•?••? ? ?••?•

“I want to marry you, Young Lady.”

“……!”

As expected.

Just like in the second life, where she had lived avoiding his shadow, she was ultimately forced into an engagement with Ray.

Iva raised her hand and pressed her throbbing forehead.

“Are you surprised?”

Ray, who thought she pressed her forehead out of surprise, looked at Iva with a concerned expression.

“If someone  suddenly comes and proposes, anyone will be surprised.”

‘If someone  suddenly comes and proposes, anyone will be surprised.’

Involuntarily, memories from her past life resurfaced. It was exactly the same as the words she heard when she fell in love with Ray and impulsively proposed in her first life. A strange sense of déjà vu unsettled her.

Iva lowered her hand from her forehead and crossed her arms, assuming a stern demeanor as if she had become an interviewer. She stared at Ray with sharp eyes.

“I’ll ask you honestly. What is the reason you proposed to me?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you telling me that you proposed to me without any reason?”

“It’s not like that.”

Ray spoke slowly.

“I understand that the debutante ball is a culture where young individuals from each family interact and marry for the benefit of the families involved.”

“That’s correct.”

“I thought I would like to establish a connection with the Blanche family there.”

The tone of his words, as if reporting a mission, made Iva doubt if it was a proposal or someone’s command.

“Are you proposing to me simply for the sake of establishing connections with other noble families?”

“……”

“In that case, there are many other Count families besides the Blanche family….”

“I came to the Blanche family because of Young Lady.”

Ray quickly added with a slightly trembling voice.

“I understand that you’re surprised by the sudden proposal. So, I’ll be honest.”

As his gaze became more serious, Iva’s pupils grew restless and shook noticeably.

No, you don’t have to. Please, keep it to yourself!

“Do you remember when we met and talked on the balcony during the debutante ball?”

“…I remember.”

It was the first time I talked to Ray so clearly, so I will never forget it.

“That day, when I heard Young Lady’s words, I had a lot of thoughts. I thought that I had to endure everything to protect the family. I thought that more words would only increase the rumors.”

Ray traced his scars with his fingertips.

“But Young Lady was the first one to tell me that I don’t have to endure it, that my scars can be a badge of honor.”

His voice trembled slightly as if the events of that day were vividly replaying in his mind.

“Since then, something has been off with my heart.”

“Your heart?”

“It keeps pounding heavily.”

“What?”

“Just by recalling that moment, my heart beats violently.”

Iva’s expression, which had been calm while listening, grew more serious.

“That moment keeps coming back, and even when I’m doing other things, my heart keeps fluctuating.”

“……”

“To resist my instincts, I’ve restrained myself my whole life. But since that day, I can’t control any part of my body.”

Ray lowered his hand from touching the scars and clenched it near his heart.

“My body keeps reacting on its own. My temperature rises irregularly, causing me discomfort not just once or twice.”

As he poured out his sincere feelings, Iva’s face stiffened. She understood the meaning behind those words better than anyone else.

Since Iva had fallen in love with Ray at first sight in her past life, she had experienced everything.

“Iva Blanche, I fell in love with you at first sight.”

Ray uttered the words that Iva had desperately hoped he wouldn’t say. She let out a deep sigh inwardly.

“From the beginning of the debutante ball, I could only see Young Lady. I want to be by Young Lady’s side, not just for a brief encounter. That’s why I’m proposing.”

Iva almost burst into laughter. Seriously, when I am living my 3rd life because of certain someone?

He suddenly shows up and what? Marriage?

Are you kidding me? It’s ridiculous and suffocating!

I should completely reject Ray right now. If I make it clear now, I won’t get entangled again later. I should cut off all possibilities completely.

“It seems like I appear very cheap in the eyes of the Duke.”

Iva brushed her hair back and asked with a fierce voice.

“Yes?”

“If the Duke comes to me out of the blue and asks me to marry him, am I obligated to agree?”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I really have an interest in Young Lady…”

“You have an interest in me?”

Iva widened her eyes and glared at him.

“Do you even know my birthday?”

When speaking sincerely, his brown eyes, which had been straightforward, wavered.

“…I don’t know.”

“Do you know how many siblings I have?”

“…No. How many are there?”

“There are none. I’m the only child.”

“I didn’t know that either.”

“Yes, of course. You were more concerned about giving me flowers than finding out if I liked flowers.”

Ray couldn’t say anything in response to her piercing words.

•?••? ? ?••?•