The morning light shone brightly. Beyond the horizon of the eastern sky, beyond the jagged peaks of the Ibarencia Mountains, the sun was rising.
From early morning, the sound of a cuckoo chirping among the green leaves tickled everyone’s ears. Bathed in the warm, golden light, the leaves shed brilliant drops of dew on the ground as if they were shrinking themselves.
The morning of the Marquis of Castana was expected to be as quiet as any other.
However, today presented a completely different landscape.
Perhaps it was because the Castana Marquis family, known for its somberness, had become a hub of activity. Noise reminiscent of a bustling marketplace leaked from the usually gloomy estate.
The primary source of this noise was the preparations for the engagement ceremony between Bianca and me.
‘…Isn’t this getting too grand?’
I couldn’t help but stare at the wagons crowding the main road leading to the Marquis of Castana’s main house. As far as I knew, only 32 nobles were invited to Bianca’s engagement ceremony. These guests, worthy of Estel and Castana’s name, represented the true power in the northern part of the empire.
However, as I looked at the guest list, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somewhat different from the ‘contract’ I had with Bianca.
A few weeks ago, when I accepted Bianca’s proposal, I had thought the engagement was merely an excuse to catch the rats sneaking behind the Castana Marquis family. I never imagined it would be held on such a grand scale.
That wasn’t the only issue. What drove me to the brink of madness was that I was responsible for receiving the guests at the engagement ceremony, despite being the main character of the event.
Typically, it was customary for the close family members of both parties to greet guests at such events.
Unfortunately, since I had come alone from the Estel family, and Bianca’s father, the Marquis Castana, glanced at me and made excuses, I was left with the task.
His message was:
[I’m sorry, Heir to Estel. I’m very sorry, but I have other things to do. I’d like to have my wife help you, but she’s sick right now, so it’s impossible to welcome guests. So even if it’s cumbersome, I think you’ll have to put in some effort.]
“…..”
As a result, I had the honor of being at the forefront of the engagement ceremony and welcoming everyone.
“Congratulations on your engagement, Heir to Estel. My name is Trian Dryad, the eldest son of Viscount Dryad, who holds the position of lord in the province of Rendel.”
“Ah, that’s right. In the name of Estel, I would like to welcome you for taking such a precious step at my engagement ceremony today, Heir Trian.”
“Hahaha, you don’t have to use formalities, Heir to Estel. I still haven’t been officially nominated as the successor by my father. It doesn’t matter if you just call me by my first name.”
Without knowing what I was thinking, this man, who had been standing in front of me for some time, started talking with an arrogant demeanor, telling me stories I hadn’t asked for. He seemed quite pleased with my silence.
“Heir to Estel might not know much about it, but the Dryad family is known for producing a lot of fur, a northern specialty. In a sense, it makes me think our family represents the entire northern region…”
‘That’s ridiculous.’
I had to work hard to avoid sighing as I listened to his self-important boasts about his family. It seemed there were too many people these days who thought their family name was their own personal asset.
Could it be that the Marquis of Castana put me in this position so he wouldn’t have to deal with people like this? Certainly, if I were in his shoes, I would avoid the task of entertaining these individuals.
Just as I was reaching my limit with the endless parade of idiots, I spotted a woman who drew attention simply by existing, quietly approaching me.
“…Cain. You were here.”
The woman who came to me with the sound of rustling clothes was none other than my fiancée, Bianca del Castana.
****
The moment Bianca appeared, the hall fell into an endless silence.
Men, in particular, rubbed their eyes as if they had seen something completely unbelievable.
In one word, she was simply beautiful. No adjectives or rhetoric were needed. Her lush red hair, ruby-like red eyes, and simply beautiful face all harmonized, reflecting her supreme beauty.
And that was all that defined Bianca del Castana.
‘…I can’t believe it. I’ve heard rumors, but did such a woman truly exist?’
‘Cain von Estel, you are truly lucky. If I could be engaged to a woman like that, men all over the world would envy you.’
However, contrary to the admiration of the aristocratic young men in the room, Cain von Estel, who had accepted the wrathful woman as his fiancée, only had a sour expression on his face toward Bianca del Castana.
“Oh, Bianca. you’re here?”
“Yes.”
Not only was his expression sour, but his words were also very brief. Seeing Cain’s response to Bianca, the young aristocrats couldn’t help but furrow their brows. They would never have acted that way if they were in Cain von Estel’s position.
However, Bianca del Castana just smiled at her fiancé, unaffected by his sullen demeanor.
“…Cain, your father has been looking for you. Perhaps, there is something he would like to discuss with you regarding the engagement ceremony that will take place a little later.”
“Okay? If it was something like that, there wouldn’t have been a need for you to come here. Anyway, thanks for letting me know, Bianca.”
Saying that, Cain von Estel patted Bianca del Castana on the shoulder. At that moment, the nape of Bianca del Castana’s neck turned bright red.
Cain, whether aware of Bianca’s reaction or not, passed her casually and soon disappeared into the main house of the marquis.
“…..”
As Bianca, who had just stared at Cain’s back, let out a small sigh and was about to move on to another place, an aristocratic young man, who had been having a lengthy conversation with Cain while welcoming guests, urgently called out to Bianca and stopped her.
The reason was simple: he wanted to get acquainted with the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Castana, a figure of significant power in the northern part of the country.
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