Duty-Bound: Chapter 83
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After they made up, they both shared stories that no one but themselves knew about. Their bond went deeper, and she had his mother to thank for. Since everything was back to normal, her routine of meeting suitors became more bearable. Honestly, listening could be a hard chore as well.
Then, she met Kazuma, the only son of Elder Kajiura. Unlike his stern-faced father, Kazuma was a rather cheerful young man, always offering gentle smiles here and there. She half-wondered if he was pretending to get into her good side. After talking to him for a while, however, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that his intention was genuine. What surprised her most was that Kazuma actually did not plan to ask for her hand in marriage. The meeting was just his way of wanting to know more about her as he wanted to offer his friendship and… an apology.
She blinked. "Apology, Kazuma-dono?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Yes."
"…"
Head bowed low, he nervously confessed, "I was the one who attacked you that night, Princess. And I sincerely apologise for injuring you."
She immediately glared at Natsume, who was obviously wanted to rip the man apart. Thankfully, he complied with her silent request to stay hidden. To be honest, she had forgotten about that incident. It had somehow become a distant memory. Who would have thought that the one who injured her was Elder Kajiura's son?
"Raise your head, Kazuma-dono."
He did it slowly but still not looking at her.
"I'm not upset. You did what you were asked to, and it was my fault for not moving fast enough."
He looked up in surprise. "But—"
"Kazuma-dono, I do not repeat myself," she interjected gently.
Bowing down again, he muttered, "Thank you, Princess."
She smiled. "You're welcome."