IWCVF 10

Chapter 10

The carriage arrived. Artern stepped down and walked toward the entrance. Luten, who had been working, approached him.

“You have returned.”

Luten took his bag.

“What about the guests?”

“They are looking around the estate.”

“I see.”

He had planned to greet them, but it seemed better to wait a little.

“Did they eat well?”

“They ate almost all the cake.”

“That must have been a lot.”

Artern clicked his tongue.

From his guess, it wasn’t Celia or Raiden who ate a lot—it was most likely the Princess and the Crown Prince.

“The coffee beans are ready, right?”

“Of course.”

He had prepared special coffee beans as a gift—ones that were sometimes served even in the imperial palace.

Of course, there were separate beans for Celia and Raiden.

“I hope Raiden made a good impression.”

Artern smiled as he said that. Luten quickly added,

“The Crown Prince personally took him along.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Artern felt pleased. If the Crown Prince personally took Raiden, it meant he had a favorable impression of him.

He smiled softly. Celia was playing an important role. He hadn’t expected this when arranging the engagement. He had only hoped she would quietly accept things.

“How did Celia look today?”

“She was beautiful.”

All the effort he put in was worth it.

“There must not be even a single bad remark.”

The Roel family may have lacked proper etiquette, but the Pellis family must not be seen the same way. It was a matter of family honor.

That was why he had personally prepared her hair accessories and necklace. She had likely already realized his intentions.

“Pell has sent a letter.”

“A letter?”

Artern read it on the spot.

“He wants to design clothes for Celia.”

Pell was a perceptive man.

He had noticed that something special was being prepared.

“We must make beautiful clothes.”

“Indeed.”

Celia was intelligent and thoughtful. Meeting such a woman required luck.

Artern had been worried when accepting Celia, thinking of her father, Kellian. But Celia behaved differently than expected. She could have been angry about the forced engagement, yet she treated Raiden well and accepted the family sincerely. That generosity moved Artern.

“We should add Pell to the list of designers.”

“Understood.”

It would cost more to commission Pell, but investing in Celia didn’t feel like a waste.

Artern was impressed by how she respected and cared for his son. For someone like her, such treatment was only natural.

With that thought, he headed to his office.

Raiden guided Majin to the garden. The flowers were still in bud. The garden, carefully tended by the gardener, was beautiful. A gentle breeze blew. It was still early spring, so the air wasn’t fully warm.

Raiden led him to a place filled with roses.

“When spring comes, these roses bloom one by one and fill the air with fragrance.”

“Roses are beautiful because they’re so splendid.”

Majin looked at the budding roses.

“We could have tea here later.”

“I plan to have tea here with Celia.”

“Invite me too.”

The Crown Prince clearly liked him. Raiden felt a little less tense.

Why had he taken a liking to him?

“You think deeply for your age. That’s why I like you.”

Majin answered the unspoken question.

“Thank you.”

“I’m not someone who gives compliments easily.”

Majin looked at him carefully.

Raiden wasn’t arrogant, but he didn’t lower himself either. For someone his age, he handled himself very well.

It showed how well Baron Pellis had raised his son.

“Still, it’s a shame about your engagement to Celia. I was considering her as a candidate for Crown Princess.”

Raiden’s heart pounded at those words.

Celia as Crown Princess… it would suit her.

When he first heard she had danced with the Crown Prince, it had hurt him deeply. That was why he had worked even harder to approach her.

“Celia is beautiful and thoughtful. You’ll understand as you get to know her.”

Majin lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Celia is truly a good person.”

Raiden spoke seriously, his voice trembling.

“But I can’t understand what she’s thinking.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know why she treats me so well.”

“Well, considering how the engagement happened, she could have been angry.”

Majin shrugged.

“But if she has complaints, she says them directly. She’s cold, but honest.”

“I know that… but I still feel uneasy.”

“That’s understandable.”

Majin smiled.

Celia was always deep in thought. She was careful about revealing her true feelings. She might open up to Shiran, but not easily to others.

She was beautiful and kind—but also distant and hard to read. It would take time for Raiden to understand her.

“Even though she treats me kindly, I’m afraid that kindness might disappear one day.”

“What?”

Majin laughed lightly.

“Do you like Celia?”

He asked seriously.

Raiden answered calmly,

“I admire her.”

“Not very honest, are you?”

With that expression, who would believe it was just admiration?

“If you’re curious about her feelings, just ask her directly.”

“I tried hinting at it, but I couldn’t hear her true thoughts. I’d feel more at ease if she said something like, ‘I resent you, but I’ll try not to hate you.’”

Raiden sighed.

Majin understood his worries and smiled.

Raiden then led him under a large tree.

“This place…”

“It’s my favorite spot.”

Majin sat on the bench. The tree cast a cool shade.

“The estate is better than I expected.”

Majin praised it and looked at Raiden.

“I’ve decided to keep close ties with the Pellis family.”

“It’s an honor.”

“Of course, I decided that after seeing you.”

Majin smiled.

“Celia is wise. You can rely on her.”

“That eases my worries a bit.”

Raiden nodded with a smile.

He just hoped Celia’s kindness wouldn’t fade.

Had she truly forgiven him and his father for forcing the engagement?

He couldn’t bring himself to ask.

I walked alone with Shiran. The garden looked even more beautiful with her, full of things to admire.

“They say it becomes even more beautiful in spring.”

When we were alone, we spoke casually.

“This house is truly magnificent.”

Shiran clicked her tongue.

“It feels like a grand ducal estate. And your fiancé is handsome.”

“Right?”

Raiden was still young, but one day he would become the most handsome man in the empire.

“The Pellis family seems to treat you well.”

“They do.”

I smiled bitterly.

“They treat me too well. It’s almost burdensome.”

Because one day, I would leave this place.

Shiran looked at me and sighed.

“You think too much sometimes, Celia. If they treat you well, that’s a good thing.”

She didn’t know my fate. That was my secret alone.

“You should just enjoy it.”

Shiran said that while looking at the flowers. It almost seemed like the flowers were smiling at her.

“Oh, right. So you’re getting that academy scholarship after all.”

At graduation, I had made a deal with the headmaster. If no one surpassed my grades within four years, I would receive double the scholarship.

And I had won.

“Of course. I’m just that capable.”

“That’s the Celia I know.”

Shiran said that and gently touched my hair accessory.