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Chapter 25
I unconsciously furrowed my brows. Was I just slow on the uptake? The things His Majesty had been saying since earlier seemed… strange.
The way he spoke, it sounded as if he wasn’t at all sorry for appearing there and calling me his fiancée. As if he had called me that because he wanted to…
“Your Majesty, regarding that matter…”
Was there some kind of misunderstanding…? I had to correct this whole fiancée thing first, didn’t I?
Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask, His Majesty quickly raised his right hand. A signal not to interrupt. Ah, right. He had said he would speak first.
I kept my lips sealed. But my brain felt like it was swelling, my heart about to burst. Does His Majesty even realize what he’s saying right now?
He looked at me, his expression serious again, and spoke:
“Yes. That matter. The matter of me calling you my fiancée.”
“That matter…”
“I’m saying it’s not a lie.”
What… does that mean?
My mouth fell open. His Majesty quickly continued speaking.
“I want you to become my fiancée. I wish to make you my fiancée, and I want everyone to know it.”
“Y-yes?”
I answered, but I was shocked at my own response. I had meant to say “yes” normally, but my voice cracked, making a strange sound.
Yet His Majesty seemed completely unconcerned with whatever strange bird-like noise I had just made.
He slowly lowered one knee before me.
“Aira Wildenbistone, second daughter of the House of Wildenbistone.”
“…….”
“I wish for you to be my one and only wife.”
“…Uh…”
“I want to promise marriage to you. I will not give you to any other man. I simply couldn’t express it before, and I can explain everything you’ve been through…”
What he said after that didn’t reach me at all. It couldn’t. My head was spinning.
“Lady Wildenbistone.”
“…….”
“Aira?”
I tried to keep my balance, but I wavered on the spot. He was calling my name… but I no longer had the strength to remain seated.
I felt all the strength drain from my body. If I fell from the chair, I would hit the floor, right? I squeezed my eyes shut… and when I opened them again—
“Aira, Aira?! …Hey! …Lady! Lady!”
Huh? Not the floor… I was in His Majesty’s arms. He had caught me, shouting my name… and his chest was beating strangely fast, as if matching the rhythm of my own heartbeat from earlier.
I slowly closed my eyes there.
This had happened before… Twice now, I had fainted from something I had never experienced before. I’m way too weak, Aira Wildenbistone. Maybe I have some kind of illness?
In the small council chamber directly behind the audience room, where only a few were allowed, there were four people present:
Duke and Duchess Wildenbistone, Count Silram—one of the imperial physicians—and Rubellus.
“How is she?”
Rubellus asked. Count Silram, who had rushed into the palace past eight at night, wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed.
“Visibly, there are no injuries, and after examination, no particular issues were found. For more detailed results, we’d need to bring in equipment, but… based on my examination, Lady Wildenbistone is very healthy…”
“Then why did she faint?”
Rubellus cut him off sharply. The physician wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead again and bowed.
He had been sweating repeatedly—not because the room was hot, but because of the young emperor staring sharply right in front of him.
The tone of inquiry about Lady Wildenbistone’s condition was sharp and urgent. Every time the physician finished speaking, it felt like Rubellus was about to grab him by the collar.
I thought he usually showed no expression even while being examined…
“Well… I think she fainted temporarily due to extreme shock. Even healthy people can collapse when faced with sudden, startling events. In my opinion, if she regains consciousness and rests properly, she should recover fully and return to her usual health.”
Rubellus listened seriously to the physician’s words, his expression very somber.
The physician wondered if his explanation was reaching him properly. Surely he said that Lady Wildenbistone was healthy, yet Rubellus’s face showed no sign of relief.
The physician shrank back nervously.
“Does she need any medicine?”
“I will provide a few herbal combinations to restore her energy.”
“Understood.”
Then the Duchess of Wildenbistone let out a small sigh she had been holding back. Rubellus, after a brief nod, spoke again with firm authority:
“Treat Lady Wildenbistone’s condition as you would a member of the royal family.”
At that, Count Silram’s eyes widened. Treating her as a royal meant not only giving the best medical care but also keeping everything about her completely confidential. What on earth was happening?
Still, Count Silram bowed again and stepped back. Unlike other capital nobles, he didn’t need to vie for favor. He knew that forgetting today’s events would be best for himself.
The physician’s door closed quietly behind him. Not long after, Duke Wildenbistone spoke, holding his wife’s hand tightly under the table.
“Your Majesty, may I ask what happened to Aira?”
The Duke’s face was as impassive as ever, yet Rubellus detected a subtle tremor in his voice. The Duke looked deeply troubled.
I knew exactly why he was confused. Even Rubellus himself hadn’t expected Aira to faint at that moment.
He must have been wondering if Rubellus had said harsh words or acted roughly toward her. What a dangerously mistaken assumption.
Rubellus pressed his lips together and carefully shook his head.
“Duke, would you believe me if I said truly nothing happened?”
“Hngh!”
At that moment, the Duchess let out a small sob. The Duke hurriedly wrapped his arm around her. Rubellus looked at her in surprise.
“Duchess of Wildenbistone.”
The Duchess pressed a handkerchief tightly to her eyes and spoke:
“Your Majesty, I am aware that my daughter made a grave mistake at the morning court today… Whatever punishment you gave her, I will ensure she takes full responsibility as her duty to serve the royal family.”
So, really… nothing happened.
Rubellus swallowed. It seemed neither the Duke nor Duchess trusted him at all.
“…Duchess, I hope you can remove this misunderstanding. I did not… punish Aira in any way…”
He stopped mid-sentence as he met the Duke’s eyes. The Duke stared back, unyielding.
At that moment, Rubellus realized clearly what the Duke must have been thinking:
‘You’re not planning to lock Aira in the palace for some unthinkable reason, are you?’
No… of course not…
Could it be that the “punishment” the Duchess mentioned meant more than harsh words or actions?
Stunned, Rubellus quickly spoke again:
“Duke, Duchess. I swear, in the name of this nation, truly nothing happened. I did not touch a hair of hers. I treated her with the proper respect due a young lady.”
Of course, he did hold her hand…
As Rubellus urgently swore this, the Duchess’s face showed a flicker of relief.
Goodness. They really thought that.
Rubellus briefly touched his forehead and removed his hand. If it were an envoy, he would have scolded them for such absurd suspicions against the palace, but these were Aira’s parents. He would never show them a bad side.
Thankfully, the Duchess seemed reassured by his desperate explanation and wiped her tears.
Yet the Duke still had a stern face. Right, now it was time for the next part.
“Then why did Aira faint there? Your Majesty, please be honest.”
“….”
Rubellus looked at them and sighed lightly. He had to say it.
But the words would not come easily. He lowered his gaze briefly, though he could not hide it forever.
Their daughter had heard his proposal, stiffened like a stone, and then collapsed backward. That much had to be said, even if not in full detail.
Rubellus lifted his head and looked at Duke and Duchess Wildenbistone, pillars of the Zahard Empire.
The intelligent and beautiful young emperor, doing his best to remain dignified, spoke:
“I proposed marriage.”
