Chapter 16: The Engagement Ceremony (1)

The day of the engagement ceremony.

From the early hours of the morning, I was awake, sitting as Lily and Laura applied my makeup. It was much earlier than I usually woke up, and it was hard to stifle my yawns.

“Which earrings would suit her best?”

“Go with the red ones. Oh, and did you prepare the necklaces?”

“Yes, they’re right here!”

Dressed in a white gown, I sat quietly while Lily and Laura buzzed around me, chatting and moving busily.

Was all this necessary just for a simple engagement ceremony? Or was it because the groom-to-be was ‘that’ Abel?

Who was Abel, after all?

The duke with the moniker “Ironblood.”

With his cold demeanor and strikingly handsome features, he was so popular that rumors claimed any noblewoman would inevitably fall for him at least once.

It was true—his looks were extraordinary. If a god ever sculpted a statue dedicated solely to beauty, it would look like him.

But cold demeanor?

‘…That doesn’t sound right.’

The man who constantly teased and mocked me was described as cold? Sure, he might have given off that impression when I first met him, but now? Not so much.

As I mulled over these thoughts, Lily addressed me.

“Miss Adele, which of these two necklaces do you prefer?”

Caught off guard, I glanced at the necklaces they held out. On the left was a ruby necklace—a vivid crimson gemstone that seemed like it might suit me based on its color… but the stone was enormous.

The necklace on the right had a smaller ruby and a simple design.

“Hmm… I think the one on the right would be better.”

Lily’s expression dimmed slightly at my response. Noticing this, Laura chuckled softly and whispered to me.

“Just so you know, the one on the left is Lily’s choice, and the one on the right is mine.”

“…Is that so?”

“No need to worry about Lily. I’ll handle her,” Laura assured me with a smile.

“…Alright.”

Laura took Lily’s hand and whispered something into her ear. Whatever she said transformed Lily’s despondence into a determined resolve.

‘…What did she say to her?’

“Shall we wrap things up now?”

“Yes!”

At Laura’s prompting, Lily began picking out brooches and finishing the last touches of my outfit.

‘…I’m exhausted.’

Suppressing another yawn, I held back the wave of fatigue washing over me.

“Miss Adele, it’s done!”

At Lily’s cheerful announcement, I turned my head toward the mirror.

‘…Wow.’

In the mirror sat a stunning woman. Her porcelain skin and ruby-like eyes shone brightly. The ruby accessories contrasted beautifully with her white dress, completing the look.

My usually sharp eyes were softened with a gentle gaze, and the dark circles under my eyes had completely vanished. The impression was no longer that of a villainess but of a pure and graceful woman.

“As expected of Miss Adele! The makeup looks amazing!”

“Are you satisfied, Miss Adele?”

“…Yes, I’m quite satisfied.”

“That’s a relief.”

Laura, with a relieved expression, spoke.

“Then shall we head to Lord Abel?”

Lily, looking excited, opened the door with enthusiasm. Although I was feeling a bit tired, it seemed necessary to see him at least once before the engagement ceremony.

With that thought in mind, I followed her.

After walking down the somewhat extravagant hallway, Lily stopped in front of his office and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Come in,” Abel’s voice rang from inside.

Without hesitation, Lily opened the door. Abel, engrossed in the documents before him, spoke without looking up.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve brought Miss Adele to see you!”

At those words, he finally lifted his gaze, his eyes landing on me.

Abel stared at me, seemingly frozen, as though he’d forgotten he was holding a document in his hand.

His reaction felt… different from usual. But I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was different. Maybe I was just too tired for my thoughts to function properly.

“And? What’s your impression of how I look?”

“…Better than I expected,” he replied, his tone reserved.

The unusually sparse praise made me tilt my head in confusion. After all the effort of dressing up in a gown and accessorizing, such a lukewarm reaction was a bit disheartening.

I had thought I looked decent, but it seemed it didn’t meet his standards. A tinge of disappointment crept in, and I swallowed the sigh that rose to my throat.

I wasn’t sure why I even felt this way. He and I were only engaged by contract—nothing more. Was I upset because I’d hoped for at least a little flattery, even if it was insincere?

I suppressed the emotion and forced myself to respond calmly.

“Then I’ll be going ahead.”

“…Alright. You go first. I’ll join shortly.”

As Lily and I left the office, she hummed cheerfully, almost skipping down the hall. Curious, I turned to her.

“Why are you so happy?”

“It’s because the Duke seems to like how you look, Miss Adele!”

“…I don’t think so.”

Normally, Abel would heap flowery, almost cringe-worthy compliments on me. The absence of such embellishments today made me wonder if he disliked how I looked that much.

Lily shook her head vehemently.

“No way! The Duke clearly liked it, I’m sure!”

“Alright… if you say so.”

Accepting her optimism was easier than dwelling on my doubts. With that, Lily grabbed my hand and led the way forward. The ceremony was approaching.

I felt a hint of nervousness creep in. How far could I change my bad ending with this engagement? With the save point set for this morning, there was no going back now.

‘I just have to hope it works out this time.’

***

The grand hall, adorned with white marble and lined with red carpets, was buzzing with activity. Silver candelabras hung from the walls, and the ballroom was decorated far more lavishly than usual. The hum of conversations among the many nobles filled the air.

The reason for this bustling crowd was a single event: the engagement ceremony.

The engagement of Duke Abel von Hardenberg and Countess Adele von Este was the hottest gossip in the Arie Empire. From tales of their fateful first meeting during a trip to whispers of an engagement ceremony that didn’t even need to happen, the rumors were endless.

The noblewomen endlessly gossiped, passing the story along until the guest list for their engagement ceremony easily exceeded a hundred.

Of course, most of these guests were regional nobles who were unaware of Adele’s past misdeeds.

“Truly… I can’t begin to understand how this came to be.”

Among those well aware of Adele’s misdeeds, Miss Luna of the Count Aite family found the current situation deeply unpleasant. She couldn’t fathom what kind of charm that wicked woman possessed to make the Ironblood Duke want to marry her.

Beside Luna, Estelle von Louis merely scratched her cheek, a faint smile on her face.

While Estelle was a direct victim of Adele’s so-called “wicked deeds,” she knew that most of them were the result of misunderstandings. Because of this, she didn’t harbor as much hatred toward Adele as others might.

There had been times Estelle wanted to clear up those misunderstandings, but Adele always managed to disappear before she could. So, she decided to use this engagement ceremony as an opportunity to finally set things straight.

“Ugh… what on earth does he see in a woman like her?”

“Luna.”

Luna froze at Estelle’s cold voice. Turning her head, she was met with Estelle’s sharp smile.

“Mind your words.”

“…Understood.”

Luna, looking slightly intimidated, nodded ever so slightly. Estelle sighed in relief.

Miss Luna of the Aite family had her good points, but her mouth was far too loose, and her temper was too quick.

If Estelle didn’t keep her in check, Luna might end up causing some kind of trouble. Fortunately, Luna seemed to realize the gravity of her careless words and lowered her head in silence.

“There are so many people here…”

The noblewoman sitting next to Luna commented, prompting Estelle to nod in agreement. The ballroom was vast, yet even so, it felt almost crowded due to the sheer number of attendees.

How much time had passed? The start of the engagement ceremony was drawing near.

“The Duke of Abel von Hardenberg and Miss Adele von Este are entering!”

The soldier at the grand entrance shouted as he opened the doors. A man and a woman entered arm in arm, their appearance immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Standing on the left was Duke Abel, his striking features living up to the rumors. Though a scar marred his face, it was insignificant in comparison to his otherwise flawless looks.

On the right stood Adele. It was hard to believe she was the same so-called “villainess.” Her slightly softened gaze and ruby-red eyes gave off a completely different impression than before.

As Estelle observed the pair, she heard a faint, sharp sound beside her—click, click. It was Luna, nervously biting her nails.

Estelle considered stopping her but ultimately decided to let it go. Surely Luna wouldn’t dare cause trouble in a setting like this.

With all eyes in the ballroom fixed on the couple, the engagement ceremony began.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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