Description : The plain, unpopular, inconspicuous and dull wallflower of the social circles. Even so, a marriage proposal arrives for such a Mariel. The fiancé is, surprise!, the heart-throbbing imperial knight Simeon-sama! Why does he, towards this girl? Even as she is showered in jealousy and scorn, Mariel is happy. After all, Simeon-sama is the perfect delicacy, a handsome youth with a bright exterior but a dark interior! This is the story of a girl who secretly laughs at her fiancé and his surroundings. https://www.novelupdates.com/series/marielle-claracs-engagement/ ....Spoilers plzzzzz!!!!!!!!!
From what I have read (and understood) Simon already knows about her hobby for a long time. It just came to a point that his eyes started to look for her after a certain incident (I really can't remember since it's been a long time when I read it) every time there is a social gathering.
From the syosetu page, the only materials from the published novel are parts 1-3, while the rest are side stories. One of the side stories however has 13 parts, the length of a normal volume, a prequel called マリエル・クララックの邂逅 (The Encounter of Marielle Clarac). The author said somewhere (forgot if it was twitter or author note at syosetu) that it's unlikely to be published, as the POV character is someone else, while Marielle and Simeon are support characters who didn't even meet each other proper. Despite that, I really love it! So here's some summaries so you can like it too (lol). The story takes place 3+ years before the main story and the POV character is Paul, a fiction editor who would become a very important person for Marielle. Spoiler: prequel part 1 1 Paul Satie was a 23-year-old editor at the biggest publishing house in Lagrange. One day, as he was leaving to pick up a manuscript from a writer, he saw a girl getting rudely refused at his office's reception desk. She wanted to submit a manuscript, but wasn't taken seriously because she's a woman. Like most fields, publishing was completely male-dominated in that era, but Paul believed in not discriminating writers on the basis of gender. His ideas were seen as eccentric by people, including his editor-in-chief. It's one of the reasons Paul and his editor-in-chief clashed a lot, despite Paul being good at his job. Paul called out to the girl outside. He apologized to her and offered to buy her a drink and give feedback on her manuscript on a personal basis. At first he thought she looked disappointed that it's not on behalf of the publisher, but she quickly rebounded and very enthusiastically welcomed him to read and mercilessly critique her work. The girl was plain-looking with brown hair, brown eyes and large glasses. She moved and spoke like a girl from a good family, but she's alone without any attendants in the city's main street. Paul thought it's impossible that the girl could be a noble lady like she seemed to be. That day, an eccentric editor met an eccentric noble girl who loved to write, Marielle Clarac. Spoiler: prequel part 2 2 As they sat together in a cafe, Paul noticed more and more signs of Marielle's status, like her dining etiquette and the high quality paper her manuscript was written on. Paul liked what he quickly skimmed, so he asked if he could take the manuscript home and meet again in three days. He also told her to bring a proper companion next time, but she baffled him again by saying she wouldn't be able to blend into the landscape unless she's alone. Paul asked Marielle how old she was. She answered that next month she'll turn 15 and join the ranks of adults. He realised it meant she's really a noble daughter about to make her debut. Marielle claimed her family had no particular status, history or wealth, and proceeded to list the names of commoners more rich and powerful. Paul was impressed she knew such things. Not to mention, she also went all the way downtown to submit her manuscript instead of sending a servant or calling the publisher to her mansion, like Paul believed naive, haughty noble ladies would do. Before they part, Marielle wagered that the next time they met, Paul wouldn't be able to notice her. He then went to pick up the manuscript from his writer. When he returned to the office, his editor-in-chief Roland chewed him out for going out so long. Roland didn't get along with Paul and had been trying to get him fired by only assigning him writers that didn't sell well. However, Paul had been able to work competently with these writers and produced works that made profit, so Roland couldn't find a reason to sack him. Paul chatted about his ideals regarding female writers with his one buddy in the office, Theo. Theo thought some of them were good, but it's hopeless because people won't buy it. Paul said there's a history of selling in the past, but that's only because the novel was published under a man's name. When it had been discovered the author was actually a woman, public opinion turned negative and the series could not continue. As Paul walked home that day, he thought about that woman who published under a man's name ten years ago, something he'll never forget. Spoiler: prequel part 3 3 Like many men, Paul was brought up with the idea that women are no match for men in any way. However, ten years ago he came across a novel series that challenged that view. He loved the series, a historical fiction that mixed fictional characters and original elements with facts and real people. The work was very popular with the public and got nine volumes published. The last volume had a somewhat hanging ending. Paul had thought it was a setup for another volume, a true finale. However, it was discovered that the author was a woman, Miss Ferrier, and what was previously praised a lot under a man's name began to garner harsh criticism. A lot of men still refused to admit that women were capable of producing excellent works of literature. While some readers, mainly female, continued to support it, sales on the whole dropped. The tenth volume was never published and it wasn't clear what happened to the author afterwards. To the boy Paul, it was nonsense. If a book is interesting, it doesn't matter who the author is. Since then, Paul had the goal to become an editor, find Miss Ferrier and get the final volume published with his own hands. After becoming an adult, however, Paul faced the reality that even though he was able to get a job at a major publishing company, his ideals weren't understood. No matter how he tried to get the company to work with female authors or target the female market, the company did not want to change how they do business. Paul quietly let go of his dream, but continued to work there as he needed the income. The next morning, Paul asked his landlady's daughter Grace to read Marielle's manuscript and tell him her perspective as a female reader. Grace was 30 years old, had recently divorced and returned to her widowed mother's house with her son. Grace was happy to be able to read for free. Books then were commonly hardbound, a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Commoners could only buy magazines and newspapers or borrow from book rentals. Paul thought there needed to be a new way of doing business that is more accessible to everyone, because books are made for the content, and not as props to show off wealth. Paul arrived at his office. He found out that the manuscript he's supposed to send to the printer had been stolen from his locked drawer. Roland accused Paul of dropping it somewhere and lying about it being stolen. Paul sought support from Theo, who saw him put it in the drawer yesterday, but like all the other employees Theo was silent. Paul accused Roland of stealing it as he's got the spare key. They yelled at each other and Roland fired Paul, even had him dragged out of the premises. It became a commotion in the hallway. Someone who happened to be visiting the company president witnessed it. The president apologized and said it's probably just someone who complained about some magazine article they published.
More on The Encounter of Marielle Clarac Spoiler: prequel part 4 4 The scene switches to the Royal Order of Knights HQ. Captain Simeon Flaubert, 23 years old, received a letter of promotion to the rank of major. It was extraordinary for someone less than five years out of the military academy--normally he'd only just become a lieutenant. Even the royal guards' commandant made sarcastic remarks about it. Simeon admitted his career trajectory wasn't honorable and never argued with anyone who criticized his privileges. He thought gaining power as quickly as possible was necessary to serve his sworn lord, the Crown Prince, to the best of his ability. The vice commandant Albert Poisson congratulated and bantered with Simeon, then pulled him to his office. Poisson turned serious and discussed a corruption crackdown operation in the Royal Order. They've been secretly working on it together under orders of the king. All the preparations were done, what's left was timing the announcement and initiating prosecution on the Commandant. So Poisson told Simeon to do one last thing: discreetly take a large, thick envelope to a certain place where top secret business are usually carried out. He mustn't open the sealed envelope, but he could see the contents with the recipient, and use discretion if the recipient requested anything. After Simeon left, Poisson chuckled and thought tomorrow would be fun. Poisson liked Simeon and wanted to make him his second-in-command after taking over leadership of the guards. However, he thought Simeon was still too straight, narrow and trusting, which won't do for someone in leadership position. So he set up the guy for some "loving education". Switch back to Paul, who had just been thrown out of his office. A girl who looked 12-13 called his name and asked if he's okay. Paul didn't know who she was. The girl got all happy about being forgotten and said her name: Marielle Clarac. Spoiler: prequel part 5 5 Paul chided Marielle again about going out alone in the city. Marielle said today she's not alone, showing him her maid Natalie. Paul said he just got fired, and Natalie had to explain what it means to Marielle in a funny exchange that made Paul laugh. Meanwhile, an old gentleman left the publisher's office and approached Marielle with raised eyebrow--her grandfather. Marielle introduced Paul as her friend and asked permission to chat with him somewhere. Grandfather turned out to be the guest who saw Paul getting dragged out of the building. After some exchange in which the stern grandfather scolded an overly excited Marielle, he asked Paul to lead them to a cafe where they can talk. Paul was nervous but also relieved that he could talk with someone about the situation he's in. Marielle's grandfather was Baron Hercule Bideau, the chancellor of the National University of Saint-Terre. He's from the lower nobility but well-respected for his position and character. Paul's former workplace, Desir Publishing, had published some of the baron's books. Marielle was indignant about how Paul was treated. Her wise grandfather, while understanding Paul's side of the story, pointed out as well Paul's insensitivity towards his coworkers' envy and inability to handle it in a way that didn't sour the workplace atmosphere. Paul realized and admitted it. Marielle couldn't accept it. Paul laughed and told Marielle about the trickiness of adult life, and that she needed to understand twisted minds of people if she wanted to write a story that moves people. Baron Bideau offered to speak with the company president about reconsidering Paul's dismissal. Paul refused as he no longer wanted to work there, but asked for help to get stuff from his desk and some severance pay. He also wanted the lost manuscript to be returned, but didn't know how to go about that. Marielle suggested that the editor-in-chief may not have thrown out the manuscript, as it was something that could make them money. Instead, it could be presented with some changes as coming from a different author. Paul thought such plagiarism would be vile but didn't rule it out. He thought of the editor sitting next to him, Brice, who was good at sucking up to Roland and would probably be handed over the manuscript. Spoiler: prequel part 6 6 Simeon was in town, carefully heading to his destination, changing means of transportation to stay conspicuous. Suddenly he collided with a fat man running and dropped the vice commandant's envelope. The man was chased by another young man and two girls. Simeon picked up his envelope and realized it wasn't his--it got switched with the fat man's. He had no choice but to chase them. Flashback a bit to before Paul and Marielle chased Brice. Despite Marielle's theory, Paul decided to check the office incinerator, in case the manuscript was thrown away there. Marielle insisted on following, so Natalie tagged along. Baron Bideau went home after telling Natalie to make sure they didn't return too late. Marielle chirped away to Paul about what kind of wonderful people her grandpa and grandma were, and that if she ever get her novel published, the first thing she wanted to do is thank them. She showed Paul the gift the baron just bought her, which is a fountain pen and a notebook. Paul was surprised that for a debut celebratory gift, it's not accessories, since it's about finding a marriage partner. Marielle proclaimed her excitement about getting to observe society after debut. She explained about arranged marriages in noble society and how glamorous outfits didn't suit her, etc etc the usual tirade. Paul noticed how she's childish and mature at the same time, gave her some advice and told her not to give up. Although it's still too early for her to get married, he didn't think she's a bad catch and her ordinary looks appeared prettier when she's talking all excited like now. Marielle stepped back, huddled with Natalie and whispered that Paul seemed like a womanizer that makes women cry. Then she laughed and Paul realized he was being teased. They arrived at the incinerator and ran into Brice. Brice derided Paul, but Paul wasn't angry anymore after the talk with Marielle and Baron Bideau which broadened his horizons. Paul noticed that the envelope Brice was carrying was his, because it carried a secret marking only known to him. Brice ran outside and everyone went after him.
Honestly, a bit of a dumb question, but is the Lupin like chara an adaptation only character, right? So, has the manga in a sense, the last I checked the raws already extended the novel (at least the webnovel?) plotline?
The web novel only covers one third of the first LN volume. I don't know if it used to be there but taken down after getting published, or never uploaded in the first place. So the manga hasn't extended the novel plotline, except for minor differences like giving the thief a cameo earlier than his original appearance. The latest manga chapter published (chapter 24) is at volume 2 (of 7) of the LN.
More on the Encounter of Marielle Clarac Spoiler: prequel part 7 7 During the chase, Brice knocked over many things and people. Sometimes their things got dropped and scattered around. Paul could run faster than Brice, but he kept apologizing to people, as well as namedropping Roland and Desir Publishing in case anyone wanted to lodge complaints. Paul followed Brice into a park and finally managed to catch up as Brice ran out of breath. Paul took back the envelope. Brice frustratedly laid his heart out about his envy at the "genius" Paul. After some yelling, Paul was able to empathize and feel sorry for Brice. Just in time a bunch of guys approached them and tried to take the envelope from Paul's hands. They told Paul to give it 'back' and tried to attack. Paul was saved when another person who came from behind single-handedly incapacitated all of the attackers. He told Paul their envelopes got switched. Paul realized that indeed, the beautiful young man who was built like a soldier had his marked envelope. His savior left as the cops arrived to take care of the attackers. Marielle and Natalie arrived after trailing behind. Paul was impressed they ran the whole way. He noticed how Natalie was a competent and caring girl that he'd like to invite to dinner in the future. As they were talking, Natalie noticed another envelope that had fallen near Brice. Apparently Brice took it unwittingly when he bumped into someone. Paul realized that the attackers may not be robbers but people who genuinely lost their envelope. Brice refused to take it to the police and scurried away. Paul and Marielle checked the contents to find a bunch of documents that Marielle recognized as related to a rich man's inheritance dispute. She had read about in a gossip newspaper. In the end, Paul brought the documents to the police and got rewarded. Apparently, the attackers were scammers involved in the inheritance dispute and those documents were evidence. Paul thought it wasn't his deed, as it was the young soldier who handed over the scammers to the police, and Brice who took the envelope. But Marielle told him to accept the good luck God gave him, especially since he would need the money. Spoiler: prequel part 8 8 When Paul got home, Theo had been waiting for him. He apologized tearfully for not backing him up at the office. Paul understood that Theo, who provided for his younger siblings, couldn't afford to risk losing his job. Mrs Melenchon, the elderly landlady & Grace's mother, invited them to dinner. Paul and Theo talked about future plans. Paul declared he's going to start his own publishing company and asked Theo to work with him after he can afford to pay his salary. Theo was touched that Paul would still say that after what he did. Paul said Theo had been the only one who took his ideas seriously and also could read the atmosphere properly, unlike himself. --This promise would be fulfilled sooner than expected, as Theo would later resign from Desir Publishing and join Paul to struggle together starting the new business. After Theo left, Grace spoke to Paul about the manuscript he gave her. She guessed correctly that it was written by a woman, and enjoyed the sweet romance story. As a divorcee, she knew it was dreamlike and unrealistic, but could relate with dreams of being loved like in the story. Paul agreed that while men and women alike dream of love, they had different desires and it manifested in story preferences. Grace also pointed out, however, that the story was too dreamy, as though the writer never actually experienced love. She thought it's good for an amateur novel, but not something she'd pay to read. Paul thought of Marielle and wondered how she'd use her experience in finding her own love in the glamorous noble society to write stories. At the end of the day, Paul found a new dream. He wanted to start a company that pioneered in making books that women could enjoy, conclude Miss Ferrier's unfinished story, and guide Marielle to become a full-fledged author. Spoiler: prequel part 9 9 The president of Desir Publishing was having a headache. Baron Bideau had told him about a scandal of unfair dismissal and plagiarism in his company. The baron said he couldn't trust publishers that engaged in such conduct, withheld the publication of his upcoming book, and refused to publish any more books with them. The president worried about damaged reputation if word spread from the respected university chancellor to his vast connections. On top of that, other writers had also heard of the situation and protested. To appease the baron, he disciplined the employees responsible. Roland was demoted and transferred to a back-end department. The staff who were just following orders got a pay cut. He tried to invite Paul back, but it was declined, so he just added compensation to his severance package. On the agreed day, Paul met Marielle and Natalie at the usual cafe. He critiqued Marielle's manuscript from a technical perspective and conveyed Grace's feedback. Paul told Marielle to build a more solid foundation by learning from real-life relationships and people. Then he handed over the manuscript scribbled with notes and corrections. Marielle burst into tears. Paul panicked, but they were happy tears that someone took her writing seriously. She poured her heart out about ladies being discouraged from reading books on subjects not considered contributing to being a good wife and mother. Her family accepted her hobbies, but she couldn't let others know for fear of being judged. Paul wryly told her how it's such an upper-class problem. For commoners, being able to read and write was rare enough. Marielle took it kindly and admitted it was an indulgent complaint, but she still wanted to learn more and create her own stories. She hoped that one day women who read and write could be a norm. Paul told Marielle about his startup plan and invited her to join him in bringing her books to the market. Marielle was happy, but deflated when told it'll take a decade or so. She offered to ask her father to lend Paul some funds. Paul refused and said that a writer shouldn't be involved with money, so they can have an equal relationship with editors, without patronage. Marielle gushed to Natalie about how good a person Paul was. Natalie agreed and the girls giggled. Marielle felt she was especially fortunate in her relationships with people, from her family and relatives, servants, and now meeting Paul. Paul held out his hand for a handshake, but Marielle responded by placing her hand atop his in a ladylike manner. Paul corrected her hand and shook it, which amused Marielle. She declared that from today onwards, they were comrades. Marielle asked Paul to join her in meeting someone else. He agreed and they went to the suburbs where the nobles live. In a relatively modest mansion, Marielle introduced a circle of book-loving ladies (including Julienne). Marielle said the lady of the house was the best writer of them all, and wanted him to read her manuscript. The lady introduced herself as Baroness Milene Monte. Her maiden name was Milene Ferrier, and ten years ago, after divorce with her first husband, she had written a series of novels under the pen name Andre Legrand. Paul was shocked. Milene handed over her manuscript. Upon realizing it was the final volume of his lifelong dream novel, Paul fainted.
And here's the last batch of the Encounter of Marielle Clarac. Spoiler: prequel part 10 10 Paul returned from the Monte mansion completely unsettled, reminiscing his conversation with Milene about what had happened in the last ten years. She had a painful experience with the novel cancellation, but since then had met her current husband, who supported her in providing a meeting place for like-minded women. Paul was astonished that his chance encounter with Marielle had led to him meeting Milene. Grace told Paul there was another visitor while he was away. It was a lawyer to one of the families scammed by the people from the other day. They wanted to thank him. Paul spent the whole night reading Milene's manuscript. The next day, he looked pale like ghost with dark circles on his face, but his eyes were alive and shining. Paul went to see Milene again (with Marielle and Julienne present) and tried to convince her to get the book published, but Milene was apprehensive. She was moved by his words, but as no publisher would accept her, the only option was self-publishing. The Montes could not afford it. Paul ensured her that he only needed her permission to publish. He'd take care of everything else. Milene agreed. Paul and Marielle chat about the things they need to do in order to self-publish and sell a book. Paul began working. He gathered funds from his compensation, severance package and reward money from the police and scam victims. He and Milene finished the manuscript. The hard part was trying to find a bookstore who would carry a book by a female author who had caused a stir in the past. By the time the book was ready for printing, Paul still couldn't find any shop to sell it in. Grace suggested selling the books from their house. With the mindset of a big company editor, Paul hadn't thought of it, but accepted the idea. He then ordered 1000 copies from the printer, the most he could afford, and devoted himself to advertising. Spoiler: prequel part 11 11 The royal court was shaken with the arrest and removal of officials involved in corruption, including the Commandant of the Royal Order of Knights. It was decided that VC Poisson would take over as new commandant, and Simeon would become the vice. -[insert explanation about what the Order is, where it's placed in the military structure, and how people view it]- Simeon's mood instantly turned sour when Poisson asked who he had chosen that other day: Olga, Isabelle, Chloe, or all three at once. The "top secret" documents he had been told to deliver to Tarentule turned out to be blank papers. The Three Flowers had received him and clung to him without even looking at the documents. Simeon rebuffed them all and realized he had been pranked. He swore never to believe anything Poisson said ever again. Poisson continued teasing him. Simeon declared he'll be leaving for a three-day break now. Poisson told him to take seven days off (so everyone at the HQ gets seven days break too). Simeon said in that case, he'd use the time to handle his family's business. Poisson was dumbfounded, "How hard do you want to work?". The next day, there was ruckus inside the Flaubert house. Countess Estelle, still in her loungewear, frantically asked Simeon to take her by horse to the city--all things unthinkable for his fashionista mother. She just saw a newspaper ad about a book flash sale starting two hours ago. Simeon and Count Flaubert tried to get her to calm down and buy it "normally" (send a servant over, get it delivered, etc) but she explained just why it. Has. To. Be. Now! Still baffled, Simeon offered to get it for her instead. Before he left, the butler handed him a purse of cash (the young master's not used to shopping not using checks!) and Noel asked for firecrackers (pointedly ignored!). Simeon rode to town wondering what kind of book got his mother so worked up. He saw advertisements all over the city. The closer he got to the address, he saw more signs and banners directing to the point of sale. He arrived and saw a commotion. Spoiler: prequel part 12 12 We go back to the moment before the sale began. Paul had advertised in all newspapers in Saint-Terre about the tenth volume of "Blooming on the Roadside". With the amount spent on ads, they'd still be in the red even if all 1000 copies were sold out. He also had signages, banners, and flyers in the city. Marielle sought help from her father and brother to "casually leave behind" flyers around the royal palace, and her mother to gossip through the gathering of wives. In that way, word spread first through the lower and middle-classes, and people like Countess Flaubert didn't hear about it until later. At 10 o'clock, Paul and Milene started waiting anxiously in front of the Melenchon's house. Marielle and Julienne became the first buyers, then went in to help with selling. One by one, customers began trickling in. The first ones were able to have emotional exchanges with Milene about how much they've been hoping to read the conclusion of the story. More and more buyers came in and soon it became really busy. Roughly two hours after the sale started, they were left with less than a hundred copies. A group of men appeared and made a scene--ruffians wanting to extort "nuisance fee". As Marielle and Julienne scrambled to secure their money, Paul accosted the men. He braced himself to get seriously beaten up, but the first blow never came. Before Paul realized what was going on, the thugs were already lying beaten on the ground. The last man standing was Simeon, asking Paul to help tie them up and give him one copy of the book. Paul was excited that a man his age was also waiting for the finale, but Simeon said it was for his mother, so Paul asked him to thank her. Simeon left coolly and female customers fawned over him. Marielle came back from inside the house to inform Paul that Grace was calling the cops. By the time the cops came and arrested the thugs, the books had sold out. Customers still came pouring in, appealing for a solution. Paul announced that they would be printing more copies. The phenomenal flash sale became the talk of the town. The second print sold out again and more books were ordered. Bookstores now wanted to handle them, but Paul decided to only sell it through the Melenchon house. Paul could now pay the Melenchons for the space and hire some security guards. In the future, Paul would move out, Grace would remarry with a good man and the Melenchons would convert the ground floor of their house into an actual bookstore. Spoiler: prequel part 13/END 13 Three years after the flash sale, Paul and Milene just finished meeting to finalise the last draft of "Blooming on the Roadside" revised edition. The new edition used the name Milene Ferrier instead of Andre Legrand. Paul had had the foresight to get the rights to the first nine volumes for cheap before selling the tenth. When it became a hit, the old publisher felt frustrated. Milene's series had provided the funds and publicity needed for Paul to kick off his new company, Satie Publishing, specializing in affordable paperback books by and for women. He also published books from other authors, including the Baroness' literary circle. The circle was often consulted about what sort of things they like (including stuff Paul didn't understand like Julienne's favorite genre). The public had grown to accept the field of women's literature, even though it's still ridiculed to an extent. Paul wished Milene would write a new series, but Milene wanted to retire happily. She told Paul he had a young talent under his wing more suitable to be his signature author. Paul knew who she meant, the girl whom he'd call his goddess of destiny, but more fitting to be called goddess of disturbance instead. Right on cue, the goddess of disturbance came running up the stairs, shouting that something amazing had happened. This was a routine in the office, like when Marielle found a kitten or some new fad. This time, the news was about her getting proposed to. Paul was happy for her, but also a bit sad, like seeing your little sister all grown up. Marielle gushed about how her fiance was ~awesome~ and exactly her type. Paul shuddered because he knew her type (the black-bellied scoundrel). She waxed about his moe vice-commandant title and Milene was stunned, realizing who it was. Hearing the name Count Flaubert, even Paul knew about the family. He's totally blown away that Marielle would become the next countess. It'd be his loss when she had to stop writing, as was expected of a lady in prestigious families. However, Marielle said without hesitation that she would never stop writing. Marielle continued her fangirling drivel. Paul told her to experience romance and use it in her work. When she began mentioning whips, he scolded her. -the end-
Does anyoneone have any spoilers for anything past uh .. chapter 17 manhwa (lmao) but anything from the 7 novels or so?
not trying to be intentionally vague ; just anything that can be spoiled of fun detail past where the manhwa is and as much as can be spoiled (topics related to the MC the ML to 'antagonists etc)
It's just that it's an episodic novel so idk if anything's fun enough to spoil short of summarizing the whole novel. Anyway, manga scanlations is now on chapter 21 which is in vol 2. Spoilers beyond that point are... Spoiler: Volume 2 - Lady Michelle, the Prince's fiancee candidate, fell into an ice lake and died. - she's actually faking her death to run away because she's an illegitimate child the Marquis tried to pass as legitimate, so he can marry her off for political gain. - before searching for Michelle, Marielle sought Simeon's help to interrogate Lutin... while wearing his black coat and holding a riding crop. Moe~ - the guy helping Michelle run is a crook who betrays her to steal her property. there's also a group of Lavian thugs from opposite faction who want to harm Lutin and use Marielle as hostage. - after the bad guys are defeated, the Prince asks Michelle her true feelings about him. he doesn't care she's illegitimate. but Michelle has another secret not even the Marquis knows........ she's actually a male (called Michel). Michel's mother, a courtesan, dressed him up as a girl so the Marchioness doesn't see him as a threat and harm him. - everyone is speechless except Lutin who laughs his ass off.... but he says this incident proves Prince Severin's good and fair character. he will report to his country to support the betrothal of Lavian prince with Severin's sister. - before going home, Marielle fulfils her promise to give her horse a treat. Simeon finds her at the stable. She sulks a little because he was too stoic before, when seeing her saved from the bad guys. Simeon says he wanted to embrace her but couldn't in front of the Prince and his men. They start making out but Marielle notices that the horses are watching. She suggests they continue in her room, but Simeon already came to his senses and says they shouldn't do such things before marriage. - back in the capital, Michel is now living as a commoner and recommended by Marielle to work at her publisher. for trying to deceive royalty, Marquis Montagnier is banned from leaving his territory and must relinquish his title to his heir. - Prince Severin is in sentimental mood and binge reading romance novels. he later falls in love at first sight again with a young lady he bumped into at the palace. Simeon has mixed feelings about this, because...... the lady is Julienne, Marielle's best friend who is the BL fangirl. Later I'll drop more up to LN vol 8 (latest in Japan)
Spoiler: Volume 3 Vol. 3 is about how Simeon gets arrested for treason and Marielle tries to uncover the plot to frame him. Throughout the book, Simeon and Marielle keep getting interrupted as they're about to kiss. Prologue: Marielle remembers her first dance with Simeon, before they know each other's true personalities. They almost bumped into another couple, Duke Silvestre and his wife. The duke is the King's cousin and has a mysterious air about him. While walking in town, Marielle witnesses a crackdown on illegal immigrants from Gandia by the Navy. She tries to stop an officer from hitting an immigrant child, but gets shoved aside and helped by a very handsome man with an appearance of mixed ethnicity and a foreign accent. She calls him "Mr. Honey" due to his eye & hair color. She runs into Simeon who takes her to pick up his younger brother Adrien, who is in the Navy. Adrien just returned from overseas posting in Gandia. Marielle panicks because she looks like a mess (due to being shoved earlier). She insists on stopping by for makeover at a boutique (frequented by Countess Estelle, Simeon's mother), but after she did, Simeon looks unhappy. Adrien is total brocon. He has a crush on Marielle's madeover appearance and demure act, and think she's a good match for the brother he so admires. But after seeing Marielle's normal appearance and fangirl behavior, he freaks out and say he'll never approve of such an ugly and deranged girl. This earns him a punch from Simeon and amusement from Marielle, who likens him to her neighbor's golden retriever. They also meet Simeon's childhood friends who came in the same boat. Francis is a viscount's nephew with inferiority complex. He was frequently bullied during childhood due to having mixed Lagrange-Gandian ancestry. Rose is a baron's niece, a beautiful woman with short hair and wearing men's clothing. Marielle both fangirls over her and feels uneasy about how friendly and relaxed Simeon treats her. Marielle and Simeon attend a wedding. They meet Francis and Kastner, the navy officer who shoved Marielle in town, but he doesn't remember her face. Kastner is very hostile to Simeon, he looks down on the royal guards as just palace decoration. Not long after, Gerard (Marielle's brother) rushes home from the palace to inform Marielle that Simeon has been arrested for leaking secrets to Easdale spy. Marielle goes to see Prince Severin. Although Severin tries to console her, he refuses to reveal any information. He gives Marielle a strict order to wait patiently, behave sensibly, don't do anything dangerous. She gets snide remarks from passing military officers who think Simeon gets preferential treatment from the crown prince, but Duke Silvestre appears and tells those people off. Despite the Prince's orders, Marielle went straight to the Three Flowers of Tarentule. The girls don't want to tarnish their reputation of confidentiality either (which is also the reason they always use Marielle's pen name "Agnes" to keep her identity secret), but in a roundabout way give her a hint to attend a masquerade ball to find information, and to "be careful of the Moon". On the way out, a drunk mistakes Marielle for a prostitute, but she's helped again by none other than Mr. Honey. Marielle (dressed as a fairy) attends the masquerade party escorted by Adrien (dressed as a fluffy wolf). They split, she sees Kastner, Rose and a mysterious man in full masked costume sitting together. The masked man approaches Marielle as if he notices her presence, and she feels he reminds her of someone. But Marielle got whisked away by another man in demon costume, who dances with her while guiding her towards an empty guest room (typically used for one night stands). As Marielle suspected from his build and movements, the demon is Simeon. They bicker because Simeon thinks Marielle is disobeying the Prince, she ought to be more careful about men's advances and her costume is too revealing. The reason he looked unhappy the other day is also because he doesn't like it when other men notice her. But they soon make up, and Simeon explains that they already knew he was framed. He's now secretly working to catch the real culprit. They're about to kiss when Adrien barges in and yells at Marielle for cheating on his brother. Then there's a scream, someone has been murdered in another room. Everyone at the party scrambles to leave. The next day they gather at Prince Severin's residence, where Simeon had been hiding. Severin is angry at Marielle, but Marielle argues that collecting information is not dangerous, and trying to help her fiance is a most sensible act. Exasperated, Severin gives her a noogie, to Marielle's whining and telling him this is why he keeps failing at romance. Simeon and Severin explain the situation to Adrien and Marielle. The evidence planted to accuse Simeon came in a document box that Adrien brought as souvenir from Gandia. Adrien didn't know the box had a false bottom containing hidden papers. Since he was accompanied by some people when buying it, the suspects are Kastner and other navy men. Marielle told them she saw Rose with Kastner and the masked man. Severin then called Rose, who turns out to be in the next room. She's working as a spy for them. There's a more serious tension between Marielle and Simeon because he doesn't want to involve her, but she doesn't want to be held at fault when no one would tell her anything. Especially when after she left the room, Rose remains inside. Why does he trust Rose but not her? On her way out, Marielle sees Lady Aurelia (the "villainess") who goads her. Marielle is so out of spirits she can't hold back... from hugging and crying into Aurelia's bosom while praising her for being an outstanding villainess. She ended up being somewhat consoled in a tsundere way. Aurelia told her to stop crying and make herself look more grown up and alluring, so men would do what she says. Marielle gifts Aurelia with a rare copy of Agnes Vivier novel (Aurelia turns out to be a fan). Marielle sees Countess Estelle to work on the wedding guest list. She asks the Countess how to look more grown-up. The Countess is pleased, tells her to dedicate herself to seduce her stubborn son and "make him a little more human". The Countess says that Simeon doesn't care about dresses and makeup, so she should attack with smell. She teaches Marielle to use perfume and gifts her a bottle of "specially blended aphrodisiac". ( Countess wants grandchildren asap) From the Flaubert home, Marielle went for a walk in town. She bumped into Francis. He says something he shouldn't know. Marielle gets suspicious and follows Francis... when two men grab him into a carriage. Marielle quickly hails a fiacre, "follow that carriage!". The jolly driver thinks the young lady wants to catch her cheating boyfriend. They followed until a seedy part of town. Francis is taken into a gambling den that's also a brothel. Ready to sneak inside, Marielle tells the driver to go to the palace and deliver a message to Alain (Simeon's aide). Another carriage stops and Mr. Honey alights, offering his assistance. Marielle is rather suspicious as she identifies his accent as being from Easdale, but he drops hints that he knows the situation. So Marielle agrees to cooperate. Mr. Honey told Marielle to switch clothes with his valet Arthur, a teenage boy. They enter the gambling den and see Kastner. As Mr. Honey plays a card game and makes the prostitutes bicker over him, Marielle eavesdrops. Kastner talk about how it seems the tables have turned, and their insiders are quietly taken into custody or moved to another case. They're now trying to erase the trail, first by killing the man in the masquerade, and now about to kill "the Gandian half-breed" Francis. They also mention "you-know-who" who hasn't contacted them since. Marielle interprets it as someone pulling the strings behind Kastner. Meanwhile, Mr. Honey has won big time and about to head upstairs with one of the prostitutes. The other gamblers won't let him go and about to use violence to take their money back. Marielle uses the commotion to check the room upstairs to find Francis... but not before opening the wrong door and sees a man and a woman in the middle of "having fun". Francis, tied to a chair, is resigned to his fate, but Marielle tells him she knew he betrayed Simeon. That's why she must help him escape so he can apologize. If he dies, Simeon would grieve. Having beaten all the men, Mr. Honey helps untie Francis. They can't escape from the window so they returned to the stairs, where not only the gamblers have gathered but also Kastner & co. Mr. Honey throws the money he won as a distraction for the gamblers, then fights off Kastner's men. While running away, Marielle slips and Kastner is about to slash her. She's saved by two swords blocking Kastner's. One is Mr. Honey's, coming out from his cane. The other is Simeon's, who rebukes "Lord Nigel" who's supposed to keep Marielle safe. Before the other knights arrive, the two swordmasters defeat the bad guys and arrest all including Kastner. Simeon says nothing to Marielle, just stares at her sharply then turns his back on her, and it makes Marielle so hurt and she cries. Seeing that, Mr. Honey/Nigel goads Simeon as a closed-minded man and hugs Marielle. Provoked, Simeon challenges Nigel to a duel. No one around dares to interrupt... until Rose arrives. She elegantly gets the two men to back off. Simeon looks embarrassed. Francis is arrested too, he and Simeon shares a silent look. In the palace, Marielle and Arthur change clothes again. She asks him if his master is Nigel Shannon, which she deduced from his first name, strength, accent and mixed appearance. The Duke Shannon family is known for having the blood of royal families of Easdale and Shulk, a southern kingdom. Arthur is impressed by Marielle's knowledge. (Nigel's background is a tie-in to another WN by the same author) They convene in the Prince's quarters. Once again Severin scolds Marielle (and she notices he now calls her "Marielle" without the "Miss") and about to grab her head. Marielle tells him not to ruin her hair or she won't introduce him to her friend Julienne. Reveal time: Francis had been caught manipulating trade deals for the benefit of Gandia, his mother's homeland, so Kastner blackmailed him to help frame Simeon. As the newly appointed ambassador of Easdale, Nigel was concerned that the incident would disturb diplomatic relations, so he's helping Severin and Simeon secretly. Simeon also asked him to help watch Marielle. Unbeknownst to Simeon, Nigel partly agreed because he was impressed when Marielle jumped in to help the immigrant child earlier. The only mystery not solved is "you know who". Actually, there are hints throughout the story and by the time Marielle did her wedding guest list, it's kinda obvious. The one pulling strings is Duke Silvestre, who not only noticed military intrigues but also the odd young lady who has been taking notes during social events. He's not doing it to betray the kingdom, or to rat out corrupt officials for the kingdom's benefit... but because he's bored and it's fun. He's also obsessed with toying with Simeon, who has a too-clean reputation. One way he does this is seducing Marielle when they meet in the palace, to the point of trying to push her onto a couch. Marielle begs him to stop and throws him offguard by revealing her deductions that he's "the Moon" who orchestrated everything. Silvestre leaves after Simeon shows up (but not do anything since the duke outranks him by far). Still shaken, Marielle runs into Simeon's arms. This melts down the lingering tension between them a bit. Then they got interrupted by Princess Henriette, who is amused that the famous stonehead can act like a proper lover with his fiancee. Marielle visits Francis in detention and gave him a pep talk, ensuring him that Simeon will always consider him his friend. Outside, she sees Simeon and Rose. Rose takes the opportunity to clear things up that there's nothing between her and Simeon... but not for the lack of effort on her side (Rose is a very playful, flirty lady). She chides Simeon for not noticing his fiancee's been worrying about it, then says goodbye to the pair. Simeon and Marielle go back to the Flaubert residence because Marielle wants to add Nigel's name to the invite list. After that, she joins Simeon in his study. Simeon tells her they need to talk. It was about the things they've been avoiding throughout the ordeal. He knew there are many things that would upset her, like him keeping her in the dark, and he won't apologize for that. He considers an apology as a promise to change his behavior, but considering the nature of his job, he'll continue lying and hiding things from her.. He refuses to make a promise he can't keep. Simeon continues that he'll understand if that stance makes Marielle want to call off the wedding. Marielle is aghast since it's just two months away. Simeon says he was too focused on his happiness and didn't think about potential problems. When he saw Marielle being so sad (in the gambling den), he felt he couldn't put her through a lifetime of it. He's willing to pay compensation and clarify that everything is his responsibility so Marielle won't lose face in society. As he says all that, Marielle notices his fists trembling. She takes a deep breath and yells at Simeon for being too damned serious. She clings at him and beats her fist at his chest. They argue but it's obvious they actually care about each other. Finally Marielle says she won't ask him to apologize in the future, but she wants him to apologize for their entire lives in advance. Simeon finds it hard to digest, but Marielle continues that from years of observing society, there are no married couple who don't complain about each other, but they ultimately love their spouses enough to accept them as they are, including their grievances. Nobody is perfect, especially her with her fangirling ways and novel writing that she intends to continue after marriage. He's been accepting that of her, so why is he under the impression she won't forgive him as well? Simeon relents, kneels down and kisses the hem of Marielle's dress while apologizing that he'll never be able to prioritize her for the sake of his work, lord and country. Marielle hugs him and proclaims that if anything happens to him, she also won't sit quietly, so please resign himself to that. They make up. Simeon sits on his desk and pulls her onto his lap. Breathing in, he remarks that Marielle has started to wear perfume lately. When she carefully gauges his reaction, he says it's too soon for her to use that scent... because he doesn't want to be weak after holding on for so long. Marielle is thrilled that Countess Estelle's special perfume actually works, and suggests that she stays the night, to Simeon's outrage. They continue arguing playfully and is about to kiss when Adrien barges in, inviting Simeon to dinner. Seeing Marielle, the clueless Adrien tells her she's still a mismatch for his brother, but she's not a bad person and he'll allow their relationship. Simeon mercilessly grabs Adrien, throws him out and locks the door. Finally Simeon and Marielle can kiss to their hearts content. Spoiler: vol 3 epilogue: The Sorrows of Prince Severin Prince Severin is annoyed by Simeon's "problem". He's swamped with royal duties and paperwork that he has no time to pursue romance, but people are expecting him to get married! Meanwhile, Simeon confides that lately Marielle has been trying to tempt him and his mother is egging her on. At this rate, he fears they'll be locked in his bedroom together, so he's been sleeping at the palace for 3 days. Severin doesn't understand why Simeon is so stubborn, it's no big deal since they'd be married soon anyway. Simeon explains that he's actually not as stubborn as people think, but he doesn't have the heart to make a move when Marielle acts bold as if she understands (about sex) but she's totally inexperienced. She only thinks she knows, based on stories and such. Severin begins to feel sorry for Simeon, but Simeon continues to complain how hard it is to resist when Marielle is so lovely, sweet and innocent and he feels the urge both to protect and to push her to the ground and... --Prince Severin cuts him over there. He's not listening to this anymore. The happy bastard can go and worry himself to early grave. Severin goes to the room he's scheduled to receive an audience in, and surprised to see Julienne there. Julienne is also surprised because she was just told to wait there by Marielle. Severin thought there's a room mix-up, but when he sees Marielle, Simeon and Henriette peeking by the door, he understands what they're doing. He proceeds to have a friendly chat with Julienne. Spoiler: vol 3 short stories 1. Gerard When Viscount Clarac told him about Simeon's proposal, neither of them can fathom why he wants to marry Marielle, but there's no good reason to refuse either. Before that, Gerard thought that if his sister couldn't get a good marriage prospect, he'd take care of her and let her continue writing novels, rather than marrying her off to any random guy. After the engagement, Gerard still tries to investigate if Simeon's hiding some malicious agenda, but he can't find any flaw aside from the man being overtly serious. One day, Simeon visits as Gerard is tending to his family garden. Simeon praises his roses and says Marielle spoke of them proudly. Gerard says she's probably just feigning interest in front of Simeon, as she prefers sweet and unassuming flowers like violet or lily-of-the-valley. Gerard notices that Simeon has a faint reaction, blink and you'll miss it. He thinks about the time Marielle behaved awkwardly when Simeon acted like a playboy sending her roses every day. Marielle comes out. Gerard notices how Simeon suddenly turns entirely kind and gentle. He watches them flirt while vowing to put more effort into his investigation on this suspicious scoundrel, for the sake of his little sister's happiness! 2. Julienne One time, the crown prince asks Julienne for a dance. Julienne has a practical, maybe even pessimistic personality. She thinks the crown prince is handsome and kind, but just looking from afar is enough. No point in having ideas above her station. As the daughter of a poor baron, her parents can't pay a dowry but she doesn't want to go to a convent either, so her future plans involve marrying a rich old man and be a widow in ten years, then live as she pleases. As she dances with Severin, who's trying to drop hints that he's (a) single, (b) available, (c) rich and (d) is head over heels for her, she can't pay attention to what he's saying. She's preoccupied by trying her best not to commit the crime of stepping on the crown prince's toes. When he brings up love at first sight, she absentmindedly replies that she can't stand stories with that premise. Falling in love based on looks alone is deluding oneself. The music ends and Julienne is pleased she managed to dance without stepping on his feet. Meanwhile, Severin's face is rather dazed... (work harder, Prince!)
Thanks for the notif! I remember the stopping point I have read in the manga adaptation was the start of volume 3. Any follow up spoilers?