It took a moment for people to react to his words.

The previously quiet banquet hall soon began to stir.

The word “engagement” coming from Duke Hillan’s mouth was enough to cause a commotion.

Even those who had been eyeing the two suspiciously for appearing together earlier were now just rolling their eyes in surprise.

Kisa recalled the conversation they had on the terrace.

“I’d like to move up the announcement of our engagement.”

When Seierd first said this, she simply thought he had changed his mind and asked when he wanted to move it up to.

Then, without blinking an eye, he replied that it would be today.

“Today?”

“Yes, to be more precise, right after we return to the banquet hall.”

“W-wait a moment, Seierd.”

“Do you perhaps dislike it, Kisa?”

“…No, it’s not that I dislike it.”

Was it a mistake to answer like that? But seeing Seierd’s pleading gaze for the first time, she couldn’t bring herself to say otherwise.

Perhaps it was all part of his scheme. When Kisa unexpectedly said she didn’t dislike it, Seierd quickly moved the conversation forward.

“What about Count Vanspelt? Would your father find it troublesome if we announced our engagement today?”

That wasn’t the case. At least from Kisa’s perspective, he seemed to want to make their engagement a fait accompli as soon as possible.

In other words, it also meant there was no one left to stop Seierd.

“W-what, an engagement?”

Count Habertz’s trembling voice brought Kisa’s mind back to the present.

The count didn’t seem to have the capacity to respond smoothly to Duke Hillan’s unexpected engagement announcement.

“Suddenly announcing an engagement… So you mean Duke Hillan is getting engaged…?”

Fortunately or unfortunately, he was soon able to step down from the stage Seierd had prepared.

“Seierd.”

Arta, with obvious signs of bewilderment, stepped in front of Seierd with a hardened expression.

“What is this sudden talk about?”

While questioning her partner, she briefly glanced at Kisa.

Kisa, feeling somehow guilty, avoided her gaze. Then she suddenly became conscious of the coat she was wearing.

‘Oh no.’

She had forgotten to return it to Seierd.

That was because during the entire move from the terrace to the banquet hall, Kisa’s mind was so full of thoughts about the engagement that she had no room to pay attention to anything else.

It seemed Seierd had also forgotten like her, but this painted quite a strange picture.

‘No wonder everyone was looking at us suspiciously from the start.’

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a coincidental similarity in the appearance of people who had returned.

To make matters worse, knowing what a couple who sneaked out of the banquet hall usually did in secluded places like gardens, the embarrassment was doubled.

Don’t blush for no reason. It would only make things look more suspicious. However, it wasn’t as easy as saying it, and Kisa felt her face heating up.

No, we just had a wholesome conversation on the terrace. There was nothing unsavory like what you’re thinking.

The innocent Kisa inside her, who had grown up so conservatively that she hadn’t even kissed her fiancé Daniel since coming of age, wanted to say that.

Fortunately, the rational Kisa, who judged that things couldn’t be helped now that it had come to this, restrained her.

Kisa could only try to quell the intense whirlwind of emotions within her by fiddling with Seierd’s coat.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Seierd and the princess was in full swing.

“Princess, I apologize for informing you only now. If possible, I wanted to tell you in advance, but the situation didn’t allow it.”

Despite Seierd’s polite apology, Arta didn’t relax her tense expression. No, she tensed up even more than before.

“Hah, I guess that earlier statement wasn’t a joke.”

“I’m not so tactless as to dare make such a joke at Your Highness’s expense.”

“…”

The princess fell silent for a moment, seemingly suppressing her emotions.

The murmuring among the people grew even louder. When Seierd mentioned the engagement, everyone had first thought of the youngest princess as the partner.

The commotion was so great that some words clearly reached Kisa’s ears.

“He’s not getting engaged to the princess?”

“Then who is it?”

“Could it be…”

At that moment, the princess spoke up, as if representing them.

“So who are you getting engaged to?”

Feeling the gaze that couldn’t be described as pleasant even in jest directed at her, Kisa unconsciously turned her head to avoid the princess’s eyes once again.

But coincidentally, where Kisa’s gaze landed was where Daniel stood.

Having apparently remained in that room even after Kisa and Seierd left, he had just returned to the hall and was looking around at the whispering people with narrowed eyes.

It was natural for someone who had just arrived to have difficulty grasping what was happening.

In the midst of this, their gazes met. Daniel looked at Kisa, and Kisa looked at him.

Just as Kisa felt Daniel’s eyes wavering, Seierd called her name in a sweet voice.

“Kisa.”

Kisa immediately turned her gaze to the man standing beside her.

Seierd, smiling like a conquering monarch, put his arm around Kisa’s waist.

“As some of you may have already guessed, the woman who has promised to marry me is.”

He declared in front of everyone.

“Miss Kisa Vanspelt, who is here with us.”

At that moment, Kisa felt the urge to squeeze her eyes shut. However, she barely suppressed her weak nature and looked straight ahead. She didn’t even avoid Arta’s wide-eyed gaze.

Because now she was the fiancée of Duke Hillan. To stand beside him, who never lost his dignity, Kisa too had to be the same.

Is it that when shock exceeds a certain level, calmness follows? The hall, which had been nothing but noisy, fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

While everyone was at a loss for how to react, caught in confusion, only Seierd Hillan continued speaking like flowing water.

“We plan to hold an engagement ceremony at the ducal residence soon. I hope many of you will attend to celebrate the union of us two.”

Another moment of silence followed. The one who broke this silence was Princess Arta.

Hahaha, laughing with a voice devoid of any humor, her eyes brimmed with blazing emotions.

“This is truly surprising. Duke, you’ve prepared quite an eye-opening revelation.”

“You flatter me.”

Even to such obvious sarcasm, Seierd smoothly brushed it off as if it were genuine praise.

“…Very well. I should hurry back and share this joyous news with my father and mother as well.”

“It’s an honor.”

The princess’s eyes sharpened at his nonchalant, even brazen attitude, but he boldly went a step further and pleaded with her.

“I’m well aware of how busy you are with affairs of state. But I do hope that you, Princess, will also attend our engagement ceremony.”

His eyebrows lowered slightly.

“As my brother Visherk has unfortunately become a person of the past and cannot congratulate me, I was hoping you could celebrate on his behalf as well. We will leave a seat empty that should have been occupied by Visherk.”

“…”

“Of course, if you don’t wish to, feel free to say so. I don’t want to burden you, Princess, who has suffered such a deep wound—”

“That’s enough.”

Unable to listen any further due to her irritation, the princess cut off his words midway.

She too was not unaware of Seierd’s intentions in particularly emphasizing her relationship with his brother.

“I’ll have to check my schedule.”

She answered in an unusually stiff voice, then turned her gaze.

“Count Habertz?”

“Yes, yes! Princess!”

“I’m feeling too tired now and want to leave. Is the banquet over?”

According to the order of events Kisa remembered, after the highest donor’s congratulatory speech, there was supposed to be a time for him, as the host, to share a brief reflection.

However, perhaps lacking the courage to hold back the princess’s steps in this atmosphere, the count nodded vigorously.

“Yes, it’s over. Please have a safe journey.”

“It was truly an enjoyable banquet.”

Leaving those final words, the princess left the banquet hall, unlike when she arrived, barely acknowledging the farewells.

Even after the princess left and the party reached its end, people remained awkwardly in the banquet hall instead of heading out, looking at Seierd and Kisa.

Though they didn’t express it directly, they seemed to hope that the two would drop some kind of remark.

For example, how on earth did Duke Hillan, who was expected to be the princess’s next fiancé, end up engaged to a woman with no connection to him and even a history of broken engagement?

Of course, there was no intention to indulge their wishes. If there was information they wanted released to the public, it could be spread through other means.

What the two needed to do now was return to their respective homes.

“Well then, shall we leave too?”

Seierd extended his arm towards Kisa.

“Yes.”

Kisa gladly placed her hand on his arm.

It being her first time receiving Seierd’s escort in front of people, she felt a bit excited.

The two headed towards the exit, receiving the gazes of everyone in the hall.

By the way, Daniel was still standing nearby.

“Kisa…”

He had a face that seemed unable to believe what he had just witnessed. His eyes demanded an explanation from Kisa.

What kind of answer was he hoping for? It was unclear, but one thing was certain.

Kisa had nothing to say to him.