Chapter 107

“Theo.”

“I told you it was dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“……Yes.”

Theodore unknowingly gulped down his dry saliva.  

As if it wasn’t enough that his heart refused to listen, now even his rationality was betraying him.  

He felt a pang of sorrow, but deep down, his mind continued to waver under the temptation of reason.  

And even now, his reason whispered to him.

—You want her, don’t you? Theodore Florence, just take her already! Be a man! It’s time to use those 101 ways Venable taught you to become a wolf at night.

Theodore shook his head vigorously from side to side.

“I will restrain myself.”

He had to control himself.

“Thank you for bringing me out today, Theo.”

Her delicate, jade-like fingers brushed through his hair. At her soft touch, Theodore shuddered.  

“I’m having so much fun.”

For the first time in her life, Meia felt joy.

What was joy? What were the feelings of happiness and excitement?  

From the moment she was born, she stood in her designated place, forcing her lips to curve upward as she kindly smiled at people. She had never doubted that this was what a smile was.  

But being with him made her realize that a genuine smile came from the heart.  

Meia cupped his face with both hands and gently caressed it. Smiling brightly, she gazed at Theodore.

“Theo.”

Would he ever know?  

That she wanted to let go of everything and follow where her heart and body led her.

“Theo, when I come of age after our engagement ceremony, I want us to have the wedding as soon as possible.”

Removing her hands from his face, Meia opened a magical subspace.  

Reaching into it, she retrieved an elegant box.

“I’ve been wanting to give this to you today.”

“What is it?”

In truth, she had intended to give it to him as a birthday present.  

It was a ring she had recently commissioned from her dwarf friend, Albert.  

Meia opened the box.

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

“I know. Of course, I know.”

Theodore pressed his hand against his left chest as he looked at the ring.

“Theodore Florence.”

“Yes, Mei.”

Taking out the ring, Meia spoke.

“You must become my husband.”

Theodore’s eyes curved beautifully.  

He took her hand and pulled her closer. Startled, Meia lost her balance and leaned into him.

“Yes, I will definitely become your husband, so please make me your husband.”

Meia wrapped her arms around him.

“I grew up alone and was often lonely. That’s why I plan to have many children.”

Theodore nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Yes, I will help you wholeheartedly.”

As she buried her face in his chest, a pleasant melody began to play from his heart.  

It was eerily similar to the tune resonating from her own heart.

***

The two spent an enjoyable time by the sea before returning to the Grand Duke’s estate.  

Venable greeted the returning master and mistress joyfully.

“Welcome back, Master, Madam.”

Theodore, who had stepped out of the carriage first, shyly lowered his gaze as he escorted Meia.  

And Venable noticed it immediately.  

The unfamiliar, strikingly clear ring on his left hand.  

Their eyes met.  

Theodore, looking slightly embarrassed, quickly nodded once at Venable.  

The ring on his left fourth finger.  

It was also set with Theodore’s birthstone! The unusually sweet atmosphere between the two!  

The tender gazes! Marriage! Children! Hooray!  

Venable’s mind worked faster than usual. Bowing politely to Meia as she stepped out of the carriage, he spoke.

“You will need to move rooms, Madam.”

Caught off guard by this sudden statement, Meia looked at Venable.

“Move rooms?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Surprised by the unexpected comment, Theodore asked curiously.

“What are you talking about, Venable?”

“I mean that Madam must be moved to the room designated for the Grand Duchess.”

Only then did Theodore understand the meaning behind Venable’s words.  

In truth, his father and mother had always shared one room, so there had never been a separate room for the Grand Duchess.  

But as soon as Meia arrived at the Grand Duke’s estate, Venable had initiated extensive renovations.

<A Grand Duchess’s room is absolutely necessary.> 

Venable had poured immense effort into creating the Grand Duchess’s room next to Theodore’s.

He even tailored the interior design to suit Meia’s taste.

<The bed must be the sturdiest one.>

<It should not collapse, even if it shakes!>

<The bedding must be made of the finest silk fabric!>

As Theodore recalled Venable’s words, his face turned bright red.

“Since you are engaged and will soon be married, it is not strange for you to use the Grand Duchess’s room in advance. In fact, it would be odd for the lady of the house to stay in a guest room.”

Venable had even prayed fervently every night, placing a bowl of water on a white plate under the moon, asking that Meia be allowed to enter the Grand Duchess’s room.

“You are the mistress of the Florence family. It is only fitting that you use the appropriate room.”

“Who gave you the authority to move the rooms?”

Yudy, who had come to greet Meia, shouted, recognizing Venable’s obvious intentions.

Wasn’t it clear?

The butler’s ulterior motive was to bring the affectionate couple closer together!

“You can move after the wedding.”

Caught off guard by this unexpected obstacle, Venable was momentarily flustered. However, he could not back down.

“She must move now.”

“She can move after the wedding, Butler Venable.”

Tension filled the air between Yudy and Venable.

As Theodore watched their confrontation, he whispered to Meia.

“Would you like to take a look, at least? It’s a room prepared just for you.”

“Take a look?”

Theodore looked at Meia with a pleading gaze.

Seeing his dark eyes shining pitifully, Meia thought, 

‘I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to just take a look.’

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

Though she hadn’t yet thought about moving rooms, it seemed reasonable to inspect the room that would eventually be hers and see if anything was lacking.

“I will guide you to the Grand Duchess’s room.”

“No, you won’t!”

Yudy tried to stop them, saying it wasn’t allowed.

“I’ll just take a look.”

The Grand Duchess’s room, as guided by Venable, was very much to Meia’s liking.

The chandelier’s light was soft, and the grand mural on the ceiling was pleasing to the eye.

The overall color scheme, furniture arrangement, and curtains all reflected how much care had been put into designing the room.

It was a perfect room tailored to Meia’s preferences, from start to finish.

“I like it.”

Hearing her approval, Venable and Hannah beamed with joy.

“Thank you.”

Standing in the Grand Duchess’s room made her realize the reality of becoming the Grand Duchess. The phrase ‘no one knows what the future holds’ came to mind.

Who would have imagined? Originally, she was supposed to marry Crown Prince Patzraelli after her coming-of-age ceremony.

But now, she was to become the Grand Duchess of Florence.

Encouraged by Meia’s satisfaction, Venable spoke up.

“There is no reason not to move, considering the two of you are already engaged and planning to marry.”

Grinding her teeth, Yudy glared at Venable and said through clenched teeth.

“She can move after the wedding.”

Venable, unwilling to back down, responded firmly.

“Ah, Miss Yudy, please! She is now the Grand Duchess! Address her properly.”

Realizing that Yudy was a tougher opponent than expected, Venable resolved to remain vigilant.

While Yudy and Venable exchanged words, Meia continued to explore the Grand Duchess’s room.

Standing in the room gave her a peculiar feeling.

She knew she loved him, and she had proposed to him. He was now wholly hers. It felt strange to think that their relationship would no longer be like family but that they would truly become a family.

A surge of uncontrollable joy bubbled up from her heart.

It felt as though her heart might stop.

“Miss, you’ll move after the wedding, right?”

Meia sighed inwardly and spoke to Yudy.

“I understand what you’re worried about.”

Hearing Meia’s understanding, Yudy straightened her posture.

“Why shouldn’t I move, Yudy?”

“The room next door belongs to His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

Meia understood Yudy’s concern.

In short, she was worried about the implications of a man and woman being so close to each other.

“I trust you, Miss. I do, but…”

Yudy glanced sideways at Theodore, trailing off.

After all, what man wouldn’t be tempted with the woman he loves right next door?

He would undoubtedly sneak in, doing this and that to seduce her.

And what if they ended up sharing a bed? What if a child was conceived? She couldn’t allow them to hold a wedding with a pregnant bride!

“I know what you’re concerned about.”

“Miss.”

“Don’t worry.”

Hearing Meia’s reassurance, Yudy decided to set aside her concerns for the moment. Since Meia had asked her to trust her, there was no reason to object further.

“Venable.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“We’ll move after the engagement ceremony.”

Though Venable was eager to move the room immediately, he couldn’t argue against Meia’s decision to wait until after the engagement ceremony.

Still, moving on the day of the engagement ceremony was better than nothing. It was a small victory.

“Understood.”

Venable took one step back to move a hundred steps forward.

***

The vassal families naturally celebrated Theodore’s coming-of-age ceremony. After the tragic death of the previous Grand Duke and Duchess, they had worried about the mental state of their sole heir. They understood why he refrained from external activities.

However, news of his engagement, coinciding with his coming-of-age ceremony, shocked the vassals.

Even Sirius III, Emperor of the Sirius Empire, was surprised by the announcement of Theodore’s engagement.

Naturally, he had to confirm who the bride-to-be was and which family she belonged to.

Fortunately, the invitation to the coming-of-age and engagement ceremony included the name and family of the fiancée.

[Meia Hatzbellua]

The vassals were astonished upon seeing the name.

“Could it be that person?”

“Yes! It’s her…”

“This is unbelievable!”

“A hero is becoming our Grand Duchess!”

“It’s a blessing for the Grand Duke’s household.”

“I saw it in the newspaper. His Grace and the Lady were on a cruise ship together.”

“I’ve seen them myself.”

The vassal families of Florence welcomed the news of Meia becoming the Grand Duchess with open arms.

They had every reason to celebrate.