The Reincarnated Villainous Noble Still Won't Try His Best! - Chapter 16 : That was not on purpose!

Chapter 16 : That was not on purpose!

After Cecilia discreetly disappeared, Lilia and I resumed enjoying our date.

While I was exhausted from being dragged around, Lilia walking beside me had a smile as radiant as the sun.

Every time I said something, she would beam with joy, and we wandered through various stalls, following her endless curiosity.

As a result, the sun had fully set, and evening had arrived.

The sky was painted in shades of orange.

My legs were trembling slightly from fatigue unlike anything I’d felt before.

“This date with Marius-sama… It was so much fun.”

“I see… It was worth getting tired to hear you say that.”

“Sorry for dragging you around so much. Are your legs okay?”

“I’m holding up. But you walked just as much as I did, didn’t you? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine! I often sneak out of the castle without telling my family!”

“Don’t be proud of that. You should apologize to His Majesty the King.”

“You sound just like the maids… That’s so mean.”

Haah… The one being mean here is you.

You’re the third princess! Have some consideration for the maids.

“If you think so, maybe you should reflect on your actions. It’s not good to worry the people around you too much.”

“Worry…? Yes, my father often looks worried when I come home. So do my mother and the others.”

“Of course. Everyone cares about you, Lilia, so it’s only natural for them to worry if something were to happen.”

“…Does that include you, Marius-sama?”

“Huh?”

“Marius-sama, do you worry about me too?”

“Me?”

Do I worry about Lilia?

Why…? No, that’s just asking for trouble. After all, even someone like me is her fiancé.

Even if it was a hastily arranged engagement, now that it’s settled, I can’t just ignore it.

I don’t want to say anything careless and risk being charged with disrespect.

I turned my face away and answered.

“…Of course. I’m your fiancé.”

“Marius-sama…! Thank you so much!”

Damn!

As expected of a heroine, she’s incredibly cute.

But I won’t let myself be swayed.

No matter how cute my fiancée is, I will not go out of my way to please her!

I made up my mind firmly.

Just then, a maid appeared behind me.

“You two seem to be having a good time, Marius-sama. Perhaps it would be nice to give her something as a memento of your first date.”

“A gift?”

“Yes, a first date is an important event in one’s life. To make it memorable, you should give her a present. There’s an accessory shop nearby for aristocrats.”

“A present, huh?”

“Come now, let’s hurry. It would be problematic if Princess Lilia were to return without receiving one!”

I don’t really know if that would be problematic…

But I suppose I should do as she says. 

If I keep her happy, she might help me out when I need it.

For example, if she falls for the protagonist and decides to break off the engagement.

I’ll bet on that.

“—Hey, Lilia. Do you have a moment?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“There’s one more place I’d like to visit before we head back. Would you come with me?”

“A place you want to visit, Marius-sama? I don’t mind, but where is it?”

“The maid mentioned about an accessory shop nearby. I want to go there.”

“Accessories… You mean jewelry?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there something you want?”

“No, it’s not for me. I want to give you a present.”

“Wha—”

“Hmm?”

Lilia froze at my words and after a moment, her face turned bright red.

“M-M-Marius-sama… is giving me a present?!”

“Uh, yeah… Do you not want it?”

“I want it! I absolutely want it! I want an engagement ring!”

Hey, calm down princess.

“I’m afraid a ring is a bit much… It’s too serious for someone our age.”

“—Ah! I’m sorry… I got so excited that I lost control… Just take it as a joke… please.”

“Got it. Anyway, let’s head to the shop.”

“Yes…”

Feeling a bit awkward, Lilia and I headed to the shop the maid had mentioned.

If not a ring, what should I get her…?

I pondered as we walked to the shop.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

After about ten minutes of walking, we really did find the accessory shop nearby.

When we entered, the place was filled with an overwhelming number of sparkling items in the display cases.

This was the first time since reincarnating into this world that I’d seen such a sight. It was dazzling…

“Wow! Look at all these accessories!”

“Yeah… It’s quite the sight.”

“This necklace is so beautiful… The blue gemstone is mesmerizing.”

“It suits you, but I can’t let you have a necklace.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“You already have the most precious thing around your neck. You don’t need anything extra.”

“Oh…”

Having said that, I glanced at her neck.

There hung the locket pendant that marked the beginning of our relationship.

There’s no necklace in the world that could surpass that.

So I’d ruled out necklaces from the start.

Of course, rings too.

“Thank you for thinking of my mother.”

“It’s the natural thing to do. Anyway, let’s pick something quickly. If we stay too long, it’ll be late.”

“You’re right. But it might take a while to choose from all of these.”

“True… Is there anything that catches your eye… Oh.”

I found the perfect thing I could give her.

Or rather, a pair of white and blue earrings seemed to be drawing my attention.

They looked familiar somehow…

“Did you find something?”

“What about those? They’re strangely captivating.”

“Umm… the earrings? But I don’t have pierced ears yet…”

“No worries! These earrings are crafted from a special magic stone, so you can wear them without piercing your ears. They’re a bit pricey, though.”

Suddenly, a man who seemed to be either the shopkeeper or manager appeared behind me and explained about the speciality of the earrings.

“…Alright, I’ll buy those.”

“A-Are you sure? Without even asking the price?”

“It’s fine. I am from a duke’s house, after all. We have plenty of money.”

“That may be true, but… earrings that don’t require piercing must be quite expensive.”

“A royal shouldn’t talk like a commoner. Besides, they caught my eye, and I think they’ll look great on you…. Excuse me, I’ll take those.”

“Thank you very much!”

The shopkeeper almost danced as he went to retrieve the earrings.

He must be really happy to make a sale.

I also arranged to have the bill sent to the duke’s house.

I don’t carry much cash on me, but if my father knows it’s a gift for the princess, he won’t complain.

I took the magic stone earrings and handed them to her.

“Here is a present for you.”

“T-Thank you… so much…”

Lilia took the bag from me, looking unusually demure, which left me unsure how to respond.

“Do you want to try them on?”

“Yes… I’d like that. I’ll put them on right away.”

With that, she took the earrings out of the bag.

She handed the bag to the maid and, while looking into the mirror, carefully put the earrings on.

“…They’re beautiful.”

Lilia murmured softly as she gazed at her reflection with the earrings.

“You can wear those even when you’re an adult. In fact, they’ll suit you more and more as you grow.”

“Yes…! Thank you so much, Marius-sama!”

She turned around, her smile the brightest I’d seen all day.

Seeing her expression, and this scene, I suddenly realized… once again, I had made a mistake.

This… was supposed to be a date event with the main protagonist, right?!

☆☆☆☆☆☆

If you are enjoying the translation, do rate the novel 5 stars on our site and novelupdates.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below! 

Also, if you enjoyed my translation, support me by donating a cup of Coffee through Ko-Fi.
The option to donate is available on the top of the page.

Found any errors or typos? Feel free to contact me on Discord. 

TL : Zenon#4120