Chapter 3: Declaration
Stomp, Stomp-.
Five hours had passed since I declared my withdrawal and as the sunset painted the afternoon sky in its colors, I found myself strolling down the hallway following Rendler.
Our destination was the Great Hall, where dinner would be served.
I would have preferred to enjoy my meal inside my room, however, tonight’s dinner was no ordinary affair, and as such, I had no choice but to go.
Because this would be the first official gathering of the final candidates.
Before the cohabitation with the Third Duchess, this dinner would serve as an opportunity for the finalists to scout the opposition.
Since this was an ‘official’ event, I couldn’t simply excuse myself for selfish reasons.
After all, I was still a final candidate.
As I followed Rendler, a string of sighs and grumbles left my mouth.
“Sigh- Can’t I just say I was feeling unwell?”
While my words sounded like the petulant whining of a spoiled brat, I couldn’t help the intense discomfort that arose with the prospect of meeting the other candidates.