A few days ago, when Eric went to tell his parents about his engagement to Alicia, he realized his mistake when he saw his father trying to give him the ducal ring.

Since it was a contract engagement, the ducal ring seemed burdensome, but he thought they should at least keep up appearances, so he was curious about Alicia’s opinion.

“A ring?”

“Ah, if you don’t want one, that’s fine. We haven’t had an engagement ceremony yet anyway.”

“……”

Even though they hadn’t formally held an engagement ceremony, the fact of their betrothal would be known, so it seemed strange not to have a ring.

Alicia fiddled with her empty fourth finger as she spoke.

“If we’re going to do this, we should do it properly. Let’s get a ring.”

***

“Where is this?”

“It’s a place mainly used by the imperial family and ducal houses. It’s quite historic – rumor has it that it’s been here since the founding of the empire.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“There shouldn’t be any other customers besides us today, so feel free to choose at your leisure.”

“Ah, okay.”

Thinking that the shopping level of a ducal house was indeed different, Alicia followed Eric inside.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Thank you for your assistance.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.”

“Hello.”

“I’ve prepared some options based on what I was told in advance, but if you could let me know what style you prefer, I can narrow down a few recommendations.”

“Hmm-. I like simple designs. Something that won’t get in the way and is comfortable to wear.”

“Pardon?”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, the shop manager couldn’t help but ask again.

Usually, people talk about their favorite gemstones or trendy designs.

But like the professional salesperson she was, she quickly regained her composure and put on white gloves.

“Then I’ll show you a few options. Please wait a moment.”

She then began busily arranging rings on a glass display case.

Meanwhile, Alicia started looking around the shop.

Having never really been interested in things like jewelry, she was glancing around indifferently when her gaze lingered on one spot.

‘A butterfly?’

It was an ornament with various blue gemstones densely set in butterfly wings.

Overall, it was shimmering in mysterious shades of blue, and even at a glance, it didn’t look like something made recently.

“What is it?”

“Ah, this.”

“A butterfly?”

“Doesn’t it look really old? I guess the story about it being here since the founding of the empire might be true.”

Overhearing their conversation, the manager approached.

“Would you like to see it?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Just take a look.”

She took the butterfly ornament from the display case and handed it to Alicia.

As Alicia reluctantly accepted it, it glinted in the sunlight, and one of the butterfly’s wings fell off.

“Ah-”

A startled Alicia looked at the manager and quickly put it down on the display case.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would break so easily-”

“It’s alright, miss. It’s quite old, and the design isn’t really trendy these days, so we were going to repair it anyway. I’m sorry for troubling you.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? The repair costs-”

“Oh no, it’s fine. It’s just an old piece. It’s surprising it lasted this long. Now, shall we look at the rings?”

The manager smiled and led Eric and Alicia to the opposite side.

***

“I’ll take this one. What do you think?”

“Are you sure this is alright?”

“Yes, I like this one.”

It was a simple ring without any attached gemstones.

Of course, Eric preferred this, but he had heard that women usually like something shiny and small but with something big attached, so he was puzzled.

“What do you think, Eric? Won’t it be uncomfortable when holding a sword?”

“This should be fine. And even if it were, I’m not supposed to take it off, right?”

“That’s true. You’re right.”

Eric’s words, accompanied by a slight smile, made Alicia nod in agreement as she turned her gaze back to the ring, staring at it intently.

“?”

“It’s just two small circles, but it feels like it binds us more surely than a signature.”

“Ah.”

“Oh my, miss. Wait until you sign the marriage vows. Then you’ll feel not just bound, but constrained.”

As both of them turned to look, the shop manager cleared her throat and held out the packaged ring box.

“Marriage isn’t always like that. There are many good things too.”

The shop manager added with a forced smile, and Eric and Alicia also awkwardly smiled as they accepted the ring box.

***

“Commander. Is it true?”

As soon as Eric entered his office after arriving at work in the morning, Allen barged in.

“What?”

“I heard you’re getting engaged?”

“…Yes.”

“Who is it?”

“The daughter of Earl Lancaster.”

“Oh, is she pretty?”

“……”

He didn’t understand why that was curious. Whether she was pretty or not had nothing to do with Allen.

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard again, and other subordinates rushed in.

“Commander, are you engaged?”

“Not yet. But soon.”

“Who is it?”

“The daughter of the Lancaster family.”

“Is she pretty?”

“……”

Anyway, all men seem to be the same. Why are they curious about such things?

But faced with their sparkling eyes demanding an answer, Eric frowned but thought for a moment.

‘If asked if she’s pretty-. So, what kind of feeling was it.’

It’s different from feeling that flowers or jewels are pretty. She gave off a somewhat different impression.

“If I had to say, it’s like…”

“Yes, yes?”

“She’s radiant.”

“Woooow.”

To be honest, they hadn’t expected Eric to answer.

They thought he would frown as usual and tell them to leave, or just ignore them altogether.

But for Eric, who was always like that, to give such an answer so willingly – even if a magician or magical beast appeared after 10 years right now, it wouldn’t be more surprising than this.

As that thought crossed their minds, they suddenly started having a heated discussion among themselves, right in front of Eric.

“A halo? You mean she’s glowing to that extent?”

“He’s gone, totally gone. Something’s definitely clouding his eyes.”

“It seems so. Wow, to think we’d live to see the commander like this, it’s really something.”

“So does this mean we don’t have to work overtime anymore?”

‘You idiots, I can hear everything.’

It was awkward to interrupt when they were carrying on like this among themselves, and it was also uncomfortable to see them glancing at him and grinning.

‘I thought I could live quietly after getting engaged, but why does it seem to be getting more troublesome?’

Eric sighed and started gathering the report documents for the imperial palace.

***

“Is what I heard true?”

“What are you referring to?”

On his way to the meeting room in the imperial palace to report to the emperor about the upcoming joint training of the knights, Eric encountered William.

Thinking that it would be difficult to meet by chance in this vast palace, so William must have been waiting, Eric deliberately asked gruffly to William, who was approaching with a grin.

“That you’re getting engaged to the daughter of Earl Lancaster.”

“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”

“Is she pretty?”

“……”

When Eric just closed his mouth, William chuckled.

“Come on, you should tell me such important things directly. I’m hurt.”

“You can consider telling my parents first as the root of the problem.”

“Ah, I understand. So when’s the engagement ceremony?”

“We’re planning to hold it when my father returns from abroad.”

“Oh, ‘father,’ is it?”

Seeing William tease him with a smirk, Eric frowned and ran his hand through his hair, sensing that this wouldn’t end until he was properly teased.

That’s when William noticed the ring.

“Oh, ooh, a ring.”

William lifted Eric’s arm to check the ring, to which Eric pulled his arm away, asking what he was doing.

“You’ve succeeded. As expected of Britannia’s number one eligible bachelor.”

“?”

“They say her nickname is ‘The Haughty Swan Lady.’ I’m talking about the daughter of Earl Lancaster.”

“Is that so?”

“You didn’t know? They say she’s famous for being so haughty that it’s difficult to even approach her casually. She’s known as the iron-walled lady.”

“I didn’t know.”

“How did you meet her without knowing that?”

“…It just happened somehow.”

“Well, they say fortune favors the bold. You just happened to meet? While others were going crazy just trying to talk to her?”

“It wasn’t easy.”

He recalled being firmly rejected twice in the past.

“Pfft.”

Suddenly, laughter burst out.

“What’s so funny?”

“A swan, huh? Heheh.”

It was indeed a fitting nickname.

Just like a swan that seems elegant and haughty on the surface but is constantly moving its feet underwater to swim, Alicia appears graceful and aloof, but in reality, she’s working hard as the head of her household.

But the fact that people, including himself, hadn’t noticed at all was also-

“Heheh.”

“What’s this? Are you so happy you can’t stop thinking about it?”

William looked at Eric, who was leaning against the wall and chuckling, with a bewildered expression.

***

It was a meeting to report to the Emperor about the joint training with the First Knight Commander, Lord Edinburgh.

“Good work. Make sure to take all precautions to prevent accidents.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, right. Earl Russell.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we have a cup of tea?”

“Ah, yes.”

The Emperor stood up, gestured for William to follow, and started walking.

Behind him followed Eric, looking puzzled, and William, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn’t know what was going on either.

***

“I hear you’re engaged to the daughter of Earl Lancaster?”

“…Yes.”

“So you’re finally doing it. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Eric’s sour expression that seemed to say ‘How did you know?’, the Emperor laughed amusedly.

“Duke Gloucester came and boasted about it already. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Duke so excited.”

“I’m sorry.”

The Emperor laughed loudly again as Eric lowered his head in embarrassment.

“And here our princes are still like this.”

“Ugh.”

As the Emperor scolded William, who was giggling beside him, Eric shifted his gaze to William and replied.

“I’m sure they’ll do so soon.”

“Haha. Now you’re all relaxed since it’s not your problem anymore.”

“That’s right. Earl Russell. I’ll be watching how you live to decide, so set a good example.”

“Well, it seems I’ll have to manage you first to get William married. I’ll be keeping an eye on you too.”

“……”

Eric finally closed his mouth under the joint attack from the Emperor and William.

“Well, it’s in the past now so I can say this, but I once thought she might make a good princess consort.”

Both Eric and William looked at the Emperor at this unexpected remark.

“Harry will be quite disappointed.”

But at the words that followed, Eric turned his head to William, and William shook his head slightly, indicating that this was the first he’d heard of it too.

Regardless of their reactions, the Emperor nodded as if he had come to some understanding.

“But I suppose the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, or someone like you, could handle it.”

“?”

Something about that phrase seemed to bother Eric, so he watched the Emperor closely, but the Emperor just continued to chuckle to himself, seemingly amused.

***

“Hey, Eric.”

Eric stopped in his tracks and turned around at the sound of William calling him.

“Don’t worry about what Father said. It’s all in the past anyway.”

“I know.”

“Come to think of it, I recently overheard Harry talking with the Empress. At the time, I wondered why they were suddenly discussing women, but I guess that’s what it was about.”

“I see.”

In truth, Eric didn’t have much contact with Prince Harry, partly because of William.

But Harry always looked gloomy and didn’t have a good impression, and his birth mother, the Empress, had a strong personality that was difficult to get along with, so Eric didn’t think he would be a good match for Alicia.

“What’s this? I was worried you might have gotten engaged just because you were pressured, but it seems you’re serious?”

“Pardon?”

“Still, Harry is a prince. It’s problematic if you show such obvious killing intent.”

“When did I do that?”

“Your expression just now was completely like that.”

“That’s not possible.”

He had merely thought that Prince Harry wouldn’t suit Alicia. And that was just for a moment.

William reluctantly nodded at Eric’s firm response.

“Alright, let’s leave it at that. So what are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to the Duke’s residence. To pick up my fiancée.”

“Wow.”

Eric started walking, leaving behind a dumbfounded William.

He was thinking of discussing Prince Harry with his father, the Duke of Gloucester, while he was at the ducal residence.