Evening had come.  The courtyard was enveloped within an orange hue, giving it a dreamlike atmosphere.  Yet amidst all that— Douglas sat all alone at his table, isolated.

“Doesn’t he look kind of look lonely?”
“He does.”

Abby nodded her head up and down at my remark.

“…Abby-san, might I say one thing?”
“Please do.”
“Abby-san, isn’t your sense of judgement much too lacking?”
“……nm?”

An image of an arrow lodging itself into Abby-san’s chest came to mind.

“I have no excuses.  Never did I imagine it would turn out like this…”

Leaving aside the first one, the second was “a pure-looking bitch” and the third was a woman whose background wasn’t even clearly known…

At this rate, finding a girlfriend for Douglas was going to be nothing more than a dream within a dream.

Well, he seemed to like the last one in his own way.  That said, she didn’t give the feeling of a sweetheart in the slightest.

“Ralph only came to watch for fun, but that Douglas guy… he’s kinda pitiful.”

Ralph-chan looked straight at him as he spoke.

“I’ll accompany you on this so called quest to find him a beloved!”

 When I pictured Douglas’ face as he brimmed with determination, my heart also ached.

“I’m… going to speak with him a bit.  Abby-san, Ralph-chan, please wait here for now.”

I burst out from where we were hiding and walked towards Douglas.

“Douglas.”
“Yeah?”

When I called his name, he responded like that.  However, he avoided meeting my gaze.

Is he mad at me?  Maybe… he’ll say, “You introduced me to weird girls.”

“From the looks of it, you really did notice what we were up to.”
“Haa!  Of course I did.  If thou art going to hide, do better.  Well, calling thee out on it was too troublesome, so I simply allowed it be…”

I approached Douglas with each word we exchanged, one step at a time.

Douglas might not actually be bothered about what happened today.  I didn’t know why he suddenly became motivated, but he didn’t seem to seriously be trying to get a girlfriend.  For Douglas, what happened today might have been a way to kill time.

He might not have found himself a sweetheart, but he was probably wearing his same, unchanging expression. 

Not once did he turn towards me.  He continued looking forward.  So, I couldn’t tell what sort of expression it was he had on his face.

“Douglas, please tell me how you really feel.  Do you truly want to have a girlfriend?”

If he’s serious, then next time, I will also seriously help him find love.  That’s the kind of question I meant to ask…

“…Well, I’m not certain.”

Douglas’ voice sounded lonely.

“However, I believe that a beloved is something that forms naturally.  I am not denying what happened today, but— trying to force it just doesn’t suit my nature.”
“Then, you don’t want one?”
“…That I do not know.  Regardless, no matter how much I tell thee, thy probably won’t understand— my feelings, that is.”

Douglas spoke with a slightly sulky voice.

“…Douglas, may I say something?”
“What?”
“If I hadn’t met Nigel, then maybe, I might have fallen for you, Douglas.”
“Haa!?  What… art thou saying?  Doth thee truly mean that!?”

Here, for the first time, Douglas looked at my face.  His expression looked just a little happy.

“Ye-yes.  That’s how attractive of a man you are.  It’s enough that falling in love with you wouldn’t be strange— that’s what I believe.”

Douglas has many flaws.  He teases me at every opportunity he finds, and he lacks delicacy towards woman.  But still, I really love that kind of Douglas.

“So please have more confidence.  Don’t lose your confidence because of what happened today. Because— I love the Douglas who radiates confidence.”
“………”

Douglas closed his mouth and fell into thought.

However—

“Gahaha!  Thou also understands, doth thee not!?  That’s correct.  The women who came today simply had not the eye for quality!  Lose confidence?  Such a thing is impossible.  After all, thou acknowledged that I’m attractive!”

He gave a hearty laugh.

“That’s exactly it.”

Seeing Douglas like that, I sighed out in relief as I pressed a hand against my chest.

“May I sit across from you?”
“Of course. We are continuing the so-called ‘matching’?”
“Continuing?  Isn’t this more like the beginning?”
“Unarguably.”

I sat down across from Douglas.

“Shall we have some tea?  Ah… although, it seems to have already become cold.”

A fair bit of time had passed, so I suppose that was only natural.

“Please wait just a moment.  I’ll bring some fresh tea right away…”
“No need.  Drinking cold tea can also be enjoyable.  Besides, tis not the what that matters.  Tis who thou drinks with.”

Douglas stopped me with those words as I tried standing up.

“Fufu, you’re right.”

After that, I had a tea party with Douglas while reflecting on today.  It goes without saying, but it was truly an enjoyable time.

******

—Why do I feel so irritated?

Douglas had that thought after having met with the three people Abby had arranged for.

This is all because Eliane said something strange, because that girl kept provoking me…

Certainly, Eliane had Nigel.  He had no intention whatsoever of taking her from him.

But even so, the idea that Eliane doesn’t feel anything towards me… that in itself infuriates me.

As a result, I ended up getting dragged into this farce.

Douglas, holding in his unbearable feelings, remained where he sat for a while.

Eliane and the others have been watching from behind those bushes.  I don’t want them to see the expression on my face right now.

Hence, even when Eliane approached, he never turned to face her.

That resolve, however, was broken.

It was broken when Eliane said something outrageous.

“That’s how attractive of a man you are.  It’s enough that falling in love with you wouldn’t be strange— that’s what I believe.”

With a few simple words from Eliane, his bad mood cleared in an instant.

—Fuu, I truly am simple.

Just hearing that from Eliane set his heart leaping with joy.

Tis the first time I’ve felt like this.

My goodness.

Eliane tried to get some fresh tea, but Douglas stopped her.

He simply wanted to be with her, even if for just a moment longer.

“Douglas? Is there something on my face?”

As he stared intently at Eliane’s face, she asked him that question.

“Kukuku, it’s nothing.  I was just thinking, now that I can get a good look, thou hast quite the babyface.  Tis not a trace of sexiness.”

“Wh-What a rude thing to say!  I hate you, Dougals!”

Eliane turned away with a pout.

Yet soon enough, she looked back at Douglas and, “Fufufu,” let out a cheerful little laugh.

Seeing that expression on her face, Douglas also smiled from delight.

---

T/N:  Not to worry there are a few more chapters of the giaden left.  However, I would like to gauge everyone’s interest in my continuing this series after the gaiden.  Just post a comment down below if you are.  If enough readers want this story to continue, I will do so.

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