Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 293

The feeling of a first love was unsettling.

He treated her well. Wherever she wanted to go, he would take her. Whatever she wanted to do, he would do it with her. If there was something she disliked, he would never try it a second time.

Looking at Christian’s past behavior, this was unmistakably special treatment.

And yet… why was that? There was something unsettling about it. It felt as if there was a large hole somewhere. She should have been happy, but anxiety would creep in without warning. Why? Why did these ominous thoughts keep popping up?

The deeper her thoughts went, the more she wanted to turn her head away. After all, facing the truth is always difficult. That’s why, whenever Caroline was swept up in emotions she couldn’t define, she would often consult Louise.

“Do you think he loves me?”

Recently, Louise’s answer was always the same.

“Of course. If it weren’t love, there’s no way he would treat you so specially.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can tell just by looking from a distance. The way he looks at you… If that’s not love, then what else could you call it?”

Love. Louise said that Christian loved Caroline. That made her want to believe it. She wanted to think that testimony from someone else’s lips could be proof of love.

“Love… Come to think of it, these days, he treats me like I’m a fragile glass vessel. No one has ever treated me with such care before.”

“I knew it! Treating you differently from others, that’s exactly what love is.”

Caroline nodded slightly. In the corner of her mind, a lightbulb flickered on and off. Every time it flashed, she recalled the reason they’d gotten back together.

But if I hadn’t leaked investment information to him…

She quickly shook her head. No, that can’t be. He loves me.

“I’m glad I talked to you, Madame. Thanks to you, I’m sure now.”

Caroline smiled.

“That he… loves me.”

Christian loves her. Someday, he would propose to her. The two of them would become each other’s lifelong partners, spending their lives together.

They say that between a married couple, there should be no secrets. If he ever hinted at wanting to propose, she would gladly give him everything. Her mind, her hands, her feet, even her heart—every last bit.

And then, not long after, a drunken Christian told Caroline this.

“I’ve never understood why my father and mother even got married. I’ve never seen them get along, not even once since I was a child.”

“Well… isn’t it because they were engaged?”

An arranged marriage between noble families. She didn’t need to spell it out.

“Caroline, you really don’t know much about how things work in the capital, do you? My family has a claim to the throne. The royal family has so many descendants that it’s unlikely the right will ever actually pass to us, but it still means we have the title.”

“The power of the Pierce Duchy is beyond question. Even I know that much.”

Christian let out a bitter smile.

“It’s not about power. If you have no intention of inheriting the throne, you have to live completely like a wastrel. In that sense, we have a freedom that other nobles don’t. It’s both a right and a duty. We can live extravagantly, and at the same time, we’re expected to live that way. As if we have no other ambitions except loyalty to the state.”

“Is that why you’ve always lived the way you have?”

“…Of course.”

For some reason, there was an odd pause. But Caroline found hope in his words. Maybe Christian was actually a decent person. Maybe he only pretended to live recklessly to avoid royal scrutiny.

“That’s why, as long as it’s not some serious class gap, our family is pretty relaxed about marrying for love. Actually, it’s probably better that way.”

Despite all his many flirtations, Christian had never once been engaged. She had thought his family was simply indifferent to his marriage, but she hadn’t expected this kind of backstory.

Caroline asked with genuine curiosity.

“Then, were you born from a love marriage, too?”

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