I brought Fazel to a place with a wide terrace. I cheerfully brought some drinks and handed one to Fazel.

“Fazel, are you okay with this? Proceeding with the contract like this, I mean.”

Fazel tilted his head and asked me instead.

“Aren’t you the one who should feel bad? I stepped forward on my own.”

“Why would I feel bad? It’s what I wanted.”

“I see.”

Fazel chuckled, took a sip of his drink, and gazed at the scenery. Since the castle was on high ground, you could see the distant landscape clearly from here.

“Since things have blown up, there’s no helping it. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll accept your proposal. The rumors will spread anyway, so I might as well use them to my advantage.”

Fazel wore a somewhat refreshed expression. Then he looked at me with a comfortable gaze.

To think he’d look at me like this.

I didn’t know the reason, but he’d accepted my proposal. I could intuitively tell that he’d opened his heart to me, even if just a little.

When I returned to the party hall, I turned my gaze toward my father, who’d appeared after hearing the commotion.

Ah, I did cause a scene.

I ruthlessly kicked out Young Duke Nertian, after all.

“Count, that was truly satisfying.”

Melka enthusiastically took my side next to my father.

“I heard what happened. The young duke was apparently quite rude.”

“That’s right. He just grabbed my hand without permission.”

Fazel also spoke with a stern expression.

“What the young lady says is correct.”

Then my father smiled brightly and stroked my head.

“That’s right. He’s someone who needs a different approach.”

Wait, isn’t that basically saying outright that Nertian is someone you can’t reason with?

At my father’s words, several nobles nodded, and the young ladies quietly laughed.

‘Really.’

After Nertian visited a territory near ours once before, everyone clicked their tongues at his personality. That’s why many people avoided him or didn’t deal with him at all.

“The young duke has left safely. I even saw him off.”

“Well done.”

My father didn’t say to bring Nertian back. I liked my father for this.

“By the way, I was planning to hold an engagement ceremony and announce the engagement then. But it got revealed like this.”

My father began acting nonchalantly.

“Anyway, Fazel is indeed my daughter Louelle’s fiancé. Please treat Fazel well, everyone.”

With my father’s appearance, everything concluded. Even those who’d been uncertain had no choice but to believe after my father’s confirmation.

I smiled and danced with Fazel once more. Then I left him to talk with the boys attending the party and went to the lounge.

In the lounge, Rucelina was waiting for me.

“What did you want to talk about?”

I asked Rucelina.

“Ah, Fazel is your ideal type, right? But to think such a man is your fiancé—jackpot.”

“Ideal type?”

“Don’t play dumb. That man is perfectly your taste.”

How did she know that?

I looked at Rucelina in confusion.

“When I invite people to parties, the men you say are at least handsome—Fazel is the combination of all of them.”

What a devil.

My face naturally heated up.

“Is that why you were so guarded? Because you’re engaged?”

I would have been guarded even if we weren’t.

“That’s not the only reason.”

“Well, you would’ve been guarded even without the engagement.”

Rucelina smiled brightly and pressed my cheek firmly.

“Dishonest Louelle, so cute.”

“Stop it!”

I grabbed Rucelina’s hair. Then Rucelina lightly swept her hair back and said to me.

“But he really is handsome. How did you pick that man?”

“Jealous?”

“A little. I want to meet a man who’s the combination of my tastes too.”

“It’s not just his looks. He’s smart and can use magic too.”

Then Rucelina looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“Didn’t several mages come today?”

“Mm. That’s right.”

“This is because of your fiancé, isn’t it?”

I subtly averted my gaze.

“Really amazing. I wondered why mages suddenly came, but you were trying to win favor for your fiancé, right?”

“Maybe?”

“That’s exactly it. You fox.”

Wait, you’re the fox!

I felt a bit wronged and glared at Rucelina. Then she chuckled and handed me an invitation.

“What’s this?”

“An autumn invitation. To my tea time.”

“Why are you giving this to me now?”

“You’re busy.”

That’s true, but.

“I won’t invite you to the handsome men party.”

Rucelina took a step back. I hugged her tightly.

* * *

Fazel was extremely nervous. After Louelle went to the lounge and he was left alone, he felt the gazes pouring onto him, like his shield had disappeared. He worried about making mistakes among these people.

“When did you get engaged!”

Trean, who’d attended the party, patted Fazel’s shoulder.

“I didn’t know either.”

“I kept it secret because I thought this might happen.”

Fazel smoothly deflected. He couldn’t say that Louelle had come just a few days ago with the proposal.

“What happened, Suran?”

And Suran, who’d been watching this whole situation, recalled what Fazel had said and spoke as calmly as possible.

“I didn’t say anything because I was afraid this would happen. Too much attention would be on Fazel.”

Suran smiled brightly at Trean. Trean understood her concern to some extent, so he nodded, then asked Fazel what he was curious about.

“What did you like about Lady Louelle?”

At Trean’s question, Fazel answered without hesitation.

“Her personality allows me to be by her side.”

At Fazel’s honest words, Trean nodded. He knew well what had happened at the ducal house, having heard it from Suran.

“With Lady Louelle, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

Trean knew well what state Fazel was in. The boy had been burned by people and couldn’t trust them, staying very guarded, so anyone other than someone with Louelle’s personality would be hard to endure.

But then Loctaron walked over with Louelle.

“Thank you for coming to my party.”

“Not at all, little lady. It was a pleasant invitation after a long time, so thank you.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. Seeing the young duke’s face contort was quite satisfying.”

Hearing Loctaron’s words, Louelle tilted her head.

“Has the young duke been rude to you as well, mage?”

“I was his magic tutor when he was young.”

Then Louelle and the others nodded in sympathy, seemingly needing to hear no more. His personality would have been even more arrogant in childhood.

“I invited you because my fiancé can use magic.”

“You mean Fazel Onyuran?”

“That’s right.”

Loctaron’s gaze turned to Fazel. Fazel bowed to him in greeting, fully tense.

“I know your name, so let’s skip the self-introduction. You left such a strong impression earlier that I still remember.”

Loctaron smiled brightly and extended his hand to Fazel. Then Fazel extended his hand.

But then, some kind of energy seemed to penetrate Fazel’s body.

“Don’t be alarmed. Mages greet each other like this, exchanging energy.”

Then Fazel felt relieved. He’d thought something had happened to him.

“Is that so?”

“Fazel, try sending your power to me too.”

Fazel hesitated, then gathered his mana and sent it to Loctaron. Then Loctaron felt Fazel’s energy and opened his eyes wide.

“Have you considered becoming a mage?”

Loctaron asked out of curiosity.

“You seem to have talent.”

“He has talent in swordsmanship too!”

Trean also praised Fazel from the side to sway Loctaron’s heart.

“Oh, in swordsmanship too?”

“He’s naturally gifted.”

“His innate mana is large, so he could grow into a quite decent mage.”

At Loctaron’s words, Louelle smiled slightly.

“After Fazel learns the basics of swordsmanship, may I ask you to become his magic tutor?”

At Louelle’s proposal, Loctaron quietly looked at the little lady. Then he stared at Fazel.

Famous mages like Loctaron are busy. Louelle must know that, yet she was making this request of him. Fazel looked at Loctaron nervously. If he learned magic and swordsmanship from the best masters, his future would change. But he didn’t know if Loctaron would agree.

“Good. A student like this would be fine.”

Louelle smiled brightly. Loctaron also seemed to like Fazel and stroked his head.

“I’ll send you magic books, so study with those. Once you’ve learned swordsmanship to some degree, let’s have you learn magic too.”

Fazel didn’t know what to say.

“You—no, Louelle. Is this really okay?”

Fazel asked in a worried voice. Then Louelle spoke matter-of-factly.

“My fiancé becoming successful—of course it’s okay.”

Louelle said that and stood beside Fazel.

When she stood beside him, Fazel felt unexpectedly comfortable. He’d tense up when someone came near without mental preparation, but his body was accepting her on its own.

“Thank you.”

Fazel couldn’t refuse Louelle’s request and expressed his gratitude.

* * *

When everything was finished, Fazel and Suran rode home together in a carriage.

“Will you be alright?”

Suran asked in a worried voice.

“I don’t know.”

Fazel said this and burst into quiet laughter.

“Are you really going to have a contract engagement?”

“Thinking coldly, that seems better. Now that the rumors have spread like this, I can’t say it’s not true at this point, can I?”

Actually, when he learned Louelle’s intentions—or should he say, her true feelings—he didn’t feel that bad.

Because everything she’d said to Nertian had been protecting him.

“The young lady’s purpose doesn’t seem as dirty as I thought. I’m thinking of gaining economic benefits from the engagement too.”

With this engagement, Louelle would ward off strange men, and he would receive appropriate support to comfortably enter the Academy. If done well, it seemed like it would be good for both of them.

“I was also invited to the autumn tea time. Given the circumstances, saying we’re not engaged would be ridiculous. Since I was the one who brought it up in front of people, it would be troublesome.”

Fazel said that and laughed.

Since she was seeing her son’s laughter after a long time, Suran felt relieved.

She’d been worried that he’d suppressed his true feelings again and forced himself to say those things.

“Personally, I felt good giving that Nertian bastard a blow.”

Fazel giggled with laughter.

Watching that bastard leave fuming felt satisfying.

And as long as he was Louelle’s fiancé, there was no reason to feel intimidated by Nertian.

This was also a reason for the engagement.

When Louelle proposed the engagement, he’d refused because he couldn’t understand her intentions, but after meeting Nertian directly, he seemed to understand why she’d made such a proposal.

To think he’d act that way even toward Louelle.

Fazel shook his head.

“Is it because the young lady directly protected you?”

“That swayed my heart too.”

She protects him because they’re friends.

He didn’t fully believe those words, but Louelle had acted that way in front of Nertian.

Even if she was trying to use him, she seemed like she’d maintain boundaries.

“Just in case, I’ll draft a contract to clearly address any concerns.”

“I’ll be there with you, so don’t worry.”

Suran stroked her son’s head.

Fazel’s eyes sparkled as he pondered what conditions to add.

* * *

“Having Mage Loctaron as a magic tutor and Knight Trean Arnold as a swordsmanship tutor.”

After the party ended, my father and I were finishing up today’s events alone in the study, drinking tea. My father muttered admiringly about what I’d accomplished today.

“He’s truly gained wings on both sides.”

“Right?”

I nodded and smiled with satisfaction.

“This way, Fazel’s skills will improve day by day.”

“They will.”

In the original work, Fazel doesn’t meet Mage Loctaron. Actually, Loctaron only appeared briefly as a magic partner since the male protagonist couldn’t use magic. But his skills were memorably impressive.

That’s why I invited him.

“Once again, things went as you wished.”

“That’s right.”

This time I didn’t play dumb and spoke honestly.

Before the party opened, my father and I had a brief conversation.

〈Will Fazel step up for you?〉

〈You never know〉

Of course, I’d thought Fazel might step up. He has some affection for me, after all. But I didn’t know he’d come out with the fiancé title.

Anyway, I was lucky.

I publicly announced that Fazel was my fiancé without difficulty. Though it’s a contractual relationship, of course.

How much I suffered holding back from wanting to touch Fazel’s head.

It was regrettable that I still didn’t have the right to stroke his head.

Still, I’d obtained him somewhat.

Thinking I’d gotten a bit closer to that right, I smiled victoriously at my father.

My father looked at me and nodded.

“I was going to say Fazel is my precious friend if I had to step in, but since he became my fiancé like this, I can quickly move to the next stage.”

Before Fazel cancels, I need to quickly stamp the contract and make him my fiancé, at least formally.

“Soon there will be a tremendous storm centered on Fazel in high society.”

My father worried. I picked up my teacup, drank some tea, and set it down.

“I’ll protect him.”

I gazed at my father with unwavering eyes. If I met His Majesty the Emperor later, I planned to tell him I’d maintain my imperial family status but give up succession rights.

Then I’d be comfortable, and the Emperor would be pleased.

It would be good for both of us.

“But Louelle, aren’t you disappointed it’s not a formal engagement?”

My father seemed curious about this point.

“Not really. Fazel hasn’t completely opened his heart to me yet. But I’ve secured him first, haven’t I?”

my father laughed quietly.

“You have strong patience.”

“I’m different from you, Father.”

“That’s right.”

My father apparently liked my mother so much that he asked to court her within a month. My mother accepted.

But I have no such plans.

I intended to go slowly, matching Fazel’s pace as he approached me.

“Congratulations. Though it’s formal, you’ve claimed that man.”

“That’s right. But there’s still a long way to go.”

I wanted to receive the affection he gives.

As a lover, not a friend.

I wanted to get closer to him.

Fazel probably doesn’t know these feelings.

I need to hide them as much as possible and approach slowly.

If he shows me an opening and gives me affection, I absolutely won’t miss that opportunity.