Chapter 88

Lia, with Paula’s help, changed into riding clothes and headed to the riding field. 

“You’re here?”  

Johann, also dressed in a navy riding suit, was waiting for her.  

“Yes.”  

Beside him stood a very beautiful bay mare.

The horse’s golden mane was exceptionally elegant.  

“Is this your horse, Your Grace?”  

“No, she’s a mare I brought for you this time.”  

“For me?”  

Lia widened her eyes and looked at the horse.  

“She’s from the lineage of a legendary steed and is very gentle, so she’ll suit you well.”  

A legendary bloodline, indeed—the horse’s eyes looked so intelligent.  

“You’ll be together from now on, so give her a name.”  

“…A name.”  

“Just something that comes to mind when you see her.”  

“…Grace, I’ll call her Grace.”  

Maybe the horse liked the name, as she wagged her tail gently.

At first, Lia had felt only flustered at the prospect of learning to ride, but meeting such a wonderful horse filled her with excitement.  

‘Raffy said it feels like communicating as you spend time together.’

Would I feel that with Grace, too? 

“Today, you won’t ride. You’ll just practice getting close to Grace.”  

Strangely, not riding brought her both relief and a bit of disappointment.  

“First, let’s imprint your scent.”  

“My scent?”  

“Yes, so Grace can remember it. Hold out your hand.”  

Johann guided Lia’s hand close to Grace’s face.

Grace looked at her hand for a moment, then showed curiosity and came a little closer.  

“If you wait a little longer, she’ll come to you.”  

Johann bent his head slightly and whispered in Lia’s ear.

Soon after he spoke, Grace really did sniff at Lia’s hand.  

‘Her breath tickles, but it’s amazing.’  

“She really came to me.”  

Lia looked up, only to find Johann much closer than she’d expected, and she froze.  

‘Oh, that startled me.’  

Thump, thump.

It’s just from being startled, just from being startled.  

Grace sniffed her hand for quite a while.

Even though she had to stand still, she didn’t find it boring at all.

After sniffing several times, Johann led her to Grace’s left side.  

“Most horses don’t like the right side, so it’s better to interact from the left.”  

Lia nodded, her eyes sparkling.  

“Would you like to try stroking her neck?”  

“Yes.”  

Lia carefully approached Grace’s side and stroked her neck.

Perhaps because she was so well cared for, her muscles were firm, but her coat was very glossy and soft.

Under Johann’s guidance, Lia then touched Grace’s cheek, nose bridge, and ears in turn.

Just touching Grace made her feel happy.  

“That’s it for today’s lesson.”  

Glancing at the pocket watch in Johann’s hand, Lia saw that more than an hour had already passed.  

‘All I did was stroke her fur, but time went by so quickly.’  

They entrusted Grace to the stable hand, and Johann and Lia returned to the mansion.  

“Thank you.”  

Before entering her room, Lia thanked him.  

“I never imagined I’d have my own horse, but thanks to you, I had a great time with Grace.”  

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”  

Johann awkwardly touched the back of his head.  

“I was worried about whether I could ride, but now I can’t wait to bond and ride her.”  

Lia smiled, her eyes curving.

“…You got close faster than I expected, so you’ll be riding soon.”  

Johann looked at Lia’s smiling face for a moment before answering.  

“Well, I’ll go in now.”  

Lia entered her room, and Johann, unable to hide his smile, headed to his office.

* * *

The day before the engagement ceremony, the engagement dress Madame Evelyn had poured her heart into arrived.

A fresh light-green dress, like the buds of spring, was incredibly beautiful.  

“Lia, do a little twirl for me.”  

At Isabella’s request, Lia spun around, and the dress fluttered softly, then settled gently.  

“Mom, you look so pretty!”  

Rafaella carefully hugged Lia’s waist so the dress wouldn’t wrinkle.  

“You really are so beautiful.”  

Penelope, standing beside her, also admired her.  

“I only put on the dress—I haven’t put anything on my face yet.”  

Lia blushed.  

“You’re very pretty even without makeup. Johann won’t know what to do with himself when he sees you tomorrow.”  

Isabella laughed as she spoke.  

‘…Tomorrow, she would finally become his official fiancée.’  

It was a little funny to be engaged again after having once been married.

But the person she’d married back then had been the ordinary ‘Hart’ who’d lost his memory, and this time she was engaged to the Duke of Blumhart, ‘Johann.’

With Hart, it had been the fruit of ‘love,’ but with Johann, it was for ‘Rafaella,’ not love.

Even though she’d resolved not to be hurt by him a second time, why did the word ‘love’ keep bothering her?

Lia shook her head slightly.  

‘Words like “engagement” and “marriage” just make my heart restless for no reason.’  

It was a simple engagement at the great temple in the capital, but since it was still an engagement, it felt strange.  

‘…All I had to do was make a vow and sign in front of the priest, but why did it feel so significant?’  

It was just an extension of the contract she’d made with him at the beginning.

While Lia was lost in thought, Isabella came closer.  

“Lia.”  

Isabella held both of Lia’s hands tightly.  

“Yes?”  

“In the past, I was thoughtless and harsh, and your heart must have been hurt a lot.”  

“…No, not at all. It’s not as if you did it on purpose. I really don’t remember any of it.”  

Lia shook her head.  

“It’s only an engagement for now, but from tomorrow, you’ll officially be part of our family, so from now on, I’ll look after you much better as the elder of the house.”  

Isabella gently stroked Lia’s face.  

“I’ll do my best too, Mother.”  

After much agonizing over whether to say ‘Mother’ or ‘Madam,’ Lia finally spoke.  

“Oh my, it sounds so wonderful.”  

Hearing that, Isabella’s face lit up.  

“Miss Lia, then please call me Penelope, too!”  

Penelope approached them.  

“…Is that really okay?”  

Lia asked, a little embarrassed.  

“Of course! Can I call you ‘Sister’?”  

Penelope smiled brightly.  

“Yes, Penelope.”  

“I always wanted a sister! Thank you for becoming my sister.”  

Penelope hugged her lightly.  

“Thank you for being my younger sister, too.”  

Lia hugged her back.  

“Me too, I want a hug!”  

Rafaella whined for a hug from the side.  

“All right, Raffy, you get a hug too.”  

Lia hugged Rafaella as well.  

With her engagement to Johann, Lia felt her heart grow warm and fuzzy as she gained a family.  

The next day, at last, the day of the engagement ceremony dawned.  

From the morning, Lia dressed in her gown and adorned herself with the help of the maids.

With Paula’s skillful hands, her makeup and hair were finished, and Lia stood in front of the full-length mirror.

Thanks to her hair being swept up high, her white, long neck was revealed.

Paula fastened around her neck the pink topaz necklace that Isabella had given Lia as a gift.

The necklace accentuated Lia’s soft neckline.

Matching earrings with the same gemstone were hung on both ears.  

“You look so beautiful, Miss Lia.”  

“Thank you.”  

Lia smiled shyly at Paula’s compliment.  

“I thought that necklace would suit you, but it fits even better than I imagined.”  

Isabella, watching nearby, praised her.  

Lia looked at herself in the mirror again.  

‘…Clothes really do make the person.’  

Even to her own eyes, she looked so elegant in the softly gleaming dress reflected in the mirror.  

Wearing silk gloves, Lia went down to the central entrance to go to the temple.  

Johann, who had arrived in the entrance hall first, stared blankly for a moment as Lia came down, then slowly stood up.  

“…Lia.”  

“Your Grace.”  

He, too, was dressed far more splendidly than usual, just like Lia.

His white suit, contrasting with his jet-black hair, was embroidered with gold decorations.  

‘…White suits him so well.’  

In his sharply shaped eyes, he held an emotion like spring sunlight as he approached Lia.

He was looking only at Lia.  

“…You’re incredibly beautiful today, though you always are.”  

“Thank you for the compliment.”  

Lia’s face flushed.  

He took her hand, gloved in white, and escorted her to the carriage.

“Well then, we’ll be off, Mother.”

Johann greeted Isabella, who had come to see them off.

“All right, have a good trip.”  

“See you later, Raffy.”  

Lia kissed Rafaella’s crown as she said goodbye.  

“See you soon, Raffy.”  

Johann kissed his daughter’s forehead as well.  

“Mom, Dad, have a good trip!”  

Rafaella waved her hand vigorously.  

They boarded the carriage, sent off by the people of the ducal estate.  

Sitting face to face in the carriage, Lia somehow felt embarrassed and turned her gaze away.  

On the contrary, Johann couldn’t take his eyes off Lia the whole way.  

“…Is there something on my face?”  

Unable to bear his gaze, she turned her head.  

“No.”  

“Then why are you staring at me like that?”  

“Ah, sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”  

“It’s just because I look different from usual, right?”  

Lia asked, adjusting her dress.  

“No, you always look the same to me.”  

“The same?”  

Lia frowned slightly.  

‘…Does he mean it doesn’t matter if I dress up or not?’  

“Don’t misunderstand. Whether you’re dressed up or not, you’re always beautiful in my eyes.”  

Johann said something that would be unbearably embarrassing for anyone else, but he said it without hesitation.  

“…Ah.”  

At those words, Lia’s face turned bright red.  

She covered her burning face with her gloved hand.  

‘…Is he crazy or what!’