Engagement (1)

The dim light of dawn had yet to give way to sunrise.

Whoosh.

A wooden sword cut through the air at the center of the training grounds. The sword moved according to my will, slicing through the air with audible swishes.

This was my daily swordsmanship training—a routine I maintained every single dawn without fail. Of course, there had been times when I was too busy to even step outside my office, let alone practice swordsmanship.

"Huu..."

A white puff of breath escaped my lips. My entire body ached as if waves of muscle pain were crashing over me.

I stopped swinging the wooden sword and lowered it to the ground.

Creak.

With the slightly grating sound of hinges, Allen stepped into the training grounds.

"What is it?"

"Young Lady Este is scheduled to arrive this morning."

"Sooner than expected."

I had assumed the Count of Este would try to keep her detained.

The fact that she was coming after only three days suggested he must have realized holding her back was pointless and let her go.

"Understood. I'll go after finishing my bath."

"Very well."

Allen bowed his head to me and left the training grounds.

'So now the original story truly begins.'

I put on the clothes I had taken off earlier and carried the wooden sword I'd left on the ground back to its holder.

As I was preparing to leave, the door to the training grounds opened again.

This time, it revealed a group of burly men clad in leather armor.

They were knights belonging to the Black Crow Knights—the direct knight order of the Hardenberg family.

Chatting among themselves as they entered, they immediately bowed at the waist upon spotting me.

"Good morning, Your Grace!"

"Indeed."

It seemed they had come for their morning training. Since I usually trained at dawn, our paths rarely crossed—yet here we were.

"Carry on, then."

"Yes, sir!"

Their enthusiastic shout made me nod slightly before I finally left the training grounds.

Everything was fine—except their voices were far too loud.

Their loyalty was commendable, but the sheer volume left my ears ringing.

'...Still, telling them to quiet down feels a bit excessive.'

How long had I walked? Soon enough, I spotted a door where maids in uniform stood waiting. Among them was Laura, my personal attendant.

"Good morning, Your Grace."

"Indeed. The water?"

"Already heated, my lord."

"Good."

I handed her the clothes I had removed. Seven maids stood inside the room, ready to assist with my bath.

Even though I had reincarnated into this world, the idea of being bathed by attendants had once seemed impossible to adjust to—but by now, I'd grown quite accustomed to it.

Since the maids weren't naked themselves, all it took was enduring a bit of embarrassment before the bath was over.

Once finished, I dressed in the clothes Laura handed me and made my way toward the audience chamber.

The hallway greeted me with its austere atmosphere.

The previous Duke's corridors had been extravagantly decorated—filled with expensive paintings and lavish sculptures, a display of sheer opulence.

'Pointlessly gaudy.'

But after I became Duke, those ornate halls were stripped bare, leaving only this stark, empty passageway.

Every time I had walked past those paintings and sculptures, I was reminded of the previous Duke—my father—and the disgust he inspired in me. So I sold them all.

To me, he was nothing more than a loathsome figure.

At the time, absurd rumors had even spread because of it.

That the ducal family was running out of funds, or some other nonsense—gossip spread by those with too much idle time and too little sense.

'Even now, I wonder what possessed them to be so bold...'

Perhaps they thought me young and foolish back then.

Moreover, the suspicious circumstances surrounding the previous Duke's poisoning had briefly shaken my standing.

Naturally, I made sure they paid dearly for their insolence later.

Lost in thought, I soon found myself before the doors of the audience chamber. Allen stood waiting, his gaze fixed on me as if anticipating my arrival.

"Has she arrived already?"

"Not yet. But she will be here soon."

"I see. Then I shall wait. Summon me when Lady Adel arrives."

"Understood."

With that, Allen opened the door. I stepped inside and took a seat on the sofa in the audience chamber.

Waiting wasn't something I particularly enjoyed—but then again, this was my future fiancée.

I supposed I could afford to be patient.

***

The Hardenberg Ducal Family.

A lineage established in the distant past when a collateral member of the imperial family became a noble.

As such, the family ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wielded influence on par with the imperial household itself.

Their direct knight order, the Raven Knights, also possessed military strength comparable to the Emperor's own Golden Lion Knights.

In short, the Hardenbergs were one of the Arieh Empire's true powers.

And I was set to become the family head's fiancée.

"Haa..."

At my sigh, the maid sitting across from me—Lily—spoke up.

"Please don't worry too much. His Grace would never treat you carelessly, my lady."

"Of course not."

At least on the surface, we were engaged—so he would likely show some consideration.

The real question is whether making a deal with him will actually help me avoid my Bad Ending.

'...But it's not like I have any other options.'

"W-well, cheer up! I'm sure you'll get along splendidly with Duke Hardenberg, Lady Adel!"

"Yes. That's a relief."

I forced a bitter smile as I looked at the maid before me.

Her demeanor and face reminded me of an adorable puppy—full of energy, with lovable, sparkling eyes.

This was Lily, the personal maid Count Este had assigned to me.

After becoming the villainess Adel Este from the novel, she was the only person, aside from my father, who genuinely cared for me.

'...Back when I first grew close to Lily, I thought everything would work out.'

At the time, I foolishly believed that, just like in the modern-day villainess stories I'd read, if I just tried hard enough, I could change my image ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as the villainess.

But what awaited me instead were over ten assassination attempts and five poisonings.

'How laughable.'

As if something as deeply ingrained as being a villainess could be overturned so easily.

As if mocking my futile efforts, it had now become impossible for me to even set foot in the Social Circle.

"We've arrived!"

At the coachman's announcement, I lifted my chin from where it had been resting on my hand and looked out the window. What greeted me was a mansion so vast it would put most museums to shame.

As expected of a Duke's Family, I suppose.

It was incomparably larger than the estate I lived in.

Lost in thought, I saw a man appear as Lily opened the carriage door. Ash-gray hair, steel-colored eyes—and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a scar marring his face.

"...Huh?"

Abel Hardenberg.

He offered me a faint smile and extended his hand. If my assumptions were correct, he was trying to escort me right now.

But... why?

"What are you doing?"

Not only that, but he was using honorifics with me. The same man who had spoken to me dismissively before.

In a daze, I reached out and took his hand. His palm was rough, calloused—a hand bearing the marks of rigorous training.

"O-oh my...!"

Lily's voice came from beside me. When I turned, I saw her face flushed red.

Clearly, she was misinterpreting the nature of my relationship with Abel, but there was nothing I could say to correct her.

"Shall we?"

Abel gave a slight smile and began escorting me into the Duke's mansion. Just what was going through his mind to act so kindly?

Given that every time I found myself in situations like this, nothing good ever followed, I studied his face with unease.

"Is something the matter?"

"Th-that is..."

Had he sensed my discomfort? His smile faded slightly as he spoke to me.

"We'll discuss the details in the Audience Room."

I nodded at his words.

In the distance, maids who had been cleaning whispered among themselves as they watched us. Strangely, their expressions seemed oddly bright.

Hmm...

'...Huh?'

I tried using magic to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it fizzled out.

"Magic doesn't work inside the Duke's residence. Be careful."

"R-right..."

Of course. This was the Duke's mansion, after all. It was only natural they'd have countermeasures in place to block magic.

Lost in thought, I soon noticed we had arrived at the Audience Room.

An elderly butler—Allen, if I recalled correctly—spotted us and opened the door. Once inside, we took our seats at the table, facing each other.

"Lily."

"Yes!"

"Step outside for a moment."

"Of course!"

Lily gave me a strangely delighted look before discreetly flashing me a thumbs-up from an angle Abel couldn't see.

'...So innocent.'

If she knew the true nature of my relationship with Abel, she wouldn't be acting like this. Suppressing a wry smile, I turned my gaze back to him.

"Allen."

"Yes."

"Leave us."

"Understood."

Without another word, Allen promptly exited the Audience Room. After glancing around briefly, I spoke to Abel.

"What is this about?"

"Hm?"

"You're not the type to act this cordial."

At my words, Abel regarded me with an intrigued expression.

"Oh? So you're quick to let your guard down just because we're engaged?"

That made me freeze.

Come to think of it, wasn't Abel known in the original story as one of the most eccentric figures around?

It seemed I had let the fact that we were engaged make me careless with my words.

Should I rewind time? But I still hadn't pinpointed where my latest Save Point was...

Heh...

A sudden chuckle made me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lift my head to look at him.

"...Haha. Just a joke. It's only natural to voice such doubts between fiancés."

"...That's a relief."

"So, you were asking why I'm being so courteous?"

"Yes."

"No particular reason. It's just basic manners when dealing with one's fiancée."

...Is that all?

True, escorting one's fiancée was perfectly normal behavior. It was just that Abel—the so-called Mastermind—doing it made it feel unusual.

"More than anything, it's because of the eyes watching from the outside."

"Outside meaning...?"

"Even a Duke can't escape rumors."

He continued, looking straight at me.

"And I dislike such rumors. Does that answer your question?"

"...Yes."