The truth spilling from Riddell's mouth left Naoki momentarily speechless.
There were two reasons why this woman could fall in love with him.
On one hand, it was the affection sparked by the stolen first kiss and the gradual feelings of attraction that grew from her interest in Naoki during their time together.
On the other hand, it was the various considerations as a Magus and a Lord.
"What? Disappointed?" Riddell said, almost mocking herself. "Actually, five years ago, when you were in Misaki Town, I already thought about finding a chance to bring you back to the Archelot family. Whatever the reason, the point was to introduce you to the family elders so they'd stop pressuring me to marry."
"Even the Lord of the Department of Botany is pressured to marry?"
"A Lord isn't some extraordinary being. Besides being a Lord, I'm also part of the Archelot family, and I have to think about the family's survival. Plus, I'm almost thirty now, and the family keeps recommending young, talented Magus to me."
Young representatives of ancient families, genius Magus who reached high ranks at a young age, descendants of declining but prestigious bloodlines… In short, they were pushing her into an arranged marriage.
"And? None of them caught your eye?"
"I rejected most of them. The rest were just to appease the family's demands. And even when I went, I found those so-called great Magus weren't as good as you. The most obvious point—they weren't as handsome as you."
Riddell's blunt evaluation made Naoki burst into laughter. "You really think that highly of me."
On second thought, her evaluation wasn't wrong. Back then, Naoki's appearance was already quite similar to Arthur's. With Arthur's prince-like handsomeness, not just anyone could compare. No wonder Riddell wasn't interested in others.
"Of course, looks are only part of it. The main thing is they all had ulterior motives. Some were after the Archelot family's wealth, some wanted to use my power to revive their declining families, others just wanted to use my name for fame… You name it."
"From a Magus's perspective, I don't think their mindset is wrong. People like that are common in the mystic world. I know plenty of female Magus who married men like that."
In the end, the Magus matched with Riddell didn't care about 'Riddell' as a person but rather about the 'Lord of the Department of Botany' and the 'Head of the Archelot Family.'
"If it was the old me, I might not have completely ignored them. But unfortunately, before meeting them, I met you first. From the start, you never cared about my various titles."
"Whether I was a world-famous idol, a descendant of a prestigious Clock Tower family, or the Lord of the Department of Botany, you never cared about any of those identities. You only saw me as an ordinary person named May Riddell Archelot."
That was why Riddell liked Naoki. In front of him, she didn't need to wear a mask or pretend. The days she spent with him in that apartment were the most relaxing times for her.
"Riddell…"
Her words were sincere, and Naoki could feel it. He had never realized that Riddell saw him this way, nor had he noticed how she viewed herself.
"Hmm, saying it out loud feels so much better… But you haven't given any response, which makes me a bit disappointed. Even if my motives weren't pure, I genuinely like you and have waited for you for five years. Don't you feel anything?"
"Feelings, huh… There's so much I want to say that I really don't know where to start. Do you want me to put on a touched expression and respond to your love confession right now?"
"I'd kick you and throw you far away. That's not like you at all." Riddell said with a smile, though her expression dimmed slightly. "Before the Holy Grail War began, my family pressured me to marry again. They're so persistent after all these years…"
"And? How did you respond?"
"[After the Holy Grail War ends, I'll return and marry. You don't need to arrange it for me; I'll find the most suitable partner myself]—after saying those bold words, I came to Japan. Originally, I planned to bring you back after this was over, but who would've thought Touko would suddenly tell me the bad news about you and Aoko…"
Naoki gave an awkward smile. "Sorry about that… How about I go with you and pretend for the Archelot family?"
"Naoki… I really want to flip this table at your head."
Perhaps because she'd had too much to drink, Riddell's cheeks flushed as she looked at Naoki. "Marry me, Naoki. After the Holy Grail War ends."
"Huh?"
Her shocking words left Naoki momentarily stunned.
Marry?
Riddell?
[Vixen… you dare agree?]
(Manaka, don't interrupt…)
Ignoring Manaka's random outburst, Naoki rubbed his temples. "Um… Riddell, are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking? And this time, you can't pretend to be clueless like before. Yes or no—those are the only two answers."
"Of course, I won't ask you to break up with Aoko. A man having one or two mistresses is acceptable… That's my biggest concession."
Riddell spoke firmly, but beneath her resolve, there was a sense of restraint. Her hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.
Proposing marriage to a man she'd liked for years must have taken all her courage as a woman. Perhaps she even needed the courage from alcohol to make this decision.
Come to think of it, Riddell was almost forty now, wasn't she? When they met, she was already nearly thirty. Years had passed, and she was approaching her forties.
They met about nine years ago… She'd spent roughly a quarter of her life waiting for him.
"Jumping from close opposite-sex friend to marriage?"
It felt like a high school classmate you were close to suddenly calling you behind the school building to confess their love.
After a moment of silence, Naoki shook his head. "Sorry, Riddell. Your proposal… I can't accept it."