Chapter 5 (Part 2)

Meia smiled faintly and inhaled the scent of the strawberry tea.

“Lady Meia.”

Seeing Theodore’s hesitant demeanor, Meia spoke to make him feel comfortable asking.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“If you need a fiancé, how about me?”

Meia paused for a moment and looked at Theodore.

“I’m still a Grand Duke, I have power, I have money, and most importantly, I have the strength to protect you, Lady Meia.”

Meia felt as if something had suddenly cut her hair. She was that surprised by Theodore’s sudden proposal.

She stared at him, blinking her eyes, without saying a word, and he smiled, gently wrinkling his eyes.

Was she shocked because I suddenly proposed? Did I make her uncomfortable by bringing up the idea of an engagement?

Theodore opened his mouth after finishing his thoughts.

“Even a contract engagement is fine. If you want to break off the engagement later, that’s okay. So, how about making me your fiancé? I want to protect you.”

“Why me?”

This man, like a black retriever. Did he just propose a ‘contract engagement’ to me?

Suddenly, she remembered Puring’s words.

<Don’t forget that wolves are also part of the canine family.>

Her teacher’s words came to mind at this moment.

“You don’t have to answer right away. But if I’m your fiancé, even the Crown Prince of the Carpen Empire won’t be able to touch the Grand Duchy of Florence.”

“What do you gain from this contract engagement, Your Grace?”

“That is…”

‘Time to be with you.’

…He wanted to say this, but he was afraid it might burden her if he said it wrong.

Theodore thought deeply and answered Meia.

“I would gain a talented wizard, wouldn’t I?”

“Ah.”

Meia felt strangely disappointed by Theodore’s words. But she couldn’t understand why she felt disappointed.

“I’ll think about it, the contract engagement.”

And Meia herself couldn’t understand why she said such a thing to Theodore.

She could have just said, ‘The contract I signed with my uncle is notarized by the temple, so marriage is just an option!’ but those words didn’t come out at all.

And as soon as she heard the word engagement, her heart kept pounding.

It seemed like her arrhythmia was getting worse.

Theodore returned to his study, his face flushed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then he repeatedly picked up the portrait of Meia, stared at it for a long time, and hugged it gently.

Aethon, who had been diligently organizing documents, couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke to Theodore.

“Your Grace, it’s wonderful that Lady Meia has come, but there are many pending documents.”

“Aethon.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Listen.”

“Yes.”

“I proposed to Lady Meia.”

Aethon and Hemann dropped the documents they were holding, scattering papers all over the study.

“What do you mean, Your Grace! An engagement!”

Aethon couldn’t believe it. Theodore had always run away, embarrassed.

But such a person suddenly proposed an engagement!

“My goodness! The person who always blushed and ran away… I am truly moved.”

Hemann also couldn’t hide his joy.

“Did Lady Meia accept?”

“Finally, the mistress of the Grand Duchy of Florence is coming!”

Theodore shyly scratched his reddened cheek and spoke.

“She said she’d think about it.”

At Theodore’s words, Aethon and Hemann raised their arms in joy and roared happily.

“Wow!”

“Oh my goodness!”

Hemann and Aethon screamed with happiness.

“Well done! You did very well.”

“Aethon, I’m going home late today!”

“Yes, we should have a drink. Call the head of the knights, Versha.”

“Got it!”

More importantly, thinking about it meant there was a positive response with a fifty percent chance of accepting the engagement.

Aethon was very proud of Theodore for courageously confessing.

Aethon and Hemann continued to cheer and praise the brave Theodore.

But soon, they stopped their cheers.

“But I proposed a contract engagement.”

The joyful Aethon and Hemann stopped roaring and looked at Theodore with puzzled expressions.

“What?”

“A contract? Your Grace, what do you mean?”

Theodore briefly explained to Aethon and Hemann the conversation he had with Meia.

He explained about Demian, the second prince of Carpen, and why she registered as a wizard and came to the Grand Duchy to avoid becoming a Princess.

“She said she’d think about it. But if she’s considering a contract engagement with someone she hasn’t known for long, she must really dislike that prince.”

“Moreover, if the Carpen Imperial Family forcibly pushes for an engagement with the Hatzbellua Duchy, she might have to marry against her will.”

“If the Imperial Family pushes for it, it would indeed be unavoidable.”

“Why don’t you secretly erase the Carpen Empire from the map?”

“But it’s her homeland… And secretly erasing it isn’t right. I’ll erase it when Lady Meia wants it.”

Aethon, deep in thought, spoke up.

“But having both the Second Prince and the his fiancée in the same household… If her cousin, who took her original fiancé’s position, becomes the Crown Princess and Empress, would her uncle really want Lady Meia to become the Second Prince’s fiancée? The Duke’s family wouldn’t be foolish enough to make Lady Meia the Second Prince’s fiancée.”

“That’s true.”

Theodore sighed as he sat in his chair.

“I proposed a contract engagement because I want to protect Lady Meia. If she marries me, even the Emperor of Carpen would have to bow to her.”

“That’s right.”

“In fact, it would be easier to erase the Carpen Empire from the map…”

But Aethon began to smile slyly with a pleased expression.

“Hehe.”

Hemann frowned at the sight.

“Aethon, your expression is unsettling.”

“Be quiet. Hemann, this is an opportunity, an opportunity!”

“What opportunity?”

“Lady Meia will surely accept the contract engagement.”

“Right?”

“If His Grace the Grand Duke works hard to charm her with his looks and body, won’t the contract engagement become a real engagement? This is an opportunity!”

Aethon asked Theodore, who was sitting in the chair.

“You don’t want to lose Lady Meia, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we, the servants of the Grand Duchy of Florence, will do our best to carry out the plan to make Lady Meia the Grand Duchess.”

“Lady Meia as the Grand Duchess…”

“Venable is probably already busy executing the plan.”

To cure Theodore’s lovesickness for Meia, she had to become the Grand Duchess. Venable wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“From now on, Your Grace, you should take care of your appearance. I’ll go ask Painter Quini about what kind of person Demian is.”

Painter Quini cried with joy, unable to believe the news that Meia had come to the Grand Duchy.

“Is it true? Aide Aethon.” (Assistant Aethon)

“Yes, we’ve arranged a meal.”

“Thank you! But what is Lady Meia doing now?”

“She is talking with His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Oh! His Grace must be very happy.”

“He has indeed been very lively today. We’ve all been relieved. But… Quini.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know Prince Demian?”

Just mentioning Demian’s name spread anger across Quini’s face.

“Don’t even mention that prince! Surely not!”

Quini had almost forgotten. The letter sent to Meia to warn her to avoid Demian who would come to the Mage Tower.

“In fact, Lady Meia fled from the Mage Tower to come here.”

“…!”

“Honestly, we could just erase the Carpen Empire from the map. It’s easy. But we haven’t done it because His Grace said it’s Lady Meia’s homeland.”

“I also wish I could ask to erase it from the map.”

“Does Prince Demian bother Lady Meia a lot?”

“That crazy prince is dangerously obsessed with our lady. He even killed a bird she liked… If she gave attention to someone else, he would yell at that someone and make them cry…”

“He killed a bird?”

“Oh, that happened when Lady Meia was eight years old. She struggled for a while as the dead bird appeared in her dreams… And that’s not all.”

Quini vividly recalled the events and told Aethon about Demian.