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The morning of the engagement ceremony was bright.
I woke up early in the morning, and Magda and the maids were engaged in the preparations for the engagement ceremony.
Yuta and my engagement ceremony was scheduled to take place in the garden of Barmuth’s mansion.
While dressing up, I glanced out the window to see a brightly decorated garden and carriages arriving one after another.
“It’s mainly the temple’s carriage. Since you know, we didn’t call a lot of guests.”
Kellehan didn’t want my engagement ceremony to be sloppy, but he also didn’t want it to be a complicated marketplace.
So he held the engagement ceremony and invited only a minimal number of guests except for the priests who would prove that the engagement was established.
They were either large aristocrats who could talk behind the scenes if they weren’t called to the duke’s family’s engagement ceremony, or those who had a close relationship while he served as the commander of the Gottfried Knights.
“There is a person from the courthouse. Even in the Supreme Court.”
Magda explained to me the sentences engraved on each carriage.
“There are also carriages sent by the Imperial Knights and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Knights.”
Even though only the necessary people were called, there were quite a few.
Most of them, except for the carriages of the temple, were in charge of the security of the Empire along with Kellerhan.
“Alright, I’m done.”
Magda took her hand off my hair.
Since it was an engagement ceremony attended by great aristocrats, I thought my hairstyle would be grand, but it was surprisingly simple.
Magda pulled my light brown hair up to my shoulders together and finished it off with a butterfly pin.
It wasn’t heavy as there was only one accessory in it, and it was fixed firmly so that it didn’t come loose even when I actively moved.
“These are the shoes.”
Magda brought comfy, fluffy shoes.
I put my feet in my shoes and went down alone with Magda.
When it was time to go out to the garden where nobles and security officials were gathered, I was a little nervous.
Fortunately, there was also a face I knew in the garden.
“Lady Schwires!”
The heir of Marquis Binkler, Bruno, looked at me and waved his hand, smiling brightly.
“Young Marquis.”
I grabbed the hem of the skirt with both hands and greeted him.
“Thank you for helping us with the engagement.”
“No. We can’t tell you how happy we are to be able to repay the favor to Duke Barmuth.” Bruno said with a smile.
He looked at the beautifully completed engagement hall with a proud expression on his face.
The most dissatisfying thing about the engagement ceremony was the numerous glasses placed on the table, and the carefully crafted curved glasses reflected the spring sunlight and shone like the Milky Way.
“Isabella.”
As I was talking to Bruno, Kellerhan approached me.
“How is it, do you like it?”
He looked around the garden and asked me.
“Yes, a lot.”
“That’s good. If you didn’t like it, I was going to break into the Marquis of Binkler.”
Bruno, who was listening to our conversation next to him, laughed, wiping a cold sweat from his forehead.
“It seems that Yuta is a little late.”
After finishing his review of the engagement party, Kellerhan said, looking towards the mansion.
“He’s usually quick, but I don’t know why he’s late today.”
I know.
I was puzzled, too, and turned my gaze towards the mansion.
Yuta isn’t the type to be late for an appointment, though?
Of course, we still have a long way to go before the engagement begins, so just because he hasn’t appeared now doesn’t mean he’s too late.
“Are you the Duke of Barmuth and the daughter of Schwires?”
As I was thinking about Yuta, I heard an unfamiliar voice next to me.
When I turned around, a group of priests were approaching us. A blonde young man, who seemed to be the head of the priests, came forward and greeted.
“My name is Arnold, who will prove the engagement of two precious people on behalf of God today.” Arnold, who introduced himself, pointed to the priests that followed.
“These are the priests who follow me. We’re going to help you with your engagement ceremony.”
Arnold was more favorable than expected.
“I’m always indebted to you a lot. If it wasn’t for Duke Barmuth, the temple would have changed its name a long time ago. How lucky I am to have someone like Duke Barmuth in the Empire…”
Having said that, Arnold looked at Kellerhan with a slightly terrified look.
It was evident that he was counting the number of the dark magicians that had fallen into Kellerhan’s hands.
The attitude of the priests, including Arnold, toward Kellerhan was awe rather than favor.
However, not all priests liked Kellerhan.
Some of them were dissatisfied with his cruelty.
“I heard that the dark magicians were executed on the spot without being captured in the border disturbance a week ago,”
Behind Arnold, a sparsely gray haired middle-aged priest spoke defiantly.
“It would have been nice if you had given a chance to open a meeting.”
“They tried to spread the black mist into the civilian area. There was no other way other than an immediate disposition.”
As if this quarrel wasn’t only once or twice, Kellerhan responded indifferently.
“There’s no way! If it was Duke Barmuth, there must have been a way to save the lives of both.”
Kellerhan glared at the priest with cold eyes.
I was equally displeased.
Because I knew that the gray haired priest was using force.
He captured the dark magicians and saved civilians, but they told him that he is cruel because he killed the dark magicians.
Does Kellerhan get into this nonsense fight every time he confronts dark magicians and criminals?
I also remembered the Aristocratic Union that asked for the pardon of Batalli Dodna, who had set three villages in flames.
And the public opinion that they wanted the execution of the Batalli Dodna’s innocent daughter, Rina.
I thought that if there were bad guys, he just had to kill them, but the world was more complicated and mean than I thought.
It was a moment when I could understand why Kellerhan had such a rough disposition.
“Always keep in mind that God has placed Adon, the Angel of Mercy, on the second seat.”
The gray haired priest gave the last shot, but Kellerhan didn’t blink an eye either.
“In comparison, Rudger, who chews sinners, only sat in the twelfth seat. It’s a story I know well too, so I wish you could stop talking about Adon every time we meet.”
“Ahem!” The gray haired priest coughed loudly, perhaps embarrassed by Kellerhan’s sarcastic remarks.
“Well then, we’ll get going and get ready for the engagement.”
Embarrassed, Arnold dragged the gray haired priest and disappeared.
Tch, Kellerhan clicked his tongue, took me to the table and sat down.
“By the way, do you like sweets like candy?”
While I was looking at the spectacle of the glasses laid out on the table, Kellerhan suddenly asked.
“Yes?”
I tilted my head at the random question.
“I’ll tell you about Rudger’s…”
Thinking about what happened back then, Kellerhan ruffled his hair with one hand, feeling sorry for me again.
“…You brought candy in a bag when I took you back to the mansion.”
“Ah, that…”
Magda put it in.
“All the desserts prepared here today are for you, so you can take them all with you after the engagement ceremony.”
Before I brought up the Magda story, Kellerhan spoke first.
I looked at the desserts set on the table with my round eyes.
The engagement ceremony was at 10 a.m., and no food was prepared because it wasn’t meal time. However, it was too shabby without anything, so dessert, drinks, and alcohol were prepared, but it was very luxurious and there was a lot of it.
Yet you want me to take all of this?
Of course, no one touches the dessert because the guests are busy, but…
Kellerhan opened his mouth again as I was counting the size of the dessert with trembling eyes.
“So, even if it’s a little difficult today, endure it to the end and don’t be afraid.”
I looked up at him in surprise.
Kellerhan, are you trying to cheer me up in your own way after you figured out that I’m nervous about the big event?
Thinking that I like snacks, talking about dessert?
Feeling like a real nine-year-old child, I smiled.
If I were a kid who likes candy, I would have rejoiced at Kellerhan’s words.
“What’s with that smile?” Kellerhan asked with a frown.
He seemed uncomfortable because he couldn’t know why I was laughing..
“I like it.” I explained why I smiled to untangle Kellerhan’s twisted mood. “I’m so happy to think that all these desserts are mine.”
“Hmm, as I expected it’s like that.” Kellerhan’s expression softened.
While he looked at the dessert with a proud expression, a familiar figure was seen from the front door of the mansion.
“Young Lord!”
I waved to Yuta who was across the garden with Harold.
He looked at me and walked up to me. Then he stopped in front of me and looked at me with a very tense look on his face.
Was he nervous because of the engagement ceremony too?
Considering his usual timid personality, it’s reasonable enough.
As I was making my own conclusions about his condition, he opened his mouth.
“Isabella.”
“Yes, Young Lord.”
“I… How do I look right now?”
At that, I tilted my head.
And later realized that Yuta’s attire was different from that of the last time at the fitting.
Maybe it was because we didn’t have time, so he couldn’t change much, and anyone can see that he changed his childish clothes to a more mature one?
I hesitated at my answer, not knowing what Yuta wanted.
Then Yuta became more nervous and eventually said what he wanted with his own mouth.
“Am I still ‘beautiful’?”
I opened my eyes wide.
Yuta’s face blushed straight away and he lowered his head.
I said that Yuta was beautiful because he was too beautiful, but apparently he didn’t like me saying that Yuta, a boy, was beautiful.
I felt sorry, and it was also cute.
“You’re cool.”
I gladly gave Yuta what he wanted.
Actually, it was a lot better than the last time.
At those words, his face brightened.
Kellerhan, I, and Yuta sat side by side at the table, waiting for the engagement ceremony to begin.
Shortly before the engagement, Arnold and a few priests came to visit us.
We had already thoroughly prepared everything, but in case of any unforeseen circumstances, they wanted to confirm the last important issues.
“As Viscount and Viscountess Schwires passed away in a tragic accident, Miss Isabella Schwires needs a new guardian. Is Miss Schwires’ guardian here now?” Arnold looked me in the eye and asked cautiously.
“Ah, the guardian.” Kellerhan was trying to pet my hair, but when he saw my pretty hair braided by Magda, he lowered his hand. “It’s me.”
“Yes? Ah, I see.”
Arnold was a little perplexed, but continued to ask the question again.
“Where are the witnesses to the engagement? We need to find someone who is very close to the Young Lord and Lady.”
“It’s me.”
Arnold was visibly embarrassed to say that the witness was also Kellerhan.
Because it was common for nobles to invite as many people as possible to show off their personal connections and they all would make a justification to celebrate the engagement ceremony one by one in this way.
It was better for the priests to have several nobles in and out of the engagement ceremony. This was because they made connections with the aristocratic society by doing this.
“Who will read the verse of the oath? If you’ve invited a reputable guest…”
“That’s also me.”
“…”
The priests looked at Kellerhan with the eyes of, “If you’re going to do it all by yourself, why did you call us?”
Of course, Kellerhan didn’t mind the dissatisfied gaze of the priests and arrogantly raised his chin.