A Flat-Chest Believer Reincarnated in a World Where Women with Small Breasts Aren't Treated as Women ~ I Ended Up with a Flat-Chested Harem. - Chapter 8

Risty Shan Rolique opened the door of the tearoom and stepped out with Folca.

She was worried her dress might have gotten disheveled, and it was a bit uncomfortable to walk due to the lingering sensations in her lower body, but she made sure not to show it. Folca, without making it obvious, had slightly slowed his pace to match hers.

Waiting beside the door were Risty’s maid, Mariel, and a female attendant from the Gustique family. The two of them silently fell in behind.

“Lord Folca, I’m sorry for keeping you so long. I truly enjoyed our conversation—it was fascinating,” Risty said, keeping up the pretense of a casual chat.

“Not at all, Your Highness Risty. I found your insights to be incredibly enlightening,” Folca replied as they walked down the hallway.

The pretext was that they had been discussing medical matters—something fitting, given the presence of guards and servants along the corridor. They needed to act naturally, as though nothing unusual had occurred.

At the end of the hall, they came to a stop. The plan was that if everything went smoothly, the Gustique party would return to their mansion in the capital. So, this was where Risty had to bid farewell to Folca for the day. A small pang of sadness struck her, but she knew it couldn’t be helped.

Almost unconsciously, her eyes lingered on Folca’s face. His golden hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and sharp, yet elegant features gave him an air of dignity. He really was handsome, she thought once again, her heart skipping a beat.

She felt her cheeks begin to relax into a smile, and quickly composed herself, stiffening her expression back into a proper smile.

“Well then, we will take our leave for today. I look forward to seeing you again soon,” Folca said politely.

“Yes, I hope we can meet again soon,” Risty responded.

They both bowed to each other before parting ways. Risty watched him walk away, feeling a bit wistful, but she had more pressing matters to attend to—reporting to her parents.

At the door to her parents’ room, Risty had Mariel wait and knocked gently before entering.

“Father, Mother, it’s me, Risty.”

After saying that, she stepped inside and carefully closed the heavy door behind her.

“I’m happy to report that everything went smoothly and without any problems,” Risty said, though she felt deeply embarrassed as she conveyed the results.

“I see. I’m glad to hear that,” her mother replied, standing up with teary eyes and opening her arms wide, ready to embrace her daughter. However, Risty took a half-step back to decline the hug. After all, she had just been intimate with Folca, and there might still be a lingering scent.

Her mother seemed to realize this quickly, and with a smile, she gracefully withdrew.

“Well then, as planned, we’ll announce the engagement tomorrow. The day after, we’ll reveal the date of the wedding, and in a month, the ceremony will be held. Things are going to get busy,” her father said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yes, please take care of everything,” Risty answered.

“You must be tired today, Risty. Go and rest,” her father added.

“Yes, Father, Mother, excuse me,” Risty said as she bowed and left the room.

◇◇ ◆ ◇◇

After finishing her “report” to her parents, Risty returned to her own room and sat down on the sofa in the living area.

“Hehe, congratulations, Your Highness Risty. It seems the engagement has been finalized without issue,” Mariel said with a knowing smile.

“Thank you… but how do you already know that?” Risty asked, surprised. While Mariel had been aware that the engagement with Folca was under consideration, she hadn’t been informed of the specific details of today’s events.

“Oh, there was just this overwhelming sweet, lovey-dovey aura around you both when you came out of the tearoom. It was quite obvious,” Mariel explained with a chuckle.

“W-Was it that obvious?!” Risty blurted, her face turning red.

“Yes. Though I doubt the regular soldiers or clerks would have noticed. But to me, it looked like a sugar-coated fairy was throwing a dance party,” Mariel teased, using a strange metaphor.

“That’s… a weird way to put it,” Risty said, flustered, but Mariel’s point was clear—it must have been obvious to anyone with sharp eyes.

“With the way you were walking, pressing your lower abdomen in like that, anyone trained in observation could tell,” Mariel added with a sly grin.

“Ugh…” Risty groaned, realizing it had all been noticed.

With all that information, it wouldn’t take much for Mariel to figure out what had happened. It would be easy to deduce the concerns both families had and why they had carried out the “confirmation.” Even though they had used Folca’s water magic to clean up as best as possible, the traces left in the bedroom would likely be detected during cleaning.

“Shall I prepare a bath for you?” Mariel offered.

“…Not just yet,” Risty replied softly.

She didn’t want to wash away the feeling of being loved by the person she cherished. Mariel, smiling knowingly, nodded.

“I understand. And when will the official announcement be made?” she asked.

“Well, I suppose it’s fine to tell you. It’ll be tomorrow. And the wedding will be in a month,” Risty replied.

“What?! That’s an insane schedule! Oh… I see, yes. With that timeline, the wedding must happen in a month. The bureaucrats probably won’t get another good night’s sleep after this,” Mariel said, understanding the situation immediately.

Her gaze dropped to Risty’s abdomen.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about. The reason for the rush is my grandfather’s sudden health decline,” Risty said, pretending not to know what Mariel was implying. Even though it was clear that Mariel had figured everything out, Risty couldn’t officially acknowledge it.

“Oh yes, the former king’s sudden illness… I see, I was worried for no reason. But once the announcement is made, the aristocratic world will be in an uproar,” Mariel said, laughing.

“Yes, it’s so sudden. Especially considering my engagement was recently called off,” Risty added.

“There’s that, but more importantly, Lord Folca is an extremely sought-after match. The debate of ‘Who’s more wonderful, Lord Folca or Lord Alvy?’ is a staple of idle gossip among noble ladies,” Mariel said with a grin.

“Really? I didn’t know. But I guess it makes sense… He is quite popular,” Risty said, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her face. While she didn’t care much about the opinions of others, it was still nice to know that the man who would become her husband was well-liked.

“With his looks, magical aptitude—‘Water 9, Fire 8, Holy 6, Wind 6’—and the fact that he’s a ‘Perfect Filpel caster’ with over a thousand units of magical power to boot, he’s practically a dream match. Not to mention he carries the title of ‘Gles,’” Mariel rattled off.

“True. Plus, Marquis and Marchioness Gustique are known for their gentle personalities,” Risty added.

And the Gustique family’s financial situation was stable, too. It really was a perfect match.

“Pffft! There are probably a lot of noble ladies who had their eyes on Lord Folca. They’ll be in chaos when they realize he was swept away without any warning. Imagining that makes the bread taste sweeter,” Mariel said, mimicking the motion of biting into a piece of bread.

“Mariel…” Risty said, exasperated.

“Well, I’m just glad it worked out. After all, Lord Folca was your first love, wasn’t he, Your Highness?” Mariel teased with a knowing smile.

“Ugh, you knew? It’s not like I could help it! After he saved me so gallantly…” Risty said, blushing deeply.

“Hehe, well, in the end, it all worked out for the best,” Mariel replied.

“Yeah,” Risty agreed softly.

She remembered her first love—how she had fallen for Folca, even though she had a fiancé at the time. She had cried and convinced herself that first loves never come true.

Then her chest had failed to develop, and her engagement was canceled. She cried again, feeling empty and hopeless.

And yet, her first love had come true after all.

Her vision blurred as tears of happiness welled up and began to trickle down her cheeks.

Before she knew it, Mariel was crying, too.

“Really, I’m so happy for you. I’ll always be by your side,” Mariel promised.