Chapter 3
I sat down at my desk and spread a sheet of paper wide.
Then I picked up a pen and slowly began retracing the original story.
Come to think of it, Agnes got married to Aiden not long after her coming-of-age ceremony, right?
Since Agnes and I are the same age… oh no. That means there isn’t much time left. I need to hurry.
Aiden and Agnes.
To explain how those two ended up on a “everyone dies together” ending, I had to start from here.
First of all, Aiden’s father, Count Crofton, was not originally a noble.
He was born into a wealthy merchant family, and later bought his title from the former Count Crofton, who had been on the verge of bankruptcy and drowning in debt.
On the other hand, Agnes’s family was the prestigious Carnarvon Count family, one of the founding noble houses of the empire. Her father was an extremely proud man who valued noble status above all else.
Whenever he saw Count Crofton and his son, he would say things like:
“The disgrace of nobility. Selling off a title to lowborn merchants blinded by money. Because of trash like them, the dignity of nobles is falling.”
Well, in the end, when his own family fortune declined, he still ended up marrying his daughter into that very “disgraceful” Crofton family he despised.
Unlike her father, who looked down on Aiden, Agnes didn’t care about his background at all.
No—if anything, she was more drawn to Aiden precisely because he wasn’t like those hypocritical nobles like her father.
He was the son of a merchant-turned-noble, yet he had a sincere, unpretentious personality. On top of that, he had a stunning face that earned him the title of “the empire’s greatest beauty,” and he would help anyone in need regardless of status.
Agnes received countless proposals from elite nobles, but there was only ever one person in her eyes.
Aiden Crofton.
At her debutante ball, Agnes fell for him at first sight and became nothing short of a sunflower following the sun.
She even declared that she would rather join a convent than marry anyone but Aiden, to the point where her father actually slapped her.
But unfortunately, Aiden never believed her sincerity.
“That disgusting smile of yours is revolting. I’d prefer if you just disappeared from my sight. Every time I see you, I’m reminded of your filthy father, and it makes my blood boil.”
Whenever Agnes took one step forward, Aiden would take two steps back—no, ten steps back.
Aiden firmly believed that Agnes, like other nobles and like his own father, was simply mocking his merchant-born background.
And so, Aiden ended up going through a severe “denial phase” regarding Agnes’s feelings—and this was the root of everything.
Hmm. So if I fix the cause, I can solve the problem, right?
I didn’t really want to interfere in other people’s love lives, but I had no choice. For my friend’s happy ending, I made a decision.
I would become a kind of love cupid to end Aiden’s “Agnes denial phase” early…!
On a peaceful afternoon, sunlight poured down over the Crofton estate garden.
As usual, I sat across from Aiden, enjoying a relaxed tea time.
“You’re acting weird.”
Aiden suddenly broke the silence.
“W-what? What do you mean?”
I lifted my head at the unexpected comment, and saw him resting his chin on his hand, narrowing his eyes at me.
“What’s weird?”
“Everything. From start to finish.”
When I asked again, he raised one eyebrow.
“Talking about useless things all of a sudden.”
“When did I—”
“Agnes.”
I flinched.
“You’ve been talking about that woman all day lately.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
I pouted and shook my head, but honestly… he wasn’t wrong.
If I keep hearing her name, I’ll get used to it. If I get used to it, I can get closer. And if I get closer… feelings will follow, right?
Now that I had decided to become a love cupid, I had been praising Agnes nonstop whenever I got the chance.
…Now that I think about it, maybe I did overdo it.
“You’re definitely acting strange.”
“Ugh, you’re repeating yourself. Honestly, when have you ever thought I was normal?”
I shrugged it off and changed the topic.
“Hey, Aiden. Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
The moment he nodded, I pulled out a notebook and pen I had prepared on my lap.
“What’s your ideal type?”
Silence fell again.
Aiden narrowed his eyes once more and stared at me suspiciously.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He tilted his chin toward my pen.
“Explain this. Why are you suddenly interested in my ideal type?”
“That’s…”
Obviously, it was to pass the information to Agnes.
The truth itched at my throat, but I couldn’t say it out loud. So I rolled my eyes and quickly improvised.
“R-reference material!”
“Reference material?”
I snapped my fingers.
“I’m thinking of writing a book.”
“What kind of book?”
“Um… a r-romance novel?”
“A romance? You? Someone who’s never even dated? The only man you talk to is me.”
“W-what are you talking about! I’ve talked to plenty of men!”
“Who.”
“That time at the party, the young lord of Velburn…”
“That was just you spilling wine on him and apologizing.”
“…Anyway!”
“And who else?”
“Th-there are others!”
“Like who?”
I tried to dodge the question, but Aiden pressed relentlessly.
“I’m really curious who you’ve been talking to so much.”
“…Fine! Only my father! Happy?!”
Embarrassed, I shouted and turned away.
This guy really loves picking on me when he clearly knows everything already.
Honestly, I’m the only reason we’re still friends. Anyone else would’ve cut him off ages ago!
While I was sulking internally, Aiden tapped the table lightly.
“Funny woman.”
“What?”
“You asked for my ideal type, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“I like funny women.”
“…Huh?”
Without thinking, I grabbed my notebook again.
Aiden’s ideal type, number one: funny woman.
That’s… pretty broad.
“And?”
“She has to be pretty.”
Number two: she has to be beautiful.
Well, considering his face, of course his standards would be high.
“Next?”
“Hmm… someone with charisma.”
“A charismatic woman?”
“Yeah. Someone who can control me.”
Number three: likes being led around.
That’s unexpected.
“And…”
He paused again, as if teasing me.
I waited expectantly.
Aiden looked at me for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“A woman who’s clueless but bright and cheerful.”
Clueless but bright…?
Ah. I see now.
So Aiden likes the “sunshine heroine” type!
That actually made sense. Agnes was exactly that—enduring his coldness and still shining brightly.
Let’s see… if I combine everything:
“So your ideal type is someone pretty, funny, charismatic enough to control you, clueless, and bright?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded twice slowly.
“How is it? Helpful?”
“…It’s a bit too specific to be useful.”
“What do you mean?”
As I was trying to organize his traits, I suddenly noticed the faint curve of Aiden’s lips.
Then I realized.
I’ve been played.
Of course he answered so easily. It was all a joke!
“Hey… you were messing with me, weren’t you?!”
Aiden turned his face away, covering his mouth.
“Pff—ahahaha!”
His shoulders shook as he finally burst out laughing.
“Sorry, Leticia. You looked so serious writing it down, I couldn’t help it. But half of it was kinda true.”
I crossed my arms and glared at him.
“Excuse me, Aiden. What do you mean ‘true’?”
He raised a hand lazily.
“Alright, alright. I’ll answer properly this time. My ideal type is simple. Just—”
“Nope. I’m not falling for it again.”
I sighed and cut him off.
“I knew it. You were just messing with me.”
I shoved the notebook onto the table in frustration.
Ideal type investigation… failed.
Still, it’s fine.
Even without that information, I already have plenty of plans to connect Aiden and Agnes.
“Oh right, you didn’t forget about tomorrow, did you?”
I asked while fixing my clothes.
“Of course not.”
Aiden nodded.
“But why are we meeting at the Rutten Library again?”
“The Rutten Library.”
That was the first plan.
