Chapter 84

Johann had been extremely busy for the past few days.  

He personally took care of the assassin guild that had sent killers after Lia, and even visited the ducal castle.  

He sat in the study chair and opened a small velvet box he had brought from the ducal castle.  

Inside was a ring, delicately crafted and set with a shining diamond.  

This ring had been used by the heads of the Blumhart family for generations when they became engaged.  

Isabella, having heard that he should probably get engaged to Lia first, offered her advice to her son.  

“If you’re going to get engaged, you might as well bring the family ring from the ducal castle.”  

His mother had also received this ring when she got engaged to his father.  

Johann placed the ring, which was not flashy but exuded a dignified atmosphere, on his palm.  

“……”  

‘What should I say when I propose?’  

He lightly tousled his hair and stood up, walking to the window.  

At this hour, the two people he loved were always in the garden.  

As expected, Lia and Rafaella were playing together in a corner of the garden.  

‘I don’t want to propose for the sake of protection, just because the Interim Empress is targeting you.’  

He didn’t want to see Lia afraid.  

But being completely honest about his feelings was a little difficult.  

‘I want to slowly approach Lia, dispelling any lingering resentment she may have.’  

Maybe it would be better to use Rafaella as an excuse.  

“…Hmm.”  

He crossed his arms and let out a shallow sigh.  

It didn’t feel right to consult anyone about proposing.  

Samuel might know everything about children, but having never had a romance and only ever working, he surely knew as little about relationships as Johann himself.  

‘Maybe I should have made at least one friend.’  

But ever since childhood, anyone who approached him had only been a hyena after scraps from the Blumhart family.  

In the end, he had to think it through himself, without anyone’s help.  

“Samuel, after lunch, tell Lia to come to the glass conservatory.”  

After taking a deep breath, he spoke.  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

Samuel glanced at the ring in Johann’s hand and left.

* * *

“Miss Lia, His Grace asked if you could come to the glass conservatory for a moment after lunch.”  

“Just me?”  

Lia’s eyes widened as she asked.  

“Yes, Miss Lia.”  

Samuel replied with a meaningful smile.  

“All right, I understand.”  

Lia nodded, looking puzzled.  

‘What is this? Why did he call only me?’  

If only Rafaella were by her side, she wouldn’t be so conscious of him.  

Lia unconsciously touched her lips.  

A faint blush appeared on her face.  

‘He’s not going to bring up the fireworks night again, is he…’  

No, it didn’t seem like that.  

Then, maybe he wanted to discuss something about Rafaella?  

If so, he could have just called me to the study or the parlor.  

…Could this be related to what Rafaella said yesterday?  

‘He said he was thinking of living together with me, too…’  

Did he really have to say that in the glass conservatory?  

“…Hmm, I don’t know.”  

Lia shook her head and muttered.  

No matter how much she speculated, she wouldn’t know unless she went.  

For now, she decided to focus on having lunch with Rafaella.

* * *

Johann finished lunch lightly, then changed into the neatest yet most dignified outfit in his dressing room.  

With Samuel’s help, he tidied up his appearance to perfection, then looked into the mirror.  

“…Hmm.”  

His neatly slicked-back hair bothered him more than usual.  

Johann smoothed his bangs down with his long fingers.  

Thanks to the naturally falling hair, his sharp impression softened considerably.  

“Now it looks a bit better.”  

He muttered, recalling how Lia had reacted when he let his hair down at the cabin last time.  

‘Lia seems to prefer this look.’  

He hoped that letting his hair down would help, even a little, when he talked about engagement.  

“Samuel, how do I look?”  

He turned toward Samuel.  

“Your Grace, even as a fellow man, I must say you are captivating.”  

Samuel gave a thumbs up.  

“I don’t care about men; as long as Lia thinks I look good, that’s enough.”  

Johann frowned slightly and walked toward the door.  

“Miss Lia surely won’t be able to resist your appearance, Your Grace.”  

“…It’s just flattery, but it doesn’t feel bad.”  

He didn’t expect Lia to suddenly fall for him just by looking at him.  

He simply hoped that his more polished appearance might soften her resentment, even a little.  

“Your Grace, how do you plan to bring up the engagement?”  

Samuel asked carefully as he opened the door.  

“…If I confess my feelings now, she’ll definitely feel pressured, so I plan to ask if she would do it for Rafaella’s sake.”  

Johann replied as he left the room.  

“No need to follow, I’ll go alone.”  

“Yes.”  

Johann strode down the central staircase.  

The closer he got to the glass conservatory, the harder his heart pounded.  

He brought his hand to his chest.  

His palm was sweaty, and he felt both excited and nervous.  

Even though he had rehearsed what to say countless times in his head, his mind felt blank.  

‘I feel like I’ve experienced this before. What is it?’  

…He was sure he had waited for Lia with these same feelings in the past.  

Johann stopped walking for a moment.  

“…Ugh.”  

As always happened when his memories returned, a fierce headache struck him.  

He quickly braced himself against the corridor wall, pressing his temple with his other hand.  

When he was twenty, the proposal at the cabin surged through his mind like a violent wave.  

“You’re going to propose?”  

Alma asked, eyes wide.  

“Yes, so I need your help, both of you.”  

“How are you planning to propose?”  

This time, Raul asked.  

“Well, for now…”  

Looking back, it was a rather childish method.  

But at the time, he thought it was the best way to make Lia happy.  

Three days after telling Alma and Raul about his proposal plan, on the day he proposed to Lia.  

As he had requested, Alma and Raul took Lia to Alma’s house from early in the morning.  

Meanwhile, he worked hard to create a flower path for Lia.  

Once all preparations for the proposal were finished and Johann—no, Hart—gave the signal, Alma brought Lia out of the house.  

Since Alma’s house was visible from Lia’s, Hart could see Lia coming out.  

“Oh? Alma, there’s a flower path in front of your house!”  

Seeing the flower path Hart had made, Lia gasped.  

“Lia, it’s a path just for you, so hurry and walk down it.”  

Alma smiled, gently pushing Lia’s back.  

“A path just for me?”  

Lia walked down the flower path, bewildered.  

The closer she came, the harder his heart pounded.  

His mouth kept drying up, and his hand holding the bouquet was sweaty.  

“Hart, I wondered where you’d gone since morning!”  

Spotting Hart in front of the cabin, Lia hurried over in surprise.  

Thump, thump, thump.  

His heart beat even faster.  

“Don’t tell me, you made this flower path?”  

“Yes. I made it for you, Lia.”  

He walked toward her, his steps trembling.  

Then, he handed her a bouquet made of her favorite white lilies.  

He had learned how to make bouquets from a village lady several days before and made it himself.  

“You’re giving this to me? …Thank you.”  

Lia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s as she accepted the bouquet.  

Her cheeks flushed a peachy pink.  

“…Lia.”  

Hart steadied his voice and called her.  

“Yes?”  

Lia answered, hugging the bouquet.  

“I love you very much.” 

He spoke, his face now red.  

“That’s why I want to be with you forever.”  

Hart knelt on one knee and presented her with a wooden ring.  

It was a ring he made with Raul’s help.  

His hands were covered in cuts.  

“Lia, will you marry me?”  

He asked, his voice trembling.  

“…What?”  

Lia covered her mouth with her free hand in surprise.  

Her round eyes grew even bigger.  

Tears welled up in her eyes.  

“I may have nothing, but I’ll make you happier than anyone in the world.”  

As he waited for her answer, Hart added.  

“…Hart, I want to be with you forever, too!”  

Lia answered, her eyes crinkling brightly.  

Tears of joy fell from her eyes.  

Hart stood up and slipped the wooden ring onto her left ring finger.  

It fit her finger perfectly.  

Hart smiled happily and spun Lia around in his arms.  

“Kyaa!”  

Lia let out a short scream.  

They both beamed with joy. Not only Alma and Raul, but villagers who heard the news came to congratulate them.  

“……”  

At that exact moment, an overwhelming memory returned.  

Johann covered his mouth with his hand and leaned against the wall.  

His red eyes were heavy with sorrow.  

‘So I proposed to her like that….’  

He had promised to be with her forever, yet he left her.  

He bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.  

Johann collapsed, sobbing silently.  

His trembling hand barely covered his ruined face.  

‘I ruined Lia’s happiness.’  

He regretted not even trying to find out why he was wandering around Lorem Mountain before returning blindly to the ducal estate.  

If he had, she wouldn’t have had to experience the misery of meeting her vanished husband again through a newspaper.  

‘…I can’t go to Lia in this shaken state.’  

He had to pull himself together and go to Lia, who would be waiting for him.  

Suppressing the suffocating regret and guilt that threatened to overwhelm him, Johann took a long, deep breath.  

Then, staggering, he got to his feet.  

Johann entered an empty room, washed his face, straightened his clothes, and made his heavy way to the glass conservatory.  

He only hoped he would not break down in front of Lia.