Chapter 5.1

Shortly thereafter, the engagement news of Kaon and Alessia was officially announced.

Kaon, having had his breakdown earlier, was calm, but the rest of the household wasn’t, as the announcement had been delayed in consideration of the negative public opinion that would inevitably crescendo.

“You mean that Ingelos? Oh my!”

“What are those wicked men trying to do with Ferdinand?!”

A commotion broke out in the estate.

“Ah! How could there be such disgrace? Our young master fell in love at first sight and wooed that… Ingelos…!”

The situation inside the mansion was no different. Baroness Robert, who loved their duchy’s legacy very much, wiped away tears of anger brought on by the rumors flying in from the capital.

[The prince of Ferdinand fell in love at first sight and convinced his older sister to negotiate with the Ingelos family, which thus resulted in the finalization of an engagement.]

She was grossly offended by the rumors that were so biased that they made Kaon appear like he was lovesick.

In the first place, Leonida was the one who spread those rumors to avoid the king’s scrutiny. However, there was no way for the entire household to know that, and the idea of it was too absurd for anyone to believe him if he did reveal his older sister’s involvement.

Kaon did feel a bit indignant.

Baroness Robert grabbed his hands and spoke, half-sobbing, “Young Master, we will always remember your noble sacrifice.”

“Wait, no, it’s not…” he muttered, a bit embarrassed even though he had always been prepared to bear the burden of being their family’s scapegoat.

It was extremely uncomfortable to be talked to and about like that, because while it was true that he had accepted the engagement for the sake of Ferdinand’s future, it was also true that that was the simplest of all their available options. Kaon merely chose the easiest way out.

“Don’t worry. We will take responsibility for the future,” the baroness assured him, which was the first clue that they were no longer on the same page, the second being the gleam of determination in her eyes. “We plan to show our determination.”

“…What kind of determination are you talking about?”

She was acting far too solemnly.

“We have to show it what Ferdinand is like!” Madeleine, the maid who had been standing behind her and nodding constantly, chimed in.

Unfortunately, it was easy to understand that the word ‘it’ referred to the princess of Ingelos.

“I’m going to showcase the Duchy of Ferdinand’s unique way of living.”

“I will make sure that anyone Ingelos blood will never ignore Ferdinand again.”

“That’s right, Madeleine. Did you understand what I was saying?”

“Yes, madam.”

The two looked at each other intently. There was a kind of camaraderie in their eyes.

In the next moment, she looked back at the other listeners and said dramatically, “Does everyone understand?”

A combination of “Yes!” and “Of course!” rang all over the place, along with “That’ll teach ‘em!” and “Let’s do it!”

Madeleine punched into the air as if making a toast.

Kaon massaged his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache that was likely as strong as all the ones he had ever had together.

And ten days after, on a fine summer day, a carriage bearing the seal of the Duchy of Ingelos entered Ferdinand.

***

The emblem of the Duke of Ingelos was a staff studded with red jewels. The soldier who was monitoring the gate from the watchtower recognized it and immediately reported it.

Ferdinand’s workers, who had been queuing up in two rows—one on either side of the front door—adjusted their postures individually when they heard the news of the princess’s arrival.

It was quite a long distance from the gate to the front door, so it took quite a while for Ingelos’ carriage to appear. Kaon glanced at it as it drove down the road lined with beautiful trees.

Was the road that long? No, was it really that short?

It was a sweltering summer day, bereft of all of spring’s chilly energy.

He’d been waiting for Alessia to arrive for a long time, even counting the dates for some reason, and was currently feeling quite strange.

The road he saw daily hadn’t changed, but the distance seemed to have increased, and yet the carriage looked too close…

Such useless delusions were clearly a symptom of having too many useless thoughts.

‘The temperature in Ingelos is said to be generally low, so will she be able to adapt well to Ferdinand, where the sky is often clear? It’ll also be difficult for her to live in a place so different from what she’s used to.’

His head felt turned inside out from his worrying.

‘I’m allowed to be this concerned, at least. It’s a basic principle to take care of one’s colleagues no matter the situation.’

He rationalized that as a chivalrous knight, it was only appropriate for him to worry.

“Kaon,” Leonida called out quietly.

It meant that he had to get ready to welcome his guest. Yes, his guest, because even though Leo was the acting head of Ferdinand, the princess was Kaon’s fiancée, and so he had more responsibility.

“I know.” He clenched and opened his fist repeatedly, secretly, pretending that nothing was wrong and that he was not ridiculously nervous at the moment.

Meanwhile, the coachman, who knew nothing about the young master’s pounding heart, diligently opened the door of the carriage.

After a moment that felt like eons to Kaon, she slowly appeared.

“It’s been a long time, Prince Ferdinand.”

Kaon’s breath hitched.

The long-sleeved, navy blue dress was not particularly special, but Alessia practically shone in it. He couldn’t decide whether it was because of her silver hair backlit by the sunshine or her smiling eyes, but he was positively stunned by her presence.

“…Welcome to Ferdinand.”

Alessia placed her hand in his outstretched one. He looked down at it, as feather-light and small as it was in his memories. It was questionable whether she would be able to hold a dagger properly, let alone a sword.