While traveling through the central region, Sophia continued to receive magazines and letters from the capital.

Mrs. Finega bustled about for Sophia’s sake, who had unexpectedly gained fame as Prince Robert’s fiancée. Newspapers and magazines featuring Sophia had grown in number.

Helen clicked her tongue as she looked at the many magazines Mrs. Finega had sent along with letters from friends.

“Mom scolds me and Ellie for loving gossip and magazines, but really, I think I get it from her! Look at this stack! And she even marks where she’s read. She says it’s because she’s worried, but I think she’s having fun too.”

Sophia agreed; Mrs. Finega was sending a substantial amount of letters and magazines. It kept her entertained, though it was quite a bit to digest during her trip.

Sophia’s engagement was impacting those around her. The longer the engagement to Prince Robert lasted, the more it would influence everyone.

She was glad she’d adjusted the terms to allow a quick end to the engagement if necessary. She’d also required a stipend during their engagement, even if they didn’t meet.

While traveling in the central region for two months, Sophia continued to quietly accumulate money.

“Two hundred gold coins for doing nothing….”

Sophia wasn’t shameless. While traveling, she considered ways she might assist him as his fiancée.

With Helen’s help, she researched activities that engaged couples might do together and made a list. Helen even added popular events or classic romantic scenes from novels.

As she drafted the list, Sophia spoke.

“Would these be too ordinary because he’s a prince? Or could they be more special because of that?”

Helen replied, “Well, ask him first. But honestly, if it’s Prince Robert, he’d probably agree to whatever you suggest, just like on your first date.”

Sophia sighed. Despite her attempts to persuade her, Helen was unwavering.

“For now, try it all. You’re so lucky—how nice,” Helen said.

Helen’s younger brother, Sol, shook his head at the two of them.

“Do you really have to do all this? You’re already engaged; what’s the point?”

Helen looked at Sol disdainfully and scoffed.

“What would you know, Sol? Sure, they say you’re a top student at school, but when it comes to love, you’re clueless. Listen here, Sol: being engaged means planning to spend your whole life together. And shouldn’t you confirm and keep confirming your love for each other? Does it not matter? No, it’s important! It’s how you grow love over time.”

Sol retorted dismissively, “Nonsense. Counting and recounting money doesn’t make it increase, does it?”

“Foolish! It’s always those indifferent to love who, when they do fall, go completely head-over-heels. I can already see it coming with you, Sol.”

“I’d never do anything so stupid. Just wait and see.”

“Oh, I’ll be reminding you of this one day—calling it ‘the dumbest declaration of 13-year-old Sol’s life,’” Helen replied, mocking.

These quarrels between Helen and Sol were frequent, though they were rarely serious. Typically, Sol scoffed at Helen’s remarks, and Helen mocked everything about Sol, ending with neither as the winner.

Meanwhile, Sophia looked seriously at the list.

“What if he thinks I’m just using his money to have fun? Will Prince Robert catch on?”

***

After returning from her journey, Sophia planned to stay at the Finega estate for some time. She wanted to make sure her presence wouldn’t cause any harm to the Finega.

Sophia approached Mr. Finega with a concerned expression.

“Because of me, a lot of attention will be focused on the Finega family. It’s fine while things are good, but if anything goes wrong between Prince Robert and me, could it impact your business?”

Mr. Finega laughed reassuringly.

“As you said, political circumstances can indeed affect business. However, I won’t be leveraging your engagement or depending on the situation with you and Prince Robert for my business. Not to boast, but my business won’t be easily shaken by your relationship with the prince.”

Despite Mr. Finega’s self-assured words, Sophia’s concern was evident. He continued with a smile.

“I do understand your worries, Sophia. Yes, people want to meet me because of your situation. But it’s manageable; don’t worry. I should actually be grateful. Typically, I’d be begging to meet these people, but now they’re requesting to meet me! So I’m gaining certain intangible benefits from the situation, though I expect there could be intangible losses should things change. Still, I’m prepared for that, so please don’t worry too much.”

“I’m glad to hear it. If you ever face any issues, whether due to me or Prince Robert, please let me know. If there’s pressure from Wiscombe or any trouble, you don’t have to handle it alone; you can lean on the prince or Ariel.”

“Ariel?”

“Although our engagement announcement was recent, my father had been preparing to take the position of Marquis of the Frontier for some time. I’m telling you now so you don’t feel the need to hide anything or stand alone for the sake of the Finega family. Ariel may not be able to fully support the Finega family, but they won’t ignore a request for help. After all, we’re family. If there’s any trouble, please feel free to contact Ariel or speak to me.”

Mr. Finega shook his head.

“Thank you, but I intend to keep the emperor, the imperial family, the prince, and Ariel all out of the picture as much as possible. It’s best to feign ignorance in these situations. Otherwise, I could end up owing favors or dealing with demands later on. I’ll keep my business confined to what I can handle on my own. So please don’t worry too much.”

“What if things get noisy while I’m staying here? I may need to ask the neighbors for their understanding.”

“You can worry about that once there’s an actual fuss. Later, you could smooth things over by inviting the neighbors in your name. I’ll mention it to my wife.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Finega. I hope that during my stay, I can avoid causing trouble and even be of some help.”

“Likewise, Lady Sophia. I hope your stay here is as enjoyable as possible.”

With that, Sophia’s arrangements for staying at the Finega household were settled. Helen, however, was clearly the most excited about Sophia staying with them.

Helen said to Sophia, “My friends keep asking if they can meet you again. They’re still demanding payback for me brushing off all their questions about your first date last time.”

“I’d like to see them, too. Why not invite them over?”

“Do you think it would be okay?”

“Of course. This is your house, Helen.”

“Hm… I thought being engaged to a prince would mean you’d need to go through formal procedures every time you met someone or that there would be restrictions on who you could meet, like palace officials showing up.”

“Maybe when wedding preparations start, but I’m not sure. Since Prince Robert hasn’t mentioned anything, I think we can just go about things as usual.”

“Then I’ll call them over tomorrow. They seemed very curious. Will that be all right?”

“Really? Then I’d better get ready.”

Helen agreed with Sophia’s view. The more beautiful the stories that spread, the better—especially since Prince Robert’s image was less than favorable, with many still believing the character based on him in *The Language of White Roses.* Sophia’s engagement was an opportunity to improve that image.

—

Helen’s friends visited the Finega household at the earliest convenient time the next day. A long line had formed outside the Finega residence as gifts from Prince Robert to his fiancée, Sophia, were delivered.

Jewelry and dress shops under exclusive contract with the royal family arrived at the Finega estate and began displaying items in the drawing room. Sophia, Helen, and her friends looked over the items together.

The items showcased to Sophia were not only of the highest quality but also the latest in fashion, thoughtfully selected with her age in mind. From dresses and hair accessories to gloves and shoes, every detail had been meticulously tailored to perfection.

Like Helen and her friends, Sophia was amazed and thoroughly delighted. Even Mrs. Finega’s excitement was clearly visible.

A young man stepped forward from among the items and spoke.

“Greetings, Lady Sophia Ariel. I am Acel, an attendant in Prince Robert’s service. You may select whatever pleases you, Lady Ariel. For the dresses, you may choose the design, which will be custom-made to fit your measurements. If you prefer, you may also purchase the exclusive rights to a dress design, making it truly one of a kind.”

Sophia smiled. Besides wealth, being the prince’s fiancée brought numerous perks. This unexpected benefit pleased Sophia, and the young ladies observing from the side squealed with delight.

Helen remarked, “They’re using fabric that even Madame Foche’s boutique says is hard to acquire! I’d heard that exclusive royal contracts made a difference, but….”

Sophia looked at the fabric Helen mentioned, an enchanting material that shifted colors in the light. Madam Finega added, “Such rare fabric is usually only used as an accent in dresses, but this whole dress is made from it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Helen’s friends, like Saline and Emily eagerly shared their fashion knowledge with Sophia. Emily, inspecting the accessories, commented, “Hair accessories nowadays are often floral or flower-shaped, which suits the season well. I’ve seen ladies decorating high updos with them, like floral arrangements—it would suit you, too, Sophia.”

The person presenting the accessories opened another bag and revealed several floral-themed pieces, just as Emily had described.

Helen and her friends helped pin up Sophia’s hair and tried various accessories on her, choosing which ones suited her best. The attendant showed his attention to detail by letting Helen and her friends try on some pieces as well.

The atmosphere was naturally lively, and the attendants found the work enjoyable. Working with royalty often required a solemn and cautious demeanor, but here, though the young ladies were chattering away, it felt comfortable for the staff.

Of course, not everyone thought so. There were surely those observing from afar who thought the scene lacked decorum.

After gathering recommendations from the staff and opinions from Helen and the others, Sophia selected a few items and saw the staff off. The next day, having spent a bustling day with friends, Sophia was invited to visit the royal palace by the prince.

—

Prince Robert, who came to personally welcome Sophia, looked well. Sophia greeted him.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness. Have you been well?”

“Yes, quite well. Did you enjoy your travels?”

“Yes, very much. It was my first time traveling through the central region, so the entire journey was exciting and wonderful.”

“I should have realized when you modified the terms of our engagement.”

Sophia brushed off his comment and took out a small item to hand to him.

“It’s a souvenir from my trip. I know it can’t compare to the gifts you’ve sent me, but please accept it as a token of my sincerity.”

What she handed him was a terrarium with a plant inside a glass jar. Sophia said, “Isn’t it fascinating? Even in this enclosed space, as long as it has sunlight, the plant can grow.”

“Indeed,” he replied.

Robert answered calmly and then led Sophia further into the palace. He remarked, “Today’s plan was originally to show you the garden and greenhouse, but there’s been a slight change.”

“Are we going to meet His Majesty the Emperor? I was a bit concerned about announcing our engagement without first greeting him,” Sophia replied.

“Correct.”

“Does the Emperor already know? If not, I could speak frankly with him.”

“He knows. However, I wouldn’t recommend being completely open. The Emperor prefers to leave certain things unsaid. Even if he’s aware that the engagement is a sham, things won’t be any easier.”

“Is it a matter of ensuring that even a future ex-fiancée meets certain standards? Or might he feel slighted?”

Robert suppressed a chuckle at her comment.

‘Imagine the Emperor feeling slighted. Suspicious, maybe, but not hurt.’

Robert continued, “Don’t think of the Emperor as an ordinary father. He’s the pinnacle of power—power itself, in fact. It’s not the sort of situation that ends with a simple ‘I’m disappointed.’”

“Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”

“There’s no need to worry too much. I’ll be with you the whole time. By the way, with the generous funds you received, I assume the trip was luxurious?”

“Hardly! On the contrary, I planned everything with the hope that Your Highness would fare well, even from afar. I wanted to be sure you wouldn’t regret the gold you spent on me,” she replied with a grin.

Vian, following behind Robert and Sophia, observed with surprise as Robert engaged Sophia in conversation, attempting to ease her tension with thoughtful questions about her trip. He quickly composed himself, realizing the prince’s friendly demeanor toward Sophia might be raising some eyebrows.

‘This is all because of Mav’s strange ideas,’ he thought, calming himself down once more.