[Moriarty the Patriot] Apple Blossoms

"No.

"The husband I dream of would have a fairer complexion than you, a better figure, and more beautiful eyes. He would be smarter, too. He should have soft, golden hair and smile like a sly animal, yet still be gentle and refined..."

The young lady sitting before Albert rambled on, then finally covered her lips and glanced at him as if he were just another discarded bottle by the roadside.

"So no, I won't allow him to become a candidate for my husband's place."

She wasn't speaking to Albert, but to the Marquis Claude beside her.

...What a spoiled aristocratic young lady.

Albert's first impression of Milena Claude was far from favorable.

Even as Milena tore him to shreds, he kept his irritation off his face and only sighed helplessly to himself.

After bidding farewell to Marquis Regg, Albert sat in the carriage back to the Moriarty estate, but the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Wasn't the ideal man Miss Claude described a lot like his younger brother?

"William..."

The young professor opened his eyes and met Milena's ashen-gray gaze.

"I told you to call me Professor when we're at school." He curled his lips into a smile.

"..." Milena seemed to give a soft snort. "William..."

"Professor."

"William!"

"Professor."

"Will...iam..."

"Milin."

"Wil... huh?"

Their tug-of-war over what to call each other came to an abrupt halt.

Milena's eyes widened ever so slightly. Gazing into William's crimson eyes, she felt her heart beating more powerfully than ever.

"William, what did you just call me?" Milena leaned closer to ask.

He merely closed the book before him with a casual air and narrowed his eyes contentedly. "Hmm? Did I say anything?"

"..."

Ahhh, what a devious man!

William James Moriarty x Milena Ibn Claude, a short 1v1 romance.

The innocent eldest brother was simply a candidate for an arranged marriage whom Milena ruthlessly rejected.

Contains lots of invented material and major changes to the original Moriarty the Patriot story.

The story's events will appear in the blurb, so be warned. You can tell from the title that this isn't a happy ending!

I plan to start a serialized version, though I might not. The original concept was designed with a serialized novel's length in mind.

The setup will be the same, but if I do start the series, I can guarantee it will have a happy ending. This story is an alternate take.

Theme: Living true to yourself amid the tides of the times