As she lunged forward with her lips while gripping his collar, and he tried to push her away, they lost their balance and fell from the branch. Though it wasn’t high, the impact made her squeeze her eyes shut.

It didn’t hurt. That’s because Lars had wrapped his arms around her at the last moment.

As a result, he had fallen defenseless on his back onto the grass, frowning and hunching his broad shoulders. She hurriedly raised her upper body and grabbed his arm.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“……After scaring the life out of me, you ask if I’m okay?”

She bit her lip obediently at his low groan and growling words.

Lars stretched his shoulders and lay flat on the grass. Then, squinting as if the sunlight hurt his eyes, he raised his arm over his forehead. After quietly looking down at him, she spoke softly.

“I’ll promise you this. If you ever find someone you like, then you can leave. I’ll let you go. Without complaint.”

He turned his head to look at her. Unable to meet his gaze, she nervously twisted and plucked at the grass with her fingers. After a moment, Lars sighed and spoke in a gruff tone.

“Who proposes marriage with divorce as a premise, miss?”

Because if I don’t do that, you won’t agree, that’s why.

Muttering to herself, she continued plucking the grass. Her fingers were stained green. When she didn’t answer, Lars turned toward her and propped his head on one hand.

“Why on earth would I tell you to stand like a statue without saying a word?”

“Because I think you’d really hate that. I mean that I want to be by your side even if you ask me to do something I hate so much. Because I like you.”

She glanced at his lips but couldn’t raise her gaze any higher. If their eyes met and he showed a cold expression or a look of disgust, it would hurt too much.

In the silence that settled with the gently blowing breeze, she was fidgeting with the innocent grass when suddenly she heard a chuckle.

“Enough to throw yourself at me and deliver such a passionate kiss, I see.”

She looked up. Fortunately, Lars’s expression wasn’t much different from usual. Moving closer to him on her knees, she couldn’t hold back any longer and opened her mouth.

“That’s not even half of half of my passion. I can really show you.”

“No, please, those eyes. Calm down, Lucienne.”

Lars waved his hand, speaking with force in his voice. She flicked away the plucked grass.

“Did you hate it that much?”

“Well. I’d say it was more frightening.”

“Frightening?”

“You came at me glaring with those swollen eyes.”

At his response, raising one eyebrow, she bit her lip firmly. Wondering if her eyes were really that swollen, she rubbed them, but it stung as if grass juice had gotten in.

As she touched her eyelids with her eyes alternately closed, Lars had already picked up the handkerchief from the ground and sat closer to her. She had to hold her breath as his thigh came into her narrow field of vision.

“Lift your head.”

No one in this world could disobey that low voice.

She lifted her head with her eyes closed, and with the handkerchief, damp from absorbing her tears, he carefully wiped around her eyes. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel where his gaze was resting, making her heart tickle.

She felt nervous yet incredibly happy. Happy enough that she wouldn’t mind if this were the last moment of her life.

“Engagement comes first.”

It felt like a massive wave had crashed over her. Her head felt numb as if she’d been hit by that wave.

After a terrifyingly quiet silence, she opened her eyes wide. In front of her was Lars, holding the folded clean part of the handkerchief.

“……What did you say?”

Feeling like she’d heard things, she timidly asked again. With an expressionless face, he wiped around her eyes again with the handkerchief and said:

“Let’s attend all the parties held next week. The news that you spent a night here will spread by this afternoon, so the sooner we handle it, the better. The engagement ceremony should be fine in about two months, though I wonder if that’s too rushed for preparations.”

Though she was hearing it with her own ears, she couldn’t believe it. After staring at him with wide eyes, she finally managed to speak, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Why, why are you doing this? Is there really something I can help with? Money? People? Information? What do I need to give you? Just tell me.”

Lars let out a laugh as if he found her hopeless, and poked her forehead with his finger.

“Just worry about your own safety, you rascal.”

“But……”

“At least.”

His voice, after drawing a short breath, resonated heavily in her ear.

“It will prevent that man from setting foot in the Bickman mansion under the pretext of chess.”

There couldn’t be anyone else in this world who could toss her heart around so freely. Feeling her tear ducts being stimulated again, though she thought they were completely drained, she deliberately waved her arms exaggeratedly and raised her voice.

“It was truly like hell. How worried I was. Since the countess had died, I was afraid he would visit more often. Then the rumors would get out of control, so I thought it would be good to get married quickly, and that’s when you appeared. How could I not propose?”

“……What?”

As his eyes sharpened, I blinked and moved my lips.

“No, of course there might have been other ways, but at that time, I could only think of……”

“Cecilie Ohr died? I hadn’t heard such rumors?”

Oh, so that’s what caught his attention?

Looking at the surprised Lars, I breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain.

“When he visited last time, I heard a servant from the count’s house rush in with the news. That’s why the count left in a hurry too. It seems they haven’t made an official announcement yet, so I was also finding it strange.”

Lars’s eyes hardened as if lost in thought. I anxiously waited for his lips to part, fearing this news might change his decision. After a moment, he raised his head and said:

“We should move up the engagement ceremony. It should be held next month, as grandly as possible. I’ll take care of what’s needed, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Suddenly, it felt as if angels were setting off fireworks and all the sweet things in the world were flowing into my mouth. If all the hardships and sorrows until now were for this moment, it wouldn’t be unfair. Perhaps God really does exist.

In a dazed state, I stammered:

“Um, so, I just want to confirm. When you say you’ll get engaged to me……”

My mind was racing, filtering words that seemed inappropriate to say out loud. I carefully opened my mouth, conscious of Lars’s gaze.

“I mean, for example, if I do something like earlier, would you……”

“Miss!”

At that moment, I stopped speaking at what seemed like an auditory hallucination from afar. It was a voice that shouldn’t be heard here.

As I tilted my head and opened my eyes wide, Lars chuckled after looking in the direction of the sound.

“Your loyal servant has arrived.”

“……How on earth did Maya get here?”

“I sent word about the engagement. I thought it would be good for her to know in advance.”

Lars rose lightly. Dumbfounded, I instinctively grabbed his outstretched hand and stood up.

“Wait, since when were you planning to get engaged to me? You rejected me yesterday, so what changed while I was unconscious?”

At my rapid-fire questions, Lars tilted his head back and took a breath. His gaze, which had been touching the sunlight filtering through the leaves, soon flew to me.

“I realized I had forgotten something.”

“What, what?”

As I asked, unable to hide my uneven breathing, Lars’s lips curved into a pleasing arc. Gently lifting my hand, he touched his lips to the back of it and murmured:

“What kind of person you are, Lady Bickman.”

My lips parted in surprise. After laughing silently, he turned and walked away, and over his shoulder, I could see Maya running at full speed, holding up her skirt. I stood awkwardly in the same position where he had held my hand, barely managing to speak.

“Um, as I always say, the place where you should put your lips is not my head or the back of my hand, so why do you keep, Duke? Excuse me?”

I tried to catch up to Lars, but Maya rolled into my arms like a stone tumbling down a slope at a terrifying speed. Grabbing my swaying shoulders with a crushing grip, Maya’s booming voice proudly rang out.

“Oh, Miss! What on earth is happening? You’re really getting engaged! I always knew you would succeed in the end! I believed in you! The day has finally come for this Maya to showcase all the brilliant skills I’ve been honing! But why are you getting dirt all over your dress in front of the duke… Miss? Why do you look like that? Miss?”

Apparently, the news of my fever from last night hadn’t been conveyed, as Maya shook me vigorously back and forth like someone shaking off grain, then tilted her head. Though I felt dizzy, I didn’t mind.

As Maya said, I had done it.

“Right? This isn’t a dream, is it, Maya? That man appearing before me, accepting my proposal?”

When I asked Maya, barely moving my eyes that couldn’t focus properly, I saw her lips curve upward. With an expression even happier than mine, she firmly grasped both my hands.

“Of course. And he seems quite taken with you, from the way he’s actively pushing for the engagement. I was so happy that I sent someone to the merchant group before coming here. The sooner such news spreads, the better. When we return, probably all the women in Edmus will envy you.”

Her quick actions naturally made me smile. I nodded vigorously.

“Maya. You truly are one of the few pieces of luck I have.”

“Just trust me, Miss. I’ll create an engagement ceremony even more splendid and magnificent than the Belzak family’s!”

Maya smiled so broadly that her eyes nearly disappeared. Following her lead, I smiled and embraced her.

Maya, who carried the full heat of early summer in her body, patted my back. With my chin resting on her shoulder, I continued to gaze at Lars’s retreating figure, which was already far away. My excited heart was gently swelling like a boat carried on waves.