I Was a Supporting Character

As I was holding the dessert, the Duchess gently asked me in a subtle voice.

“As you know, my husband and I only have Ares, with no daughter. Seeing you, Lady Uranus, makes me think that if we had a daughter, she might be just like you.”

“Haha… I’m honored that you think of me that way.”

“So, I was wondering, would it be alright if I called you by your name?”

I politely bowed my head and responded.

“I would be honored. Please, call me Bianca.”

“Hohoho, alright then, Bianca.”

She laughed cheerfully, clearly in a very good mood. Then, suddenly, her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“I’ve rarely had the chance to have long conversations with young ladies like you, Bianca. If it’s not too much trouble for the Count and Countess, would you consider staying the night here? What do you think?”

I almost instinctively glanced over at Ares.

He never mentioned anything like this to me beforehand!

However, Ares looked at me with a completely natural expression and said instead,

“Hmm, Bianca. What do you think of my mother’s suggestion?”

I barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping in shock. I shot a slightly reproachful look at him and then turned back to the Duchess, responding politely.

“I truly appreciate your kind offer, but I didn’t prepare to stay the night.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We have everything ready here.”

Huh? What could they possibly have prepared in a house with only one son?

“And by ‘everything ready’… you mean?”

“Don’t you think that someday, a young lady your age might stay here? We’ve prepared a few things in advance for that day.”

…The Jupiter family certainly was well-prepared.

Reluctantly, I accepted the Duchess’s proposal, albeit with a condition.

“In that case, may I send a letter to my parents? As I’m an only daughter, they tend to worry about me a lot.”

The Duke nodded readily.

 

“Of course, you should. Do as you wish.”

Using the stationery and pen provided by the Jupiter family’s butler, I quickly wrote a letter to inform my parents of the situation. As I wrote, I secretly hoped that my parents would respond, telling me to come home, forbidding me to stay overnight.

Isn’t that natural? Today is the very first day I’ve formally greeted Ares’s parents! Besides, the two of them are practically treating me like a future daughter-in-law already. How could I comfortably sleep under the same roof as Ares in such a situation?

If I am so readily accepted as Ares’s lover now and then later we break up, how on earth would I handle the aftermath? I sighed inwardly.

The Jupiter family’s messenger swiftly took my letter and left for my house. In a little while, he would return with my parents’ reply.

I sipped my tea, trying hard to maintain a calm expression.

At that moment, the Duke laughed heartily and said,

“I was actually a bit curious. What kind of lady would Ares introduce to us?”

I recalled that Ares had not yet formally introduced Leia to the Duke and Duchess. It really must be true that Ares never had feelings for Leia beyond friendship from the start.

But then I smiled bitterly. It’s not surprising that relationships between men and women often change from friendship to romance, and I’m aware that Ares and Leia could easily become one of those cases.

Ares’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and his golden eyes were warm as they looked at me.

Feigning a shy smile, I asked the Duke in return,

“So, now that you’ve seen me, what do you think?”

“As expected, you are just as I’ve heard. I think you and Ares make a very good match. Don’t you agree?”

The Duchess nodded in agreement with the Duke’s words.

“I believe you’re a very fine noble lady who is perfectly suited for Ares. Today is the first time we’ve met properly, but one can often tell a person’s character at first sight.”

Their unreserved kindness made me feel both grateful and sorrowful. My chest ached slightly.

“Thank you for seeing me in such a favorable light.”

I managed to keep my voice steady. I just hoped no one noticed my inner turmoil.

As we continued to chat pleasantly for a while longer, the messenger who had taken my letter returned. In his hand was a reply from my father.

I quickly tore open the letter. Just as I was about to read it, I noticed three pairs of expectant eyes fixed on me.

This is a bit embarrassing… Haha.

“What did the Count say?” Ares asked, clearly curious.

“…He said it’s fine for me to stay the night.”

This can’t be happening! Why do I feel betrayed…? No, more than that, why do I feel like I’ve walked into a trap? Could it be that the adults discussed this behind my back?

I glanced up at the Duke and Duchess of Jupiter.

Hmm. The Duchess was wearing a peculiar smile, which made me think my suspicions might be right.

When our eyes met, the Duchess clapped her hands lightly as if nothing was amiss, and she said cheerfully, “Since the Count and Countess have given their permission, you can stay with peace of mind.”

“…Yes.”

I had no choice but to obediently agree.

Whether he was aware of this conspiracy or not, Ares grabbed my hand, his face lit up with joy. The excitement in his touch was palpable, and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Still holding my hand, Ares turned to his parents and said, “Could you arrange for Bianca to change into something more comfortable? Now that dinner is over, it would be best.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” the Duke agreed.

We left the dining room, and a butler and a maid followed us to show me to the room where I would be staying.

I whispered quietly to Ares, “I never expected I’d actually end up staying the night here.”

“Hahaha. To be honest, I’m thrilled.”

When we arrived at the room, I saw a fresh and meticulously arranged interior. It was clear that the decor catered to the tastes of young ladies my age.

So it was all planned in advance!

Ares said he would wait outside while I changed, so I entered the room with the maid. She efficiently moved to the adjoining dressing room and brought out a comfortable indoor dress.

“Does the guest bedroom usually have a dressing room attached?”

“Ah… well… that’s because you are a special guest, my lady.”

The maid fumbled with her response, but I decided not to press the matter.

I had already figured it out.

This room wasn’t just any guest room; it was clearly one used by the Jupiter family themselves. The reason the Duchess had given me this room was obvious.

She intended to treat me as Ares’s future partner. And Ares himself had likely agreed to this without much hesitation.

My chest tightened. How could Ares be so sure that we would have a future together, even though we’ve only been in a relationship for a few weeks? Even if I weren’t destined to part with him according to the novel’s plot, how could he be so certain about me?

I felt a wave of gratitude for his unwavering belief in me, and my eyes grew hot, my throat tightening with emotion.

With Ares waiting just outside, I couldn’t afford to let my feelings show. Avoiding eye contact with the maid, I spoke a bit stiffly.

“I’ll finish changing on my own now, so please wait outside.”

The maid obediently left the room, leaving me alone in the quiet space. I took several deep breaths, trying to regain control over my emotions.

Once I finished changing, a knock sounded at the door right on cue.

“Yes, come in.”

I quickly adjusted my dress as I answered. The door clicked open, and Ares stepped inside.

“Bianca. Was it troublesome to change without the maid’s help?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern. I smiled warmly and shook my head.

“Changing clothes isn’t that difficult,” I replied.

“Is that so…” Ares trailed off, as if there was something more he wanted to say.

“Ares?” I called out, curious. He let out a deep sigh and stepped closer to me, gently pulling me into a light embrace.

“Huh?”

As I wondered why he was acting like this, Ares spoke carefully. “I was worried that you might have felt pressured because of my parents.”

“Ah…”

So, despite playing along with his parents so smoothly, he had been concerned about me all along. I wrapped my arms around his back and patted him gently.

“Hehe, I was a bit surprised that they’re already treating me like a daughter-in-law, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable or pressured.”

“Then I’m relieved,” Ares said, lightly intertwining his fingers with mine. He seemed almost giddy, his steps lighter than usual. Seeing how he was practically glowing with happiness, I began to think that staying the night here might have been the right decision.

The Duke had already returned to his room to give the Duchess and me some time to talk comfortably. A maid from the household brought out a tray with cocktails and followed Ares and the Duchess.

The Duchess led Ares and me to a corridor lined with portraits of the previous heads of the Jupiter family.

“I knew the Jupiter family had a long history, but seeing this really makes me realize how distinguished it is, Duchess.”

“Hahaha, when I first saw this place, I found it a little scary. Doesn’t it feel like a ghost might appear?”

There was a playful tone in the Duchess’s voice.

I had meant to simply express my admiration politely, but her comment made me chuckle.

To be honest, it wasn’t too bad now that we were all here together, but if I had to walk through this corridor alone in the middle of the night… that would be a bit creepy. The lighting was dim, too…

Ugh, I’d better change the subject before I start having nightmares!

“By the way, the Jupiter family has a close connection with the imperial family, doesn’t it?”

Ares nodded in agreement. “Yes. My mother is the Emperor’s cousin, after all.”

The Duchess of Jupiter was the only daughter of the previous Emperor’s brother, the Grand Duke. In the Solar Empire, the title of Grand Duke is not hereditary, so his children usually receive other titles or marry into other noble families, like Ares’s mother did.

In truth, the noble society isn’t that large, so when you look closely, everyone is part of a vast kinship network through marriage or blood ties. They say that like marries like.

So, the range of relatives one could marry was quite broad. As long as both families agreed, it was legally possible to marry a cousin. Therefore, it was only natural that a prestigious family like the Jupiter family would be connected to the imperial family by blood.

…Wait a minute. But hasn’t there ever been talk of Ares being engaged to Princess Ariel?

This sudden thought made me cautiously ask Ares, “Ares, have you ever considered the possibility of marrying into the imperial family?”

The Duchess watched us with an intrigued expression. Ares answered me in a tone that suggested he found the idea absurd.

“Not at all? I’m sure others might have considered it, but I’ve never thought about it.”

“Really?”

So, Ares isn’t the ambitious type… Hmm…