The Heroine Stole My Fiancé So I Marry Her Father

"Eleanor! What do you think of this dress?"

In front of me stood a young girl, or rather, a lady noble of exquisite beauty, who was busy trying on the latest spring dresses at a renowned boutique that only the highest-ranking nobles in the Empire could visit.

Nobles? Latest spring dresses? Empire? What nonsense is this? Are we in the midst of a medieval drama, or what?

I let out a rough sigh.

If only this were merely a stage drama, then I wouldn't be as exasperated and tormented as I am now.

"Eleanor, answer me!"

The lady noble's voice had an annoyed tone, accompanied by a pout on her rosy lips, making her not only beautiful but also incredibly adorable.

Beside the mint-haired girl who was still pouting and staring at me intensely, five boutique staff members exchanged anticipatory glances while alternating their gazes between the two of us.

I reluctantly opened my mouth. "... It suits you."

"Really?! I knew I could count on your judgment, Eleanor! I'm buying this!" The young girl exclaimed in delight, instructing the boutique staff to wrap up the dress she had chosen.

I felt relieved that this forced 'shopping session' was finally coming to an end. I quickly stood up, ignoring a persistent boutique staff who was still eager to hand me a catalog of spring dresses.

But...

"Oh, let's try another dress then."

"Good idea. Allow me to show you the second catalog, Lady Cecillia!"

The mint-haired girl, Cecillia, was being enticed by the boutique manager who seemed to appear out of thin air.

"..." I could only glare sharply at the female manager, frustrated that I couldn't prevent Cecillia from continuing her shopping spree.

"How about it, Lady Eleanor? Would you like to look at this catalog?" The boutique staff member next to me finally spoke up, looking at me with the enthusiasm of a seasoned salesperson.

Reluctantly, I accepted the catalog and opened its pages with a disinterested gaze.

All the eyes of the boutique staff on the second floor, which was reserved for VIPs, were fixed on the two of us. The employees of the boutique gave us courteous glances as we were escorted upstairs, treating us like wallets filled to the brim with gold coins.

'Ah, I just want to go back....'

***

"Eleanor, let's go to this dessert shop!" Cecillia pointed to a building outside as we rode in a horse-drawn carriage.

"Hm...?"

I, who had closed my eyes due to exhaustion, glanced slightly in the direction Cecillia was pointing, seeing a colorful two-story building bustling with people.

"Alright." I nodded in agreement, knowing I needed some sweet treats to replenish the energy drained during Cecillia's nearly four-hour shopping spree.

The carriage came to a stop, and without a word, the carriage door opened, revealing a knight standing by to assist us in alighting gracefully from the high carriage to the ground.

Cecillia exited the carriage first, followed by me. I observed the middle-aged knight, Cecillia's personal guard, who extended his hand to help us step down with ease and elegance, preventing any missteps.

"Thank you." I accepted the knight's extended hand with an uneasy smile on my face, still not used to the gesture.

The knight looked at me for a moment, then nodded slightly while maintaining a serious, polite demeanor.

Ah, I'm really not accustomed to this.

"Come on, Eleanor!" Cecillia tugged at my hand without hesitation, leading me into a two-story building while admiring the enticing aroma.

"Welcome!"

"Prepare two seats on the upper floor, as usual."

"... Yes!"

The waiter rushed off after receiving Cecillia's maid's instruction, while the two of us, or rather, Cecillia, strolled leisurely from the first floor to the second, relishing the delightful scent.

"See those two elegant noble ladies...."

"They must be from a prestigious family given their refined demeanor."

Cecillia paid no mind to the admiring stares from the visitors on the first floor, who was captivated by her beauty. She continued to walk gracefully and cheerfully, as if accustomed to such attention.

Several eyes also glanced at me beside Cecillia, recognizing us as high-noble ladies. One of them is admirable, but also envious.

Feeling uneasy under the scrutiny, I pretended not to care, putting on my usual 'Eleanor' face.

"Puddings and tarts at this shop are quite renowned! I often come here! You'll love it too, Eleanor!" Cecillia chattered away.

I merely nodded in response, listening to her childlike ramblings with an indifferent gaze. I had no great expectations for the desserts in this 'foreign place'.

"Here you go, Lady Emmeline and Lady Gwendolyn. I hope these honorable ladies can sit comfortably in this humble place."

A male waiter, who had arrived on the second floor ahead of us, had already prepared a table for two with perfection. I averted my gaze rather than acknowledging his welcome.

'Ah, stop it. This is embarrassing, no matter how much I've experienced it...!'

Thankfully, Cecillia's lively charm drew everyone's attention, letting me hide my unease behind Eleanor's usual face.

"I'll have the usual," Cecillia ordered promptly after elegantly taking her seat as if her childish behavior had never occurred.

The waiter swiftly nodded and relayed the order to the chef waiting by the kitchen door, then turned his attention back to me, who was also staring at him.

"...? No menu?" I asked, puzzled.

"Menu? Oh, wait a moment, please, Lady!"

The waiter looked surprised and bewildered, but he hurriedly dashed somewhere before returning with a hastily written thick piece of paper that seemed to be the menu of the dessert shop.

'Did they just create this menu...?'

I can only shake my head, looking at the thick piece of paper that contains the hastily written menu with a cold expression.

"I recommend the tarts! Especially the fruit cream tart!" Cecillia, who completely fails to realize the tense atmosphere due to my obvious displeasure, manages to lighten the mood with her cute chatter.

"Hmm..." I mutter in response, glancing back at the menu in my hands.

[Cookies] Chocolate cookie. Butter cookie.

[Tarts] Fruit tart. Cream tart. Fruit cream tart.

[Puddings] Rice pudding. Bread pudding.

Apparently, it doesn't meet my expectations at all. That's what I think when I look at the entire menu written on the paper.

'I don't want to eat cookies here either,' I thought silently as I recalled what had happened at that residence.

With an uninterested expression, I open my mouth. I also hand the menu back to the waiter.

"One bread pudding, please."

"Understood. I'll bring your order to your table as soon as it's ready! Please wait while enjoying this tea!" The waiter, who's visibly tense, hurries away after taking our order.

I gaze at the green tea with a touch of sarcasm.

'Ugh, get rid of this tea! I'm so fed up with being served tea while waiting for this girl to shop for nearly 4 hours!'

Unlike me, who appears calm and completely disregards the green tea in my mind, Cecillia is looking at the tea on the table with a satisfied expression.

"I haven't had green tea in so long!" she says with enthusiasm. "It seems like this shop knows quite well that both of us enjoy tea."

I merely nod nonchalantly, not wanting to acknowledge statements I'd rather not know about.

Cecillia quietly sips her tea with elegance and grace, perfectly embodying the image of a noble lady.

I, who am watching her, can only shake my head internally.

'It turns out that this seemingly childish girl can also act like a perfect noble.'

Cecillia Emmeline, to be more precise, the Emmeline family, whose patriarch holds the title of Duke, a high title that's only held by two families in this Magnolia Empire.

Naturally, the only daughter born into such a respected family would be impeccably educated to preserve her family's reputation.

'Ha, why am I bothering to think about the background of the troublesome girl in front of me?'

I shook my head again, trying to dispel such pointless thoughts from my already weary mind, which was burdened with various issues.

While I was lost in thought, Cecillia called out to me.

"Elen."

"... Yes?" I responded slowly, still unaccustomed to being addressed as such.

Strangely, the atmosphere at the table was rather tranquil.

I glanced around.

"... Ah."

I belatedly realized that it was only the two of us on this second floor.

Where did everyone else go?

"Did you feel uncomfortable during your time at Chronos Academy?"

I gazed at Cecillia, her beautiful brown eyes fixed on me, appearing calm.

"..." Conversely, I felt uneasy with the calm, piercing gaze, unusual for Cecillia's usually warm countenance, which was always directed at me, or rather, at the owner of this body.

"No." I swallowed, before continuing my sentence. "My school is fine. I got nearly perfect scores in almost all subjects."

"You do realize that's not what I'm asking right now."

I closed my eyes after hearing the response I had anticipated.

This is the reason why I don't want to leave my residence.

Cecillia Emmeline, the sole daughter of the Emmeline Duke family, as well as the heroine of the R19+ novel written by my younger brother.

She stared at me as if suspecting me, Eleanor Gwendolyn, a possessor and the older sister of the author of this world, as well as Cecillia's childhood friend.

'Ah, you damn brother, if we ever meet, I'll punish you until death seems preferable.'