The Duke sighed again.

“It feels like just yesterday when I brought you home, only reaching up to my knee. When did you grow up like this?”

The Duke’s sighmixed words made my heart heavy too.

“Yes, I’ll approve your engagement. We can’t just keep postponing it forever. Prince His seems to be a good man, too……”

It was the word I had so wanted to hear. But looking at the Duke’s eyes wavering like the surface of a lake struck by a stone, I couldn’t be completely happy.

I bit my lips for a moment and then slowly opened my mouth.

“Thank you…… Father.”

The Duke’s eyes wavered even more, but he closed them and wore a warm smile.

“Yes. Our daughter, if you want to come back, just say so. There will always be a place for you in the ducal house.”

The engagement that had been dragged on for so long was finalized, and the engagement ceremony was conducted promptly.

The ducal residence was bustling with people for the first time in a long while, holding the engagement ceremony there.

“Congratulations!”

Esmeralda smiled brightly and offered her congratulations. Following her, Count Majine also wore his characteristic thin smile.

Esmeralda’s eyes trembled anxiously as her mother approached.

“I also offer my congratulations. I’ve thought so all along, but you and the prince make a great couple.”

Countess Majine’s emotionless eyes scanned me once.

“I wish for your bond to be eternal.”

I smiled awkwardly and nodded.

“Congratulations, thank you.”

Even while receiving the constant greetings from guests, I continued to glance around the banquet hall. The Duchess was chatting with the noblewomen in one corner, and the Duke was with the Emperor.

But Kirian was nowhere to be seen. He had seemed not to be coming home in recent days, but I didn’t expect him to miss the engagement ceremony.

“Mother, are you looking for someone?”

Countess Majine seemed to notice my looking around and abruptly asked.

“No, no.”

I wanted to evade her uncomfortable question, but…

“I don’t see Prince Kirian, do I?”

Countess Majine’s mouth twisted further upward.

“You must be very disappointed. But even though it’s his only sister’s engagement ceremony…… to be absent.”

“No. Kirian has been busy lately.”

He probably doesn’t think of me as his sister anymore. I choked on the words I couldn’t utter.

“No matter how busy, it’s his only sister’s engagement ceremony……”

“Even if he’s busy, it’s his only sister’s engagement ceremony……”

My voice trailed off, lost in the words that I couldn’t speak aloud.

Certainly, I will follow the guidelines for translating the passage:

Marquis Majine slurred his words, and Esmeralda looked confused between the two of us, but I no longer heard the Marquis’ voice.

“Then we won’t be family anymore, will we?”

Kirian’s words that night still seemed to echo in my ears.

In the end, Kirian did not appear throughout the engagement ceremony.

I looked for Kirian even when the Emperor was giving his congratulatory speech, even when the tearful Duchess hugged me tightly, even when the Duke handed me over to His with sharp eyes, even when His and I lit the candle together. But Kirian never showed up in the end.

“Then we won’t be family anymore, will we?”

It seems Kirian was sincere.

“Princess Reina, we finally did it.”

His grinned, holding both of my hands.

“I’ll really do well. Trust me.”

I didn’t know what he meant by doing well.

I had gotten engaged and was about to receive the money, so now it was my turn to be an excellent fiancée and elevate His to the prince’s position.

As His gripped my hand tightly, speaking with force in every word, he looked utterly serious.

“You’re already doing well. It’s me who has to make the effort.”

I smiled back at him, biting my tongue every time the corner of my mouth threatened to tremble.

“Princess, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

When His touched the corner of my eye, I realized it was stinging.

“You look like you’re about to cry.”

I pulled up the corners of my mouth with all my might.

“Ahaha. Is that so? I’m just so happy. So happy……”

Only after the engagement ceremony was over did I realize that I couldn’t remember what dress I wore, what food I ate, or what gifts I received.

That night, an uninvited guest entered His’s room without permission.

“Prince.”

As His’s face, always gentle, turned stiff, Kirian smiled prettily. Only his red eyes shone coldly like jewels.

I had certainly closed the door, so how he got in was a mystery.

“Prince.”

“What’s going on? Entering someone’s room without permission.”

Kirian began to slowly look around the room without a hint of apology. Every gesture was so leisurely. He looked like an uninvited guest, not at all like the frozen His.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, so I should say hello.”

Kirian smirked.

“You’ve taken quite a nice room. I knew my mother cherished you, Prince, but I didn’t know you’d get a better room than the Emperor. Prince His must be pleased. Now everyone’s on your side.”

“What do you want to say?”

I used to play and tease him when he was younger, but seeing Kirian after a long time, I couldn’t deal with him casually as he gave off an unprecedented dangerous vibe.

Kirian tilted his head slightly, wearing a twisted smile. His look was so creepy that His’s hairs stood on end for a moment.

“I think I know now, Prince His.”

Despite his sparkling eyes, Kirian’s voice was utterly flat.

“You’re using my sister for political purposes, aren’t you?”