I Thought It Was An Arranged Marriage - Chapter 7

“Coincidentally, we are currently preparing an engagement gift. The engagement gift a bride receives becomes her personal property that no one can touch. So, in social circles, there’s always talk about how much engagement gifts someone received, and it becomes the noble lady’s honor and power.”

“Rosaline’s honor is not determined by such trivial things.”

Lucas’s dissatisfied words made Noah smile smoothly, as if he had expected this reaction.

“Of course, Lady Marte’s honor is not determined by such trivial things. Naturally. But in a reality where many think that way, what’s wrong with upholding her dignity? Your sincere love and respect only need to be understood by her, and to others, nothing is as visible as material things.”

Lucas nodded unconsciously. That was true. Social circles were battlegrounds without weapons. No, it was a battlefield fought with cunning tongues as weapons. In the mere ten days before it was known that she was engaged and that he had proposed, Rosaline had been ridiculed at every table.

The mockery disguised as concern was not something he could stop. Because of that, Lucas, in his impatience, spread the word before he even received a response to his proposal. That Grand Duke Bryant had proposed to Lady Marte. Even though he knew that if things went wrong, she would be put in a difficult position and he would look foolish, he couldn’t bear the ridicule directed at her.

“Noah.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Let it be known that the letter from Count Marte is not a response.”

“Pardon?”

“The Marte household has not yet accepted the marriage proposal. So, I plan to set a date and propose to Rosaline in person. I will inform the Count beforehand.”

“Oh, understood.”

“Clear all my schedules for tomorrow. I will personally visit every jeweler in the capital.”

“Yes, leave it to me. I will prepare it very grandly.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair, a smile tugging at his lips. He briefly regretted not seeking advice earlier, but quickly buried the thought. What’s done is done, and doing well from now on is what matters.

Rosaline is still Lady Marte, soon to be the Grand Duchess of Bryant, and he would respect her. That was enough.

“Why would the Grand Duke settle for a twenty-year-old lady with a broken engagement?”

“Lady Marte might not be as virtuous as we think.”

“Indeed. After all, there’s no rule that says the broken engagement was solely Young Marquis Addis’s fault.”

No matter where you go, there are always those who recklessly wag their tongues without valuing their lives. Those who wanted to tarnish Rosaline’s reputation and drag her down to their level gossiped that the Grand Duke had ulterior motives and that Rosaline was merely being used.

Even when the Grand Duke swept through jewelers with his aide, when he bid on a diamond imbued with mana, the ‘Heart of the Fairy,’ at Veronin Auction House for an amount equivalent to a year’s budget of a decent estate, and when he immediately bid three times that amount for an ancient artifact with healing properties.

Despite differing opinions on whether it was an engagement gift, dowry, or for some other woman, the malicious rumors did not subside. Instead, they intensified. People questioned whether Rosaline, who had nearly married only to have her engagement broken, deserved such gifts.

Count Marte, seeing the backlash caused by the excessive engagement gifts, even appealed to the Grand Duke to moderate his actions. But Lucas firmly shook his head.

“Such rumors will die down once I marry the lady.”

“That may be true, but this is too much.”

“No, it is not too much at all. In fact, Father-in-law should be demanding more. Isn’t she your precious youngest daughter?”

“That is true, but, Your Highness, it’s just that…”

“Please convey to the lady that I will visit her in person soon.”

Given the situation, Rosaline felt equally burdened. When she first heard that the Grand Duke was sweeping through jewelers, she thought it wasn’t for her. She thought the same when he cleaned out the auction house.

Although she knew he was buying engagement gifts, she never imagined that everything would be hers. She tried to calm herself, thinking he was buying her gift among other things. So, when she heard from her father that all the items were indeed hers, she was so overwhelmed that she felt anxious. She was simply baffled by why this man was doing this.

Eventually, she understood. Those must be part of the dowry. Unlike the engagement gift, which becomes the bride’s personal property, the dowry belongs to the Grand Duchess. While she might temporarily own it, it would eventually be passed down to her daughters and daughters-in-law.

Rosaline convinced herself that the Grand Duke was trying to uphold her dignity. How many ladies could receive such a dowry? Even the Crown Princess’s dowry wasn’t this grand.

Rosaline’s brief escape from reality ended quickly. The Grand Duke, riding a massive black horse and accompanied by all the items he had purchased, arrived at Count Marte’s townhouse. The engagement gifts were undeniable.

In fact, Lucas hadn’t originally planned to go this far. But as each gift he bought became a target of malicious rumors, he decided to do it properly.

So, he revised his original plan of sending the gifts ahead and visiting with only the proposal ring. Instead, he arrived with all the gifts in a grand display.

In the garden of the Count’s townhouse, surrounded by countless onlookers, Lucas knelt on one knee before Rosaline, who was trying hard to maintain her composure. He took out a small box from his chest and opened it, presenting it to Rosaline. It was a ring crafted from the ‘Heart of the Fairy.’

“I swear on the title given by His Majesty and the mana flowing within me. I will remain faithful and loyal to you. Please, marry me.”

Faith and loyalty. Hearing the words recited before the high priest at weddings made Rosaline choke up.

Her former fiancé had made the same vow but did not keep it. Would this man be different? Could she truly believe him this time? Could she repeat the mistake of trusting blindly and being betrayed, even losing her life?

As Rosaline’s silence dragged on, the previously silent surroundings began to buzz. Surely she wouldn’t reject such a grand proposal? How could a mere Count’s daughter dare to refuse the Grand Duke? Wasn’t there something suspicious about her?

Before the murmurs grew louder, Rosaline smiled brightly, as if to show off. With a flushed face and a trembling voice, she answered as if the brief silence was to calm her overwhelming emotions.

“Gladly. I accept your proposal.”

Rosaline decided to trust the trembling fingertips of the man, who, abandoning his pride, was desperately seeking marriage in front of so many people.

She couldn’t tell if the emotion he felt while kneeling was nervousness or shame, but the unmistakable joy in his smile as he melted at her acceptance was clear.

That was enough, she thought. Even if he was using her, even if it was just a show, a man who upheld her dignity this much was good enough.

Rosaline watched as Lucas, with a face full of relief, carefully placed the engagement ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. The man, who was always gentle and kind to her, did not fit the image of a stern and cold war hero.