Side Story 2.2

Today, Kartan received official approval from the Department of Industry to establish his new merchant guild.  

‘Finally.’  

As he looked down at the approval document in his hands, Kartan reflected on the past five years.  

He had gained extensive field experience and expanded his network.  

Investors who recognized his abilities were lining up to support him.  

By now, he felt he could proudly call himself Delia’s equal as her partner.  

‘Which is why today is the day.’  

Kartan planned to propose to Delia.  

After graduation, the two had moved in together almost immediately, but they had yet to marry.  

Initially, they had both agreed that adapting to their respective careers should come first.  

But five years had passed in the blink of an eye.  

Of course, their relationship had faced no issues. If anything, their bond only seemed to grow stronger with time.  

But the difference between being “lovers” and being “spouses” was significant—not just in name but in the depth of their relationship.  

Kartan wanted to marry Delia and officially become one with her, both legally and as a family.  

‘If Delia becomes my wife…’  

Just imagining it brought a radiant smile to Kartan’s face.  

‘Yes, today is the day.’  

Kartan solidified his proposal plans.  

In truth, he had wanted to wait until his guild was more established before proposing.  

But at this rate, he felt it might take too long.  

He knew Delia had been waiting for him.  

‘I don’t want to keep her waiting any longer.’  

For five years, Delia had trusted and stayed by his side, despite him having nothing to his name and no family backing like the Roxen Family.  

‘I’ve been preparing for this.’  

Kartan pulled a small case from his pocket and opened it.  

Click. 

Inside was a pair of rings, gleaming brightly.  

In fact, he had ordered the rings long ago and had kept them hidden from Delia for about a year.  

Now, it was time for the rings to reach their rightful owner.  

‘Delia should be home around six today.’  

It was currently 2 PM.  

There were about four hours left until Delia’s workday ended.  

Since he had told her he’d be late, she wouldn’t expect him to be home first.  

While Delia was still at work, Kartan visited a flower shop in the city.  

“Hello. I’d like to order a lot of flowers—enough to fill an entire room.”  

“Oh my, are you planning to propose, young man? With that many flowers?”  

“Haha, yes, I am.”  

“Oh my, really? Then I’ll have to give it my all! So, what kind of flowers would you like?”  

As the enthusiastic shopkeeper assisted him, Kartan began browsing the flowers.  

He already had a combination in mind, so his decision didn’t take long.  

“These, these, and these. I’ll take all three.”  

“You have great taste! Alright, I’ll give you a big discount since I’m feeling generous.”  

“That’s wonderful. Can you deliver them right away?”  

“Of course! Our shop has the fastest delivery in the city. Just wait a moment while I prepare everything.”

Kartan watched the countless flowers being prepared and felt his heart swell with emotion.  

‘I can’t wait for Delia to come home.’  

He could already imagine her joyful and happy face.  

***

“Delia, think about it again, okay?”  

“Yeah, my friend works at the Department of Industry, and they say it’s even harder there than here, you know?”  

“Delia, if I’ve done anything to upset you, I’ll fix it all!”  

At the end of the workday at the Department of Justice, Delia kept apologizing to her seniors, who were clinging to her and crying.  

“I’m sorry, but I’m still going to apply to the Department of Industry.”  

There was no way she would change her decision.  

‘Everyone has been so kind to me, but…’  

The reason Delia wanted to transfer to the Department of Industry was, of course, Kartan.  

‘I want to be a great help to Kartan.’  

After graduation, Delia had chosen to work at the Department of Justice, while Kartan had chosen to work in a merchant guild.  

The guild he applied to was none other than the second-largest in the industry, the Lemanshe Guild.  

When asked which was the largest guild in the Empire, everyone would name either Roxen or Lemanshe, as they were of comparable size.  

However, Kartan wasn’t able to join the Lemanshe Guild right away.  

Even after abandoning the name “Roxen,” the guild, being a rival of the Roxen family, was unwilling to accept the child of their competitor’s family.  

But Kartan didn’t give up.  

“I’ll just join another guild and prove my abilities.”

He spoke casually to Delia, who was worried about him, and indeed, he immediately joined another guild.  

And within three years, he elevated that guild to third place in the Empire.  

This achievement wasn’t something Kartan could have accomplished simply because he was a genius or talented.  

Delia, who had been watching him closely, knew better than anyone how hard he had worked to achieve it.  

Eventually, the Lemanshe Guild, feeling threatened, scouted Kartan without delay.  

“Kartan, are you going to join Lemanshe?”  

“Of course. Staying here and growing this guild further would be nice, but if I want to have my own guild, I need to gain more diverse experience first.”  

It had been two years since Kartan transferred to the Lemanshe Guild.  

He had significantly contributed to the growth of the Lemanshe Guild.  

As a result, the Roxen Guild, which had held the title of the best guild in the Empire, was finally pushed down to second place.  

Kartan had achieved his first goal.  

Of course, the role of the deputy guild leader of Roxen, Repel Roxen, had also played a significant part in this.  

Since Repel Roxen became the deputy guild leader, the Roxen Guild had repeatedly made poor decisions.  

They continued importing goods that seemed to have no market value within the Empire, and despite the times, they still mistreated their partner companies.  

As a result, the reputation of the Roxen Guild had been steadily declining.  

Although it wouldn’t collapse completely as long as Kartan’s father, the current guild leader, was still in charge, it seemed inevitable that the guild would fall apart once Repel Roxen became the leader.  

Delia found it laughable how they continued to support Repel Roxen just because he was the eldest son.  

‘The Roxen Guild is far too small a vessel to contain someone like Kartan.’  

Delia nodded in agreement, thinking that leaving the Roxen Guild had been an excellent decision.  

If he hadn’t, he would have had to work as a shadow under such an incompetent older brother.  

He wouldn’t have been able to establish his own guild, as he was doing now.  

‘Kartan’s guild will grow and surpass Lemanshe to reclaim the number one spot.’  

Thinking back on Kartan’s journey over the past five years, Delia envisioned a hopeful future.  

Not long ago, Kartan had submitted an application to establish a new guild.  

And today, she had heard that the approval had finally come through.  

Although it was still in the early stages, Delia was confident that Kartan would do well.  

In her eyes, Kartan was incredibly capable. Unlike herself, who was only good at studying, Kartan had an innate sense of commerce.  

He could read the flow of capital within the Empire and had a keen eye for identifying marketable goods.  

She believed that Kartan could quickly catch up to the larger guilds like Roxen and Lemanshe.  

‘He’s truly amazing, Kartan.’  

The fact that such a person was her partner brought an involuntary proud smile to Delia’s face.  

‘That’s why today is the day.’  

Today was a monumental day, marking the approval of Kartan’s guild.  

In fact, Delia had made an important decision for today.  

She had decided to propose to Kartan.  

That was why, even on her way to work in the morning, she had wandered around a flower shop, choosing flowers for the proposal.  

She had told Viola that the flowers were to celebrate Kartan’s guild approval, but in truth, they were for the proposal.  

“I’m back.”  

Delia greeted the shopkeeper warmly as she entered the flower shop she had visited earlier that morning.  

“Welcome back. You’re lucky you came when you did. Someone bought a ton of flowers earlier today. If you’d come later, we might not have had any left.”  

The shopkeeper greeted Delia with a cheerful tone, joking about the earlier rush.  

“Really? That was close. I’m glad I came early.”  

Praising herself for coming right after work, Delia browsed the flowers again.  

This time, her decision didn’t take long.  

“I’ll take Erzionas, please.”  

In the end, Delia chose pure white Erzionas.  

“And these, and these as well. Please mix them together. Make it a full, abundant basket!”  

“Got it. I’ll prepare it right away.”  

She had also chosen purple Levions and green Felicians to go with the Erzionas.  

These flowers represented the colors of her and Kartan’s eyes.  

Watching the Levions and Felicians blend beautifully among the white Erzionas, Delia’s lips curled into a warm smile.  

“Oh my, Erzionas with Levions and Felicians?”  

The shopkeeper, preparing the flowers as requested, suddenly seemed surprised by Delia’s choice.  

“Yes, why?”  

“Well, someone earlier today bought a lot of flowers, and they chose the same combination. What a coincidence.”  

“Really? How interesting.”  

Delia agreed with the shopkeeper, taking the completed bouquet in her hands.  

“Thank you.”  

“Take care, and I hope it makes a wonderful gift!”  

On her way home, Delia fell into a brief moment of thought.  

Although the flowers were ready, one thing was still missing.  

‘What about the ring?’  

Delia had, of course, wanted to prepare a ring as well.  

After all, a ring was the first thing that came to mind when thinking of a proposal.  

However, due to recent disruptions in the Empire’s mineral supply, it was taking a long time to produce rings.  

Every jeweler she visited gave her the same response, and she had ultimately been unable to find one.  

‘I’ll just propose first.’  

Today was too meaningful a day to delay the proposal just because she didn’t have a ring.  

She decided to get the ring later.  

She wanted to make a meaningful proposal on this special day.  

‘Kartan will understand.’  

Holding the bouquet carefully in her arms, Delia arrived home.  

She stood in front of the door, looking up at the house.  

This was the house she and Kartan had purchased with the ten million gold prize from the Lapolis Academy.  

They had lived here for five years now, and it had become a place full of memories.  

It was a house filled with happy moments and shared experiences with Kartan.  

Even after marriage, she wanted to continue living here. This was why she wanted the proposal to take place at home, to create another happy memory tied to this house.  

‘Kartan said he’d be late today.’  

Even though the approval for the guild’s establishment had been granted, there were still many preparations to be made.  

‘I feel sorry for my department head, but I need to move to the Department of Industry quickly.’  

Once she transferred to the Department of Industry, Delia was certain she could assist Kartan in the preparation process.  

The thought alone made her hum cheerfully. Humming a joyful tune, Delia stepped into the house.  

Click—  

“…Huh?”  

“Delia. Welcome home.”  

To her surprise, Kartan, who had said he’d be late, was there to greet her.  

He was dressed in a pristine white suit, looking so dazzlingly handsome that it almost hurt her eyes.  

And then—  

“Kartan. What’s with all the flowers?”  

Delia widened her eyes in astonishment.  

At her feet, the house was filled with blooming flowers. No, the entire house was overflowing with flowers.  

What’s more, the flowers were the exact same arrangement as the ones she was holding so dearly in her arms.  

Pure white Erzionas, purple Levions, and green Felicians.  

‘…Wait, come to think of it.’  

Only then did Delia recall the flower shop owner’s casual remark that she had brushed off.  

“Someone bought a ton of flowers earlier today. If you’d come later, we might not have had any left.” 

Thump, thump.  

Delia’s heartbeat quickened.  

The sound of her heart pounding felt as if it were echoing in her ears.  

‘Could it be?’  

Had Kartan been thinking the same thing as I had?  

“Kartan, this…”  

“I wanted to wait until I was a little more successful before saying anything.”  

Kartan’s pleasant voice resonated between the two of them.  

“But I couldn’t hold back any longer.”  

A bouquet even larger than the flower basket Delia was holding was suddenly placed in her arms.  

“Thank you for waiting.”  

And then Delia saw it.  

Amidst the flowers, there was a small, pure white case.  

Delia’s gaze followed Kartan’s hand as he slowly lifted the case.  

Click.  

The sound made Delia’s excitement swell even more.  

‘But the ring was supposed to take time to make…’  

How had Kartan managed to prepare it? 

Inside the case was indeed a ring.  

A gemstone, resembling Kartan’s deep green eyes, sparkled brilliantly.  

“Delia, will you marry me?”  

Kartan lifted her left hand as he asked.  

On his own left hand was a matching ring, identical to the one in the case, except it held a gemstone resembling Delia’s purple eyes.  

“Of course!”  

This was too perfect. Without hesitation, Delia answered with a radiant smile.  

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up in her eyes.  

As she threw herself into Kartan’s arms, the petals of the bouquet scattered between them.  

Her joyful smile spread throughout Kartan’s embrace, as if her happiness was seeping into his heart.  

“I love you, Delia.”  

Kartan’s voice carried a simple yet deeply affectionate confession. His eyes crinkled with joy, unable to bear the weight of the happiness he felt in declaring his love.  

“I love you too, Kartan.”  

Delia lifted her head from Kartan’s chest and voiced her feelings back to him.  

Moments later, their lips met in a kiss, neither knowing who moved first.  

Feeling the warmth of the moment, Delia was overwhelmed with happiness.  

She was grateful to be able to spend her future with the one she loved.  

From now on, their path would surely be filled with happiness and good fortune.  

Nearby, on the table, lay the approval document for Kartan’s guild establishment.  

The name of the guild written on the approval document was “Ersion.”  

It was the very name they had promised to take together after graduation.  

Now, through their marriage, they would share the same name and become a true family.  

Delia Ersion.  

To her, this beautiful name was not a miracle.  

It was a natural and ordinary happiness that had come to her, something she didn’t need to chase after.  

[To the Top-Ranked Person I Despise. End.]