"Of course. After that, I immediately went after Evantail's carriage. Miss Agnes for getting her involved in all this. When I did so, I was told that you had already been disowned. That you had just left the mansion not long ago. So I was looking for you all over town. Thank God you were in a place where you were easy to find."
I get up in a hurry and head toward him.
"Thank you very much. But I can't go back to the mansion anymore."
"Don't worry about that. I'll have you come to my mansion. It's not right that a girl should be left alone at this hour."
What do I do, I had a vague feeling since the party, but isn't Lord Nazelbert ...... a very kind gentleman?
"Is Lord Nazelbert's residence the ...... dukedom?"
"I may be evicted to the frontier soon, but until then you can stay at the ducal villa. I will be responsible for your life."
As I was thinking about unrelated things, such as how Lord Nazelbert who was using 'Me', was now using 'I' when talking to me.... he suddenly spoke to me in a different tone.
"I'm sorry I got you into this mess. It was all my fault."
"What are you talking about? No matter how anyone looks at it, a person who has a fiancée and has a child with another man is the one who has a problem. No one is saying anything because they are afraid of Her Highness the Princess, but I am sure that in their hearts they all feel the same way."
As I spoke my mind, Lord Nazelbert's eyes, rimmed with long lashes, twinkled and he began to look at me.
"You don't resent me? You were kicked out of your house because you were ordered to marry a sinner."
"I don't resent you. What happened to me this time was like an unexpected accident. On the contrary, I feel sorry for you. You were accused of a crime you didn't commit and forced to marry the Potato Lady."
"Potato....?"
"Perhaps you haven't heard the rumors about me?"
"I'm sorry. I've been busy with work and away from socializing for a while."
"I don't think that's something you should apologize for. You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"
Since I was ordered to marry him, it would be better to let him know about my rumor to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
I decided to do so and explained the facts to Lord Nazelbert about the 'Potato Lady'.
".................I'm the laughing stock of the social scene. That's why Her Royal Highness said the marriage to me was a punishment."
"That's awful, isn't it?"
"I know, right? Marrying a Potato Lady?"
"No, that's not it. What I'm saying is that it's terrible to look down on someone like that."
"What?"
I looked up at him in surprise. It was the first time in my life that I had received such a reaction.
But he didn't care about my reaction and held out his hand to me in a gentlemanly manner.
"Let's go. It gets cold at night, so it's not a good idea to stay too long in light clothing."
My grandmother's dress has a lot more fabric and is thicker than the dresses of today. However, unfortunately, the dress I was wearing today left my shoulders bare.
I walked through the night streets to where Lord Nazelbert's carriage was parked.
My feet ached from walking in high heels. It's a shoe bite, I think...
My grandmother's shoes were slightly the wrong size.
As I continue on in pain, Lord Nazelbert suddenly stops me.
"Miss Agnes, does your foot hurt?"
"Eh? Oh, no, I'm fine. I can still walk."
"I wouldn't say it's okay. Excuse me for a moment."
As he said this, Lord Nazelbert lifted me up in his arms.
"Eh?!"
"It's just a short walk to the carriage, so just bear with me."
It was the first time in my life that I had ever been princess carried.
And it was with Lord Nazelbert of the Duke's family. It was extremely embarrassing, but this was a dream situation, wasn't it!?
While I was thinking about such a foolish thing, we arrived in front of the carriage.
The duke's carriage is very beautiful on the outside. It is simple but solidly built, and you can tell that a lot of money has been spent on it.
I am lowered onto an overstuffed, high-quality chair, and Lord Nazelbert sits across from me.
Soon after, the carriage starts moving and the sound of hoof beats echoes through the quiet town.
"I'm the only one here. Mistress Agnes, you may make yourself comfortable."
Lord Nazelbert looks worriedly at the carriage floor...... no, at my feet.
"No, after all, it's not right for me to be barefoot in front of a man."
In the past, it was considered bad manners for women to show skin to men in this country, even if it was their feet.
Today, there is no such rule, and many women normally expose their skin, but not for the Evantail family. Since I was a child, I was taught that taking off one's shoes in front of the opposite sex is an outrageous and shameless thing to do.
In my head, I understand that there is nothing to be concerned about.
However, when it comes time to take action, the words of my family members keep flashing through my mind, and I find myself unable to take off my shoes.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
I know. I know that Lord Nazelbert is not interested in my feet, he is just worried about me.
In the end, when I finally made up my mind, I rolled up my dress and took off my shoes.