I Reincarnated as the Daughter of a Runaway Sub Heroine - Chapter 75

“So, what’s the next gathering you’ll be attending with Lord Acanthus? I want to think about the dress and accessories in advance.”

“The equestrian meeting.”

“Equestrian?”

Bell asked, clearly surprised.

“Why equestrian of all things?”

I gestured for Bell to come closer. She leaned in to listen. I whispered softly to her.

“I’m still not good at acting, so I think it would be better to use my body instead.”

Bell straightened up and nodded vigorously.

“That makes sense. For you, physical romance would be better. It’s a great idea.”

“Exactly. I may not be good at other things, but I’m really good at physical activities…”

“Pfft!”

Suddenly, Derek spat out the tea he had been drinking. Ugh, how disgusting! I immediately scolded him.

“What are you doing? Why did you suddenly do that?”

“Uh, um… Just a moment…”

Derek’s face turned bright red as he hurriedly left to wash up.

When I shot a glance at Bell, asking why he was acting like that, she shrugged, indicating she didn’t know either.

Soon, a waiter came to clear the table. Just as I thought I would have to get up as soon as Derek returned, I felt a strong gaze and turned around.

But all I saw were people enjoying cake and tea.

“Ar?”

As I scanned the surroundings, Bell’s eyes widened. I quickly shook my head.

“It’s nothing.”

I felt like I had sensed something just now.

Is it just my imagination?

At that moment, Derek returned, and Bell and I stood up.

* * *

The day of the equestrian meeting was sunny.

Hyperion and I stood side by side, ready to greet everyone. The Duchess, who had been looking at us with delight, suddenly rushed over and kissed my cheek.

“You look so beautiful today! How did Libby give birth to such a pretty and smart daughter?”

Hyperion received the same treatment. He grimaced slightly but accepted his mother’s affection relatively calmly.

“It’s so nice to see you two together like this. Your parents should see this soon.”

With a hint of regret in her voice, the Duchess made me suddenly envision the scene of both my parents being here together.

I was sure my mother would look at Hyperion with eyes full of honey. But my father… he would probably have a face that wanted to throw Hyperion far away immediately.

“By the way, you two should brace yourselves for a bit of hardship today.”

I expressed my confusion at her sudden remark.

“Hardship?”

“Today is your first official gathering as a couple. People are likely to be quite mischievous. They’ll keep asking questions and egging you on. That’s how it is for couples who first debuted as lovers at the debutante ball. Anyway, since you’re going, have fun!”

The Duchess waved her hands vigorously at us. I climbed into the carriage, feeling that something was off even before we set off.

Am I really doing well right now? Is this okay? Even while deceiving the Duchess like this?

Lost in such self-doubt, I bumped my head against the carriage wall and noticed Derek glaring at Hyperion from the front seat.

“Derek, what’s wrong? Why are you looking at Hyperion like that?”

“What do my eyes look like right now?”

“How should I put it? It’s like a younger brother looking at a thug trying to pull a fast one on his sister.”

Derek clenched his teeth and abruptly turned his head away.

“…It’s nothing.”

I found it a bit ridiculous and looked at Hyperion. He seemed just as clueless.

Bell, sitting next to Derek, muttered, “You’ve been acting strange since yesterday… Your condition isn’t good…”

My head was already spinning, and now I had to deal with Derek’s behavior too.

The equestrian meeting was held in a quiet garden created on the outskirts. Although it was called a garden, it was quite large, with forests and a lake.

Aside from riding horses, the activities there were not much different from the usual balls. We would ride horses, engage in social conversations, enjoy prepared food and tea, and return home before evening.

Since we had to ride, I wore a simpler dress than usual. I also braided my hair to keep it from blowing in the wind.

If it were a grand occasion, I might have worn riding clothes, but in the capital, it was customary for noblewomen to wear skirts when riding. Nevertheless, I was pretty good at riding side-saddle.

After we arrived, I got down from the carriage with Hyperion’s escort. As soon as we appeared, the nobles who had arrived early flocked around us.

“Lord Acanthus!”

“Lady Iskas, we’ve been waiting for you!”

They quickly surrounded us. I paused for a moment, taken aback by the flood of curious gazes, but then I smiled brightly.

“It’s so nice to see you all. What a lovely day it is today! Perfect weather for riding, isn’t it?”

“Indeed! It’s great weather for doing anything. Riding, romance…”

“Whatever the weather, everything must look beautiful to you two right now.”

“Why just the weather? Everything in the world must be sparkling and radiant at this moment.”

With loud laughter, everyone’s eyes gleamed like crescent moons. They seemed determined to tease me no matter what I said.

Sigh… Today was going to be another challenging day.

“But what is it about the lord that you find appealing, Your Grace?”

As the questioning began in earnest, I chose the safest answer.

“Well, it’s his character.”

“Your Grace, please don’t tell such lies!”

At the sharp remark from a noblewoman, my heart sank for a moment. What? Have I been found out already?

“To say it’s his character when the duke is famous for his outstanding looks! I doubt anyone here believes that!”

Everyone burst into laughter at once, and I awkwardly joined in. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“But when did you two first meet? I heard you’ve known each other since childhood.”

This was a particularly challenging question. I answered confidently.

“I first met him when I was six years old, during a brief visit to the capital with my parents.”

“Goodness! So you’ve harbored feelings for each other since such a young age! How wonderful!”

People laughed again, and I was truly taken aback.

Are you kidding me? What does a six-year-old know about love? Is this really what we’re talking about?

I clenched my teeth and glanced toward the palace. It was about time we arrived, but there was still no sign of the royals.

I had never wished for the royals to arrive so quickly. They needed to come so that these questions would stop.

“But what was the turning point for you two to confirm your feelings for each other?”

At the next challenging question, I nearly bit my tongue.

This is bad! Hyperion and I hadn’t coordinated anything about this. What on earth were we doing when we had the chance?

“Well…”

Just as I was about to say something, Hyperion’s voice rang out beside me.

“There was no specific turning point. I fell in love with the lady from the moment I first met her.”

I stared at Hyperion with wide eyes. The smooth, expressionless lie was starting again.

“So, have you two been in regular contact since childhood?”

“No, other than one letter exchanged, we haven’t communicated at all.”

“Why? You said you liked the lady from your first meeting!”

“I wanted to appear before the lady as a man, not as a child.”

Hyperion looked at me and smiled gently.

“Of course, I liked her before, but when I saw her standing under the tree with the petals falling, I realized that I still loved her.”

This was clearly a lie, and I knew it in my mind, yet it sounded so true.

I stared at him with a slightly dazed feeling.

Right now, Hyperion’s eyes were sparkling brighter than ever, filled with light.

I couldn’t understand how the eyes of someone telling a lie could be so beautiful.

If that were a lie, then perhaps all the beauty in the world I had known was fake.

“Oh my!”

“How romantic!”

Just like last time when Bell had said that, I smiled brightly at the noblewomen who wore ecstatic expressions. And I thought, can we please stop the questions now?

“The Prince and Princess have arrived!”

At that moment, the voice I had been wishing for rang out.