“I’m a fool for imagining all sorts of things. Like you, my lady, I’ll say I accepted the engagement because I liked you.”

Fazel spoke lightly.

Like that, we decided to prepare the clothes Fazel would wear and set the expected questions and answers for tomorrow’s party.

We had to get our stories straight to avoid trouble later.

After dropping Fazel off at home and returning to the castle, I widened my eyes at the crests on the carriages that had entered the castle grounds. All three carriages that had arrived simultaneously belonged to tremendous families. It seemed my godfathers had already arrived.

Since the engagement ceremony was tomorrow, people close to me seemed to be arriving today.

I walked not to the drawing room but to where my godfathers usually gathered. During her lifetime, my mother used the annex more than the main building. So these people gathered in the annex rather than the main building to talk with my father.

When I entered the annex, Melka, who’d been moving busily, spotted me and approached happily.

“Did you choose the clothes well?”

“Of course.”

“You and Sir Fazel will shine brightest at the party.”

Melka spoke while seemingly imagining our appearance and led me along.

“Your godfathers are waiting.”

“Alright.”

Since people who moved the empire had come, Melka personally attended to them. There was no one besides Melka who could properly read and meet their demanding requirements. Having served my mother, Melka knew the godfathers well too.

The room my mother used during her lifetime was on the first floor. I approached the first-floor room door and knocked.

“Who is it?”

I heard my father’s voice from inside.

“It’s me.”

the door swung open. Inside, my father and all three godfathers sat drinking tea.

“Louelle!”

The person who welcomed me most enthusiastically was Commander-in-Chief and Duke Garen Sharons, who had the nickname “Death God of the Battlefield.”

“You came? I’m glad you came before the tea got cold.”

The person saying he was happy I came faster than expected was Duke and Prime Minister Solestin Vetine, called the “Iron-Blooded Prime Minister.”

“You’re here.”

The person who was quiet but looked at me affectionately was Grand Duke Taras Ruran Karna, famous for his integrity.

Publicly they were difficult to deal with, but to me they were endlessly kind.

“Godfathers, I’m glad to see you.”

I lifted my skirt hem, bowed my head, and greeted them. Then they admired me and whispered.

“Louelle, you resemble your mother more each day. Who will take away someone so pretty?”

“Someone already took her.”

“You haven’t had the engagement ceremony yet!”

At Garen’s words, Taras nodded in agreement.

“That’s right.”

“No, you should congratulate my engagement ceremony. You can’t say such things from the start.”

I spoke to them like I was hurt. Then Garen, Taras, and Solestin spoke simultaneously, matter-of-factly.

“We haven’t seen that guy yet!”

“We need to know what kind of person he is.”

“You’re still young.”

Their words had something in common. Namely! They wouldn’t acknowledge this engagement until they met Fazel directly.

“His appearance is perfect too.”

“Is that so?”

The Prime Minister, who had the best looks among the three, sparkled his eyes.

“How impressive is he?”

“He’s more handsome than you, Godfather Solestin.”

I spoke firmly.

Then he frowned and swept his hair back.

“I must meet him.”

Ah, did I needlessly light a fire?

I suddenly worried whether I’d misspoken.

While I was at it, I decided to say good things about Fazel.

“He’s good with a sword and studies well too.”

all three godfathers showed interest simultaneously.

“Is he smarter than you?”

“Louelle and he have similar learning speeds.”

Then my father answered for me. This question was difficult to answer anyway.

If I said he was superior to me, they might think I was packaging Fazel favorably.

“Why on earth did you choose that boy?”

Godfather Garen asked curiously. I spoke matter-of-factly.

“I liked him tremendously.”

“Really?”

“I saw his portrait and he was perfectly my type. So I became interested.”

Godfather Garen grumbled.

“He is handsome though.”

“Did you hear rumors?”

“No, we already shook him down thoroughly.”

These people shake everyone down at every opportunity!

“I just looked at what your father shook out first.”

At my gaze, Godfather Garen made excuses like his conscience was pricked. Then my father cleared his throat.

Well, I did see those materials too.

I couldn’t say anything to these people either.

“Alright.”

I withdrew my reproachful gaze and smiled silently. At my smile, the godfathers looked entranced.

“It really is like seeing Roselia.”

Godfather Garen admired.

“She comes to mind.”

“Me too.”

Godfather Solestin and Godfather Taras also agreed, looking at me and becoming immersed in old memories. What were they thinking about?

“This comes to mind.”

My father picked up his teacup, smiled brightly, and spoke toward the three godfathers.

“When you heard my wife had gotten a lover, all three of you came simultaneously and investigated me. Thanks to that, I learned my wife’s true identity though.”

Then the godfathers avoided eye contact with my father like their consciences were pricked.

“You weren’t even very nervous!”

Godfather Garen scowled.

Good heavens, my father wasn’t scared even seeing Godfather Garen, son of the previous Commander-in-Chief?

“I remember you serving us tea without being frightened when you saw us.”

Godfather Solestin shook his head thinking of that time.

“He pretended to know what Roselia’s status was and tested us.”

Father. So that’s what you did.

“I merely obtained a bit of information.”

My father spoke with a good-natured, affable smile. But a snake resided inside.

“Only Roselia didn’t know your true nature!”

Godfather Garen shouted indignantly.

“Ah, because your first love was stolen.”

My father finally shut Godfather Garen’s mouth with words. Godfather Solestin regarded my mother as a friend, but Godfather Garen said my mother was his first love. He said he gave up because his family opposed it due to my mother’s short lifespan.

“Your ambition to marry your son to Louelle ultimately fell through.”

“Godfather Garen, you had such plans?”

“I’ll live long. I’ll just marry him to Louelle’s child.”

Hmm, if Fazel and I work out well, a very beautiful daughter or handsome son will be born.

Plus the in-law family would be Godfather Garen.

‘Not bad.’

But no one knows what the future holds. I didn’t respond and just smiled at Godfather Garen.

* * *

The next day arrived. On the engagement ceremony day, I decided to dress as beautifully as possible. I don’t think I dressed up this much even for my birthday.

I didn’t wear makeup but applied lip balm to give my lips vitality. I also put on earrings. Crescent moon-shaped earrings sparkled at my ears.

I put on the white dress I bought with Fazel and fastened the buttons. Since the buttons were on the back, Marlene had to do it herself.

“Miss, you’re truly beautiful.”

Marlene looked at me admiringly.

Of course. I went around several shops and looked at design drafts for days before choosing these clothes!

I nodded and stood in front of the mirror, turning my body slightly. Though it was a dress mainly worn by girls, it subtly had an adult feeling.

‘I wish I’d become an adult quickly.’

Then I could marry Fazel.

Thinking that, I finally put on the ring I’d matched with Fazel. The bracelet and ring sparkled, shining on my finger and arm.

“Well then, shall we go meet Fazel?”

Marlene stood behind me.

“Sir Fazel will be truly wonderful too.”

“He was incredibly handsome on my birthday. I’m curious what atmosphere he’ll appear with this time.”

I headed to the room where Fazel would be dressing up. This time, Fazel wasn’t standing outside the door waiting, seemingly dressing up later than me.

When I opened the door and entered, Melka, who’d been helping Fazel, saw me and admired.

“Miss, you’re truly beautiful.”

“Right?”

“Yes, you truly resemble the madam perfectly.”

My mother was the empire’s greatest beauty. I loved that compliment very much.

“Louelle, you’re beautiful.”

Fazel seemed to admire seeing me. Whether it was acting or genuine, I couldn’t tell, but at his words my shoulders straightened even more.

“Thank you.”

Fazel’s hair was shorter than before. Melka seemed to have cut it directly. He looked neater than before and his facial lines seemed clearer.

“The haircut suits you well.”

“Thank you.”

Fazel looked in the mirror and arranged his hair. The formal wear he wore was matched to white similar to mine.

“Shall we go then?”

Fazel extended his hand.

“I’ll escort you.”

Thinking this was my chance, I quickly linked arms with him. He made an awkward expression but soon smiled and walked with me.

‘Wow.’

I know it’s just a smile made for formality. We have to act like a close engaged couple publicly.

But seeing him smile even like this, my heart couldn’t be controlled. My heart pounded.

‘I’m really being foolish.’

I’ve fallen hard for him, really hard.

If before I liked him because he was my type, now it’s somehow different. Mm, since he directly stepped forward for the Nertian matter, I felt like I’d come to like not the mastermind from the novel but the current Fazel.

Because he opened his heart and approached me, my heart seemed to have changed too.

The ballroom we arrived at with linked arms had many people. The godfathers had already come and were eating food, and my father and Suran were together too.

And next to my father was a woman I was seeing after a long time.

‘It’s Saila.’

She was there—the Emperor’s aide and the Empress’s person.

‘I heard she arrived.’

She arrived late yesterday, so I couldn’t meet her. My father would have gone to greet her.

‘She came in place of His Majesty the Emperor.’

Since it was an imperial family member’s engagement ceremony, it was proper etiquette for even the Emperor’s closest aide to attend. So her appearance wasn’t particularly special.

However, the problem was ‘how the Empress thinks of Fazel’s and my engagement.’

I didn’t know how she’d come out.

“As expected, it’s splendid.”

Fazel seemed to have gotten used to what I do now.

“From now on, I’ll never believe your definition of ‘modest,’ my lady.”

At Fazel’s words, I smiled awkwardly. Fazel’s gaze, which had been staring at me, moved to the ceiling.

“The chandelier is pretty. It seems changed too.”

“I bought a new one for this engagement ceremony.”

“Is that thing reaching up to my waist a whipped cream cake?”

“Fazel, you like whipped cream cake.”

Fazel closed his mouth.

I remember he eats whipped cream cake first whenever eating dessert.

“That’s right.”

He looked at the whipped cream cake and asked quietly.

“Did the head chef make it?”

“Yeah, there’s no patissier who can make cake as well as the castle’s head chef.”

“I see.”

Fazel seemed to have gradually given up finding modest parts and just decided to adapt to the splendor. Having resigned himself, his mind seemed a bit more at ease as he looked at the cake with sparkling eyes.

“I want to try it quickly.”

“We’ll eat it right after cutting it. You can look forward to the taste.”

Fazel gulped.

Shortly after, the engagement ceremony party began. Fazel and I danced first, then cut the cake. Then relatives and godfathers slowly walked here to eat the whipped cream cake.

Fazel looked at the godfathers nervously and swept back his hair.

“I really mustn’t make mistakes.”

“No, they mustn’t make mistakes with you.”

I corrected Fazel’s words.

“From now on, you can think you’ll rise to an equal position with them. I’m the Emperor’s niece and you’re my fiancé.”

Fazel laughed helplessly.

“I’m realizing how high a position you’re in, my lady.”

“So you don’t like it?”

I asked point-blank. Then Fazel was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

“It’s perfect for dealing with the young duke.”

Fazel’s eyes changed, seemingly thinking that since things turned out this way, he should make a good impression on them.

What Fazel wanted was the Imperial Knight Order. So making a good impression on them would be beneficial if anything, not a loss.

Fazel and I slowly walked toward the center of the engagement ceremony venue. Watching him walk elegantly, I smiled.

Having held a grand engagement ceremony, there’s no way Fazel would break off the engagement himself before becoming an adult. Isn’t he someone who absolutely hates doing things at a loss?

I was satisfied.

“Then shall we go greet them?”

Fazel readily agreed. Seemingly mentally prepared, his nervous air had disappeared more than before.

We walked to where the godfathers stood.

“Good day.”

Fazel greeted them. Then the godfathers’ eyes changed sharply and examined Fazel like they’d dissect him.

“He’s handsome seeing him up close.”

And Godfather Solestin said this while making a somewhat indignant expression.

‘That’s why I said he was more handsome.’

I absolutely didn’t lie.

“Thank you.”

Fazel had no idea why he said such a thing.