022. Fiancees
It has only been one day since the Holy Emperor began his closing prayers. The air in Jinju Palace was changing rapidly.
Jinju Palace, which was like a small isolated island within the imperial palace, began to see a gradual increase in the number of people coming and going.
Attendants carrying letters came and went, and small gift boxes and flower bouquets began to be delivered.
Although some time had passed since the access restrictions were lifted, the reason for this belated change was obvious. This means that until now, people were anxious and worried about the success.
As requests for visits started coming in from all over, the only dedicated maid became very busy as well.
“Wow, we’re in big trouble. Lowering!”
As we were just leaving the lobby for morning training, Edith called out to Seongjin with a very nervous look on her face.
“What’s going on?”
“A message has just arrived from the Ruby Palace. “The Empress is coming with an important guest, so she told me to prepare the tea table without a hitch!”
Isn’t that just ordinary hospitality?
“what’s the problem?”
Seongjin looked at Edith with a tearful look on her face.
“But I don’t know how to make tea properly?”
“… what?”
you man So you are fully aware that your workmanship is poor, and yet you have been bringing me such tasteless tea?
Seongjin felt his blood pressure slowly rising.
“Why did you get a job as a maid if you don’t even know how to make tea?”
“I didn’t really know. “In the first place, the only requirement for the job was to be an [Auror user].”
Uh, okay. You said you were originally an aspiring knight.
Still, isn’t it already her second year as a maid? There’s still time to learn how to make tea.
However, Edith also had her own excuse.
“I didn’t really enjoy tea, and I never really had guests visit me.”
“I heard that your father comes here sometimes?”
“His Majesty always comes accompanied by the Chief Chamberlain, so I had nothing else to do. “Luis prepared the perfect refreshments at the main palace.”
Now that I think about it, it seems that Louis personally served tea during the last audience.
“Maybe it’s good? I just did some practice, and it tastes just like rotten grass. “How do I serve this to my guests?”
You know very well what the tea you brew tastes like.
“Well, tea is basically water. “Wouldn’t it be okay?”
When Edith responded carelessly, she stamped her foot.
“But you! It is said that the Empress entrusted her to God. “She said that since it was the first day of her fiancé’s visit to the Jinju Palace, there should be nothing lacking in her hospitality!”
Seongjin heard something he couldn’t hear there and asked Edith back.
“Wait a minute, Edith. But am I engaged?”
“That’s right. “When did you get engaged without my knowledge, my dear?”
“… huh?”
“… yes?”
* * *
“I invited the Valois Lady to the imperial palace because of my enemy. But suddenly, didn’t you realize that it was still the first time you two had met each other? “Even though marriage talks took a long time.”
When Empress Lizabeth arrived at Jinju Palace, Seongjin managed to sit down at the well-designed tea table.
The Empress did not find any flaws when she saw the assorted tea table. Although she didn’t particularly sit back and try to taste it.
This was a fortunate thing for Edith. Seongjin unconsciously took a sip of the tea in front of him, and a deep, bitter taste, like boiled bile, came up.
‘I always think, how can water made with grass taste like this?’
Trying to control his expression, Seongjin turned to face the new visitor the Empress had brought.
Lady Valois, Chloe Mia de Valois.
With her light, fluttering curly hair and a water-colored dress, she is a small girl who looks as if she could float into the sky with a tap.
According to the empress, the Valois family is a great noble family with roots in Brittany, and is a prestigious family that has produced outstanding scholars for generations. The dean of Delcross Theological Academy is also from the Valois family.
So, even before Chloe was born, there were occasional marriage talks with Mores on the empress’s ship. Fortunately, it’s still only a private story, and it doesn’t seem like they’re officially engaged.
okay. Considering the times, a prenatal engagement is not something that cannot be understood. The problem was the other person’s age.
‘… ’12 years old?’
Since Mores is 15 years old, the calculation is that there will be a fairly good age difference once they become adults. Of course, if it’s the real Mores.
Even if we estimate Seongjin’s age before he died, he would have been sixty-four. At 12, he would have been almost the age of his granddaughter.
No matter how much he decided to pretend to be Mores and live on iron plates, this was far beyond what he could handle.
The girl sitting across from me was quietly chewing her dessert and bobbing her legs. Cold sweat broke out on Seongjin’s back as she looked at that scene.
“Seeing the two of you together makes me even more confident in this marriage talk. “Aren’t they a truly beautiful couple to look at?”
“… … .”
Seongjin frowned without realizing it, and had to drink the poisonous tea once more to hide it.
Beyond the bitter taste, my tongue is numb.
Edith, you probably didn’t poison the tea, did you?
Anyway, it was an awkward tea time with the Empress talking alone and the two parties to the engagement remaining silent.
“It’s been a while since we had such a friendly tea time. Seeing the prince so calm made the Valois Lady really like it. “I’m satisfied that the two of you seem to be a better fit than I thought.”
Ah, it’s okay just to not make a fuss.
Afterwards, Empress Lizabeth talked for a long time about small topics such as the weather, the latest news at famous salons in society, and the newly launched 7th Knights of the Imperial Guard.
Chloe quietly chewed the snack and chimed in, while Seongjin just nodded absentmindedly and continued to sip bitter tea.
“I was so oblivious. “I was enjoying the conversation so much that I didn’t notice how quickly time passed.”
How much time had passed? Empress Lizabeth stood up, leaving Chloe behind.
“I’ll get up first, so you two can chat a little longer. “It’s rare for the two of us to meet each other, so I shouldn’t waste that precious time like this.”
As if saying that the conversation was enjoyable was not an empty statement, the corners of the Empress’s eyes, which usually seemed sensitive, softened considerably.
After her, the maids and knights left in a hurry, leaving only Edith and the two betrothed people alone in the large drawing room.
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‘This is causing trouble.’
Seongjin clicked his tongue as he looked at the little girl who quietly observed his thoughts and picked up a snack.
I’m not used to dealing with children… … .
Seongjin thought for a moment and cautiously opened his mouth.
“hmm. So, Lady Chloe… … .”
“Please call me Chloe, sir.”
The girl swallowed the piece of macaron she was chewing and spoke.
I thought he had a timid personality because he had kept quiet until now, but his blunt tone was unexpectedly bold.
“While marriage talks are going on, keeping too much of a distance can also be a topic of conversation for others.”
“… … .”
The girl slightly folded her eyes and made something similar to a smile. Of course, those eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“I don’t know why you look at me with such a sorry face. “Sir, are you planning to embarrass me by refusing to marry me?”
This young girl seemed to have astutely sensed some of the reluctance Seongjin was feeling.
As the saying goes. Seong-jin, who wanted to reveal her intention to refuse to surround her for her sake, realized that the matter was not so simple.
“If this engagement is broken, Chloe… Are you going to get in trouble?”
“Well, there won’t be any trouble. “It’s just that you feel embarrassed by the elders of your family, you feel embarrassed among the ladies you interact with, you become embarrassed in the social world you will debut in, and you just want to die.”
… This is going to be very difficult.
“Isn’t it burdensome to already decide to get married at such a young age?”
“It’s a burden. The very fact of marrying into the Seonghwang family is a great honor for the family. “No matter who the opponent is.”
Even if it’s a famous bitch.
The girl’s raised eyebrows seemed to have swallowed these words. However, Seongjin had no intention of reacting to each of her child’s minor provocations, which had distorted her judgment.
“As such, it won’t be easy to redeem it later. Family honor does not guarantee Chloe’s happiness, so wouldn’t it be better to be a little more cautious when it comes to marriage? Is it okay to make a choice so strictly for the sake of the family?”
“… yes?”
“You may suddenly have other future aspirations or want to live abroad. Or maybe later on, there will be someone you really want to marry.”
“… … .”
“In any case, after the marriage has progressed to a certain extent, it will not be feasible.”
“hmm… … .”
Chloe removed the sneer from her mouth and became serious. After observing Seongjin’s face for quite some time, she carefully opened her mouth.
“… Lowering?”
“huh?”
“Do you think that I was forced to come here because I could not withstand the pressure from my family?”
It was the perfect answer.
Why isn’t there such a stereotype? A 12-year-old young noble girl would somehow think, ‘I will later marry a prince on a white horse! It looks like she’s about to burst into tears, saying, ‘I don’t like the person chosen by my family!’
ah. Of course, Mores is similar to a prince.
“Are you willing to sacrifice your life for your family?”
“Isn’t that what it is?”
“no.”
Chloe answered firmly and touched the corner of her mouth covered in cookie crumbs with her finger.
“Hmm, this is a bit surprising.”
The girl looked at Seongjin with slightly deeper eyes, as if she had been thinking a lot.
“I think you are truly worried about me, so I will be honest with you. “The fact that I have already discussed marriage with the Seonghwang family before my debutante debut alone will allow me to attract a lot of attention when I debut in the social world.”
“… “Is that important?”
“That’s right. From now on, my influence in the social world will soon become my strength and an asset for life. “It is by no means a choice just for the family.”
Chloe seemed to have a fairly firm opinion about this marriage discussion. I heard that the family has many scholars for generations, and this young kid also has unique thoughts.
As she was agreeing with a somewhat uneasy feeling, she glanced at Seongjin’s gaze and continued speaking cautiously.
“Besides, I don’t think you need to attach much importance to this marriage talk.”
“… why?”
“It’s not a relationship where both sides feel heavy responsibility. “I’m sure I’m not the only person you talk to about marriage who ‘just talks’.”
Do you have another fiancee?
When Seongjin looked at Chloe in shock, she smiled slightly mischievously.
“Isabella, daughter of the wealthy man Scarzapino, and Giulia Maier, granddaughter of Cardinal Maier and a knight of the Royal Guard. “They both come from prominent families and are now in full bloom, showing off their mature beauty.”
Isabella Scarzzapino, known as the flower of society, and Julia Maier, who was given an unprecedented assignment as an adjutant of the 7th Knights at a young age in recognition of her outstanding talent as a knight.
As Seongjin listened to Chloe’s explanation, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Empress Lizabeth suddenly left after talking for a while about major news in the social world and the newly launched 7th Knights. She thought that her occasional sidelong glances at Seongjin’s face were simply due to her concern for Mores’ health.
The Empress relayed the current status of other marriage partners and observed Seongjin’s reactions.
“It seems you have no memory of them at all, sir.”
And the Empress got the answer, and left with a somewhat satisfied look on her face.
Seongjin’s mouth stiffened. A new awareness of Empress Lizabeth arose.
I thought she was just a pathetic mother with a crazy son, but why did she just spin people around instead of asking them openly? Does she have something to hide from Mores?
Above all, the fact that she created this situation as if she had been waiting for Seonghwang as soon as he left the room does not prove that she was also watching Seonghwang’s thoughts until now.
“No marriage talks have been confirmed yet. Marriage talks, which are only mentioned in private for a long time, are bound to have something to gain from each other the longer they go on. So, low… … .”
Chloe’s smile faded a little as she took in Seongjin’s stiff expression.
“If the reason you don’t want to talk about getting married is purely because you’re worried about my position, then please don’t refuse the marriage talk in the first place.”
“… okay. “I just wait patiently for Chloe to kick me.”
Since Mores’ reputation is already at an all-time low, it would be a big deal to have one or two more heartbreaks. It’s not that difficult.
When Seongjin nodded obediently, Chloe blushed a little and immediately raised her teacup with a relieved expression. Although he always had a relaxed attitude, he seemed to be worried that someone might break the marriage agreement without permission.
“for a moment… … !”
She must have been quite thirsty, so she gulped down the tea without Seongjin having time to stop her.
“… Big! oh!”
Chloe’s eyes widened as she barely managed to swallow the tea without spitting it out.
The trembling eyes stayed for a long time on Seongjin, who stood up from his seat and then stopped. Soon, her eyes alternately look at Sungjin’s already half-empty teacup and Edith’s face.
Chloe’s eyes turned to Seongjin’s face again, and there was a new realization.
“Sir, you are a much more generous person than I thought.”
How dare you still keep something like that alive.
Although she didn’t say it out loud, it was clear what her cold gaze toward Edith was saying.
gulp. I could hear Edith swallowing dryly from behind me.
* * *
“How was the imperial palace, young lady?”
On the carriage ride back to the mansion, the maid cautiously asked Chloe, who was unusually quiet.
The little girl, who had been so nervous in the morning and raised her eyebrows like a hedgehog, now sat quietly as if she was deep in thought.
“Well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
You don’t know how annoyed I was when I suddenly received an invitation from Empress Lizabeth last night.
I thought it was a good conversation and that it wasn’t going to be a deep story in the first place. Not only did Prince Mores not have a very good reputation, but there were already plenty of other excellent candidates for crown princess.
Perhaps that’s why the Empress invited Chloe. Because she was the most formidable opponent to tell me to come as I please.
‘I did… … .’
Contrary to rumors, Prince Mores, whom I met in person, was an extremely handsome boy. I heard that he also has a temperamental personality, but today I saw him and he seemed quite thoughtful and serious.
Instead of ignoring her like a child like everyone else did, I treated her like a proper lady. She was even secretly cool when she confirmed that she would dump him.
Chloe muttered as she touched her slightly heated cheeks.
“I think I’ll at least send a bouquet of flowers to Jinju Palace on a regular basis from now on.”
“… yes?”
The maid asked back in confusion, but Chloe’s small mind was already spinning quickly.
Isabella Scarzapino, who believes in her natural beauty and whose arrogance is sky-high.
Julia Maier is devoted to knight training and is famous for being an impenetrable barrier to suitors.
‘good. If we move quickly, there is no chance of victory.’
Hehehe.
With the bewildered maid in front of her, Chloe smiled softly and clenched her fists.
fantasy,
