Chapter 82: Engagement(1)

Before the petals of early-blooming spring flowers had fully settled upon the ground, my engagement ceremony with Elena proceeded as previously promised.

Though it bore the name ‘engagement ceremony,’ it was hardly a grand affair.

It was not a wedding, after all, but a mere formality—a procedural event. The purpose of today’s engagement ceremony was more about formalizing and documenting the engagement between Elena and me, which was already known to the people, rather than mere celebration.

As such, the scale of the engagement ceremony was quite small.

The wishes of Elena and me were considered, and unlike a banquet, we did not gather individuals from other families; it was a quiet event among our respective family members. There had been significant events recently, and we did not desire unnecessary attention that could attract unwanted pests.

It was not needlessly busy, and I believe it was a good choice. After all, standing before a crowd was no minor task, and there was no need to sour such a pleasant day.

However, it was inevitable that word of our engagement reached those with whom I had a personal connection. If anyone asked about our engagement, I suppose they were told it would happen sometime soon.

I heard that a letter had arrived for Elena from Noel, expressing a desire to attend the ceremony, but as expected, she and Orcus were unable to be present. With the heightened security around the royal family, it was unlikely the emperor would have permitted them to travel outside the capital.

Perhaps, in time, Orcus might send a letter expressing regret for not being able to attend the ceremony.

The engagement ceremony took place in the garden in front of The Isillia pavilion, just as Elena had described to me in the past.

The garden had a spot equipped with a tea table for simple meals, and that area was chosen as the venue for the ceremony. Since the number of participants was not large, it was sufficient to organize the seats and bring in the food.

The overall atmosphere of the engagement resembled a family outing. Engaging in trivial chatter while taking in the surroundings, this place, which could mark the beginning of a change in the empire’s state of affairs, felt light and peaceful.

Alphonse could hardly resist the drowsiness brought on by the warm spring sun and kept nodding off with his eyes half-closed, while my father and Duke Joachim sat opposite each other, toasting with their glasses. This scene, more akin to a spring outing than an engagement ceremony, was pleasing to me.

“It may be informal, but it would have been nice to have had this in Merohim.”

“What are you talking about? It’s better to be here than in a place where there’s nothing to see but snow. Even a baby would say it is nice to have it amidst blooming flowers. What could be better than this? At Merohim, all you would see are the snowflakes.”

“...Just go ahead and laugh.”

Dodging my father’s words, Duke Joachim turned his gaze toward me.

Under the glint of Duke Joachim’s frosty stare, I found myself instinctively drawing closer to Elena. Why did it seem like I was always the one to bear the brunt of my father’s indiscretions? I hadn’t said a word, and yet here I was, feeling wronged.

However, soon enough, Duke Joachim’s expression lightened, revealing that his severity was all in jest. With a gentle smile and a turn of his head, he gazed out at the surrounding scenery, then opened his mouth as if to agree with my father’s words in a soft voice.

“Indeed, the south is beautiful.”

His smile, as if none of the earlier frosty stares had ever been, made me question his actions for a moment. When I turned to follow his gaze, I realized why the sight had warmed his mood.

There, inevitably, was Elena. Contrary to my initial thoughts, she seemed wholly unaffected by the exchange between my father and Duke Joachim, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the garden met the sky.

Although she wore an absent-minded look, unusual for her, the constant smile on her lips throughout the day allowed me to guess at her mood.

Perhaps it was this very sight of Elena, seemingly content and unconcerned, that had thawed Duke Joachim’s icy demeanor. True to form, as if Elena was happy, that seemed to be enough for him. It wasn’t long before Duke Joachim completely blended into the garden’s ambiance, engaging in idle chatter with my father.

As I surreptitiously observed this, Elena addressed me.

“What are you watching with such amusement?”

“Just... My Father and your father are quite funny, don’t you think?”

I pointed out my father and Duke Joachim, who continued their banter. The two patriarchs, jesting and playing tricks on each other, were far from the stodgy old gentlemen one might expect to lead our families. In my eyes, this was preferable to the stiff formality usually displayed by elders.

Elena replied to my comment succinctly.

“Like little children, aren’t they?”

“...You’re not wrong.”

At that, both Elena and I let out a soft laugh.

Watching everyone laugh, for some reason, I was reminded of the first time Elena and I had talked in this garden.

The circumstances of that day, when I proposed we break off our engagement, were the complete antithesis of today’s official recognition of our engagement. Perhaps that was why such memories surface more prominently during moments like this.

Reflecting on the current turn of events, something I had never anticipated, merely comforting a crying girl with my words had led to this outcome, which prompted deep thoughts in me. If someone Elena truly wished for appeared, I had vaguely thought I would simply let her go. The result of that conversation, initiated in such casual thought, was now unfolding before us.

Contrary to what I first thought, a great deal had changed.

Unlike my initial expectations, I found myself not wanting to let her go and dared to dream of being the male lead, rather than exiting early as a third-rate villain. Though the story had diverged so much from the original that I couldn’t predict what would happen next, I did not think the feelings I harbored now would change.

Had Elena changed as much as I have?

To me, she seemed unchanged from when we first met to now. I only saw a girl who had liked me very much ever since that first day. Perhaps, the only change for her was that our distance had narrowed.

And that was what Elena had wanted as well.

Maybe the biggest reason for the situation turning out like this lies not in my actions but in Elena’s. It was her behavior—different from the original and affectionate towards me—that had crafted this scenario, rather than the existence of a character possessed to play the villain in a novel.

It was that inexplicable favor she had for me even before we met.

When faced with inexplicable favor, one naturally wonders where it came from, but I had decided not to concern myself with it.

I was afraid of digging too deep, misunderstanding, and getting hurt. After all, there was a saying that ignorance is bliss, and I saw no need to know the truth. While I could casually ask her someday, now was not the time.

Even if she wasn’t the Elena I read about in the novel, even if she was a being like myself, it didn’t matter now. The woman named Elena Edelweiss I was in love with was the one who had spent this time with me.

So I hoped she felt the same way.

***

After a brief and informal engagement ceremony, I found myself strolling through the garden alone with Elena, just as before.

The weakening of the vibrant petals with each glance served as a sign that spring was coming to an end. Yet, the fragrance wafting through the air remained unchanged, and at times I felt transported back to those first moments walking here with her.

“This view is saying goodbye for a while now.”

Elena remarked as she looked at petals trampled along the path.

The flowering season for these plants came only once with each season. The gardens in the four annexes of the lord’s castle each have flowers planted to match the four seasons, but the ones in  Isillia pavilion were predominantly spring flowers.

Just as Elena and I had spent time together, the seasons too had passed, and if not now, as we race towards the end of spring, it might be a while before we see such a scene again at the Isillia pavilion.

I nodded in agreement with Elena’s remark and surveyed the purple hyacinths blooming around her.

I couldn’t deny a tinge of regret; after all, before Elena started coming here, it was I who frequented the Isillia pavilion the most.

Elena and I walked side by side in comfortable silence, matching each other’s steps.

We occasionally exchanged words, but there was no pressing need for conversation—we simply enjoyed the silence of the moment. Like that day, we paused to look up at the sky, and carefully reached out to feel the spring breeze carrying the scent of flowers.

It was I who broke the silence that seemed it would last all the way back to the lord’s castle.

“Elena, do you remember what I said when we first came to the Isillia pavilion?”

Her face was tinged with surprise at my abrupt, unheralded question. Even without her answer, I could tell by her expression that she remembered our conversation.

“Yes...”

As she spoke with a trembling voice, I tightened my grip on the hand I was holding, offering reassurance. Her eyes steadied. I continued.

“I said that an engagement was premature. And you, Elena, you just cried upon hearing that. Honestly, I was taken aback at the time. I hadn’t rejected the engagement; it was meant to suggest we both take some time to think, but I didn’t expect you to cry so bitterly.”

“That, that was...!!!”

“So I said we should go ahead with it. The engagement.”

“What?”

“At that moment, I couldn’t think of any other way to stop Elena’s tears.”

Elena looked utterly bewildered by my words.

Hmm, maybe I was too honest?

I wrapped my arms around Elena, who had become as still as an ice sculpture. She was a bit cold to the touch, but it wasn’t unbearable. Gently stroking her hair, I continued the conversation.

“Back then, we had barely known each other for a day, and there was no affection to speak of. What I said to you, Elena, was simply because I couldn’t stand to see you cry because of me, and I wanted to stop it—to get past that moment.”

“So... are you saying we should pretend it never happened?”

“Of course not. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have had an engagement ceremony, would we? You can hear the beating of my heart right now. That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

An engagement initially accepted just to evade the pressure of a moment. And now, I was trying to express the feelings that had been obscured and left unsaid until now.

“I like you, Elena.”

There had been a brief kiss, one that could surely be called such, and Elena and I had lived as a couple under the guise of our engagement, but this was perhaps the first time I had ever conveyed my feelings to her so directly.

I slightly pulled back from our close embrace to meet her eyes.

And with a certainty different from before, I imbued my words with clear emotion.

“Will you continue to stay by my side in the future that lies ahead?”

It was only after the engagement ceremony was over that I was finally able to propose to her proper proposal.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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