The Beloved of Marielle Clarac

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Color Illustration

  Characters

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Blissfulness of Simeon Flaubert

  Afterword

  Bonus Textless Cover

  About J-Novel Club

  Copyright

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  Chapter One

  Love is something that arrives unexpectedly.

  Throughout history, in every love story ever written, the hero and heroine find each other by way of endless surprises and coincidences.

  I’m a huge fan of such tales of tempestuous romance, full of twists and turns—I adore both reading them and writing them. Naturally, then, I’m also a huge fan of the real-life romances that occur all around me. Seeing the heady delights and heartaches of couples in love has always set my heart racing a mile a minute.

  And that used to be enough to satisfy me. That was my life, and I didn’t need anything beyond that vicarious thrill.

  Or so I thought.

  The tall gentleman in front of me looked over his shoulder. “Marielle,” he called in a gentle voice. From where I sat on the bench, his graceful form stood out from the wintry landscape like an ice sculpture. His physique had been well-honed through years of training, and his posture was upright, his broad shoulders projecting a quiet intensity.

  As he looked toward me, I noted—as always—that he was an exceptionally handsome man. His pale complexion and his features spoke of noble quality, like a storybook Prince Charming, while his glasses suited him well, suggesting both an intellectual side and a certain austere sternness. His pale blond hair and light blue eyes could sometimes be ice cold, like a frigid night under the midnight sun, while other times they burned so hot they looked like they could melt iron.

  What set him apart from a storybook prince, and made it clear that he was a knight, was the shrewdness that often lay hidden behind his outwardly calm visage. A saber hung at his side, and his black boots trod heavily on the snow, with footsteps worthy of the Grim Reaper—beautiful, yet terrifying. Yes, I thought, he was an emissary of hell, bringing certain destruction to anyone foolish enough to stand in his way. Once drawn in by the captivating sight of his blazing blue flame, it was already too late to escape.

  One could not help but be mesmerized by his beauty and then crushed by his unforgiving might. My word... He honestly, truly is my ideal man.

  “Marielle,” he repeated.

  I had read every book I could get my hands on, and added plenty of my own to the canon besides. Out of every male character archetype featured in every story, the type of man I adored above all else was...

  “Marielle!”

  ...the brutal, black-hearted scoundrel. Oh, I can hardly contain myself! My breathing is at risk of growing VERY heavy indeed! If only he was holding a riding crop in his hand, he’d be sheer perfection!

  “A riding crop?” he responded, as if to my thoughts. Had I spoken aloud? “Where on earth has your mind carried you? Wake up, if you please. If you allow yourself to drift off into dreamland out here, you’re certain to catch a cold.”

  He shook my shoulders, jolting me out of my dream. I had intended to sit and rest on the bench for a mere moment, but I had failed in this endeavor. Now, peering at me from very close range was the Grim Reaper himself...or rather, my fiancé.

  “Oh, my apologies,” I replied after a pause. “I was having such a pleasant dream.”

  “I have no desire to hear about it. My intuition is screaming that I would regret it.”

  “There was nothing untoward about it, I assure you. I was merely thinking about what an unbearably wonderful and good-looking man you are, Lord Simeon.”

  “And that is every detail I care to hear.” He handed me something wrapped in newspaper. “Here.” The warmth of the parcel radiated through my gloves, and I broke into a smile before I even knew it. The contrast to my own cool temperature was so delightful that I was almost glad I’d dozed off and grown so chilly. My cheeks began to flush as I took in the heat and the accompanying sweet scent.

  “Thank you most kindly. And...”

  I took one of the roasted chestnuts—a delicacy that the city of Sans-Terre is well-known for—and popped it into Lord Simeon’s mouth. His handsome face grew rather flustered. The way he opens his mouth when he’s embarrassed is just so cute! Who would ever expect this behavior from a man of such confidence, of such exquisite good looks—to say nothing of the fact that, as the Vice Captain of the Royal Order of Knights, his presence is so imposing that even crying children fall silent. Oh, if only I could show his subordinates how he looks in this state... How would they feel knowing that even their strong, scary, strict Vice Captain has this adorable side to him?

  I did my utmost to fight the urge to grin shamelessly, and to fangirl over him even more shamelessly—but Lord Simeon appeared to have noticed. As if in revenge, he took the hand I’d put up to his lips and gave it a light kiss through the gloves...and then, before I had time to enjoy the ecstasy of that moment, he turned his enchanting gaze on me, and I was lost in that instead. Oh, heavens above... I swear, the sensual atmosphere crafted by a strait-laced soldier has infinitely more destructive force than that of any clumsy playboy!

  As I writhed in agony on the inside, beset by adult thoughts of a variety best not described in detail, it was Lord Simeon who now pushed a roasted chestnut into my mouth. Smiling, now he offered me his hand, and I stood up from the bench to join him.

  It tasted so sweet. Not the chestnut—although yes, that was delicious as well. But what truly left an impression was the atmosphere between us. I never thought the day would come that I might experience this in real life. This was how it felt to spend time together, two people in love, just like in a story.

  Who could possibly have foreseen it? I was always the one who stood on the sidelines, gaining all my enjoyment from watching other people’s romances play out. I thought it would stay that way my whole life long, that a romance of my own would never enter the picture at all.

  Holding the parcel of chestnuts in one hand, I nestled up close to Lord Simeon’s arm with the other. The appropriate thing to do would have been to gently lean against him, but I allowed myself the audacity of clinging tightly instead. After all, this was neither the royal palace nor a nobleman’s manor, but Brunet Park—a place for the citizenry to relax. Those around us were each enjoying themselves in their own way as well. Strait-laced manners could surely be set aside for now, and a festive mood brought to the forefront. What was winter if not the time of year for lovers to huddle together closely?

  Yes, lovers, I thought to myself. The two of us are in love with one another.

  It didn’t seem possible, but Lord Simeon proved it with his response to my behavior. He was unperturbed by my clinging to him. There was no furrowing of his brow to suggest that I was being immodest or overfamiliar. Rather, he accepted it with a gentle smile. It was clear as day that he, too, was enjoying our time together. He slowed his pace to keep time with mine as we walked side by side.

  Although we weren’t doing anything in particular, just walking together, somehow the world appeared to sparkle. So this is what being in love feels like, I thought. I’d found myself able to write much sweeter stories than I ever could before. It turns out that seeing and hearing about romance was not sufficient on its own. Experiencing it for myself was important as well.

  We wandered around the park together while snacking on the roasted chestnuts. Soon we came to the pond beside which Lord Simeon and I had, just two months earlier, declared our love to one another in a rather tumultuous scene. The banks were now buried in snow, the water birds had long since flown away, and children frolicked on the surface of the ice. The water, which was only knee-deep for an adult, became a skating rink when it froze over, bringing joy to young and old. I longed to join them, but I had to temper my enthusiasm, as I had not brought any skates with me. All I could do was watch the merriment from the sidelines.

  “Ah, indeed,” Lord Simeon teased, noticing my expression. “Perhaps I should have had suitable footwear prepared.”

  “Next time,” I replied. I pressed my cheek to his arm, as if to insist that the next time we visited the park, he would accompany me onto the ice. Still, although I couldn’t go skating that day, nestling close to him was enjoyable enough on its own. As to why that was the case, I could give no straightforward answer. It was the same winter as always, and I was in the same locale I had visited many times before...and yet, just being beside Lord Simeon made the world around me look so different.

  My name is Marielle Clarac, I’m eighteen years old, and I am in love!

  I felt I could scream it at the top of my lungs.

  Of course, I fought the urge back completely and merely smiled. I wondered how Lord Simeon was feeling. It was hard to imagine the Vice Captain being so giddy with emotion that he would scream out loud about anything.

  Even so, those around us were not ignorant of our situation. We had drawn more than a few pairs of eyes. True, a pair of lovers huddled closely together w
as far from a rare sight—there were plenty of others nearby—but we were the only ones drawing such attention.

  The reason was obvious. It was because Lord Simeon was such an attractive man.

  Indeed, his beauty made such an impression that even commoners, who had no idea that he was the heir to a very notable earldom, could not help but fix their gazes on him. Even in understated everyday clothing that in no way resembled his distinctive royal guard’s uniform, he could never simply blend in to the background. Regardless of where he went or how he dressed, Lord Simeon was a person who stood out.

  I marveled at how every young woman who walked past, every lady who saw him from afar, stared at him, blushing. Some were so incapable of taking their eyes off him that they quite forgot about the existence of their own lovers standing next to them. How devilish of him, drawing the attention of every woman in the vicinity! And then, as soon as their gazes drifted toward me, the confusion set in...until their puzzled expressions at last changed to scornful sneers, or looks of pity. What a mismatched pair, their faces said. She’s so inferior in comparison to him that one can’t help but feel sorry for the poor gentleman.

  Starting with my entirely commonplace brown hair and eyes, my physical appearance was so ordinary that you could say my lack of any distinguishing features was my one distinguishing feature. In stark contrast to Lord Simeon, I was so lacking in any sort of presence that I blended into the background and went thoroughly unnoticed wherever I went. I was totally unbefitting of my twenty-seven-year-old fiancé—and, as the pièce de résistance, I wore terribly unfashionable glasses. Yes, I thought to myself, I understand everyone’s feelings perfectly well. They are all quite right. I, too, would never expect someone like me to be engaged to a man like Lord Simeon.

  And my outward appearance was far from the only problem. Unlike Lord Simeon’s family, which had produced generations of ministers—and even prime ministers—mine was a mid-level viscountcy with no particular heritage or wealth. We were one of the many unremarkable noble houses that went unnoticed for generation after generation. In fact, there was such a vast difference between Lord Simeon and I in terms of social standing that marriage talks would never normally occur between our two houses. When my father spoke to Lord Simeon about the subject, he was only expecting for the latter to introduce me to one of his subordinates. He didn’t have any silly ideas above his own station.

  Despite this, Lord Simeon put himself forward as a candidate to marry me, making my father suspect some sort of ulterior motive. I harbored similar suspicions; I feared that my father might have discovered some sensitive information about Lord Simeon and was using it to blackmail him. This line of thinking led to a misunderstanding that was...somewhat discourteous on my part.

  I thought I had uncovered something great and momentous, but the reality was nothing like I had imagined. The truth was that Lord Simeon had been aware of my existence for years, and knew all about my secret hobby. The Vice Captain of the Royal Order of Knights, who was always keeping a close watch on everyone around him, had happened to witness a small dispute amongst some young ladies in a quiet corner of the palace grounds. I had been at the heart of that dispute—and I apparently left quite an impression on him.

  In that moment, I had been far too preoccupied to notice him watching me from the shadows. I was busy indulging in my secret joy, brought about by the authentic experience of being bullied in the same way one so often reads about in books. How thrilling it was! I quickly grew so absorbed in writing down all the insults hurled at me by Lady Aurelia—she played the role of the villainess so well!—that I was unable to think about anything else. Besides, I was in such a rarely frequented location that I didn’t expect anyone else to be watching.

  It still strikes me as odd that a scene like that could cause someone to fall in love at first sight. I will admit that my behavior when I get excited might catch someone’s attention...but it is a giant leap from there to actually developing an interest in me.

  In fact, on a conscious level, Lord Simeon himself only thought of me as someone strange that he looked out for at social gatherings. However, as the years went by, I began to weigh on his mind more and more, until, unbeknownst even to himself, his feelings had transformed.

  They do say that truth is stranger than fiction. And yet, even I’m not so delusional that I’d expect such a classic romance novel plot twist to happen to me in real life.

  Therefore, I had convinced myself that our marriage was one of convenience and absolutely nothing more. I was positive that the only feelings Lord Simeon harbored toward me were those of obligation, so I endeavored to feel the same. And that should have been entirely possible...but then I fell irrevocably in love with him.

  Of course I knew for certain that it was unrequited love and would remain so forever. But life has a way of being more interesting than one expects. Inconceivable things like this really can happen in real life. Now, every day filled me with excitement and joy, with never a dull moment to be found.

  A soft giggle escaped from my lips. Lord Simeon’s eyebrows rose with a hint of exasperation. “Please don’t tell me your mind has wandered into another one of your bizarre fantasies.”

  “Not at all,” I replied. “It’s simply that I am enjoying myself so much right now. Have you noticed how many eyes are on us from all sides?”

  “I am distantly aware of it, yes.” Rather than looking around, Lord Simeon just let out a soft sigh. It occurred to me that he must be accustomed to this situation. He is always the center of attention at societal functions as well, I suppose.

  “It’s so much fun, don’t you agree? Their gazes hold so many layers of meaning! What on earth am I looking at? That woman is in no way a suitable match for him! What a tragedy to have HER beside him when he’s worthy of so much better! No matter how brazen she is, I can scarcely believe she’s able to stand next to him without feeling ashamed of herself! Such scorn and pity emanating from all those eyes... It’s simply irresistible!”

  This time Lord Simeon sighed rather more loudly. He adjusted his glasses. “I cannot begin to comprehend why that would amuse you.”

  “And I cannot believe there is any question! Of course it amuses me. If it were simply an attractive man and an attractive woman besieged by stares of admiration, that would be entirely commonplace, the most ordinary thing in the world. This reaction, on the other hand... All these people gawking at a pairing that should never have come to be... It’s not admiration or envy that they feel, but disdain and superiority, and that is far more delicious. It’s truly interesting, and makes for perfect reference material!”

  “Trying to imagine what sort of story you would write using THIS as your reference material is, frankly, terrifying. And yet, what confuses me most of all is that the resulting books are, in fact, perfectly decent. Your mind is a strange and mystifying thing.”

  Lord Simeon spoke with a weary tone, but even so, his face held no disgust or disapproval. He has never once tried to prevent me from writing—which, incidentally, is not merely a hobby. I write novels as a profession. It’s not something I can be open about in noble society, but he is kind enough to treat it as a worthwhile undertaking. Even more than his outward good looks and his tantalizing vicious side, what attracts me to him most of all is this fair and generous attitude.

  I answered Lord Simeon with only a good-humored smile. He shrugged his shoulders and teasingly poked my forehead with his free hand. “I definitely agree that you are brazen, but the rest is all wrong.”

  “How so?” I replied, tilting my head.

  He bent down to bring his face closer to mine. “When it comes to one person feeling affection for another, there is no such thing as being a ‘suitable match’ or not. All that matters is that the two people get to know each other and mutually accept each other. I’d go so far as to say that being told our love is a tragedy is rather an insult to me. Kindly put that idea out of your head for good.”

  The manner in which he focused his light blue eyes on me, intensely earnest at a very close distance, did not suggest that he was angry, exactly. Nonetheless, I found myself somewhat troubled. After a moment’s pause I replied, “But...it is what they’re all thinking.”