Regardless of Kisa’s feelings, time flowed ceaselessly, and the day of the engagement ceremony finally dawned.

On the bright morning, Kisa opened her eyes in one of the many guest rooms of the Hilan duchy.

“Good morning, miss.”

The maid who woke Kisa greeted her cheerfully.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, thanks to Lily taking good care of me.”

“Oh, I didn’t do much.”

Her name was Lily. She was the maid Seyerd had introduced to Kisa yesterday.

“According to Gilliam, she’s diligent and quite good at her work. Above all, she’s hardworking and honest, not the type to easily fall for temptations.”

He had said this while recommending Lily as the maid who would serve Kisa most closely from now on.

Of course, it was a selection that considered Kisa’s future as the mistress of the Hilan duchy when she married Seyerd.

Kisa quite liked Lily’s cheerful first impression, and more importantly, she was sure the meticulous Seyerd wouldn’t have recommended someone unreliable, so she gladly accepted his suggestion.

“Anyway, I was worried you might be uncomfortable in an unfamiliar bed, but I’m glad you slept well.”

Lily said as she placed a basin of water on the dressing table.

“Yes, it’s fortunate. If I hadn’t slept well, staying here would have been pointless.”

Kisa was the one who had first asked Seyerd if she could stay at the Hilan duchy the night before the engagement ceremony.

Although the ceremony was to be held in the early afternoon, preparations had to start early.

Rather than moving from the Vanspelt estate to here and then preparing, it seemed better to just ask Seyerd and spend the night here.

Seyerd had readily agreed. No, more than agreeing, he even offered to provide the room traditionally used by the Hilan duchesses, which Kisa had to struggle to decline.

No matter how soon they were to be married, there was still a proper order to things.

Perhaps because he grew up in a monastery, he sometimes seemed less bound by formalities than one would expect from the head of an ancient family.

“Oh my, your skin is so beautiful.”

Lily exclaimed as she applied moisturizing cream to Kisa’s face after she had washed up.

“Haha, it does look good today. I guess resting well and taking care of myself these past few days has paid off.”

Kisa quietly looked in the mirror. Instead of the melancholic woman she had seen some time ago, she saw herself with an ordinarily bright face looking back at her.

“Yes, it’s good.”

She murmured to herself in a sing-song voice.

“So, how do I look?”

Kisa asked somewhat cautiously as she emerged from the room and met Seyerd’s eyes.

“You look truly beautiful.”

Although he must have seen her in a dress when they went to get fitted together before, he responded without showing any sign of being tired of the sight.

When Kisa twirled in place, the green skirt of her dress fluttered gracefully.

Thanks to Seyerd, the three dresses ordered from the dressmaker favored by royalty were fortunately completed on time and delivered to Kisa.

“As I said before, thank you for the dresses.”

“It’s nothing to thank me for.”

He smiled gently, lowering his voice so that nearby Lily and Gilliam couldn’t hear.

“After all, I’ll soon be your fiancé in name and reality.”

Fiancé. That word stirred peculiar emotions in Kisa’s heart.

In fact, for Kisa, it was a word that resonated even more than marriage. She had never been married, but she had been engaged once before, hadn’t she?

Until just two months ago, she couldn’t have imagined any man other than Daniel Lowens becoming her fiancé.

From a very young age, she had believed that marrying Daniel and bearing his children was her predetermined life.

Yet now, here she was, on the verge of engagement to Seyerd.

Suddenly, the saying that the future is unpredictable even a moment ahead felt profoundly true.

A question suddenly arose. Would the life ahead of her bring changes more dramatic than those of the past two months?

She didn’t know. But one thing was certain.

“Shall we go?”

She did not regret her decision to take the hand extended before her now. And she vowed not to regret it in the future.

“Yes, let’s.”

At last, their hands intertwined.

The weather was splendid, as if celebrating Kisa’s special day.

With about three hours left until the engagement ceremony, the banquet hall was bustling with the duchy’s servants busy with final preparations.

“Wow, it’s beautiful!”

Unlike the day before, the banquet hall was decorated with fresh flowers, and Kisa exclaimed in admiration as she looked around.

The floral decorations were centered around blue flowers to match the color of the second dress Kisa would wear at the engagement ceremony a few hours later.

“The fragrance is lovely too.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Kisa excitedly paced around the banquet hall with short steps, while Seyerd followed her with a fond smile.

As she did so, Kisa’s gaze fell upon Gabriel, who was tuning his instrument in a corner of the hall.

Dressed up for the ceremony, he looked even more charming than usual, but he couldn’t hide the faint shadow cast over his face.

Kisa instinctively wanted to speak to him but then realized Seyerd’s presence behind her.

Having learned of Gabriel’s intense feelings, it didn’t seem right to approach him with Seyerd in tow, as if showing off.

The fact that today was Seyerd’s engagement ceremony would already be painful enough for Gabriel; how could he bear to see Kisa beside another man with a sound mind?

Therefore, Kisa said to Seyerd:

“Um, I’m going to chat with Gabriel for a moment. You can go attend to your business.”

His expression darkened slightly at her words.

“Is it something I shouldn’t hear?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Without a suitable excuse and not wanting to lie to him, Kisa revealed as much of the truth as she felt she could.

“I happened to learn about some of his personal worries before. I want to ask how he’s feeling, but it’s a really private matter, so I think it’s better if we talk alone.”

As she spoke, she realized that from Seyerd’s perspective, he might not want others to see his soon-to-be fiancée being close with another man.

“I’ll really just talk for a bit! And keep this much distance!”

But Seyerd shook his head.

“You’re wrong. Kisa, I have no intention of preventing you from conversing with members of the opposite sex. I just didn’t realize you two had become close enough to share worries.”

It sounded somewhat like he was expressing hurt feelings, leaving Kisa at a loss for words.

She hadn’t expected Seyerd to be concerned about such things.

“And about Gabriel Williams’ worries…”

Just as Seyerd was about to say something about Gabriel,

“Your Grace.”

Gilliam, who had just entered the banquet hall, approached them with somewhat urgent steps.

“What is it?”

In response to his master’s question, he reported in a quiet voice.

“The youngest princess has just arrived.”

“The princess?”

“Yes, I’ve shown her to the reception room for now, but she says she has an urgent matter to discuss with you. She also said that if you’re busy with engagement preparations, she’ll come here herself.”

“…I see.”

Seyerd murmured lowly, then turned his gaze to Kisa.

“Kisa, why do you think the princess has come so early?”

Having no idea, she shook her head.

“I’m not sure either.”

The Arta that Kisa knew was the type to be late rather than early for appointments.

Even if she were someone who was always early, arriving three hours before the start of a reception was not common sense.

“You have no idea at all?”

Kisa was about to answer no, I don’t, when she met Seyerd’s eyes and somehow found herself closing her mouth.

For some reason, his gaze looking down at her felt searching.

However, that was just a momentary impression, and when she looked again, he seemed no different from usual.

“This is troublesome. I wonder what she’s thinking.”

Seyerd stroked his chin as he said this, then apologized to Kisa.

“I’m sorry, but I think I need to go attend to the princess.”

“Oh, I’m fine with that.”

Although it was disappointing that they couldn’t inspect the engagement preparations together, it wouldn’t be proper for servants to deal with a princess of the realm.

“Um, should I come with you?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. Someone should remain in the banquet hall just in case. There might be decisions that need to be made on the spot.”

It was a reasonable point, so Kisa didn’t insist further.

It also felt a bit awkward to meet the princess together with Seyerd, given that she had become a source of conflict between them.

“In any case, we can’t have the princess come to this chaotic place.”

With those final words, Seyerd headed towards the main building of the mansion where the reception room was located.

Kisa watched the place where he had left for a moment, then remembered what she had been about to do earlier.

Before the engagement ceremony began, she felt she should check on Gabriel’s condition at least once.

“Gabriel, good afternoon.”

“…Oh, yes. Hello.”

The man responded to Kisa’s greeting more shyly than usual.

He seemed embarrassed now about having revealed his unrequited love to Kisa earlier.

Kisa asked in a lowered voice.

“Are you really okay? If you want to quit, just say so. I’ll try to do something about it.”

“No, it’s fine. I can do it.”

His attitude was uncharacteristically firm.

“This time, I will definitely perform a piece befitting a celebratory occasion.”

“You don’t have to force yourself. Seyerd probably wouldn’t withdraw his offer to help with your studies even if you gave up on the performance.”

“…It’s not about that.”

After hesitating for a moment, Gabriel confided one fact to Kisa.

“Actually, this is my last chance to play for the one I love. When I go to Octava this time, I don’t plan to return.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. You probably didn’t know that person would be attending today, and I’ve surprised you.”

No, I knew very well.

Who else would attend Seyerd’s engagement ceremony if not Seyerd himself?