Translated by: Etmety
“Let’s just pretend we never got engaged, Irene.”
This didn’t happen at the ball or at the coming of age ceremony,
It happened in a garden.
In a small quaint farming village, surrounded by old agricultural machines rotted away by time–is where my engagement ended.
“Wanna get married when we grow up?”
My childhood friend, Jimmy, said to me at that time.
“My daughter can only marry a hardworking man!”
That’s what my idiot farmer dad said.
“You’re already the most beautiful girl in the village. Don’t say that we are poor!”
Is what my father told me.
Honest Jimmy started working himself to bone to make sure that he was the most hardworking man in the village.
The feudal lord learned about his steady improvement and decided to invite him into his home. Once there, he fell in love with the daughter of the feudal lord.
Jimmy, who told me to call off the engagement, seemed apologetic. However, there was an obvious ambitious gleam in his eyes as he said this.
While he was in the arms of the feudal lord’s daughter, Hilda.
“Irene, I will never forget our time together, but when I met Lady Hilda. The world–I was amazed and shocked at how beautiful she is.”
“Waa…”
“Lady Hilda didn’t even brag about how beautiful she was when she poured me some tea. At that time, I thought, this is what being happy truly means.”
“Eh…”
“I know how resilient you are Irene.That is why you do not need me to protect you. But Hilda ojou-sama is gentle… she can’t be left alone.”
“Oh.”
With the way he said these things it sounded more like the stories you’d hear from wandering minstrels. I sighed.
“I’m sorry, it was Jimmy’s eagerness that made me fall in love with him.”
“Lady Hilda… I know I’m speaking above my station but you…”
The couple just stared at each other dreamily.
I was but an audience to them, and it seemed that me watching made them seem more like a centerpiece.
My useless eyes started to tear up.
“Oh, is that so…”
“I’m sorry that you still dream of us getting married.”
“No, I didn’t dream of Jimmy”
“Eh?”
“Because we promised each other when we were kids? I don’t care, be free.”
“What are you saying?… Ah ahh, you are just putting on a brave face.”
“Wha?”
“You bless us with those words.”
“No, don’t cry for us…”
That whole ordeal was exhausting, I picked up my things and started to head back home.
“That wasn’t what I meant, but… well, be happy?”
I said to them as I slowly shut the door behind me.
