10. Corydalis Says That One Cliché

Bringing Stellaria over to the Pulcherrima manor had successfully alleviated her insecurities about her rank. My parents had welcomed her into the family with open arms, after all. I could already tell that they were going to end up adoring her even more than me, their own son. I mean, I’d already seen the same exact scenario play out with my brothers and their wives before me.

Next on the list was Stellaria’s parents. For me, this part was about ten times more nerve-wracking.

But if they’re against it, that’s when it’s time to whip out the ace up my sleeve—Duke Fisalis himself!

* * *

To the Fisalis manor!

I’d been there several times before; however, that was always as “a friend (or sometimes subordinate) of the duke’s.” I had always arrived nonchalantly, without any pretenses or so much as a care in the world.

But today was different!

Today I’m stopping by to meet Stellaria’s parents and introduce myself as her beau. Should I even use the front door? If I’m here to meet with a couple of servants, am I better off coming in through the kitchen door or the servant’s entrance (if they even have one of those)?

Hmm...I’m not sure how to proceed here.

As I was hemming and hawing outside the main entrance, someone called out, “This way, Corydalis!”

I looked for the source of the voice, and lo and behold, the one beckoning me from the entryway was none other than the vice captain’s wife herself!

“Good afternoon! You’re here as Stellaria’s guest today, right? Hee hee, we’ve been waiting for you.”

The grin on Mrs. Fisalis’s face was more endearing (or just mischievous, maybe?) than ever. I was almost taken aback by her candor.

And while I was still reeling over the duchess herself showing up to receive me...

“Sorry. She insisted on coming out to get you and wouldn’t hear a word against it.”

The vice captain popped out from behind her, a sardonic smile on his face! Just what do you think you’re doing?!

Throughout all of this, the usual butler was hanging back with an unperturbed look on his face. Wait, does this sort of thing happen on the daily?

“Don’t be. I’m sorry to make you guys go to all this trouble.”

I’m actually pretty glad of it, though. If she hadn’t called out to me, I could’ve been stuck dawdling outside the entrance forever.

“Come on—in you go!” Mrs. Fisalis said in a light, sing-song voice, ushering me inside the manor.

“Stellaria’s parents are waiting for you in the parlor. Allow me to escort you,” the butler offered in place of the duchess, who practically had a skip in her step.

We headed from the entryway to the parlor.

Ugh... The nerves are starting to get to me. My movements are so stiff, even I can tell how awkward I look! What’s the right way to walk, again? I’m so tense my arms and legs are practically swinging in sync!

Meanwhile...

“I want to go with him!”

“That’s an awful idea. You’ll just be a fifth wheel.”

“Okay, then how about I stay right here and keep a low profile?”

“No eavesdropping either!”

The closer I got to the parlor, the closer my anxiety levels got to maximum capacity—and yet the duke and duchess chose that moment to have a little lover’s quarrel right in front of my face.

I’m about to go ask Stellaria’s parents for permission to marry their daughter. Why on earth would you want to stick around for that, Madam?

“Uh-huh. Come along now, Vi.”

“Boo!”

The moment the duchess excitedly pressed her ear against the door, the vice captain scooped her up in his arms and carried her off somewhere.

What was that all about?

“My apologies.”

While I stood there watching them go, speechless, their butler apparently felt the need to apologize for their behavior.

Not your fault. Besides, it soothed my nerves a little, I have to admit.

Now that their little comedy act was over with, I strode toward the door. I was still feeling pretty anxious, but faint heart never won fair lady, as they say.

The butler held open the door for me, and when I stepped inside, I found Stellaria and her parents there waiting for me. Her father had a dour look on his face from the moment I entered the room, while her mother had an imposing air about her—almost like she was sizing me up.

Uhh... So I guess we’re all in battle mode over here, huh? I’d really appreciate a friendlier atmosphere, guys! I already miss that laid-back mood the duke and his wife set earlier... No, no, that’s the wrong attitude to have. I can’t let myself lose here! Fight hard, Corydalis!

“My name is Corydalis Cashmeriana Pulcherrima. I’ll get straight to the point: please allow me to marry your daughter! I promise to put her above anyone or anything else in the entire world, and I’d never, ever do anything to hurt her!”

In times like these, you had to bust out the clichés. It may have been a hackneyed line, but it accurately expressed my true feelings. I just asked for her hand in marriage point blank.

Facing Stellaria’s parents, who were seated across from me, I lowered my head in a deep bow.

Silence filled the room.

I could feel myself breaking out into a cold sweat. Somebody, please say something!

Just as I started to grow impatient, keeping my head down all the while...her father finally broke the silence, his arms folded and the stern look still plastered on his face. “You think I’d hand my darling daughter over to some nobody?!”

My head snapped back up on reflex, and I saw the man glaring back at me.

Just as I was thinking to myself that the line sounded oddly familiar (or rather, maybe it was just the kind of stock phrase you hear all the time) and wondering whether I ought to point that out, Stellaria’s mother did the job for me. “What are you going on about, dear? He’s hardly ‘some nobody’—he’s the son of a marquis. And both a friend and subordinate of our master, at that,” she retorted calmly, shooting her husband an icy stare.

Nice comeback! Thanks!

At that, the hitherto stony-faced father abruptly broke out into a huge grin.

“Oh, I’m aware. I’ve just always wanted the chance to say that! There, it’s all out of my system now,” he said, the very picture of informality.

With that, the mood in the room did a total one-eighty, shifting into something a lot more laid-back. That’s a pretty big image overhaul you just went through there, dad!

Seeing as I had no idea which persona was the “real” him, I’d sort of been thrown for a loop. Fortunately, Stellaria leaned over to whisper in my ear: “This is what he’s usually like—the easygoing type.”

So his whole super overbearing shtick was just an act, then.

His smiling face—no, his features in general looked a lot like Stellaria’s. She had claimed to take after her father, I guess.

“All right, I’ll stop joking around now. I’m Cartham—both the head chef of the Fisalis manor and Stellaria’s father.” He introduced himself, keeping a straight face this time around.

“Right.”

“And I’m Dahlia, her mother and the manor’s head maid.”

“We’ve met a few times before, I believe. It’s good to see you again.”

We each bobbed our heads in acknowledgment.

“As we’ve just explained, both we and Stellaria are mere servants. She’s hardly of high enough standing to be wed to the son of a marquis, so I can’t help but wonder if you’d be better off finding yourself a more appropriate match,” said Cartham, attempting to let me down gently.

That’s a normal reaction, I guess. But it’s fine—I already got myself permission.

“There’s no need to worry about her rank! My father may be a marquis, but I’m just his third son. I left home to go live in the chivalric order’s dormitories a while back, so I’m more of a knight than a nobleman in practice.”

“Hardly! That may sound all well and good, but if you were to go and marry a servant girl, I imagine your parents would still have some objections.”

“It’s fine! Did you tell them about our talk the other day, Ria?” I checked.

She gave a firm nod. “I did.”

Cartham and Dahlia backed her up on that. “Our daughter told us about her visit to the marquis’s manor.”

That ought to make things simple, then.

“Whether the two of you give your approval or not, the Pulcherrima family has already acknowledged Ria as my fiancée,” I said, flashing them a smile.

“I see you’re quite determined, Sir Corydalis.”

“Of course.”

“Well then...I only ask that you take good care of our daughter—our Stellaria.”

“I most certainly will! Thank you very much!”

The married couple rose to their feet and gave me a deep bow. Naturally, I inclined my own head in turn.

Sweet! Now we’ve got the go-ahead from both families!

“We’re officially engaged now,” I said to Stellaria, a grin on my face.

“Indeed we are,” she replied, smiling right back.

“Excuse me. There’s, er...one last thing I’d like to ask you,” Cartham timorously interjected.

What’s this about?

“Sure, go ahead.”

“With all due respect, I’ve heard whisperings that you have a preference for, well...”

He trailed off toward the end, like he was almost reluctant to finish the sentence.

Arrrrgh! Not these accusations again! People still believe that?! And you’re telling me the rumors spread all the way to the Fisalis manor?!

I shot down his suspicions as decisively as I could. “That master of yours made that whole thing up! It’s a completely baseless rumor!”

“You’re certain our daughter is who you want?”

“Your daughter is exactly who I want!” I asserted with all my might.

* * *

Being my family’s third son and all, my parents had told me I didn’t have to bother making the pronouncement too flashy; thus, I decided to go ahead and announce our engagement at the chivalric order’s anniversary party.

“This is my first time attending a party, so I’m a little nervous,” Stellaria fretted. She was dressed in an azure gown that I’d given to her as a gift.

“It’s your first time attending one, sure, but you’ve seen what they’re like plenty of times before.”

“From behind the scenes, yes.”

“It’s not all that different as a guest.”

“Oh, come off it!”

I was willing to bet the events at the royal palace were way more extravagant than this one. She’d probably worked those several times before, which meant she already knew her way around a party.

Besides, considering that this was a chivalric order party, it was pretty cozy—and best of all, she had the familiar faces of the duke and duchess to help put her mind at ease.

“The vice captain and his wife are both here too. You’ll be fine.”

“I know. You’re right.” That must have done the trick to calm her nerves, seeing as she finally smiled.

I made the rounds, dragging Stellaria along with me as I did. From superior to subordinate, I made sure to let everyone know, “Hey, guess what? I got engaged!”

My bosses were super happy for me, but my subordinates all kicked up a fuss. Understandable, considering a few of the poor guys were stuck bringing their mothers as their plus one for the evening.

Stellaria turned out to be a great dancer.

“Jeez, Ria...you’ve got to be even better than me.”

“Not at all. It’s merely a hobby of mine.”

“But you used to give the princess lessons, didn’t you?”

“I did, yes.”

She admitted to that like it was nothing, but that pretty much makes her an honorary dancing master...

“Anyone from the duke’s manor could manage this much.”

“Whoa...”

Those first-class servants are not to be underestimated!

“Madam is...not with the Master, I see. My, that’s a surprise.”

“Hm? Oh, huh, you’re right.”

The vice captain was...talking to Alkanna, it looked like. Mrs. Fisalis was off dancing with one of our men.

“That reminds me, our subordinates were going on about some ‘Operation: Hog the Duchess.’”

“What on earth could that be?”

“The duchess has a lot of fans in our department. None of us get to see her too often, though, so some of the knights were planning to spend tonight’s party tearing her away from the vice captain and keeping her all to themselves.”

“My goodness! Hee hee.”

“Everyone is supposed to take turns striking up a conversation with Cercis to distract him, while someone else dances with Mrs. Fisalis in the meantime.”

“The Master is going to be furious once he finally catches on.”

“Oh, I’ll bet.”

It would take a much greater threat than that to make our subordinates back down, though.

“I’ve thought as much for a while now, but you’re quite fortunate to have such wonderful subordinates, Cory.”

“Huh? You think so?”

They’re all pretty capable, sure, but it’s practically a den of eccentrics. There’s plenty of idiots to go around too.

“I do. You’re always having so much fun with them—why, that’s the entire reason everyone fell for that rumor when it was going around.” Stellaria gave an amused giggle.

Uh...whoa there! You mean I dug my own grave (take two)?!

I see now... So that’s why no one denied it...

I stared off into the middle distance.

“I swear, that was just a prank your ‘young master’ pulled.”

“Don’t worry, I realize that now. Oh, that reminds me...”

“What is it?”

“From now on, I need to be sure to remember your subordinates—not just the master’s. Just in case anything were to happen,” she murmured.

That was my wife(-to-be) for you—always on top of her game.

* * *

Meanwhile, when the knights of the chivalric order witnessed Corydalis dragging Stellaria around the party...

“Look! Platoon Leader Pulcherrima brought a girl with him!”

“Him?! You mean the same guy who always talked a big game, but never showed up anywhere with an actual date?”

“It just gets better! Isn’t that the lady-in-waiting who served the princess until not too long ago? I thought I’d stopped seeing her around lately!”

“When did he find the time to get a girlfriend, anyway? And how’d he manage it?! Just look at me—I had to bring my mom along as my party guest!”

“Raaah!”

“When did this happen?!”

“I hate happy people!” came their bitter chorus.