Chapter 3

Sometimes, when people find themselves in embarrassing situations, they summon surprising strength. Viretta was a master at that.

Without a hint of the shyness she’d shown moments earlier, she shot to her feet, grabbing the teapot in one hand and Iola’s lapel just below his collar with the other.

"Iola, why don’t we go have a private tea session?"

She beamed, gripping his clothes like a collar and holding the lukewarm teapot. Before anyone could intervene, she led Iola out of the sitting room.

Only a minute had passed since she’d protested having private time together. But now, she had done a complete about-face.

As they walked down the long corridor, Viretta poured the now-cold tea into a cup. Despite being dragged along, Iola had thoughtfully brought along the teacups and sipped the bitter, cold tea without complaint.

Once they turned into a corridor free of servants, they finally began to talk properly.

"Iola, there’s something I need to say."

"As do I."

"I didn’t know you were my fiancé yesterday."

"Neither did I."

As Viretta was about to clear up the previous day’s misunderstanding, Iola spoke first.

"I never imagined I’d be the dreadful fiancé pushing you into an unwanted marriage and forcing you into a pit of misery. They say you can know everything about the world but still not know yourself. I deeply regret my actions."

"Dreadful? That’s not true," Viretta said, taken aback by his remorseful tone, feeling the need to defend him. Hearing him call himself dreadful pricked her conscience. After all, she had painted him as a heartless scoundrel and a fool.

"No, it is dreadful. To think I nearly brought sadness to someone who’s already in love… that’s a terrible thing."

"You didn’t know about my situation, so you’re blameless."

"Thank you for your kind words. But ignorance doesn’t absolve me. I cannot be innocent, even if I didn’t know."

"You’re too humble."

Viretta was starting to admire his modesty.

"As I said yesterday, I believe that one can live happily with anyone by finding a way to match each other. There’s something to love in everyone, and as long as there’s trust and respect, unhappiness can be avoided."

He looked at her with a refreshing smile that was as clear as still water. Even without trying to guess his character, it was evident that he was a genuinely kind person. Despite believing that she was in love with someone else, he showed no signs of bitterness.

Granted, they weren’t close enough to speak of betrayal after only one meeting, but finding out that the person he was about to marry had another love would understandably be disheartening.

Yet here he was, blaming himself instead. He was truly kind, which made it hard for Viretta to confess her true thoughts outright.

"That’s a very admirable perspective."

Viretta, in truth, was rather open to the idea of an arranged marriage with a man she’d never met. Why? Because she was none other than the second daughter of Cadlen Medleridge, owner of the vast Medleridge Trading Company.

The Medleridge Company was a family-run business, centered around Cadlen, with his brothers and their spouses holding significant positions. It was a sizable enterprise, and the family couldn’t afford to risk its future by picking the wrong heir. Thus, the Medleridge children were raised to be financially savvy and learn bookkeeping from an early age.

Those who showed talent took on important roles within the company, while those who didn’t were married into suitable families to secure business alliances.

From an outsider’s perspective, this might seem cold and calculating, but that wasn’t the whole story. If a child spoke of true love, they would be given a portion of the family wealth to set out on their own.

Viretta’s oldest aunt had left for foreign lands under such circumstances, and her cousin had been given a shop in the capital, where he lived with a musician he adored.

However, not working in the company meant being deemed unfit for business, with the Medleridge family’s guarantee that one was not "merchant material."

Those who left usually struggled to maintain a modest shop or slowly depleted their wealth. Even the least capable Medleridge child understood that much.

That’s why they embraced arranged marriages brokered by Cadlen. The partners he selected were always from respectable families, and even if things went wrong, he would have their backs.

As Iola had said, there was something to love in everyone, and over time, even affection could grow. Viretta’s elder sister, who had agreed to an arranged marriage, was still happily married after several years.

Viretta had decided to follow her sister’s example. A sweeping, passionate love had never found her, and no gallant knight was likely to appear. So why not secure her father’s generous support?

Besides, Iola valued mutual respect and trust in marriage. This union could be a blessed and peaceful one. It certainly looked that way.

"Indeed, trust and respect are essential elements of marriage."

"There’s no need to agree with me. I was short-sighted, thinking your view on love would be the same as mine. Your words have taught me a powerful lesson."

Assuming the marriage went through, that is.

Their engagement was on precarious ground due to a misunderstanding—one mostly of Viretta’s own making.

Iola, with no malice, was gradually inching away from the engagement in the most earnest way possible.

"I’m glad to have been of help."

"I understand that when you said you didn’t want a loveless marriage, you weren’t merely speaking of throwing yourself into love and hoping for a miracle. You spoke of striving for the life you desire, whether that be love or honor, and the effort it takes to achieve it."

"Yes… yes, that’s right," she replied.

Viretta forced a weak smile. She was running out of ways to respond.

With Iola constantly praising her as if she were some grand hero, she could barely find a moment to correct him. And yet, the flattery was sweet, even in a situation like this.

Taking the empty cup from Iola, she placed it along with the teapot on the windowsill. Now that his hands were free, Iola clutched at his chest and lowered his gaze with a look of determination.

"Cadlen Medleridge is no ordinary man. Defying him won’t be easy as his daughter…"

As a merchant lord, Cadlen had authority that rivaled that of any noble. Unlike a lord, whose estate would rise or fall regardless, the success of a merchant company depended heavily on the leader’s competence.

Cadlen had led the Medleridge Company for decades with skill, and turning away from his authority wasn’t something one did lightly.

Iola understood this well, and Viretta gratefully took the opportunity to lean into his assumption.

"Yes, that’s true. My father can be… insistent. So about that…"

Iola cut in, his face aglow with admiration.

"I understand. Yet you’ve made a firm decision."

She hadn’t. She was only vaguely hoping to marry and live near the family estate, the way things were now. That didn’t count as a firm decision.

"I heard you said you’d slay a dragon to defy your father!"

She really hadn’t.

"What? A dragon?"

A dragon? The terrifying beast that could shake the earth with a single flap of its wings and set forests ablaze with its breath? The creature so fearsome that even veteran hunters would flee at the mere sight of its tracks?

Viretta, too stunned to turn her head, finally remembered the exact words she had said.

She had indeed remarked, "For the one I love, I’d even slay a dragon."

But that was hardly a declaration of intent. At best, it was just a figure of speech, at worst, pure bravado.

"I’m truly impressed. Even suggesting we scout a dragon’s lair gets shot down around here. I’ve never met anyone who actually vowed to hunt one."

He had misunderstood. He hadn’t met anyone who really intended to hunt a dragon.

"You have the resolve to pursue your goal no matter how difficult, and the courage not to bend in the face of opposition. I feel ashamed for being so quick to go with the flow."

Yet, the light in Iola’s eyes was pure and full of sincerity. He wasn’t faking his admiration; his appreciation was genuine.

He didn’t seem like he was just pretending to be impressed, so Viretta carefully asked again.

"Are you… really serious about what you’re saying?"