After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love - Chapter 01.2: A Tea Party with the Silver Rose Lady

Chapter 01.2: A Tea Party with the Silver Rose Lady

Tea parties weren’t anything unusual among nobles.

As I’d seen earlier in the courtyard, they were a common sight within the academy as well.

In a way, they were almost like formal greetings.

But I had little to no experience with noble social gatherings, and of course, I wasn’t used to tea parties either.

What surprised me even more was that the girl herself—not a maid—was the one preparing the tea.

I had assumed she was of high status based on her presence…

But maybe she wasn’t as highly ranked as I thought?

There wasn’t a single attendant in sight at this rose-covered seating area.

Even though the academy allowed up to two personal attendants, it was rare to see a noble of higher rank without a maid or butler nearby.

Well—unless they were like me, forced to go without due to financial reasons.

Aside from my case, this was the first time I’d seen something like that.

Nobles cared a lot about appearances.

Even if it wasn’t practical, maintaining that image was a matter of pride.

…Which probably meant I wasn’t really a noble, huh.

While I quietly poked fun at myself for being a commoner at heart, the silver-haired girl gracefully offered me a cup filled with tea.

“Thank you very much.”

“No need to be so formal. It’s just you and me here, so let’s take it easy.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Is using formal speech really relaxing for you?”

She narrowed her blue eyes slightly.

I could tell what she wanted just by looking at her.

Still, I didn’t know her exact social standing. Was it really okay to drop the formality?

I hesitated for a moment—

But if she was the one saying so…

“Then… just here, I’ll speak casually.”

“You’re a good boy, aren’t you? Very honest.”

“…That’s the first time anyone’s said that to me.”

“It’s the first time I’ve said it too. Most nobles are just too stubborn, after all.”

I could understand what she meant.

Nobles were all about tradition and formality.

They respected customs, but that also made them incredibly rigid.

Even when they liked something new, it still had to follow the rules of tradition.

They hated anything that strayed from the norm.

What she said made sense, but agreeing too easily didn’t sit right with me.

In noble society, it was common for people to act friendly, only to turn on you later.

If you wanted to survive, you had to speak with two tongues—one for show, and one for truth.

Trying to dodge the topic, I brought the teacup to my lips and took a sip—

“…This is good.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

She looked genuinely pleased, and for some reason, my face grew warm.

Still, since it tasted so good, I took another sip.

Tea was a luxury item for commoners.

Even in my failing viscount household, that didn’t change.

We’d occasionally receive some as a gift or through noble connections,

But this tea… this was on a whole other level.

Even someone like me, with a cheap palate, could tell the flavor and aroma were different.

It tasted so good that I honestly felt frustrated I couldn’t describe it any better than just “delicious.”

“Fufu. You liked it that much? How about another cup?”

“That’s…”

I hesitated for just a second.

But honestly, that was just for show.

“…I’d love another.”

“You really are honest to the core.”

She praised me softly, saying it was a good thing, and poured a second cup of tea.

As I sipped it—still feeling a bit shy but fully enjoying the flavor—the noble girl, who never once let go of her gentle smile, finally spoke up.

“By the way, you are… oh, come to think of it, I never asked your name.”

“Ah—Excuse my rudeness!”

“That’s formal speech.”

“…My bad.”

So using formal speech bothered her more than the fact that I hadn’t even introduced myself yet?

I didn’t really get how her mind worked,

But she was right—no matter if I was a noble or commoner,

Not introducing myself after being treated to such fine tea was just plain rude.

Still, I wasn’t too fond of saying my full name out loud.

“I’m—uh… Crule from the Viscount Ryule family…”

“Hmm… Crule Ryule.”

Please don’t say it like that.

She repeated my name slowly, as if tasting the sound of it, then smiled brightly.

“What a lovely name. The way the sounds flow together is beautiful.”

“…Thanks.”

I’d expected her to say that.

It wouldn’t be too bad if the names were used separately,

But why did she have to put them together like that?

Apparently, it was my grandfather who named me… but I couldn’t help wondering if he could’ve done a better job.

“Crule, then I’ll call you Cru.”

“That’s…”

“Not okay?”

“It’s fine.”

I was just caught off guard.

Only my family had ever called me that before.

Her words gave me a strange, ticklish feeling down my back, and to brush it off, I turned the question back to her.

“May I ask your name too?”

“…You’re asking?”

Her blue eyes widened in surprise.

“Uh… wait. Was I… was I not supposed to?”

I got flustered and ended up mixing polite and casual speech.

I knew full well that someone of lower rank asking the name of someone above them could be seen as disrespectful.

But since she told me not to use formal speech, I assumed that also meant I didn’t have to follow those formal rules.

…Was I wrong?

I started to panic, thinking I might’ve offended her—

But luckily, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“…No, it’s nothing. I was just surprised. It’s been a long time since anyone asked my name.”

“Hearing that makes me regret accepting your tea invitation, honestly.”

“Fufu. Why’s that?”

You definitely know why.

She laughed playfully, clearly teasing me.

I let out a small sigh.

Just how high up was she, if even asking her name was off-limits?

Maybe it was because I didn’t attend many social events—being too poor and all—

But I really didn’t remember noble faces very well.

Some nobles with huge egos hired personal painters to make portraits of themselves and spread them around.

But the higher your rank, the less likely you were to do something that risky.

After all, showing your face meant exposing yourself to danger.

The more powerful the noble, the more careful they were about that.

So unless you were active in the social scene, you wouldn’t know what most of them looked like.

That’s how nobles from the countryside often ended up messing up…

Let’s stop there.

This was already way too close to that kind of situation.

Just thinking about how bad this could go made my blood run cold.

“Right… just call me Yuri.”

“Alright.”

Yuri was a common name.

Even her nickname didn’t stand out much.

At this point, I decided—I’d finish this tea party without learning who she really was.

Digging too deep into secrets could easily get you killed.

That was just how noble society worked.

“So Cru, what brought you to the rose maze?”

We’re going back to that?

It wasn’t something I particularly wanted to talk about,

But after being treated to such delicious tea, staying silent made me feel a bit guilty.

“It’s kind of embarrassing to say…”

I gave that small warning before explaining how I ended up here.

That I didn’t really fit in with how the academy revolved around finding marriage partners,

How out of place I felt every day,

And how I was just looking for somewhere to be alone… when I happened to stumble across this place.

Then—

“I get it.”

For some reason, she agreed with me a lot.

So much so that she nearly leaned across the table with enthusiasm,

Making me blink in surprise.

“This academy’s all about finding someone to marry, right? So it’s just proposals, proposals, and more proposals. Even if I turn them down, they just keep coming back. Like bugs. It’s so annoying!”

“B-Bugs?”

“Oops. That was a bit much, wasn’t it?”

She gently covered her mouth, trying to regain her ladylike composure.

Her calm and elegant presence from earlier was completely gone now.

Yuri had her eyebrows furrowed in frustration, venting her irritation loud and clear—

And honestly, it caught me a little off guard.

She was stunning—so beautiful that even the word “goddess” might not do her justice.

Even if she had been a commoner, there was no way men would leave her alone.

But she was clearly someone from the upper class.

It wasn’t hard to imagine the number of suitors she had chasing after her.

Especially in an academy that practically encouraged marriage.

“You’ve had a rough time, huh.”

“I wonder how long it’s been since someone said something nice to me.”

Yuri looked off into the distance with a faraway gaze.

At that point, I had no words left and just let out a dry laugh.

“Maybe things would be different if you had a fiancé.”

“I don’t.”

She shook her head.

I’d already guessed as much from our conversation,

But hearing her say it out loud still caught me off guard.

“Honestly, I’ve never been interested in the idea of marriage. I’ve received plenty of proposals, but I’ve turned them all down.”

“I can understand that.”

Marriage. Engagement. Unions.

Call it what you want—when it came to nobles, love and emotion didn’t matter much.

Most of it was about strategy, alliances, and what benefited the family.

And it wasn’t necessarily wrong.

Those calculated decisions were part of how noble families survived through the generations.

“Still… I don’t like it.”

Maybe I only felt that way because I was from a noble family that was falling apart.

“If I ever get married, I want it to be with someone I love.”

“Cru…”

“Ah.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

What the hell was I saying?

I wasn’t a child with big dreams anymore.

Even if that was how I truly felt, I probably shouldn’t have said it out loud.

It was way too naive… and honestly, kind of embarrassing.

“Sorry, I said something weird—”

“Cru!”

“Huh—what?”

Just as I waved my hand, trying to brush it off like it was nothing,

Yuri suddenly grabbed it tightly with both of her hands.

The strength of her grip surprised me, but even more so, the suddenness of it left me stunned.

She leaned forward so far it looked like she might climb onto the table.

Her face came so close I froze, flustered.

With her blue eyes sparkling, Yuri declared:

“Let’s get engaged!”

Then she added—

“—A fake engagement!”