CH 3.11

“Ah.”

Right. I forgot about that.

“I heard you were engaged already, but no public engagement ceremony was held.”

“That’s correct.”

“A simple agreement ceremony would suffice.  If an engagement ceremony is not properly conducted, there will be much gossip about it behind your back.”

The princess raised an issue that I had never considered. With my index finger, I twisted my hair.

However, I’ve never heard of Lacius making plans for an engagement ceremony.

“Because we’re getting married soon, I thought we might just skip the engagement ceremony.”

“It would be a pity if an Archduke would not have an engagement ceremony. Not to mention that it’s also my cousin’s wedding.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Without a doubt. And since you haven’t discussed it with Lacius yet, I’d like to make a suggestion first.”

“What exactly is it?”

“I’ll lend you my palace’s garden, so why not have your engagement there?”

“……!”

I came to a halt.

That is a fantastic proposal. An engagement ceremony supported by the royal family. There is no better way to establish my social standing than this. Nobody will be able to look down on me anymore. And no one will be able to flirt with Lacius as long as I am his fiance!

‘Well, we’ll have to get married sooner if we don’t get engaged. It’s actually more difficult to organize a wedding because we don’t know when the original female lead will appear.’

So it’s better to get engaged and then break up, huh?

‘Oh, then I can’t take the bribes.’

As expected, it’s a little disappointing. Having the title of Archduchess after transmigrating in a book was a sure way to have a good life.

On the inside, I was disappointed, but on the outside, I smiled broadly.

“Thank you very much. If you do that, I will be overjoyed.”

“Right?”

“Yes, but your highness, the engagements party’s location is something I can’t decide on my own, so may I ask Lacius first?””

I can’t make a decision on my own. Even if it was deemed beneficial, Lacius might hate it.

“You’re very thoughtful.”

I politely requested some time to consider it. I giggled then bowed my head.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

The atmosphere is pleasant. I stretched my back and gently swept Cat’s nape, which had been following us the entire time, while looking at the princess.

Hearing Cat’s steady, low-pitched sound somehow soothes and relaxes me. Maybe the princess is the same way. Her expression had softened considerably since I first saw her in front of the conference room today. 

“Princess.”

I took advantage of the situation and spoke quietly.

“Do you intend to give me an engagement gift?”

It was a brazen question. It’s a question I wouldn’t normally ask because I’m too shy, but I was feeling confident right now.

“I intend to give you something when you get engaged, it is an engagement gift after all. Anyway, this is the first time anyone has ever asked me a question like this.”

“It’s a honor.”

“It wasn’t a compliment, but well, it could be a compliment. You’re really peculiar.”

The princess tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled, slightly curving her eyes. Anyway, her response isn’t negative, so I quickly put my aegyo to work.

“So you’re planning to give me what I want? Oh my goodness!”

“What exactly do you want? What do you want that makes you look so happy?”

“Um, alright. First, I’ll need a map.”

It was the first time I realised I had such a charming personality. Maybe it’s the charm that comes automatically when you are against a beautiful woman?

“A map? Are you thinking of land as a gift?”

“Yes!”

Building an amusement park and hiring employees would be prohibitively expensive. As a result, it is preferable to purchase the land at a low cost or obtain it for free.

“This is the first time I’ve heard a lady request land. Alright, let’s take a look.”

The princess appeared surprised, but then burst out laughing.

I had the honour of visiting the princess’s palace and entering her office as a reward for entertaining her.

The princess must have spent a lot of time in the garden with a lot of young ladies, but the eyes of the knights and chamberlain that looked like they were about to pop out tell me how few were allowed to be in this special space called office. Or maybe they’re just surprised to see Cat who’s following me around.

“Come on over here. It’s a map of Terran.”

The princess’s office was simple. Instead of colourful wallpaper, a large map hung on one side of her wall, and the princess stood in front of it, hands behind her back.

“Make your choice, but there isn’t much good land left.”

The map in the princess’s office was detailed enough that it could be used to launch a military operation right away. A dotted line divides each territory, and important military points are circled in blue.

I’m not sure if I can really look at this. Maps were said to be such a valuable treasure in the Middle Ages.

‘Well, I’m sure I won’t get my throat cut just because I saw this.’

When I approached the map, I looked to the southeast first. There wasn’t anything else to see. An empty plot of land with no owner. Evershal’s desolate landscape. That was the domain I desired.

“Um, I want this.”

“There? Why?”

“Yes.The place I want is Evershal.”

“It’s surprising.”

The princess appeared surprised and amused at the same time. I stated that I wanted a land as a gift but then chose a land in which no one is interested.

“I wasn’t expecting this.”

“I enjoy catching people off guard.”

“May I inquire as to what you intend to do here?”

“Your Highness, I have an intriguing plan. A facility for all of the people of Terran to enjoy together. Of course, Your Highness will also enjoy it.”

“You have lofty goals.”

“The people will be much happier, I promise.”

I sighed and smiled floridly.

“Yes, but I can’t just hand it over to you… Hm, what should we do about it?”

The princess looked at me and rubbed my cheeks with her thumb as if she found me adorable.

“If you’re going to build such a massive entertainment facility, you’ll have to report it to the Emperor because it’s very expensive.”

“I understand, your highness. When and how should I report it?”

“I’ll set a date for you, but there will be a lot of paperwork to prepare for His Majesty’s permission.”

We’re going to use a large plot of land on the map to build an amusement park, so we’ll have to notify the government. I nodded sullenly, my face indicating that I understood.

The princess smiled and returned her gaze to the map.

“Well, how about this? If you go hunting with me, I promise I’ll give you Evershal as an engagement gift.”