Besieged on All Sides
It was lunchtime, and the three of us—Leo, his father, and I—ended up sharing a meal together. No matter how many times I visited, the Stuart family dining hall always carried an air of antique grandeur. The high ceilings, the long table stretching across the room, and the countless dishes arranged upon it. The mouthwatering aromas teased my empty stomach, stirring my hunger.
“Eat plenty, Aria. Ah, since we’re soon to be family, it should be all right to speak more comfortably, shouldn’t it?”
The voice coming from my side made me turn reflexively. Leo’s father, Count Stuart, was looking at me with a warm smile.
“Yes, of course, Father. I’ll enjoy the meal.”
“…….”
At my words, Count Stuart suddenly stiffened. For a brief moment I wondered if I had made some mistake and quickly retraced my actions, but then his next words reached my ears.
“Hmm. To think Aria would call me Father… This old man has no regrets left in this life.”
Ah. So that was what he meant. A small laugh escaped me before I could stop it. He really was a cheerful man no matter the occasion. The truth was, in my previous life I had always called him Father as well, so this form of address actually felt more natural to me—but that was a secret I would keep to myself.
“…….”
I stole a glance at Leo, who sat directly across from me. For some reason he hadn’t picked up his utensils and simply sat there with a sullen expression. The fact that I still found even that look handsome probably meant something in my brain had gone seriously wrong.
After that, the meal continued in silence for a while. Only the occasional clink of silverware echoed through the vast dining hall.
Some time after we had begun eating, Count Stuart spoke again.
“So,” he said, looking at Leo. “Is the work progressing well?”
Leo paused with his utensils in hand and answered.
“Yes, Father. This morning I guided Lady Aria through her duties, and everything proceeded smoothly.”
“Is that true, Aria?”
Count Stuart turned toward me, seeking confirmation.
“Yes, it is exactly as he said.”
In truth, Leo hadn’t taught me much of anything, but I answered that way to preserve his dignity. If any discord arose here, I might no longer be welcome in this house.
“Good. Well done. Leo, don’t handle everything alone. Teach Aria whenever you have a spare moment. You will be husband and wife someday, so these are tasks you must eventually share.”
“…….”
Husband and wife. That enchanting phrase struck a chord deep in my heart. Leo’s wife. Lady Stuart. How beautiful those words sounded.
Yet the moment I saw Leo’s expression across the table, my buoyant mood crashed straight down. His face was twisted as though he had bitten into something rotten. When our eyes met, he quickly smoothed it back into his usual blank mask, but I had seen it clearly.
Leo was not pleased about marrying me. To him, I was nothing more than the villainess who had carved deep wounds into his heart before disappearing. Even though I had known that, the knowledge still stung a corner of my chest. Was the shadow of what happened five years ago still this strong? After suffering something like that, his reaction was only natural. Besides, five years was not a short time. It would be strange if his heart had not changed.
The sharp realization of reality pierced me once more, and the weight of my past mistakes settled heavily over me. For a moment it felt as though my resolve might crumble.
“…….”
But I could not give up here. What had I lived so desperately for all this time? Hadn’t I endured everything for Leo’s sake alone? If I could save him, that would be enough. And someday, without fail, I would make him fall in love with me again.
“I will keep it in mind.”
Leo’s formal reply dug into my heart like a thorn.
“Good. On another note, Aria will be staying at our mansion for the time being starting today. When you have free time, show her around the estate.”
“……Pardon?”
Leo’s face went slack with shock at his father’s sudden announcement. This was clearly news to him. I, however, had already known. I simply hadn’t mentioned it.
What I had told my own father was that I wished to stay briefly at the Stuart mansion to observe my fiancé’s work and daily life firsthand. Honestly, the request had been steeped in my selfish desire to remain close to Leo, but my father had readily agreed. Count Stuart had apparently praised me highly as well, saying it was admirable that his future daughter-in-law was already preparing to manage the household even before the wedding.
“Ah… Father. What do you…”
Leo, on the other hand, looked thoroughly flustered. The way he even began to stutter showed just how taken aback he was.
“Hm? Did you not hear me? I told you to show Aria around the mansion.”
“No, that’s not what I meant… Why has it been decided that Lady Aria will be staying in our home?”
“The matter has already been settled with the Grace family. Do not argue further. Those who are to become husband and wife should share as much time together as possible. Lady Aria’s room has been fully prepared, and her personal belongings will arrive this afternoon. Until then, look after her well.”
“…….”
Leo shot me a glare heavy with meaning, but I deliberately averted my eyes.
I’m sorry, Leo. Still, this couldn’t be helped. If I didn’t do this, I wasn’t sure I could bear it.
“…Then, how long will the stay be…?”
Leo asked with a resigned expression.
“Well. The temporary period is set at one month for now, but since the two of you are already engaged, there is no reason you couldn’t simply continue living here. There are plenty of unused rooms in the mansion, and it would be more convenient for both of you.”
At Count Stuart’s words, Leo looked as though he had much to say but was forcing himself to swallow it. In the end, he began picking at his food again. Even the way he sulked was so adorable that I wanted to pull him into my arms.
“I told you, that’s not it, my lady. Leave that section blank and sign at the bottom.”
“……I’m sorry. I’ll try again.”
It was the afternoon work period after lunch. Because Aria kept messing up where to place her signature, my voice had grown slightly sharp. Perhaps the events from the dining hall were still affecting me.
Separate from that, working with this woman had led me to an unexpected realization. This villainess was surprisingly clumsy. Did she truly not know something as basic as where to sign? Yet she had boldly claimed she could handle everything on her own. What would she have done if I hadn’t been watching over her?
Still, she handled difficult tasks well but kept stumbling over the fundamentals. It almost seemed as if she were making mistakes on purpose…
…No. It had to be my imagination.
“Um, Lord Leo. I’ve finished, but what should I do with this column?”
“…….”
Honestly. This was work that would have been finished long ago if she had done it alone. Why was Father insisting we handle tasks together…
I scratched my head roughly, then placed my hand over the document Aria was filling out and pointed to several spots with my index finger.
“Listen carefully. Approval documents of this kind are generally divided into large sections.”
“Yes…”
“At the very top, write your own name. The column below is for your affiliation—you may write your family name there. The name field beneath that is for the other party, so do not touch it.”
“Ah… I see.”
For once, Aria did not argue and simply nodded obediently at my explanation. If anything, she even looked pleased. It was absurd for someone to feel happy while being corrected, yet there it was.
After the brief explanation, Aria glanced at me from the corner of her eye before resuming her work on the documents. When I observed her for a moment, she seemed to have gotten the hang of it.
“…Yes. You’re doing well.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, really…”
My praise earned a subtle reaction. Well, that was to be expected given our relationship.
“Um, Leo. This…”
“Yes?”
I responded more sharply than I intended. I had not expected her to call me by my name, so I had overreacted without thinking.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I meant to call you Lord Leo but it slipped out…”
Even though she had been the one to say it, Aria hurriedly corrected herself as if flustered.
“It’s nothing important, but… after we finish this, what will you be doing…?”
“…….”
My mind went blank. Why was she asking that? On top of it, the way she shyly tucked her hair behind her ear while stealing glances at me was strangely alluring. She probably wasn’t doing it consciously. It must simply be the fox-like charm that came naturally to her.
Thinking that, I answered honestly.
“I have swordsmanship training.”
“…I see.”
Her reaction was difficult to read. If she looked slightly disappointed, it had to be my imagination.
“I simply wanted to understand your schedule. After all, I am your fiancée.”
“……?”
Aria muttered quietly while watching my expression in a way that didn’t suit her.
“Later, if you have time, I was hoping to ask for a tour of the mansion…”
The way she slightly pouted and glanced at me was needlessly seductive. But my mind had already reached its conclusion.
No. I had no time to spare for a woman like her.
It seemed Aria had read my thoughts.
“Ah…! I didn’t mean I necessarily wanted to go with you. It’s just that Count Stuart said we should tour the mansion together when you were free, so…”
“Ah…. Yes.”
That was true. I had no response. If Father later asked whether I had shown her around and I said no, it would only cause trouble.
“…Then after swordsmanship training, if I have time, we can go together.”
“Yes…!”
With that dry exchange, our conversation ended.
**
“Young master. Today’s swordsmanship lesson has been canceled.”
“…What?”
The afternoon duties had just concluded. As I stood there dumbfounded, the butler Sebastian delivered the message.
“There is an important event outside the territory today, and the master has asked you to accompany him. The schedule could not be cleared, so… I apologize. I have already contacted Sir Fred.”
“…….”
To anyone looking, it was obvious Father was deliberately trying to push Aria and me together. A headache began to throb at my temples.
I could feel Aria standing beside me glancing at me timidly.
Was this what it felt like to be surrounded on all sides?
In the end, I let out a small sigh and gave Sebastian a slight nod.
“Your schedule has opened up,” Aria said softly from beside me.
Her expression somehow looked a little happy. She even seemed excited. Or was that also my imagination?
“You will give me the mansion tour, won’t you?”
…Fine. Let’s just go. I swallowed another sigh and answered quietly.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
“Ah, then I’ll stop by my room to change clothes. Please wait just a moment.”
“…….”
When I nodded in resignation, Aria spun around with a bright smile and headed toward her room.
What on earth was this situation…
I inwardly cursed my meddlesome father and let out yet another sigh.