An Early Engagement - Chapter 11- Between Familiarity and Strangeness
The dining time at the Lafez Ducal household was, as always, warm and lively. The table, adorned with a vase of flowers arranged by the Duchess herself, was filled with dishes perfectly tailored to the tastes of the ducal family.
However, Shirley’s plate remained untouched.
“Shirley, are you okay?”
“……”
Despite the Duchess’s repeated calls, Shirley silently chewed on her fork, which held no food. The clinking sound of her teeth against the metal echoed through the dining room.
“Shirley?”
The Duchess called her daughter again, more firmly this time. But the result was the same. The sound of Shirley gnawing on the fork grew louder as her plate remained full.
“Shiiirleeeey.”
The Duchess leaned over the table and drew out her daughter’s name in a long, deliberate tone.
“…Yes?”
Finally, as if the effort had worked, Shirley stopped chewing on the fork and turned to look at the Duchess.
“Did you call me, Mother?”
“How many times do you think I’ve called you?”
“Huh?”
Shirley blinked her wide eyes in confusion. Her father, Duke Lafez, and her brother, Terban, were also staring at her with puzzled expressions.
“Why?”
Shirley tilted her head in confusion, then realized the fork was still in her mouth and quickly pulled it out.
“Ah…”
“You’ve barely touched your food, and it’s your favorite.”
Shirley looked down at the nearly untouched steak. The steak, drizzled with the head chef’s special sauce, was her favorite.
“Should I have them make it again?”
The Duchess, concerned about Shirley’s lack of appetite, looked at her daughter with worry.
“No, it’s delicious.”
Shirley picked up her fork and knife, cut a piece of meat, and brought it to her mouth.
The meat, which should have been bursting with savory juices, tasted like nothing. She chewed it mechanically, her jaw aching, before finally swallowing.
Driven by the obligation to finish her meal for her mother, who hated when she skipped meals, Shirley began cutting another piece of meat.
“By the way, late autumn would be the best time for the wedding, don’t you think?”
*Clang!*
Shirley’s fork and knife fell onto her plate with a loud clatter.
At those words, the Duke, Duchess, and her brother Terban all turned their eyes toward Shirley.
“Shirley? What’s wrong?”
“Wedding?”
“Why are you acting like you’re hearing this for the first time?”
“Are you saying the wedding is happening this year?” Shirley asked, her voice trembling.
The Duchess shrugged.
“We’ve already delayed it as much as possible after your coming-of-age ceremony. Why? Are you eager to get married? This mother is just…”
“…just teasing you, Shirley.”
“That’s not it…”
Shirley opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond.
“It’s hard to believe you’re getting married when you’re still so childish and immature,” Terban, who had been quiet until now, chimed in. Shirley bristled at his comment.
“Sorry I’m not as mature as Melissa, Brother.”
“I wasn’t comparing you to anyone.”
“Sure you weren’t.”
Shirley glared at her brother’s smug expression as he continued eating. Her sarcasm didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest.
Despite being only three years older, Terban acted as if he were infinitely wiser, and it irritated Shirley to no end.
*Does Melissa even know her fiancé is such an insufferable person?*
“Childish? Your sister is now a proper adult,” Duke Lafez interjected calmly.
“If she’s grown in age but not in maturity, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Terban replied nonchalantly, unfazed by his father’s remark.
Shirley, who hadn’t expected anything better from him, simply shook her head. Meanwhile, her appetite had completely vanished.
She glanced at the nearly untouched steak on her plate and let out a short sigh.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have much of an appetite. I’ll excuse myself.” Shirley set down her cutlery and stood up.
“Are you feeling unwell? Should we call the doctor…?” The Duchess turned her head, concerned, but Shirley shook her head.
“No, I’m fine.”
“But what if you catch a cold? You’re too delicate for that.”
Her father, Duke Lafez, chimed in as well. The parents had stopped eating, too concerned about their daughter, who had barely touched her meal.
“In this weather? A cold? Really?”
Shirley shook her head, eager to escape everyone’s gaze.
“Could it be that she’s already feeling the heat?”
The Duchess’s cautious suggestion seemed plausible, and the Duke nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, her brother continued eating, indifferent to the conversation.
“That’s true, it did get hot all of a sudden. Shirley’s always been sensitive to the heat.”
“Even though she was born in the summer, she’s oddly affected by the heat. It’ll be fun going to the villa with Damian. A little rest there should help her feel better.”
“…The villa?”
Shirley’s mind snapped to attention at those words.
“Why are you acting like you’re hearing this for the first time?”
“……?”
Under her mother’s piercing gaze, Shirley wanted to hit herself.
“Damian and his parents are coming to visit, aren’t they?”
“W-when did that happen?”
“‘When’? We’ve been talking about it all through dinner. Were you not listening at all?”
*Oh no, I forgot.* How could she have forgotten?
The Elpart and Lafez families were quite close, often taking turns inviting each other to their summer villas for vacations.
This year, it was the Lafez family’s turn to host the Elpart family at their villa. The plans had been discussed for months, but Shirley had completely forgotten.
“…I can’t breathe.”
“What did you say?”
