CHAPTER 29…………………………………………
Ibelina stared blankly at the ring for a long while before finally managing to move her lips.
“Arsen, this is…”
Arsen only smiled softly without answering.
She looked at his face, then turned her gaze back to the ring.
It shimmered as if urging her to put it on her finger.
Tears welled up in Ibelina’s large eyes, and soon they began to fall.
When Arsen looked startled, she hurriedly wiped her eyes and stammered through her tears.
“S-sorry for crying all of a sudden. It’s just… I’m just so happy…”
And she truly was happy.
Although Arsen had once told her he loved her, she thought at the time that he’d only said it to ease the atmosphere.
They didn’t dislike each other, of course, but they weren’t passionately in love either.
Arsen had been the one to first propose marriage, but Ibelina assumed it was out of curiosity more than genuine affection.
So when she first came to the North, she was prepared to be cast aside. But instead, he had embraced her warmly, and she had been grateful for that ever since.
Still—she never imagined he would actually propose to her.
As Ibelina sniffled, Arsen looked at her fondly and spoke.
“Ibelina, will you give me your hand?”
“Y-yes.”
She slowly extended her hand.
The ring soon slipped onto her pale finger.
A ruby, the same shade as her eyes, gleamed brilliantly.
“Does the ring suit you?”
“Yes—it’s so beautiful.”
Ibelina beamed.
Her reddened eyes looked both pitiful and adorable.
Arsen took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears.
“I’ll make sure you’ll never have a reason to cry again.”
“And I’ll make sure you’ll never have to be sad, Arsen.”
“Then may I lean on you whenever times are hard? I don’t think I could ever be sad if I can do that.”
“Of course! Whenever something difficult or upsetting happens, come to me.”
Ibelina nodded earnestly.
Her expression was so endearing that Arsen had to summon all his self-control not to kiss her right then and there.
“Come to think of it, I never heard your answer.”
“Huh? My answer?”
“Will you marry me?”
She’d already accepted the ring, which was an answer in itself—but Arsen wanted to hear the words from her mouth.
Ibelina fiddled with the ring and smiled.
“Of course, Arsen.”
Her words etched themselves deep into his mind.
He was certain—this was the happiest moment of his life.
That evening, Arsen informed Karina of their engagement.
Karina narrowed her eyes at him, then turned to Ibelina.
“My dear, you didn’t accept his proposal out of obligation, did you?”
“Huh? N-no! I… I want to marry Arsen…”
As she spoke, Ibelina’s cheeks turned crimson.
Arsen’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh.
Unable to finish her sentence, she bowed her head, her face feeling hot enough to steam.
Karina set down her teacup and said,
“Well, it was already planned anyway, and since you wish for it too, I have no reason to object. When will the ceremony be?”
“In two months. Ibelina and I have already discussed it, so there’s no need to worry.”
Ibelina nodded vigorously beside him.
“Then tomorrow I’ll call for Madame and have her start on the wedding dress. As for the tiara—we have one that’s been passed down through generations, so you can wear that.”
“There’s a tiara passed down through generations?”
“Of course, dear. Would you like to see it while we’re at it?”
“May I?” Ibelina asked timidly.
“Of course, dear—you’re part of our family now.”
When Karina rose from her seat, Arsen and Ibelina stood as well.
“Then go with Mother and take a look. I have some remaining work to finish.”
“Oh—yes. Don’t overwork yourself.”
“I won’t.”
Arsen smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.
After he left, Ibelina kept touching the spot where his lips had brushed.
It tickled—like the soft stroke of a feather against her skin.
Karina led her to the very last room on the top floor.
“Here we are.”
She clicked open the door.
Portraits lined the walls, and inside a glass case sat a tiara.
Ibelina entered, wide-eyed with wonder.
“I had no idea this room existed.”
“It’s not a particularly important place, and there’s seldom reason to come here, so it’s understandable you didn’t know.”
Since Ibelina’s room was on the second floor, she’d never had cause to go higher.
She began looking over the portraits.
“These are Arsen’s portraits, from childhood onward,” Karina explained with a chuckle.
Ibelina examined them one by one.
In one, a young boy sat on a grand chair, clutching a teddy bear, looking slightly sulky.
His golden hair and vivid blue eyes made it clear he was Arsen.
“He must have been about five then,” Karina said fondly. “He was so cute back then—unlike now.”
There were paintings of him in his academy uniform, in his splendid military attire, and finally, a family portrait with the late emperor, Karina, Jonas, and Arsen all together.
A family portrait…
Ibelina thought absently of the one hanging in the Duke’s household—a painting of the Duke, the late Duchess, and young Adrian.
After the Duchess’s death, the Duke never changed it—not out of neglect, but perhaps because it was her last trace.
Karina’s voice pulled Ibelina out of her thoughts.
“Once the wedding’s over, let’s have a new portrait painted. A new family deserves a new portrait.”
“Ah…”
Her heart thumped loudly.
She felt embarrassed, almost as if Karina had caught her longing for something like that.
Yet, at the same time, she was deeply touched by how naturally Karina spoke of her as family.
“Now then, let’s look at the tiara.”
Karina guided her to the glass case.
Inside, on a velvet cushion, sat the tiara.
“This is the tiara passed down through generations. I wore it at my wedding. You’ll wear it at yours—and someday, your daughter or daughter-in-law will wear it too.”
Karina smiled warmly as she lifted the glass.
The tiara sparkled under the light, encrusted with countless small gems.
At its center gleamed a clear blue jewel.
“That’s a blue diamond. The smaller ones are regular diamonds. The entire tiara is made solely of diamonds.”
Karina took Ibelina’s hand and said gently,
“It will look beautiful with your silver hair. I can’t wait to see you wearing it.”
“I… can’t wait either.”
Ibelina’s voice trembled slightly.
Her chest filled with warmth at Karina’s tender words.
To prepare Ibelina’s wedding dress, Lania visited the mansion.
She’d been eagerly waiting for this day, and proudly displayed all the designs she had prepared.
“Do any of these please you, my lady?”
Ibelina looked over the sketches one by one.
There were so many, and all of them were beautiful—it was impossible to choose.
After a while, she looked up helplessly.
“Th-they’re all so pretty that I can’t decide.”
Every design suited her taste perfectly.
In the end, with Karina’s help, she managed to pick one.
“You chose well, my lady,” Lania said approvingly. “You have such lovely shoulders—showing them off will make you stand out even more. And with your clear, bright eyes, a white gown will suit you perfectly.”
She smiled, full of satisfaction.
Then they discussed fabrics, gemstones, and embroidery patterns.
Just that took hours, and by the time Lania left, it was nearly dinner.
Everything was going smoothly—but Ibelina had a separate worry.
During dinner, her expression was unusually troubled.
Both Karina and Arsen noticed that she was cutting her steak more slowly than usual.
After the meal, as tea was served, Arsen asked,
“Ibelina, is something troubling you?”
“Huh? Oh, um… well…”
She hesitated, unable to speak easily.
Arsen took her hand.
“It’s alright. Please, tell us comfortably.”
Even so, she couldn’t find the courage right away.
Neither Arsen nor Karina pressed her—they waited patiently.
Finally, after a long pause, Ibelina squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out,
“I—I don’t have anyone to invite to the wedding… what should I do?”
When children are young, they form connections through social clubs, and later through society parties—but Ibelina had done neither. She hadn’t even made her social debut until she came to the Grand Duke’s estate, so she knew no one.
She felt so ashamed and embarrassed.
Of course, it wasn’t her fault—the Duke had never properly supported her—but she couldn’t help feeling humiliated.
Karina blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly.
“Don’t worry about that, dear.”
“B-but…”
“I know plenty of people. We can invite them instead. I’ll give you the list later so you can write the invitations.”
Ibelina lowered her head, her voice trembling with emotion.
“I’m really… so sorry for always causing trouble.”
“It’s quite alright, Ibelina,” Arsen said. “None of that matters. What matters is that in two months, you and I will be married. Even if it were just the two of us, that would be enough for me.”
He reached out and took her hand resting on her lap.
With teary eyes, Ibelina looked up at him.
