for a long time, couldn’t help but ask because of the anxiety that was gathering. “Don’t you want to match the other jewelry?”

“No. This is enough.”

Madrenne refused jewelry?

Dale’s pupils shook at the unbelievable reality. 

“I’m not so poor that I can’t buy you jewelry.”

In fact, Dale was quite rich. He barely spent his salary, which he received from his knight life, and only saved it. He had a uniform provided to him, so he wore two sets of everyday clothes, ate most of his meals at the duchy, and lived in a small accommodation he had built around the time he first became a knight for about ten years.

“I know. I already know you’re a man who doesn’t have the nerve to waste a single penny.”

“But why?”

“More than that, Dale, where are we going now? My cafe has a new menu…”

“To the cafe now? I was going to go to a real estate agency.”

She asked to meet up to prepare for the wedding, but then they matched a couple of rings and returned to her cafe? When Dale looked puzzled, Madrenne asked with a bewildered look on her face.

“Why are we going there?”

“Well, shouldn’t we be looking for a new home now? My house is okay for two people to live in, but since a child will be born soon…”

Dale, who mentioned the child, blushed at the moment when he recalled what he said.

“Oh my, Dale. ‘Soon to be born child’. I don’t like that.”

Madrenne looked serious.

“…Why?”

“You don’t want to have a child?”

Dale was shocked. As someone who originally didn’t want to get married, as soon as he decided to get married, he didn’t take into account his shamelessness in thinking about having a child first.

“No. I don’t like ‘soon’.”

Dale breathed a sigh of relief. Madrenne let out a low laugh as she watched Dale.

“By the way, Dale. Do you know how to make a baby?”

“!”

At Madrenne’s mischievous question, Dale’s eyes widened, and even the back of his neck turned red.

“T-that’s!”

First of all, he didn’t know the details, and even if he did, he couldn’t answer that he knew. To ask such a sensitive matter so freely with her face like that…

As Dale didn’t know what to do with his inner shame, Madrenne burst out laughing.

“

! Dale! What are you taking so seriously? I just said it to make you laugh!” said Madrenne, wiping away the water from the corners of her eyes, and Dale couldn’t help but laugh.

Madrenne decided to stop making fun of this innocent man. Because if he kept sulking like this, she would be in trouble.

But is it strange? They could have just laughed and moved on, saying it was a joke, but as Madrenne saw Dale continuing to not make eye contact with her, a cold feeling came over her, and she stopped.

She liked him because he’s innocent, but this is a bit… isn’t this serious?

In shock, Dale managed to pull himself together while Madrenne quietly bit her nails.

“How about going to the real estate agent I looked into first? There’s a house I’ve been looking at.”

Dale, unaware that Madrenne was worried about ‘Is this marriage going to be okay as is?’ smiled brightly. And when Madrenne saw that smile, she soon became relaxed.

Her heart almost dropped.

Madrenne decided to accept this too. Such minor shortcomings would have no effect on this man’s countless strengths. And what is she worried about? If he didn’t know, she could just teach it.

Madrenne smiled brightly, recalling the countless related knowledge I had acquired.

“First of all, there’s a place for us to go before that.”

Madrenne was deeply satisfied with Dale’s sincere commitment to marrying her. And again, affection sprang up. Whether he knew her wealth or not, this man had no intention of relying on her.

“Where are we?”

Madrenne shrugged when Dale, who got out of the carriage, looked at the considerable mansion in front of him.

“Well? Shall we go in first?”

Dale didn’t move his feet willingly, but he was pulled by Madrenne’s hand and entered the mansion before he knew it. He was overcome with an inexplicable sense of discomfort as he saw the old gentleman following them.

“This is the main hall, the parlor over there, and the dining room and kitchen on the other side. And there are four bedrooms, one living room, one study, and five bedrooms and one parlor on the third floor. Ah, by the way, there’s a separate building behind here.”

“Where are we?” Dale repeated the same question.

“Shall we go up to the 2nd floor?”

Madrenne didn’t respond but led Dale to the second floor. As they ascended to the second floor, she silently gestured toward the old gentleman who followed. At her hand signal, the old gentleman quietly went back down the stairs he had ascended.

When they reached the second floor, Madrenne walked at a brisk pace, stood in front of the large door, turned behind her, and waved her hand at Dale. “Come on, it’s here.”

Although he was somewhat reluctant, Dale obediently followed her. It was only when he reached the door that Madrenne opened the door. Entering the room as led by Madrenne, he felt an insecurity that could not be added to the furniture and fixtures that were clearly visible to his eyes, who did not know how to see things.

“What do you think?”

“What… do you mean?”

Madrenne asked, leaning her head in a rather stiff tone. “Why are you looking so frustrated?”

“What is this—”

“It’s my house.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did Dale realize. The fact that while Madrenne had gone to his house for over a year, he had never once visited her house. And the fact that she’s wealthy enough to own a mansion like this.

Dale couldn’t open his mouth because of the overwhelming emotions. The house he had taken time to see was nothing compared to this mansion. He even felt self-destructive at the thought that if he had shown Madrenne the house he thought was nice, she might have been laughed at.

“Would it be a lie if I said I can see what you’re thinking right now?”

“No. It was just that I felt a sense of self-destruction because I realized my incompetence.”

Dale readily acknowledged his own shortcomings. Madrenne liked Dale’s honesty.

“By the way, you really have nothing to hide. How can a person really be like that?”

“I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

Madrenne was moved to tears by his perfect answer.

He was even a step ahead of Duke Kaien, who would answer only if Arianne questioned it. But this man was really telling her the truth even before she asked.

“Sorry. I’m not good en—”

Madrenne’s hand covered Dale’s mouth. “Stop. You talk a lot of nonsense. You’re not good enough? It’s not like that at all. Aren’t you the man chosen by me?”

Dale read the sincerity in Madrenne’s eyes. He was grateful. He couldn’t believe that there was a woman like this who understood his situation and truly cared for him despite his shortcomings.

Madrenne’s neck moved greatly.

“I… Shall I teach you how to make a baby?”

“

!

”

Surprised, Dale, who was taking a deep breath, choked up.

* * *

“That’s unexpected. I didn’t expect Miss Madrenne to have a wedding in such a place.” Layla, still dressed splendidly, opened her mouth.

“I know, right? I thought she was going to ask me to lend the banquet hall at the grand duchy.” Arianne responded as if she agreed.

Layla quietly raised her head and stared at the bright sunlight shining through the glass window in the middle of the high ceiling. Then, she looked around the interior of the cathedral, which was still and quiet.

At one time, she also lived only for marriage. It wasn’t that long ago. If the person named Arianne Bornes hadn’t shown up at that time and hadn’t said those words to her…

Shortly after Arianne’s visit, Layla rebelled against her father for the first time.

Layla clenched the hem of her skirt.

Viscount Rumbojio shouted.

Viscount Rumbojio shouted again.

At his shout, Layla flinched her shoulders. The numerous verbal abuse and shouting she received from a young age so naturally made her shrink.

Layla clenched her teeth and opened her eyes wide, holding her hand to keep the hem of her skirt taut.