Chapter 29

Tia watched with curious eyes as Vivian leisurely turned the pages of a book while having a light breakfast in her room. Her cheeks moved so slowly that they barely twitched ten times a minute.

“Young Lady, please stop reading and eat your food.”

“Okay.”

Vivian responded but showed no intention of closing the book.

“Do you know what day it is today?”

“I know.”

How can someone who knows be so leisurely reading a book from the morning?

Tia held her throbbing head.

“You’ll get scolded when Madam returns, Young Lady.”

“Where did she go so early in the morning?”

Only then did Vivian look away from the book and popped a small strawberry into her mouth.

“She had to go somewhere urgently… Oh dear! I told you to stop reading the book.”

Seeing that Tia didn’t seem to know Daisy’s whereabouts either, Vivian tried to return her gaze to the book, but Tia quickly snatched it away.

“Give it back.”

“No! You need to wash and dress up before Madam returns.”

Last night, Tia heard from the Duchess that a proposal letter would arrive from the royal family today. She spent the entire night thinking about how to dress up Vivian.

But Vivian was being so uncooperative.

“Just do it like usual.”

“It’s a proposal letter from the royal family!”

The Emperor had specially set aside all matters to write the proposal letter himself, so the Duke’s household was in a frenzy, moving faster than lightning.

Vivian had played with Zero until sunset yesterday and collapsed into sleep upon returning home. She wanted to sleep in, but Tia’s early morning rush forced her to lift her heavy eyelids.

Vivian sighed and put down her fork.

“Alright.”

Tia smiled brightly and began feeding Vivian small pieces of egg dish and fresh fruit. Once the plate was empty, Tia put Vivian in a pre-prepared bathtub and began to wash her more meticulously than usual.

“When did our young lady grow up so much? An engagement, and to the Crown Prince at that!”

Seeing Tia’s beaming smile, Vivian gave a bitter smile.

Not long after Vivian finished dressing up, news came that Daisy had returned from her outing. Vivian knocked on the door of the Duchess’s office with her small hand.

“Mother, it’s Vivian.”

“Yes, come in.”

When she entered, she saw Daisy’s face, looking a bit paler than usual.

“Mother, are you feeling unwell?”

Daisy lifted the corners of her mouth and shook her head at Vivian’s question.

“It’s just a bit of an upset stomach. Nothing to worry about.”

Vivian nodded and sat next to Daisy.

“I heard a proposal letter is coming from the royal family today.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Although there wasn’t much for Vivian to do, since it was a proposal letter from the royal family, she had to receive it herself.

Vivian and Daisy chatted until the proposal letter arrived. As it was delayed, the head maid suggested having tea time.

Just as the head maid opened a tin of rare tea that had been gifted to them.

“Ugh!”

“Mother!”

Daisy hurriedly covered her mouth. The head maid quickly approached Daisy.

“Madam, are you alright?”

“Linda, the tea, the tea container.”

Holding her breath, Daisy pointed to the open tea container. Linda quickly closed it and opened all the windows in the office.

As the cold air flowed in, Daisy’s pale face regained some color. But she still seemed unwell and patted her chest.

“Are you really alright?”

Vivian asked with a worried expression, and Daisy nodded with difficulty.

“Madam, perhaps…”

“Linda.”

The head maid tried to say something to Daisy, but Daisy gently shook her head, calling Linda’s name.

At that moment, the butler announced the arrival of the proposal letter.

After drinking the cold water handed by the head maid to calm herself, Daisy left the office with Vivian.

“If you’re not feeling well, I can go out with the young lady.”

“No, that wouldn’t be right.”

Seeing her daughter still worried, Daisy did her best to smile.

* * *

“You’re going personally?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I decided to do my best.”

On the day the proposal letter, hastily written by the Emperor, was sent to the Dinever Duchy, Jayden squinted his eyes at the news that Louis, who seemed indifferent, was personally delivering it.

The arrogant and indifferent Louis, who once told the noble lady who adorably confessed her love that he didn’t like her, now said he was doing his best.

“How much are you planning to regret later?”

“Why would I regret it?”

Louis, about to board the carriage, responded to Jayden’s muttering.

“If you don’t know, then it’s fine.”

Louis snorted at Jayden’s words and boarded the carriage, slamming the door shut. The carriage carrying the proposal letter started to move. Inside the carriage, it was filled with flowers specially ordered by Empress Annette.

The scent was so strong that it gave Louis a headache, so he opened the window.

“What’s wrong?”

A knight riding alongside the carriage asked as the window opened.

“It’s nothing. Just a slight headache.”

In sunny areas, much of the snow had melted. The road the carriage traveled was also wet from the melted snow. Water splashed every time the carriage passed a puddle.

With the cool air helping him think clearly, Louis looked at the box containing the proposal letter. Wrapped in purple velvet, the box was adorned with the royal symbol of a three-headed eagle.

He was going to get engaged to Vivian Dinever. Unless something serious happened, they would marry when she came of age.

Feeling unexpectedly melancholic, Louis looked away from the proposal letter and gazed outside.

The mansion where the Duke’s family stayed wasn’t far from the royal palace. Soon, he would arrive at the Duke’s mansion, hand the proposal letter to Vivian, and once Duke Tereon accepted the proposal, it would be over. After that, the engagement would proceed swiftly under the supervision of the Duke’s family and the royal elders.

The ugly noble lady.

It was a phrase always mentioned when talking about Vivian. He was to get engaged to this so-called ugly young lady.

In reality, Vivian wasn’t ugly but rather plain. Due to her exceptionally handsome parents, nasty rumors had spread, but people criticized her without even seeing her.

Louis felt a bit ashamed that he had been one of those people.

Vivian was smart and kind. She had a knack for surprising Louis with her occasional quirky actions.

There was never a dull moment with Vivian.

And so, Louis realized he didn’t really care about Vivian’s appearance. Empress Annette was right. People shouldn’t be judged solely by their appearance.

Vivian’s confession of her feelings for him was both understandable and somewhat surprising to Louis. Seeing Vivian’s unwavering gaze as she confessed, Louis didn’t want to lie.

So he said something he didn’t have to.

He didn’t regret it. It was just that Vivian’s eyes, which seemed hurt, bothered him a little. But it would be alright.

He had said he would do his best, and he would responsibly keep that promise. There was still plenty of time until Vivian came of age. With plenty of time, there were many opportunities ahead.

As he approached the Duke’s mansion, Louis tried hard to ignore the strange feelings that arose and steeled his resolve.

* * *

The carriage carrying the proposal letter from the royal family stopped in front of the mansion. All the servants of the mansion, who had hurried out, stood in orderly rows in the lobby. Among them stood Daisy and Vivian.

“Mother.”

Vivian, holding Daisy’s hand tightly, checked her mother’s complexion, but after Daisy’s tenth reassurance that she was fine, Vivian turned her gaze to the carriage.

Vivian’s eyes widened at a familiar face.

Rayden?

Seeing Rayden, who had come riding a horse escorting the carriage, Vivian’s heart began to pound. If Rayden was there, it meant Louis was in the carriage.

The carriage door opened, and as expected, Louis stepped out. After dismounting, Louis took off his black coat and handed it to Rayden.

When he took off the coat, a neatly fitting navy blue jacket was revealed. In other words, Louis looked handsome no matter what he wore, and today was no exception.

“Greetings to His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Empire.”

As Daisy and Vivian bowed, Louis nodded in acknowledgment and handed the box containing the proposal letter, given by Rayden, to Vivian.

“I, Luideos Lindez Tapeullon, the sole Crown Prince of the Tapeullon Empire, propose to Vivian Dinever, the eldest daughter of the Duke Dinever’s family. With the permission of my father, Emperor Henry, the ruler of the Tapeullon Empire, I present this proposal letter to you. Please accept it.”

As Louis spoke, Vivian, as practiced, knelt and bowed in the direction of Dovelia Palace. Rising slowly, she looked at Louis and spoke.

“I, Vivian Dinever, the eldest daughter of the Duke Dinever’s family, gladly accept the proposal letter.”

The proposal letter was now in Vivian’s hands. She was surprised by the weight of the box.

“It’s quite heavy.”

Nodding at Louis’s comment, Vivian quickly handed the proposal letter to the butler standing beside her.

“I didn’t expect you to come in person.”

“I don’t understand why you would think that. Jayden thought the same. Ah! Wait a moment.”

Frowning at Vivian’s words, Louis seemed to remember something and gestured to Jayden.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring all the flowers from the carriage.”

“Yes, understood.”

At Louis’s command, Vivian asked.

“Flowers?”

“They said flowers are essential for a proposal.”

Daisy, who had been silently watching from behind, laughed at Louis’s words.

“It must have been Her Majesty, the Empress.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

Vivian’s mouth fell open as she saw the large quantity of flowers being brought into the mansion. Among them were flowers usually seen in the Empress’s garden and those not typically seen in this season.

Flowers began to fill the space next to Vivian one by one.

At that moment.

“Oh! Ugh!”

Daisy, who had been smiling at the beautiful flowers, suddenly gagged and covered her mouth.

“Mother!”

“Madam!”

Turning around to suppress her nausea, Daisy, unable to hold it back, started running somewhere.

“Madam!”

“Mother!”

As Daisy ran off, Vivian and the head maid followed her in a hurry.

Before long, the only ones left in the Duke Dinever’s mansion lobby were the bewildered servants, the Royal Second Knights, Rayden, and Louis.

“Did I do something wrong?”

At Louis’s question, Rayden, who was standing nearby, approached and sniffed at him.

“Could it be that your cologne is too strong?”

“It’s the same as usual.”

“Then did you not bathe today?”

Louis slowly and firmly stepped on Rayden’s foot.