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Volume 2, Chapter 10: I hear my stepfather’s opinions.

“Are you okay?”

Risa sat in the staff room on the second floor of the café with Gilford.

Most of the customers left along with the onlookers who came to see what the commotion was all about. Risa took a break after leaving the now empty café to Zeke and Helena.

“I’ll raise a formal protest towards the lady at a later date so rest easy.”

“Gil, I don’t really understand why it’s become like this… she suddenly threw her fan at me, too.”

“She did?! Good grief…”

Gilford grimaced and told Risa of the lady’s background.

Viscount Sylvares’s eldest son had brought his wife and their daughter on a business trip to the capital. While his interest was in trade, her interest was having their daughter seduce the crown prince and become the queen.

Although she tried various ways to have the crown prince interact with their daughter, none of her endeavors bore fruit. In frustration, she took to the streets in a shopping spree.

According to Gil, it reached her ears through the grapevine that Risa was the prime marriage candidate for the crown prince, and she practically flew to the café in a rage.

“She didn’t know that you’re the daughter of the Claude family. Even so, I really doubt how well their character and morals are when they defame someone in public like that.”

Gilford shrugged and said, “The people in between social classes trumpet their titles the loudest.”

His face turned serious, however and he looked at Risa.

“Regardless of where the information was leaked, it’s now public knowledge that you’re the prime marriage candidate for the crown prince. Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles. We will probably receive a formal proposal soon.”

Although he had not been present when Lucius had visited, Gilford had already known about this for quite some time. However, he had no wish to let his daughter’s hand be taken so he never spoke directly to Risa about it.

He recently heard rumors that there was a proposal in secret. Worried, he ran to Risa as fast as he could.

“If I reject the talks, will anything bad happen to the Claude family…?”

If she refused, Risa worried that there would be effects on the Claude family honor and Gilford’s position.

“It depends on your reason for refusing. Even if you are our daughter, it is ample reason to refuse the talks based on our lack of connection by blood. However, there are precedents of lower-ranking nobles who were adopted into higher-ranking noble families to marry royalty.”

Despite Risa just surviving the scandal in the café, Gilford voiced his opinions bluntly.

As long as she introduced herself with the Claude surname, Risa was a person of the Marquis of Claude. They informed her of the proposal and gave her the freedom to decide.

“You don’t have to think about the Claude family, just think about what you want to do. We didn’t adopt you as our daughter so we could be connected with royalty. If you want to marry His Highness Edgar, by all means do so. Of course, if you don’t want to, that’s okay too. Personally, I still want you to be my daughter for a long, long time.”

Risa simply smiled a troubled smile.

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… Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.

What a true saying, Risa thought as she grit her teeth.

The commotion yesterday served as the first spark, and word spread like fire across the whole street that Risa was the prime marriage candidate for the crown prince. The second the café opened, customers piled in over each other to press her on the truth of it.

As it was indeed true, she couldn’t deny it, only vaguely replying with “I cannot say anything on the matter.”

The first wave of customers were regulars and gossip-loving housewives. In the afternoon, however, the demographic changed as nobility began to appear in the crowd.

They set their targets on Risa and observed, judged her every move, not even bothering to enjoy their meals. Even Zeke and Helena were affected by the tense atmosphere.

Risa felt bad for them. Concerned for her, the two of them waited on the customers and managed to keep the café event free until closing time.

However, Risa realized with rising dread that the same situation would happen the following day, and she began to feel depressed about going to the café.

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She barely slept that night. Dragging her feet behind her, Risa managed to get out of the house and began to walk towards the market.

The sky was covered with thick, gray clouds. It looked like it was going to rain today. The ocean was probably already showing signs of a storm, as all of the seafood stores were closed.

The vegetable and fruit stores displayed fresh wares as always, but due to the weather or her low mood, Risa couldn’t seem to see anything that stood out to her.

“Hm? Risa? You’re earlier than usual today.”

Risa stopped when she was called by the lady owner of one of the stores she frequented.

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

The lady owner’s brightness characteristic of a model saleswoman was blinding for Risa today.

I’ll talk to her for a minute or two and leave. Risa thought, but another woman who looked like a customer approached the stall, so Risa turned to leave.

At that moment.

Suddenly her vision blurred, and the sky tilted.

Hearing the lady owner and the customer’s frantic voices far off in the distance, Risa fell unconscious into the darkness.