When Lucas entered the engagement ceremony venue, he had appeared indifferent, but now he was clearly showing his dislike and displeasure towards his fiancée.

“With this, in the name of God, we conclude the engagement ceremony between His Highness the Crown Prince of the Tern Empire and the daughter of Duke Astel.”

While fireworks prepared by the guests exploded and flower girls on the second floor scattered petals, a chill ran between the two who had just become engaged.

“Had I known you were such a large woman, I would have included a kneeling procedure in the ceremony.”

Lucas’ words, spoken amidst the fireworks and commotion, were directed solely at Serena. Unable to hold back any longer, Serena retorted:

“If I had known Your Highness was so small, I would have worn lower heels.”

A spark of tension, like an unyielding battle of nerves, crackled between their gazes. Of course, unfortunately for Lucas, he was still looking up at Serena.

“You dare… call me small?”

His thoughtlessly thrown words seemed to have hit a sore spot, as a flare of anger ignited in his pitch-black eyes. The sharp glare from his dark eyes was quite fierce.

“Compared to what I expected… yes.”

At Serena’s honest answer, Lucas furrowed his brow deeply and glared at her.

“I don’t like such a tall woman either.”

In her previous life, such words would have hurt her tremendously. But now…

“I agree.”

“What?”

Lucas raised one eyebrow.

“This engagement doesn’t suit me either.”

With a slight smirk, Serena gave an elegant smile with her pink-tinted lips.

“I don’t particularly care for men shorter than me either.”

“So, are you saying I’m…?”

Instead of giving a troublesome answer, Serena just kept smiling. This made Lucas, who stood glaring at her, look even younger and more childish.

“Ha, fine. We’ll postpone the kiss of oath until the wedding. Until I return for the wedding ceremony, Your Ladyship’s status shall remain as it was yesterday.”

The corner of the boy’s mouth twisted oddly, forming a sneer.

“That is, if the day of our wedding ever comes.”

These words rang out softly and lowly, as if threatening Serena.

However, that sharp threat couldn’t mar Serena’s smile in the slightest.

Fortunately, he wasn’t such an important figure in Serena’s life.

They would end up marrying someday, but nothing worthy of a married couple ever happened between them. In other words, this meant their relationship would end here.

But thinking of the troubles Serena would face in the future because of this brief encounter, she didn’t feel inclined to go easy on him just because he was still a young boy.

“If such a day comes… well…”

Serena deliberately bent down to match the height of his ear.

“I hope Your Highness will have grown taller than me by then.”

In that moment, before Lucas, flushed with embarrassment, could say anything, Serena smiled with a sense of victory.

The smile she wore as she straightened her back was incredibly dignified, and in reality, quite high for the current Lucas.

“This goes beyond displeasure to anger. It would be best if you never spoke to me so carelessly again.”

Though Lucas’s words were full of anger, Serena didn’t particularly mind.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

If they couldn’t be close anyway, it was better to give up early and live comfortably. Having experienced death once, she no longer wanted to beg for others’ affection or try to fit their standards.

Even without that, life would be full of brilliant things, so a future husband who would live coldly for life didn’t matter much.

“…Ha!”

Though their conversation was meant to be secret, no one missed the sight of the Crown Prince turning his back with a frustrated expression.

“Hmph.”

Of course, the future Crown Princess who turned her back and let out a small laugh at the sight was no pushover either.

Even if her partner was only fourteen, seeing someone so much smaller than her throw a tantrum made her want to respond in kind just to feel better.

“This is the worst day of the year.”

Fortunately, the maids assisting with the ceremony sensed the chilly atmosphere and separated Serena as quickly as possible.

“For the first time today, I agree with Your Highness.”

However, they couldn’t stop the future Crown Princess from having the last word, and somehow the engagement ceremony ended with the Crown Prince’s face flushed red.

The first impressions of the 14-year-old Crown Prince and the 18-year-old Duke’s daughter at their engagement ceremony were the worst, and their future relationship was bound to be the worst as well.

“Oh my, oh my.”

“Already…”

Years later, the nobles who had attended that ceremony would repeatedly recall and gossip about how childish and unbecoming the engagement had been for both parties.

“I wonder who should go to the battlefield…”

“He does look quite valiant, indeed.”

“Oh my, you shouldn’t say such things.”

A few sarcastic remarks could be heard clearly from behind elegant clothes and fans, but thanks to the Emperor’s stern gaze, no bloodshed occurred.

“Hmm, everyone should mind their words.”

At the Pope’s words, the groups gathered here and there began to disperse slightly.

“Hmm, was an engagement ceremony always like this?”

The Emperor frowned, recalling the two who had turned their backs after a childish quarrel that was beyond mere coldness.

“Isn’t marriage always full of twists and turns?”

Duke Roger, Serena’s father, spoke calmly despite having witnessed all of this.

“The Duke speaks true. There’s no marriage without war in this world. Well then, shall we raise a toast to the fulfillment of our agreement?”

“I was planning to leave for the west right away…”

“Don’t be like that. Have a drink with me tonight and tell me about your wanderings. It would be perfect if you leave after watching the Crown Prince’s departure ceremony tomorrow morning.”

With no more excuses to refuse, Duke Astel nodded. The Emperor then cast aside formalities and, as they used to do on the battlefield, put his arm around the Duke’s shoulder and disappeared together.

Regardless of how the parties involved felt, the fact that the political marriage arranged by the Emperor and Duke Astel had taken its first step successfully was the most important thing.

* * *

The Emperor and Duke Astel immediately agreed to separate the two for the time being. Thanks to this, Serena was able to return to the Duke’s residence right away and was also excused from attending the Crown Prince’s departure ceremony tomorrow.

“Um, my lady…”

Anna, who hadn’t been able to say a word in the carriage, hesitantly spoke to Serena as she changed her clothes.

“You must be very tired today. You don’t know each other yet, and what others are saying is too…”

“I don’t care.”

Serena responded unexpectedly indifferently and gulped down water from the table as if her throat was parched.

“Well, I might be better off going to the battlefield myself rather than him.”

Recalling the sharp gaze of the boy who had glared at her, she only thought that his temper must be quite something. But being so small, could he even properly wield a sword?

“Besides, even if I’m a bit on the tall side, he was exceptionally short, wasn’t he?”

The Astel family had many warriors throughout generations, and Serena’s father also boasted an exceptionally sturdy build.

“Even if he’s four years younger, it looks like I could win even in a sword fight. It’s not my fault, it’s because His Highness is small.”

Although she said she didn’t care, Serena seemed annoyed by the few words she had heard from the guests and redirected her frustration towards Lucas.

“His Highness is still growing…”

“He was smaller than the aide standing next to him. Usually aides are around the same age as their lords, who is he trying to fool?”

“He’ll grow quickly. And this campaign won’t be long, so you should be able to meet again in a year.”

That wasn’t true.

According to her memory, Lucas would return from the battlefield at the age of 20.

And that was only because the Crown Prince strongly insisted and stubbornly refused to return to the Imperial Palace.

Perhaps one of the reasons was the existence of his rude fiancée who was taller than him.

“We don’t know when he’ll return.”

However, even if he did return, the relationship between the two wouldn’t change much. Even as years passed and Lucas became Emperor and Serena became Empress, there would be nothing between them.

“My status hasn’t changed yet, we’re only engaged.”

If nothing else, she knew for certain that she should cherish the present. There were countless more worthwhile things to do than waiting for a fiancé who would return in six years with no meaning.

“Father has entrusted me with the domain.”

Unlike during the engagement ceremony, Serena’s eyes sparkled with expectation and joy.

“Pardon? Wasn’t that just a ceremonial statement?”

“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that I now have a chance to do something.”

Serena’s life was already predetermined, but she could choose how to live it.

[Meanwhile, the Empire’s Empress married well past her prime, but due to the cold relationship between the couple, there was no prospect of an heir. It was only natural that the Empire’s nobles and the Imperial family began to look for candidates for the next Empress.]

In the original story, Serena’s life was described so simply. Her relationship with the boy she met today would remain cold for life, and the delayed wedding was all due to his late return from the battlefield, but it was written as if everyone could see that the Empress was incompetent.

“Please rest well today.”

“I will. There’s plenty of time.”

Serena didn’t need to rush.

“Tomorrow, arrange to clear out Father’s office and prepare my place.”

“Tomorrow?”

But she had no intention of putting it off too much either.

“Yes. Since I’ve been entrusted with the domain, I should try to do something.”

Serena smiled brightly, full of life.

Although it was a fertile domain passed down through generations, since Duke Roger was always wandering outside, there would surely be areas that needed Serena’s attention.

“Yes, I’ll inform the head servant.”

Anna nodded, thinking it was just a whim of Serena who was upset from the engagement ceremony.

In the following six years, no one could predict how many changes Serena would bring as the acting Duke.

Not even Serena herself.