25 新聞記者と取材
幸い、ラミリオの発言は微笑ましいものとして受け止められたようだ。
紳士たちは笑いを堪えながら、口々に婚約を寿いで、「では、あとはお若いふたりでごゆっくり」と言い残し、去っていった。
うらやましそうに美男子のラミリオを見つめているご令嬢たちも、思い思いに父親に諭されて、どこかに散っていく。
「分かっている、責めないでくれ。今自己嫌悪で死にそうなんだ」
「いえ、そうではありません」
うれしかったのだ。
ルクレツィアはこれでも元帥夫人として、国際関係の調整役になることを期待され、教育を施されてきた。
イルミナティにいたころなら、『なんて失態だ』と、苦々しく思っていたことだろう。
なのに――
「ラミリオ様、ずっと婚約を嫌がっていらっしゃったのに」
「そりゃ嫌だよ。君みたいに可愛い子、どう接したらいいのか分かりゃしない。気持ちが落ち着かないからいつもみたいに振る舞えないし、本当にどうすりゃいいんだよ?」
「わたくしに言われましても」
めちゃくちゃなラミリオの発言に、ルクレツィアは笑ってしまった。
モヤモヤとずっと感じていたことが、心の中で明確な言葉となって浮かび上がる。
――この方、わたくしがいなければダメなんだわ!
ルクレツィアはそういうのに弱かった。
かつてはファルコの嫁として、『君が支えてくれなければダメなんだ』と彼の両親に口説き落とされた。
ルクレツィアの祖父や父親、義理の母親も、プライドは高いのに家政のこととなるとてんで無能で、いつの間にか『わたくしがしっかりしなきゃダメ』と思うようになっていた。
――うれしいわ。わたくしの腕の見せ所なのね。
苦境に立てば立つほど燃えるのがルクレツィアだ。
しかも相手がちっともかわいげのない父親などではなく、美男子でチャーミングなラミリオとなれば、気合も入る。
「ご回復おめでとうございます。経緯について、お話を聞かせていただけませんか」
――来たわね。
貴族たちが去っていって、頃合いとみたのだろう。
事前に呼んでおいた新聞記者たちが、ラミリオのところに集まってきた。
「もちろんですわ。あちらでゆっくり食事でも摂りながらお話しいたしましょう」
ルクレツィアは全員を連れて、別室に移った。
彼らにだけ出す特別な料理でたっぷりと気持ちをほぐしてから、大衆受けしそうな美談を脚色も交えて語った。
「旦那様はとても信仰が篤く、節度ある毎日をお過ごしでした。食事の戒律をお守りになるのはもちろんのこと、貴族につきものの贅沢などもほとんどなさらず、たいへん徳の高い修道士様のようにお暮らしでいらっしゃいました。おそらくその素晴らしい心がけが神様の目に留まったのではないでしょうか。旦那様のお目はみるみるうちによくなっていったのでございます......」
「いや、これはルクレツィアが薬草で」
「祈りが神に届いた! のですわよね! 旦那様!」
「......はい」
ルクレツィアが怪しい薬草で治療したなどということはもちろん言わない。大衆はまだまだ迷信深く、聖職者以外が医療行為をすることをよく思わないのだ。
いらぬ勘繰りをされるようなネタなど提供してやるつもりはなかった。
――旦那様はきっと素直すぎるのね。
どのような受け答えをすれば、民衆の印象がよくなるか。あるいは文士を黙らせるにはどうすればいいのか。
知らなかったから、食い物にされてきたのだろう。
「わたくしの祖父はイルミナティの先代王弟だったの。祖父がいつも食べていた稀少な貝を召し上がって。このシャンパンも本来であれば王室にしか卸さない貴重なものなのだけれど......あら、お気に召していただけて光栄ですわ。よろしければ、お土産に一本お持ちになって」
ルクレツィアは密室で、彼らを貴族以上にもてなした。
彼らの馬車が朝日に照らされながら帰路につく。
見送って、ラミリオはぼそりと言った。
「......あいつら、今度は何を書いてくるだろうな」
「きっといいことを書いてくださいますわ」
これまでひどいことを書かれすぎたせいか、すっかり不信のとりこらしい。
「俺はともかく、ルクレツィアのことまで悪しざまに書くようなら今度こそ処分してやる」
不穏な発言。ルクレツィアは本来諫めなければならない立場だ。
しかし彼女は不覚にもときめいてしまった。
ラミリオは応対疲れと寝不足もあいまってか、据わった目つきをしていたが、そんな表情もまたルクレツィアの目には魅力的に映った。
言葉が出てこない。こんなとき、何を伝えればいいのかは、ルクレツィアも知らなかった。白髪令嬢と呼ばれ、結婚したくない相手、薄気味の悪い娘、何を考えているのか分からない暗い目つき、種々様々に嘲られてきたから、大切にされるとどんな顔をしていいのか分からなくなってしまう。
ラミリオが熱心に見上げているルクレツィアに気づき、見返してくる。
きれいな琥珀色の瞳を発見して、ルクレツィアの心音はまたひとつ大きく跳ねた。
それは服用していた薬の作用で、脱色してしまったために起きた色合いの変化だった。
そんなささいなことが、やけに嬉しく感じる。
もっと見つめ合っていたかったのに、ラミリオはふいっと顔を背けてしまった。
***
”美女と野獣。醜悪公、愛の力で元の姿を取り戻す”
新聞に、寄り添い合う美男美女のイラストが大きく載っている。
ファルコはカフェでこそこそと食事を摂っていたが、隣の人が広げる新聞に大きくその見出しが出ているのに気づいて、固まった。
銅版画の美しい女性に釘付けになる。
――ルクレツィアじゃないか!
ファルコは急いで新聞を自分でも買い求めた。
――どういうことだ!? 彼女は醜悪公のところに嫁がされて不幸になっているんじゃなかったのか!?
新聞を持つ手が震える。ひどく裏切られた思いだった。
内容を読み切ったあと、ファルコはびっしりと冷や汗をかいていた。
......彼は現在、逃亡中の身だ。資金がないので日雇い労働に身をやつし、労働者に紛れて暮らしている。
きつい重労働。
劣悪な住まい。
食事だけで消え失せる日々の銅銭。
貴族のファルコには耐えがたい苦労の連続だったが、幸い身体だけは鍛えていたので、港町での荷物運びなどの単純労働であればすぐにできた。
土地柄か、噂話は嫌でも聞こえてくる。
元帥夫妻――つまりファルコの両親はあのあとすぐにイルミナティに戻り、必死にファルコの助命嘆願をしてくれているらしい。
しかしライ国との緊張状態は抜き差しならないところまで来ているらしく、なかなか取り消してはもらえない。
ここに来て、ファルコは激しく後悔していた。
――ルクレツィアと婚約を続けてれば、こんなことにはならなかったのになぁ。
Newspaper Reporters and Interviews
Fortunately, Ramilio's remarks seemed to be received with a smile.
The gentlemen laughed and congratulated them on their engagement, saying, "Then, spend the rest of the day leisurely you young couple," and then they left.
The young ladies, who were gazing enviously at the handsome Ramiro, were admonished by their father and soon dispersed.
"I know, don't blame me. I'm dying of self-loathing right now."
"No, that's not it."
She was happy.
Lucrezia had been educated with the expectation that she would be the coordinator of international relations as a marshal's wife.
If she was still in the Illuminati, she would've been bitterly thinking, "What a blunder."
And yet--
"Ramilio-sama, you've always been reluctant to get engaged."
"That's not it. I just don't know how to treat a pretty girl like you. I can't act like I usually do because I'm uncomfortable, so what am I really supposed to do?"
"Even if you tell me that...."
Lucrezia laughed at Ramiro's nonsensical statement.
What she had been uncertain of for a long time emerged clearly in her mind.
'This person can't be with anyone else but me!'
Lucrezia had a weakness for such things.
Once, as Falco's fiancee, she was dissuaded by his parents, saying, "I need you to support me."
Lucrezia's grandfather, father, and mother-in-law were all incompetent when it came to family affairs, even though they had high pride, and before long she began to think, "I have to be strong."
'I'm happy. I'm glad that I can help you with my abilities.'
The more difficult the predicament, the more Lucrezia got fired up.
Moreover, if it was for the beautiful and charming Ramilio, and not her father, who wasn't at all cute, she would be more enthusiastic about it.
"Congratulations on your recovery. Can you tell us a little bit about how it all happened?"
They're here.
The nobles had left, and they must have thought it was about time.
Newspaper reporters, whom she had called in advance, gathered at Ramilio's place.
"Of course. Let's talk over a leisurely meal over there."
Lucrezia took them all to a separate room.
After relaxing with a special dish served only to them, she told them a beautiful story that would be popular with the masses, with a few adaptations.
"My husband is very religious and lived a modest life. Not only did he observe the precepts of diet, but he also rarely indulged in the luxuries that are typical of aristocrats, and he lived his life like a very virtuous monk. Perhaps it was this wonderful attitude that caught God's attention. My husband's eyes began to improve rapidly...."
"No, that was Lucrezia with medicinal herbs...."
"Our prayers have been answered by God! It has been answered, hasn't it?! Husband!"
"... Yes."
Of course, he couldn't say that Lucrezia had cured him with some dubious herb. The masses were still superstitious and didn't like the idea of a non-priest practicing medicine.
She had no intention of providing a story that would cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
'My husband is too straightforward.'
What kind of response will improve the public's impression? Or how can we silence the literary writer?
He didn't know, so he was preyed upon.
"My grandfather was the brother of the previous king of the Illuminati. Help yourself to the rare shellfish my grandfather used to eat. This champagne is also very precious and is normally only sold to the royal family... Oh, I'm honored that you like it. You may take a bottle as a souvenir if you like."
Lucrezia, behind closed doors, entertained them more than the aristocracy.
Their carriage was illuminated by the morning sun as they return home.
After seeing them off, Ramilio blurted out.
"..... I wonder what those guys will write this time."
"I am sure they will write something good."
Perhaps because so many terrible things had been written about him, he seemed to be completely distrustful.
"Anyway, if they write anything bad about Lucrezia, I'm going to have to get rid of them this time."
A disturbing statement. Lucrezia was in a position where she should've admonished him.
However, she was unexpectedly moved.
Ramiro's eyes were stern, probably because he was tired from dealing with people and lack of sleep, but such an expression was also attractive to Lucrezia's eyes.
No words came out. Lucrezia didn't know what to tell him in such a situation. She had been called the white-haired lady, a girl that people didn't want to marry, a girl with a creepy look, a girl with dark dull eyes, and had been mocked in various other ways, so she didn't know what to look like when she was cherished.
Ramiro noticed Lucrezia looking up at him intently and looked back at her.
Lucrezia's heartbeat fluttered when she saw those beautiful amber eyes.
It was a change in hue caused by the medication he had been taking, which had caused them to decolorize.
Such a trivial thing made her feel awfully happy.
She wanted to look at each other more, but Ramilio suddenly turned his face away.
***
[Beauty and the Beast. The Ugly Duke Regained His True Appearance by the Power of Love.]
In the newspaper, there was a large illustration of a beautiful man and woman leaning against each other.
Falco was eating his meal in a cafe when he noticed the large headline in the newspaper spread out by his neighbor and froze.
His eyes were glued to the beautiful woman in the copperplate print.
'It's Lucrezia, isn't it?!'
Falco hurriedly bought himself a copy of the newspaper.
'What's the meaning of this?! I thought she was unhappy because she was married off to the Ugly Duke?!'
His hands trembled as he held the newspaper. He felt terribly betrayed.
After reading through the contents, Falco was sweating profusely.
.... He was currently a fugitive. He had no money, so he applied to do manual labor and lived among the workers.
Demanding heavy labor.
Poor housing.
Daily copper coins that disappeared with just a meal.
It was a series of unbearable hardships for Falco, an aristocrat, but fortunately, he had trained his body well, so he was able to do simple labor such as carrying goods in the port town in no time.
Because of the nature of the land, gossip was heard even if you didn't want to hear it.
It was said that the Marshal and his wife - in other words, Falco's parents - returned to the Illuminati immediately after the incident and desperately pleaded for Falco's life.
However, the tension with Rai seemed to have reached an untenable point, and it was difficult to get them to rescind their plea.
Falco was feeling regretful about his decision.
'If only I'd stayed engaged to Lucrezia, none of this would've happened.'
My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Forced to Marry the Ugly Duke
書籍・漫画化／妹に婚約者を取られてこのたび醜悪公と押しつけられ婚する運びとなりました～楽しそうなので張り切っていましたが噂が大げさだっただけで全然苦境になりませんし、旦那様も真実の姿を取り戻してしまい
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/my-sister-took-my-fiance-and-now-im-forced-to-marry-the-ugly-duke/
Action Adventure Romance
Aristocracy Arranged Marriage Broken Engagement Calm Protagonist European Ambience Family Conflict Female Protagonist Hard-Working Protagonist Hated Protagonist Multiple POV Nobles Sharp-tongued Characters Underestimated Protagonist Wealthy Characters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3436hc/
くまだ乙夜