My Fiancée Hates Me

Chapter 45: Fanning Flames

Garett and I went back to reading our separate books across from each other.

"...Nothing changed," Charlotte said.

"This style suits us well," I told Charlotte.

"I expected as much from you two," Charlotte said with a sigh. "No progress as always."

Progress?

I suppose Charlotte did help us grow a bit closer. I suddenly locked eyes with Garett and quickly shifted

my gaze afterwards.

If it were not for the stupid stunt she pulled yesterday, I would be able to look Garett in the eye and not

hide behind my book all the time.

Seriously, why would Garett even pull my headband off with his teeth? It almost looked as if he was

eating me up...

I tried to get rid of the lewd thought by fanning myself.

The large tower clock rang.

I quickly stood up.

"I need to leave. I am on the Beautification Committee," I told Charlotte and Garett as I quickly left.

My homeroom teacher had asked me to join the Beautification Committee from seeing my scores in the

past few tests.

I accidentally screwed up and took the tests a little too seriously and ended up with getting the best

scores within my grade level and the attention of my teachers who made me join the committee.

The meeting would be held in a conference room near the student council office.

To my surprise, Prince Erik was there along with ten other students. There were only three seats left

available. One was the seat furthest away from Prince Erik, one was across from him, and there was

one seat right next to him. I tried picking the seat furthest away.

"Each seat is assigned with name tags. Your seat is right here," Prince Erik said as he pointed to the

seat beside him.

Next to him?

I plopped myself onto the chair beside him.

"Thank you for informing me, Your Highness."

"I was the one who arranged this seating order," Prince Erik whispered.

My first life husband is courting me...Now, I understand why old flames are dangerous.

I quickly turned my attention to the documents before me.

A young girl and the surprising guest Channing Wells came in shortly afterwards. That striking light

green hair was unmistakable...

I suppose the Last Boss will arrive when I do something outrageous like using the restroom during

class hours.

"Since everyone has arrived, shall we begin?"

The discussion was mainly directed between four students including Channing Wells. Prince Erik would

intervene once in a while when budget was mentioned and quickly give a short and bitter refusal. The

free flow of ideas was slowly coming to a standstill.

I decided to put my input in a way that would be acceptable for Prince Erik's pickiness. He readily

accepted my ideas. I was used to Erik's pickiness, so it would only be natural that I understood his

thoughts regarding this at least.

If we do not decide about what to do with the leftover budget, it would simply go towards the

Homecoming Dance.

"With the leftover budget, we should use it to decorate the bridge," Channing Wells suggested.

Decorating the bridge would surely invite tourism and help with the local economy.

"Shall we go with that then?" Prince Erik suggested.

It is a sound idea, but there other more important uses for the budget...

The budget could cover easily and the rest cover repairing the bridge. Drainage is a serious concern in

many areas of the town with a severe shortage of funds to fight against it.

It was the first idea that Channing Wells was able to get immediate approval from Prince Erik. I would

feel bad about speaking out right now.

"Do you have anything to add, Arielle?" Prince Erik asked me with a smile. "If not, the remaining budget

will go towards the upcoming dance."

This person acts so cold towards everyone else but gives me a smile like this. People will be thinking

that I received special treatment from him at this rate.

How should I tread on this lightly?

"I think that decorating the bridge is a wonderful idea. Is there a way that we can implement

redesigning the bridge in the repairs? It has been already long past due for repairs. The roads are

uneven and make carriage rides difficult for traveling parties...Also, I think we should direct some of the

money towards the drainage issues in the local's area where there have been the most complaints," I

said as I drew circles on the maps we were provided.

"...Oh, you have a very good eye, Arielle," Prince Erik said.

Channing Wells suddenly got out of his seat and slammed his hands on the table as he stood up.

"I cannot agree with your idea, Lady Arielle," Channing Wells said.

The meeting kept on going back and forth like that as if Channing Wells had something against me...

Since we could not get anywhere, the meeting ended just like that.

I went to the fishing docks for an early walk the next day.

"Lady Arielle!" a man with the appearance of a seaweed monster called to me.

"Bero!" I exclaimed as I quickly went to him.

Three people along with myself started to peel off the seaweed from a local fisherman who acts much

like a leader named Bero.

I became acquainted with the people of the island quite easily when I would be often seen wandering

around by myself. Someone noted that I looked exactly like my mother. Apparently, my mother was

quite popular here and was the one to help build all of the houses in the small fishing town.

My mother was quite the wild lady from what I have heard. There were rumors that she took on a bet to

live in the forest for a week that eventually turned into a month and came back with a wild boar on her

back. The rumors are quiet nowadays because hardly anyone believes such a dainty looking beauty

could do such a thing like that.

I later confirmed the rumors with the townspeople in which they were indeed very true...

No wonder my parents were lenient towards my practice of a sword and independence...

From interacting with the people, I learned that their trade was not doing so well in certain areas of the

main city. That is how I became aware of the drainage issues and the slowly developing slums in those

areas.

If only the Academy would share a bit of its success towards the towns...

"Seaweed goes nicely on white rice!" Bero, a fun man towering around a hundred and ninety

centimeters said.

"I am glad that the rice fields are coming nicely," I told him as I removed the last piece.

For someone who is in his fifties, he is sure lively.

"It is all because of you."

I found the crop was not gaining popularity because people did not know how to eat it and only fed it to

chickens before. I am glad that the people here take my suggestions seriously.

"I did not do much...If there is any success, I attribute it all to you," I told him.

"How can I help My Lady?" Bero asked.

He was a close retired Knight of my mother who I had only met once as a child. To think he settled

here...

"I would like to discuss something privately..."

We shared some coconut water together in his hut as I told him my worries.

"The other day, you caught a snake with your bare hands while you were helping us attend to the rice

fields," Bero reminisced.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"For a young girl like you who willingly steps into danger, a few setbacks won't hold you back for long. It

won't be easy to change those pesky Nobles, but if it's you...I have faith that you will be alright," Bero

said with a big smile.

"Talking with those people is so difficult..."

"Just be the most pompous person in the room."

"Pompous?"

"You are a noblewoman, but you do not act like one. There are times where you need to toughen up

and conform once in a while to get what you want done. No one else can do it for you. Only you can do

it, right?"

"Yes...I will try my best."

"The people of this island are counting on you, Little Noble," Bero said as he patted my head lightly.

"You will be fine because you are Lady Amalie's daughter, right? No, you will be fine because you are

Arielle..."

I gave him a wide smile.

"Tell me about any new information you hear," I asked him as I got up.

I walked around the town a bit and went off road to the forest. Behind the thicket of trees was not a

forest, but a large housing unit with the Academy's insignia.

All I could think about was that there was the golden opportunity that I was waiting for...

For the next meeting, I decided to come in fifteen minutes early since I was almost late last time.

The first people to arrive were Prince Erik and a few other men that did not speak much from

yesterday. They were all sitting in different seats, almost as if they were avoiding Prince Erik himself.

From the look of their faces, something about Prince Erik's obviously bad mood caused an

overwhelming sullen room.

His aura seemed a bit different today. He was still as handsome as ever, but his posture seemed

straight as a pin and his gaze was sharp like a lion.