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It was frankly ridiculous. Utterly preposterous! Downright maddening.
Lloyd had lists upon lists of things better to do than this! Yet he was forced to handle the delicate matter. Javier, his trusty knight, of course volunteered to come along on this particular adventure a little too readily… Lloyd suspected that the grand master knight took a sick sense of joy out of seeing Lloyd suffer.
See Lloyd was not really Lloyd. In fact, his name was Kim Suho and he was originally from South Korea. He'd been a student, a laborer, and had served time in the country's military. However after reading the ‘Knight of Blood and Iron' one night, he went to sleep and woke up not in his own bed. Instead, he woke up face down in the dirt as Lloyd Frontera. Lloyd was… honestly he was a terrible person and Suho would've gladly picked literally anyone. Yet he found himself as Lloyd, the drunkard lunatic who would die as such. Javier Asrahan, his knight, was the protagonist in the novel and the one destined to save the world. So Lloyd was left to fix the original Lloyd's mistakes and maybe get ahead as well.
All that to say that he was in a bit of a… predicament. You see, Lloyd was the son of Count Arcos and Countess Marbella Frontera. Despite being of noble lineage, he was average in the looks department.
Apparently.
Personally, he didn't find himself nearly as repulsive as some people seemed to think he was and it wasn't like he left himself unkempt. In fact, he was pretty hygienic in a world that had yet to discover plumbing. However he was still, apparently, not the most handsome of men. Which was completely unfair! How was he supposed to compete when he had literally God's favorite child next to him at all times! Javier was ethereal! Beyond handsome! Even when crossdressing he was stunning as a woman! How was Lloyd ever supposed to find a lady interested in him when Javier was next to him! It was outrageous!
So back to the problem in question. The original's father, Arcos, had requested Lloyd make some time in his day to address marriage offers. He had sighed but gone ahead with it. So many young women's fathers were desperate to have Lloyd under their thumb. He had value, just not in the eyes of the women that it all centered around. Of course the second Javier had heard that Lloyd would be having an audience with the women who had come for his hand, he had immediately agreed to “protect” him should one of the women try to maul him or something. To which Lloyd glared because Javier just wanted to see the women reject Lloyd on sight. The knight took delight in others’ suffering.
He had settled down in the drawing room of their manor, Javier behind him at his right shoulder impassive and shifting with excitement.
“Quit moving. I can tell you take joy in my suffering.” Lloyd snapped.
Javier stilled, “Nonsense Master Lloyd, I would never find your suffering funny.”
Lloyd sighed right as Count Frontera came into the room with a kind smile and a stack of papers nearly up to Lloyd's knee.
“Lloyd! Good that you're here, it's time to start. I have the ladies ordered by region, then by title, and so on! Pretty smart if I do say so myself.” Arcos said brightly as if this whole ordeal was going to end with a ring on Lloyd's finger.
He nodded and grabbed the first paper, “It is a good system. The first one is the daughter of Count Cremo? She's back?”
Arcos shrugged, “I am fairly certain it's just her father, the Count himself.”
Lloyd snorted and thus the onslaught began. Count Cremo had shown up with an offer for Lloyd to work under him, the contract already drafted. He politely declined but softened the blow by informing the Count that he wished to establish a Frontera Ondol shop in Count Cremo's city. The prospect of more money seemed to brighten the man's mood and he left content. The rest of the day did not go nearly as well. Women entered and if they didn't mistake the knight for his lord then they cried upon seeing Lloyd. The only thing he had learned was that marrying him was a fate worse than becoming a nun as one young lady had declared herself as such upon learning that Lloyd was the one she had been sent to try and marry.
Lovely.
They had started right after having breakfast before breaking for the second meal of the day and now they were nearly at dinnertime. The stack of papers was significantly shorter and the end was near but all he wanted to do was quit and send the last few away. He knew they'd want nothing to do with him the second they knew who he was and he had had plenty of time to make peace with that throughout the arduous day he'd had. However Arcos had insisted and Lloyd figured he could last until dinner and if any suitors were left, then he would politely decline and send them back to their homes.
Javier was still at his side, though the knight had excused himself on various occasions for causing disruptions. Lloyd scowled at the countless times that Javier had covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. The man just couldn't contain himself and loved to kick Lloyd while he was down.
Arcos grabbed the paper on the top of the stack, “I'll admit I hesitated to include this young lady, I had turned a few away in the screening process, though I decided to leave this one be.”
Lloyd hummed curiously. He wondered what Arcos had been screening for. Murderers maybe? He sighed as he leaned back into his seat. Sure it was poor manners but it would be pointless anyway so what was the harm?
The Count stood and opened the door for the next suitor.
In walked a young lady who looked less like the daughter of a noble and more like the daughter of a farmer. Or maybe even a beggar. She was simple but pretty. Her face held a soft smile and her eyes were alight with more life than the rest of her held. Her clothes were… meager. The dresses that most of the other women had worn were ornate, covered in lace, frills, layers, drapes. Some of the higher class ladies had gems sown into their dresses. However this young lady wore a dress not dissimilar to one of the maids’ outfits. Lloyd blinked in surprise.
The young woman curtsied in true noble fashion. She became more of a mystery by the second.
Arcos smiled, “Please sit.”
The woman sat with grace and Lloyd braced himself for the inevitable.
She smiled, “Hello Lloyd Frontera, I would like to offer my hand in marriage. I think we could both benefit from this union.”
Lloyd sighed long and heavy before leaning forward, “Look, I'm Lloyd Frontera and that's my knight Javier.”
The woman cocked her head and her hair fell around her, “Yes? I'm aware? It's nice to meet you as well Sir Asrahan.”
He paused and stared at her. She stared back. Her gaze never wandered. Never wavered.
“Well then, please tell us about yourself.” Arcos interjected, looking way too excited.
The lady smiled, “I come from a small Barony near the Pantara Range. It's not much, just farmland and one small town where me and my parents reside. I have no dowry to offer, and no means to contribute financially. But I know how to cook, clean, and farm. You're a kind man Mr. Frontera and I wish to marry you.”
Lloyd gaped at the declaration. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Javier was also in shock. Arcos however, clapped his hands together in excitement.
“This is wonderful! Prior to my son's achievements, we too were a barony and on the brink of financial ruin as well. I assure you my lady that your financial standing does not bother us! To be frank, I wish for Lloyd to find someone as special to him as my wife is to me.” Arcos chattered while Lloyd sat dumbly on the sofa.
“Say,” Arcos said with a mischievous smile, “Would you like to join us for dinner? It's already quite late and you must be starving from having to wait so long. Please, it would make my wife happy to get to meet our son's fiancée!”
The lady flushed pink and laughed, “I'd be delighted to join you, thank you for the honor.”
Arcos laughed along with the young woman, “No, really, the honor is mine.”
The pair left the room happily chatting about who knows what. Thus leaving Lloyd and Javier alone in the drawing room where they had spent the majority of the day. Lloyd was still seated, hands folded in front of his mouth and eyes calculating. Javier came around the seating to face Lloyd.
Lloyd looked to his friend, “Javier.”
“Yes, Master Lloyd?” The knight replied.
“What just happened?” Lloyd asked honestly.
“Well,” Javier said with a hum, “I do believe you're about to be married.”