My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 4

Episode 4

It happened so suddenly!

As I tried to get up, I heard a noise in my ear.

“If someone married Dylan, how happy would she be?”

Or rather, I should say the word “marriage” caught my attention.

“Although he’s a commoner, he will soon establish his merits and even receive a title.”

Come to think of it, they must be at the marriageable age soon too.

Could it be… with me…?

Ah, no.

Men who are getting married and women line up like that wouldn’t like me.

I shook my head vigorously and quickly got up, walking confidently.

Now that Tov’s training was over, I had to propose quickly.

“Sir Tov, could you come with me to the storage room next to the training area for a moment?”

Tov looked at me and smiled broadly.

“Ah, yes. Lady Ishael, what’s the matter?”

“It’s something very important.”

I was nervous as I explained my situation and prepared to propose.

“This is my first time proposing.”

Without looking back, I headed towards the storage room next to the training area.

I turned my back when I reached the quiet and deserted warehouse.

“…?”

Instead of Tov, there was another knight standing there.

How strange.

Why is Dylan, who is the epitome of everyone’s ideal, here?

I glanced around subtly.

There was no one beyond the alley, almost like a fence was blocking it.

“What’s going on here?”

I couldn’t grasp the situation.

I cautiously spoke up.

“Um, where is Sir Tov?”

Dylan whispered quietly.

“Sir Tov is dead.”

Huh?

Tov unexpectedly passed away.

“What? He’s dead?”

My prospective marriage partner died like this.
But it’s unbelievable.

“He was alive just a moment ago.”

In response to my words, he lowered his eyes and answered.

“It was a mistake.”

Is it an auditory hallucination?

I even heard a thumping sound.

I blinked and tilted my head in confusion.

Then Dylan opened his lips and murmured quietly.

“Tov… seems busy. I’ll relay the message for him.”

It sounded a little off.

But that wasn’t important.

What mattered was that Tov wasn’t here.

And the story I was about to tell couldn’t be relayed by someone else.

Where in the world is it heard that someone listens to a proposal on behalf of another person?

“But it has to be Sir Tov… um.”

His voice became even quieter.

“I… can’t do it.”

With his low voice and seductive face, he looked at me.

I almost stumbled for a moment.

But I felt something strange at that moment.

“Why does this man have such a nostalgic tone?”

I quickly regained my composure and spoke firmly.

“Yes, I don’t think it would work.”

“…Okay.”

Dylan quietly shrugged his shoulders.

Well, he must have been somewhat shocked.

Up until now, I’ve never been rejected, so…

“Ah, well then.”

I put the proposal letter I was going to hand to Tov in my pocket.

I am very aware that this proposal letter would be a source of embarrassment once it became public.

But then, as I took a step forward…

Even the sky seemed indifferent.

While tidying up the proposal letter, I accidentally missed a stone on the ground.

Thud!

Falling was a natural sequence of events.

Fortunately, my bottom didn’t hurt much, but there was a problem.

The proposal letter with the grand title “Tov, the Reason You Should Marry Me” had fallen to the ground!

It fell right onto Dylan’s polished boots!

This is insane.

I quickly reached out my hand and picked up the proposal letter.

“…What is this?”

Dylan’s eyes were shaking intensely.

It seemed like he had seen the content of the proposal letter.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way!”

I limped away hurriedly.

I thought I heard Dylan calling out to me from behind.

But I couldn’t turn back because I was embarrassed!

* * *
It was evening.

Forgetting all about the embarrassment from earlier, I called for my close friend, Henry.

I planned to propose while having a drink.

I also had the intention of gathering any good information about houses.

“Anyway, house prices are never going down. They always go up.”

“That’s right.”

The only news I heard was sigh worthy.

“They’ve already exceeded 500 million gold. Well, maybe housing prices in the capital will go down? 

That’s just wishful thinking.”

“So, is there no way for people like us, commoners, to buy a house?”

“Get tons of loans to buy one? But now, loan regulations have been tightened. There’s no choice but to resort to borrowing money at high interest rates.”

He even shared such pessimistic talk.

“Talking about borrowing money makes me furious again.”

I thought about the money my irresponsible parents had spent.

It seemed like this wouldn’t work.

Maybe I should have another drink.

I should start proposing with the goal of cutting ties with my family.

“I have something to say.”

“What’s with that expression? It’s like you’re looking at an archenemy from a hateful parent.”

Did my gaze look like that?

But Henry’s words were awkward.

They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that my parents’ enemy is my friend.

I chuckled and cleared my throat.

“Let’s get married. I absolutely, absolutely won’t love you. Once the contract period is over, I’ll divorce you immediately!”

And Henry, who had been looking at me with a wistful gaze, quietly replied.

“What is this?”

Why do I hear the sound of water being poured?

“Did you just read a romance novel and come to experiment on me?”

Indeed, novels are just novels.

Usually, the heroines in romance novels do this when proposing to a northern duke.

Looking at Henry in front of me, my enthusiasm faded away.

“How did you know that I said it after reading a novel?”

“Are you only saying that because of characters in novels?”

“Why?”

“Anyway, a romantic marriage is just a dream. But why are you suddenly like this?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You broke up with that guy, didn’t you?”

I laughed bitterly as I took another sip of my drink.

“Uh…”

“You broke up and went crazy… Anyway, it won’t work for me. My goal is to get married after dating sweetly for over five years.”

Ha, I bluffed like this.

Of course, I expected it.

“Alright… If you have a good candidate for a husband, introduce him to me within the next 24 hours. I’m going to find Tov.”

“What? Suddenly? Oh, wait, are you going to propose to Tov?”

“Oh.”

“Well, if it’s a contract marriage, there might be a chance. Contract marriages are trending these days because of romance novels.”

What’s with this guy?

He says he’ll never get married within 24 hours, and yet he has no prejudice about it.

He even patted my shoulder.

“Hey, cheer up! Please, get a hold of yourself and live.”

I nodded my head sullenly towards him.

If I don’t get married within 24 hours, I’ll be buried in debt.

Right now, I must be in my right mind.

“Uh, thanks, my friend.”

I should go back to the barracks for now.

Tov is probably on duty within the Order of Knights.

As far as I know, he’s working hard to pay off his family’s debt and make money.

He must be diligent in his duties.

When I pushed open the door of the tavern and entered the palace, it happened.

On the way passing through the training ground.

There were more pedestrians than I thought in the dark alley.

Someone blocked my path.

“Oof!”

I thought I was about to faint.

What’s this?

Why is Dylan standing solemnly in front of me?

I stumbled through my words and asked in a hurry.

“W-What’s the matter?”

“I’ve been waiting.”

He paid no attention to the gazes of the surrounding men and women.

He only looked at me as if he was going to devour me.

“Yes?”

“I want to ask something, so I kept waiting.”

Am I seeing things because I’m drunk?

Why does Dylan’s face look flushed?

He was someone who only silently trained without any close friends.

He was even described as a blunt man who never smiled at anyone.

A person like that wouldn’t blush.

And yet, he suddenly blocked my way.

“What do you want to ask me?”

I looked at him and thought to myself.

“Has he been drinking too?”

Then he pursed his lips and whispered in a mosquito-like voice.

“…Why Tov? Why do you want to marry Tov?”

“What?”

I couldn’t hear him properly, so I asked again, and he muttered quietly once more.

“Why Tov?”

“…What?”

“Why does it have to be Tov?”