Have a strong heart, Elroy!

It was a real shock for Elroy to learn that Mariette had been looking for him that day.

"Uh, yeah? What's wrong, My Lady?" asked Elroy nervously as he was elbowed by Ferdinand.

Mariette looked at the both of them in turn. Then she handed them a letter.

Elroy and Ferdinand stared in surprise and confusion at the letter. Moreover, the letter was sealed with an official stamp from Princess Louisa.

For some reason, Elroy felt misgivings.

He and Ferdinand began to read together.

"Oh my God, buddy!" cried Ferdinand amused. He laughed as he slapped Elroy on the shoulder. "Well, good luck to you then. Ha ha ha!"

"Viscountess Tierney." Elroy gave Mariette a pitiful look. "Please tell me this is a lie."

"It is an honor for you to be Princess Louisa's first dance partner, Sir Elroy. It was also an honor for Sir Ferdinand to be Princess Louisa's bodyguard during the debutante," said Mariette.

"Oh, My Lady. Of course, this is an honor for my friend and me, "said Ferdinand in an artificial tone. "No further ado. I will gladly accept it."

Elroy glared at Ferdinand, then looked back at Mariette wistfully.

In fact, Elroy intended to ask Mariette to be his dance partner at the debutante party.

But now it is ruined!

"I know what you're thinking, Sir Elroy. But please, we need your cooperation. Princess Louisa has had a hard time finding dance partners that fit her," Mariette explained.

"That's impossible, right? I mean… Princess Louisa is a princess. She is young and so beautiful."

"The problem is not with Princess Louisa, Sir Elroy. What matters is the permission of Prince Louie and His Majesty the King."

Ferdinand had a hard time holding back his laughter. "You should be honored to have permission from His Majesty the King and Prince Louie, my friend," he said.

"But…"

"Do you have any objections?" she asked.

Even without expression, Elroy knew Mariette was trying to persuade him.

Tell me how Elroy could refuse Mariette's request.

"Ug… Alright. I am willing to be Princess Louisa's dance partner," Elroy said.

"Thank you, Sir Elroy. Princess Louisa will be happy to hear that," said Mariette. "I hope the two of you start preparing yourselves for the Palace banquet. I mean… of everything. Please tell me immediately if you two need anything."

With that, Mariette left. Absolutely no-nonsense. That's the woman Elroy likes.

It's okay. This is what is called sacrifice. If I manage to translate those books, I'll be able to see her smile, Elroy thought, trying to console himself.

The research Elroy is currently doing is going horribly wrong. The books that Anatole brought were complicated, both in terms of language and content. Elroy had to open another book as a support.

His head felt like it was going bald. He even thought maybe it was time for him to switch professions to become a scholar instead of becoming a knight.

"Don't be so sad. I know you're sad that you didn't get the chance to dance with Viscountess Tierney," Ferdinand said seductively.

"I wasn't thinking about that," Elroy evaded. He let out a long breath. "Besides, at this rate... isn't it obvious that Viscountess Tierney will be dancing with Sir Anatole."

Ferdinand laughed. "Too bad, huh! But won't there be more than one dance music later? You can dance with Viscountess Tierney after the first music is over."

"Yes, yes. But I will be walking with Princess Louisa down the hall, which means I can't leave her and have to keep an eye on her. You know… a form of responsibility," explained Elroy. "On the invitation, it says 'dance partner', which actually means 'companion'."

"Oh. One of those troublesome things the nobility has to do?"

"Something like that. Princess Louisa is a woman who has not yet entered adulthood, so she must be accompanied," explained Elroy. "This actually worries me a bit."

"Why?"

"Not that I want to rate myself highly. It is just…"

What if this all continues? What if Elroy is asked to be Louisa's companion in the future?

What about his love for Mariette?

"I would love to have a friend who married the princess."

"It is not funny."

***

Elroy didn't have time to worry about being Princess Louisa's first dance partner. As soon as he entered the library that afternoon, his job as an impromptu translator took over her whole mind.

Very little progress on his work. Elroy became afraid of Anatole's scolding. Especially since before this, he (and Ferdinand) were caught making a mess in Louie's study room. Anatole might think Elroy was mainly playing with Ferdinand and Louie if progress took this long.

Well, not that Anatole gave him a deadline though...

He was so focused on his additional work that Elroy was surprised when something cold touched his cheek. He was even more shocked when he found out that it was Mariette who had touched him.

"You are so focused. Prince Louie said you'd go straight to the library as soon as class was over," said Mariette. "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Come out for a moment. I brought your dinner sandwich."

Elroy was stunned to see her.

Mariette brought him dinner!

The two of them then ate in one corner of the hall near the library. Elroy realized that the sun had set entirely. The atmosphere around it was quiet, a sign that the palace employees had finished working.

How long have I actually been locked up in the library? Elroy thought as he put his sandwich on.

"Errr, thanks for the dinner. You went to the trouble of delivering it for me," said Elroy.

Mariette seemed to swallow her food. "No problem. After all, you are here because of me. Even though being Prince Louie's tutor is hard work, you still have to translate books in difficult foreign languages. You are also charged with being Princess Louisa's companion," she said. "It's all because of me."

"Absolutely not, really!" said Elroy hastily. "I'm glad I could help you. A-anyway you're busier than me."

"Soon these busy times will be over," said Mariette. "Don't force yourself to quickly translate those books. You still have plenty of time."

Elroy cleared his throat. "It's about someone I like, so I have to do it well and fast," he said.

"You seriously like me…"

"I really liked it, actually I felt a bit hurt when you asked me to be Princess Louisa's first dance partner," said Elroy honestly.

"Oh, I didn't think that far. Forgive me."

"No problem."

Because what hurt more was the thought of Mariette dancing with Anatole later.

Have a strong heart, Elroy!

"This is what it looks like if you like me, Sir Elroy. You're going to get more sick days than good feelings," says Mariette. "I don't understand why you would bother to like me. But… thank you for allowing me to experience the thing called love."

Tears dripped from Elroy's eyes.