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Chapter 70: Autumn Chrysanthemum
“I looked forward to meeting you today. My name is Melanie Bertland.”
“Thank you for coming, Lady Melanie. My name is Leopoldo Reinalpha.”
Under a high, clear autumn sky, Leopold and Melanie met for the first time in anticipation of their engagement.
She had blonde hair and purple eyes like her older sister Vivian.
She was a petite girl with a slender body and wore a soft muslin dress that suited her well.
When she and Leopoldo, who also has blond hair but has blue eyes, stand side by side, they look like a pair of dolls.
The weather was fine, and the two took a walk in the garden after tea.
Melanie seemed to have a quiet personality and was looking down shyly all the time.
She gently lays her slender fingers on Leopold’s proffered hand and quietly walks next to him.
“
”
Leopold is not a great talker either. Melanie, however, seems to have a quieter personality.
Nevertheless, an awkward but not uncomfortable silence descends between the two as they walk through the garden.
Nothing, I won’t say anything.
Such words were floating in Leopold’s mind.


About ten days earlier, Leopold had been summoned by Melanie’s sister Vivian to the school and met her in the backyard.
Vivian showed up at the agreed-upon location with her fiancé Aquinas on the scheduled lunch break.
Aquinas, who is in the same Knight Training Department as Leopold, is the second son of the Knight Commander and a classmate of Leopold.
After graduation, he is to be groomed by the Duke of Bertrand, who has no legitimate son.
“Reinalpha-sama. I apologize for calling on you so suddenly. Please allow my fiancĂ©e to accompany me.”
“No, Aquinas’s presence is probably necessary to avoid misunderstandings among those around us. So, what is this about?”
“Yes. This, of course, concerns my sister Melanie.”
Vivian’s eyes then turned her strong-willed eyes straight to Leopold.
Leopold recalled Vivian’s gaze at that moment.
Then he looks over at the languid Melanie, who looks like her but never quite has the same toughness.

the older sister seems to be sociable and expresses her opinions clearly.
The younger sister, on the other hand, is more reserved and rarely speaks.
Melanie, out of Leopold’s line of sight, smiles and gazes at the beautifully blooming flowers.
— “I was not supposed to say anything about you.”
Vivian, whom he met in the backyard, said as she lowered her eyebrows
— “I wanted my sister to cherish the impression she herself had on Reinalpha-sama when she actually meets him. That is why I kept my mouth shut.”
But, Vivian continued.
— “It seems that everywhere in the world, there are people who like to extend extra kindness.”
It was to be expected. One cannot put a door in another’s mouth.
When I decided to leave Natalia, I was prepared for it to be unpleasant news.
But Melanie was in a position where she was not originally associated with such abominations.
She could have been.
— “It seems that someone went to the trouble of telling her about the relationship between Reinalpha-sama and Miss Natalia.”
Vivian stood as if troubled, and Aquinas put his hand on her shoulder as if he was trying to help her.
The two of them cuddling together reminded him of how he and Natalia had been months ago, and this made his heart ache.

no, that’s not it.
Leopoldo shook his head.
Next to him, Melanie looks up curiously.
It is Lady Melanie’s feelings that he should be thinking about now.
And not a love affair that he has decided to abandon.
Leopold, in his clumsy way, desperately tried to wrap his head around this idea.
How can I remove Lady Melanie’s concerns?
How can I reassure Lady Melanie when she is being engaged to a man who, just a few months ago, was in a relationship with another young lady?
— “If
 she is rude to you, please do not be offended.”
Vivian bowed her head, and Leopold also hung his head deeply. That was the end of the conversation.


So I came today prepared to be told something.
I was going to respond with sincerity and wholeheartedness, even if she cursed at me, was sarcastic, or made fun of my relationship with Natalia.
But contrary to expectations, Melanie said nothing.
The subtleties of the subject are still too difficult for Leopold to understand if he should bother to talk about it when he is not asked.

I should have consulted Rembrandt.
Leopold, who has complete trust in Rembrandt, is deeply remorseful, but it didn’t occur to him that Rembrandt doesn’t actually have a lover, let alone a fiancĂ©e.
Just smile.
I want her to know that I enjoy being with her and that I am comfortable spending time with her.
To convey that I have no negative feelings about having Lady Melanie as my fiance.
“
Lady Melanie.”
Leopold smiled and turned his head towards Melanie.
“Do you like flowers?”
When she looked up when her name was called, Leopold spoke softly to her, and Melanie nodded her head, a little embarrassed.
“
I love to look at them and take care of them.”
“I see. That’s great. I’m not familiar with them, I don’t really know the names of these flowers or what species they are.”
Yes, it was hard to give her a bouquet of flowers because I couldn’t even tell the flowers apart. I didn’t know what to give, so I just asked Natalia to tell me some of her favorite flowers

He then came back to himself at this point.
What am I doing?
I’ve already broken up with Natalia.
“Well, did any of these flowers happen to be a favorite of Lady Melanie’s?”
“
yes.”
Melanie looked around and eventually indicated one flower with her hand.
“If it were a flower of the season, it would be over there.”
Her hand points in the direction of a pure white flower.
“It’s beautiful. What kind of flower is it?”
“It is called autumn chrysanthemum. It is also called autumn peony. I like it because it is very elegant and gorgeous, but not too assertive.”
“I see. I’m learning.”
Leopold chuckled.
Melanie looked up at Leopold and smiled at him a little sadly.
“Lady Melanie. Thank you for being so forthcoming about your engagement with me. I hope to be able to spend more time with you like this next time.”
“
”
Melanie blinked slightly and stumbled over her words.
Then she replied “Yes” in a feeble voice.