Chapter 16 Engagement Ceremony (1)
The Engagement Ceremony (1)
The day of the engagement ceremony.
From the early morning, I had been awake, sitting as Lily and Laura applied my makeup.
Waking up much earlier than usual made it hard to suppress the yawns threatening to escape.
"Which earrings would be best?"
"I think red would suit her well. Ah, have the necklaces been prepared?"
"Yes, they're right here!"
Lily and Laura bustled around me, exchanging words as I sat clad in a white dress.
For a mere engagement ceremony, this level of preparation was excessive—but then again, the other party was that Abel.
Who was Abel?
The Duke who bore the epithet Ironblood.
A man so renowned that it was said any noblewoman would inevitably fall for him at least once, drawn in by his striking looks and icy demeanor.
There was no denying his appearance was extraordinary.
Had the gods sculpted a statue solely for the sake of beauty, it might have resembled him.
But as for that icy demeanor...
"...That part's a bit..."
The man who constantly teased me—him, exuding a cold aura? Maybe when I first saw him, but certainly not now.
As I mused, Lily suddenly addressed me.
"Lady Adel, which of these two necklaces do you prefer?"
Faced with this abrupt either-or situation, I examined the options. The left was a necklace embedded with a deep crimson ruby.
Admittedly, the color alone might have suited me, but...
The ruby was too large. In contrast, the right was a simpler design with a modestly sized ruby.
"Hmm... I think I prefer the right one."
At my words, Lily's expression dimmed slightly. Noticing this, Laura stifled a laugh and whispered to me.
"Just so you know, the left one was Lily's pick, and the right was mine."
"...Is that so?"
"Don't worry—I'll console her."
"...Understood."
Smiling, Laura took Lily's hand and murmured something into her ear. The girl's previously gloomy face soon filled with unwavering determination.
"...What on earth did she say to her?"
"Shall we wrap things up now?"
"Yes! Master!"
Responding to Laura's question, Lily eagerly began selecting brooches and other accessories to complete the look.
"...I'm exhausted."
Fatigue weighed on me, and I fought back another yawn.
"Lady Adel, we're done!"
At Lily's words, I turned my head toward the mirror.
"...Impressive."
A beautiful woman sat reflected in the glass. Skin like white jade, eyes like rubies set into her face. The ruby jewelry stood in stark contrast against the white dress.
Her sharp gaze, slightly softened, lent her a gentle air, and the dark circles beneath her eyes had vanished without a trace.
Unlike before, when she had carried the strong impression of a villainess, her appearance had transformed so thoroughly that one might easily believe she was an innocent noblewoman.
"As expected of Lady Adel! Even the makeup turned out this perfectly!"
"Are you satisfied, Lady Adel?"
"...Yes, quite satisfied."
"That's a relief."
Laura smiled with visible relief as she spoke.
"Then let's go see Lord Abel!"
Lily, brimming with excitement, flung the door open. Though I was still a little tired, I supposed I should meet him once before the ceremony.
With that thought, I followed her.
After passing through an unnecessarily lavish corridor, Lily stopped before the office door and knocked.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
At Abel's voice, she pushed the door open without hesitation. His gaze remained fixed on the documents in his hands as he spoke.
"What is it?"
"I've brought Lady Adel to see you!"
At that, he lifted his head and looked at me. Abel stared blankly, as if forgetting he still held the papers in his hand.
His reaction seemed... different from usual. I couldn't quite place why. Maybe my exhaustion was dulling my thoughts.
"Well? What do you think?"
"...Better than I expected."
The praise, sparse even by his standards, made me tilt my head in confusion.
After going through the trouble of dressing up and wearing all these accessories, that was his response? It stung a little.
I had thought I looked decent, but apparently, he disagreed. A sigh rose in my throat, and I forced it back down, swallowing the inexplicable disappointment.
Honestly, I didn't even know why I felt this way. After all, our engagement was nothing more than a contractual arrangement.
If anything, perhaps I just wished he'd at least offered some empty pleasantries.
I swallowed those emotions with effort and spoke.
"I'll go ahead first then."
"...Very well. Go on ahead. I'll join you shortly."
As I stepped out of the office with Lily, she was humming cheerfully as if excited about something. Puzzled by her behavior, I asked:
"Why are you so excited?"
"Because His Grace seemed to really like how you looked, my lady!"
"...I don't think that's the case."
Under normal circumstances, Abel would lavish me with such exaggerated compliments they'd make me cringe.
The fact that he didn't embellish his words this time—did that mean my current appearance truly failed to impress him?
At my words, Lily shook her head vigorously.
"Eh, no way! His Grace definitely liked it!"
"Right... Let's go with that then..."
At this point, it was easier on my heart to claim this small mental victory. Lily took my hand and led me forward. Soon, we'd be holding the engagement ceremony.
Somehow, I felt slightly nervous. Just how much could this engagement change my bad ending?
With the save point set to this morning, there was no turning back now.
'This time, all I can do is hope it goes well.'
***
Crimson carpets laid over pristine white marble. Silver candelabras adorning the walls.
The ballroom, decorated far more lavishly than usual, buzzed with mild commotion from the constant flow of nobles.
The reason so many aristocrats had gathered here was for a single engagement ceremony about to take place.
The engagement between Duke Abel von Hardenberg and the Count's daughter Adel von Este was the most notorious gossip in the Arieh Empire.
From the story of how they'd met during travels and fallen in love at first sight, to the fact they were holding an engagement ceremony when none was strictly necessary—
The tale passed tirelessly between noble ladies, and as a result, over a hundred aristocrats had gathered for their engagement.
Of course, most were provincial nobles unaware of the details of Adel's villainous deeds.
"Honestly... I can't comprehend how this happened."
Among them, Luna, the daughter of Count Ite—who knew Adel's misdeeds all too well—found this situation deeply displeasing.
What possible charm could that villainess possess to make the Iron Blood Duke want to marry her?
Beside her, E-stel von Ru-is simply scratched her cheek and smiled.
Though she'd been the direct victim of Adel's cruelty, knowing those actions stemmed from misunderstandings meant E-stel didn't hate Adel that much.
She'd wanted to clear up the misunderstanding whenever possible, but Adel always disappeared before she could...
This engagement ceremony was another chance she hoped to use for reconciliation.
"Sigh... What part of that woman could possibly appeal to him?"
"Luna."
Muttering to herself, Luna froze at E-stel's icy voice. When she turned, she saw the other woman's face wearing a cold smile.
"Mind your words."
"...Understood."
As Luna nodded slightly with a somewhat intimidated expression, E-stel exhaled in relief.
The Count Ite's daughter had many good qualities, but her tongue was far too loose and her temper too rash.
Since she was a lady who followed E-stel's lead, letting her speak carelessly risked unpredictable mischief—hence the reprimand.
Fortunately, Luna seemed to realize the danger of her words and quietly bowed her head.
"There are so many people here..."
At the remark of another lady seated beside Luna, E-stel nodded in agreement.
Thankfully, the ballroom was spacious—otherwise, the sheer number of guests would have made it uncomfortably cramped.
How much time had passed? Soon, the engagement ceremony would begin.
"Presenting His Grace Abel von Hardenberg and the Este Count's daughter, Lady Adel!"
A soldier stationed at the ballroom's main gates announced this as the doors opened. A man and woman then entered arm-in-arm.
The murmuring crowd's attention immediately focused on them.
The Duke Abel standing on the left boasted looks as striking as rumored. Though the scar on his face was a flaw, his handsomeness made it easy to overlook.
The Adel on the right seemed almost unrecognizable as the infamous villainess—her aura was entirely different.
Her gentle-seeming eyes and crimson irises gave an unexpectedly unique impression.
As E-stel observed them, a click sounded beside her—Luna biting her nails.
E-stel considered stopping her, but trusted she wouldn't cause a scene here and let it be.
And so, under the gaze of countless attendees, the engagement ceremony began.