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chapter 51
“You exist, and that’s why I continue to live. You are my happiness, my joy, the driving force behind my life. Without you, my life wouldn’t be filled with laughter. Of course, the same goes for you. This is how we love each other.”
Happiness and joy—these are essential elements for navigating life. Especially when saying that one can live because of another, it seemed to stir emotions.
“I will become your wife. This is a proposal, you know. Consider it an honor.”
Ah, so this is what a romantic confession feels like.
The image of Marquis Savior reenacting the memory naturally drew applause. At my cheer, she crossed her legs and gave a small smile.
With a proud look, as if saying, “Did you see that?” Marquis Savior tapped the plate she had offered earlier. After finishing my note-taking, I accepted the gesture and took a cookie.
“Oh, you’re not going to limit me to just one cookie, right? Take another. What are you doing if you don’t?”
Marquis Savior handed another Linzer cookie into my other hand. Unthinkingly, I was eating cookies with both hands while listening to her passionate performance.
“You’ll also be as wise as I am. Don’t hesitate—propose first. If you’ve decided to enter a marriage market filled with competition, you must be the one to seize it first.”
“Right.”
“There are still some rigid notions where people think it’s strange for women to confess or propose. But if you just wait, your partner will quickly disappear. We can be proactive and selective, right? Of course, only when you’re sure. You do know that much, don’t you?”
I nodded and swallowed the cookie. Then Marquis Savior handed me another one. It felt like stepping into a Möbius strip of cookies.
Afterwards, Marquis Savior suggested we meet again soon, holding my hand tenderly before letting go with her usual chic demeanor. She disliked accumulating favors, so she bought me ten handkerchiefs.
Back at the mansion, a visitor arrived. It was Whistler, coming to hand over documents with the temple’s seal and signature added to the contract we had signed previously. Officially, he was here as a “Glorified One” of Mille.
“Thank you.”
I greeted him, and Whistler asked his accompanying knights for their understanding. Though he had a high status and had to leave soon, he seemed to want to talk with me longer.
I found this curious. Even as a Glorified One, Whistler had no reason to stay long in Mille’s absence.
Especially since the knights accompanying him included both knights of the Gas family and temple knights. He had to act carefully; the temple knights were both allies and potential threats.
As the Saint’s opinion guides the Glorified One, the temple assumes the role of monitoring him. That’s likely why he could remain in conversation with me without retreating.
“I know you’ve wondered why I haven’t come to see you sooner. As you can see, the timing made it difficult to meet with you privately.”
In a whisper, Whistler stepped close.
“Because you negotiated with the Saint, the temple is observing you especially carefully.”
Ah, I let out a small sigh. I wasn’t particularly curious, but the information was useful. Even the insecure Whistler could be helpful at times—an odd feeling.
Whistler moved back, clasping his hands as if dusting them off. Following a gesture conscious of his knights, an abstract conversation began.
“I’ve seen your personal contract. You know I have it, of course.”
He was probably referring to my romantic contract with Herace. I nodded to indicate that I understood.
“I can annul the contract. But I have a condition as well.”
To annul it? That was uncharacteristically kind.
“I know your news better than you do. Perhaps I even know who would be a suitable spouse for you.”
It was so abstract that discerning his exact intent was difficult. But trusting the skills honed through Herace, I began to interpret Whistler’s signals.
“The person who will be your spouse is someone more influential than now. A remarkable person. Someone who shares childhood memories with you. That’s who it should be.”
As he spoke of a third party, Whistler gestured with his hand, twisting his fingers as if pointing to himself.
Ah, that twitch in his finger appeared again—the one I had seen before. I calmly kept my expression, feeling sorry for him at his young age.
“…If you accept these conditions, I will annul the contract.”
Hmmm. I gave him a small smile while staring blankly. Somehow, I imagined Herace would make this expression in the same situation.
Because the conditions Whistler set didn’t feel much like conditions at all. One could almost call him an angel for a moment.
“Someone more influential than now.”
He was referring to the future Herace. Whistler seemed aware of Herace’s rising influence and was willing to bend his will.
“And a remarkable person.”
Looking at overall abilities, there was no one more remarkable than Herace.
“Someone who shares childhood memories—taking everything together, that’s Herace.”
For a moment, I wondered if Whistler was actually referring to himself. But the first two conditions didn’t fit him at all.
Moreover, Herace and I shared some childhood memories. I had long remembered our first encounter vividly.
“It’s an act.”
Whistler was pretending to celebrate our romance while pushing us toward marriage. His plan seemed to be to lower our guard and trigger his knights.
We didn’t intend to fall for it.
“In this situation, appearing weak is more advantageous than appearing strong.”
Engagement and marriage—he mustn’t know we held these two cards.
“I accept the conditions.”
Maintaining my expression, I sent Whistler a positive gaze.
“My spouse will be more influential and remarkable than now. And they will share childhood memories with me. So please annul the contract.”
“If that is your wish, I shall comply. You needn’t worry about it anymore. You may be at ease.”
Whistler’s voice, soft and tender, irritated me. The more I saw him, the stronger my negative reaction grew.
“Thank you for even blessing our happy future.”
I smiled brightly, pretending to lower my guard. Whistler’s expression subtly twisted.
Just as he stepped forward as if to dust off my hair, a temple knight stepped up.
“Glorified One, it seems you must now return to the temple.”
Whistler stepped back and added, in a tone suggesting patience:
“I’m also glad this matter is resolved, Lady Light.”
The awkward tension that had filled Whistler’s face disappeared instantly.
Though I wanted to make a fitting, dramatic line, Whistler quickly left with his knights.
Left alone, I whispered toward the space he had vanished from:
“Thank you for truly celebrating our love, Whistler. My old leading man.”
Afterwards, I exchanged several letters with Herace.
She explained why she hadn’t written first: finding someone trustworthy for security was difficult. She also became very busy helping with her parents’ business.
Fortunately, she recently found a reliable subordinate.
After organizing the mail system, I informed her of Whistler’s unscrupulous actions—adding that she needn’t worry about my acting skills.
Her reply arrived this morning, and I was now heading to the location she had indicated. Unlike before, it wasn’t in the forest—this time it seemed to be a mansion in a village where commoners lived, not an isolated place.
