Prince Rui-fong was thrown all the way to the door,
"Ouch, what was that for? Mio, you're as unpredictable as ever!"
He only complained, but didn't pursue the matter further, instead laughing heartily. Lord Cyrus and Mio let it go at that. It seemed that for these three, this had been a decade-long daily scene. I, on the other hand, was quite uneasy...
It was breakfast time, and Lord Cyrus, Lord Rui-fong, and I moved to the dining room together. In Diltz Kingdom, breakfast is the meal of the day with the most food.
Today's breakfast consisted of a bagel sandwich stuffed with roast beef and plenty of lettuce, onion gratin soup, boiled large shrimp, and a mountain of fruit platter. Seeing the spread on the table, Lord Rui-fong let out an "Oh!" and after taking a bite of the bagel sandwich, he exclaimed, "Ohh!"
Turning to the head chef Toppo,
"Sure enough, the meals at Granado Castle are always delicious! Chef, how about sending some to the palace occasionally?"
"I am honored, Your Highness."
"No, really. The palace cuisine is too formal, and it hasn't changed since before the war—oh? Chef, you seem to have lost weight since the last time I saw you?"
Asked this, Toppo sighed.
"...At the engagement ceremony, we will serve a buffet to all the guests. Nobles, commoners, and people of all ages and nationalities will come..."
"Oh, you must be busy with the menu planning and procurement."
"Yes, there are only two weeks left."
Two weeks—when I heard the number from someone else, I was startled.
It wasn't just me who was tense about the deadline. Toppo looked exhausted and dejected.
"Lately, no matter how much I eat, I'm still hungry..."
Oh dear, he really has lost a lot of weight. His face and body had changed shape. Somehow, he had shrunk from his usual round, cream bun-like form to a more human shape... Hmm, is this a good thing?
I turned to Lord Cyrus for an answer, and he, as usual, had a serious look on his face.
"Toppo, don't push yourself too hard. It's okay to outsource the hors d'oeuvres to an external company."
"No, this is the Granado Castle chef's moment to shine. Toppo is looking forward to the engagement ceremony."
Toppo's clear blue eyes sparkled. Ah... this isn't just a show of endurance. I can tell he's really enjoying his current job. Peeling a shrimp, Lord Rui-fong smiled.
"He's a good chef. Cyrus, you have a great staff. Everyone works hard and seems to enjoy it. I'd like to know your secret to employee management."
"Well, when I find talented people, I court them enthusiastically. After that, I give them a fair amount of freedom. What I give to my employees isn't orders, but the right placement and a sense of purpose, along with appropriate compensation."
"I see... Hmm. I don't have your eye for talent. New employee training is a real hassle."
"It's better to focus on developing their superiors as educators. At the Granado Trading Company, we build schools in developing countries and educate people not just as workers but as future managers."
"That requires a lot of funding... I understand the long-term benefits, though."
"It's a necessary investment."
The head of the large trading company and the leader of the kingdom's knight corps had such a conversation. I listened to their talk while quietly eating my meal.
At one point, Lord Cyrus said, "I'm sorry, this must be boring for you." I shook my head. I had never heard business talk at the Shaduran family table... It was very interesting and fascinating.
After the conversation and the meal were finished... Lord Cyrus suddenly asked his friend,
"By the way, Rui-fong, why did you come here so early this morning?"
"Oh, right, right, here it is."
After stuffing a strawberry into his mouth, Lord Rui-fong pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it in front of us while still chewing.
Inside was a silver metal ring and a dazzling red stone on top—
"Oh, this...!"
"Yeah, your engagement rings. The base is done, so I brought them to check the size before setting the gemstones."
While talking, he took another bite of a strawberry. Lord Rui-fong tried to slip the ring onto my finger, but before I could react, Lord Cyrus snatched the ring and me away. Lord Rui-fong smiled wryly.
"They're not finished yet, just checking the size."
"But no."
Lord Cyrus said firmly. Then, he took my hand and... stopped just as the ring reached my knuckle, his gaze wandering. He stood up, still holding my hand, and led me out of the dining room, away from his friend and the servants.
There were few servants in Granado Castle. In the deserted corridor, Lord Cyrus turned to me again.
"The gemstones are only temporarily set, so try not to move your hand to avoid them falling out."
"...Okay."
I nodded, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. With his large, long-fingered hand, he carefully slipped the delicate ring onto my left ring finger.
The ring slid smoothly over my long, white finger, reaching the base.
"How does it feel? Is it too tight?"
"...I think it's fine. Probably."
It didn't feel bad. Though I wasn't used to it, there was a comfortable sense of closeness. I touched it with my right hand. ...It was strange. Despite being a small piece of metal, it felt soft and warm.
"This is what a ring feels like. ...It's the first time I've worn one."
"First time? A ring? Even as a toy?"
I nodded, and Lord Cyrus made an indescribable expression, covering his face with both hands. He looked up at the sky, sighed, and muttered,
"I'm glad. I'm really glad I stopped Rui-fong earlier..."
What is it? I can't understand Lord Cyrus's feelings.
But... somehow, I'm also... happy that the first person to put a ring on me is this Count Cyrus Granado.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Thank you, Lord Cyrus. I'm really happy."
Lord Cyrus stroked my hair until it was tousled, caressed my cheek with his palm, and rubbed behind my ear with his fingers, making me squirm. He gently kissed my cheek, which I had tried to pull away from. Then, he pulled me close and kissed every part of my face he could reach. His lips, which barely touched, were ticklish and frustrating.
I squirmed and tried to escape, but in return, I kissed his cheek twice. He seemed surprised for a moment, but then held me even tighter and showered me with even more kisses.
On my forehead, cheeks, and around my eyes... we tilted our heads and kissed each other's lips.
...Gently, as soon as he pulled away, he said,
"Marie, I love you. I truly love you..."
I was about to say, "I love you too," but my words were stolen by a second kiss.
I thought I would tell him with my next breath, but it happened again. Oh, when will I be allowed to speak? Held in the arms of my fiancé, I was melted by his sweet kisses and couldn't say a word. Reluctantly, I whispered in my heart,
I love you. I love you, more than anyone in this world.
You, who are so noble and kind, and who care for me and love me. I love you more than anyone in this world. I love only you.
A silver-haired gentleman suddenly appeared in the hazy, milky-white vision.
"Hey, are you done? If the size is okay, I need to send it to the craftsman to set the stone."
We quickly pulled apart, hurriedly took off the ring, and rushed back to our seats in the dining room.
The book version of "The Ruined Lady" will be released next week, on April 15th, in bookstores and online nationwide!
Despite the unprecedented situation, there are no plans to cancel or delay the release of this work. I hope you can obtain it safely.
For more details, please refer to the activity report.