“Just now, Duke Dayan paid a visit.”
“…Is that so.”
“He said that the young lady of House Dayan wishes to become engaged to you. What do you think?”
Estevan recalled the moment he had met Liliana.
She had proposed the engagement, saying she would become his strength, and she had even found his mother’s keepsake.
‘We also made a magic contract.’
The reason she had gone that far to stand on his side was for the safety of her House.
If their goals aligned, there was no reason not to take her hand.
“I will become engaged.”
“You understand what that means, don’t you?”
“It means I must begin competing with Mikael for the Imperial throne.”
“Are you confident?”
“I will do my best.”
Estevan’s red eyes burned with seriousness.
‘It seems he hasn’t been wasting his time all this while.’
If he was his son, that was how it should be.
“If that’s your will, I will watch.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor patted Estevan on the shoulder.
***
Two days later, an Imperial decree was issued from the Palace granting permission for the engagement between Estevan and Liliana.
After inviting the Imperial Family to a luncheon, the Emperor announced the engagement between Estevan and Liliana.
Everyone present was shocked.
And the ones most shocked of all were Mikael and Consort Isabella.
“Your Majesty! What is the meaning of this? The young lady of House Dayan and Prince Estevan are to be engaged? Was that engagement not meant for our Mikael?”
The Emperor looked steadily at Empress Isabella.
“Imperial Consort, Mikael failed to win the young lady’s heart. It was Estevan who won her heart.”
Isabella looked at Mikael with a stiff expression.
“Did the young lady say she would become engaged to Prince Estevan rather than Mikael?”
“That is correct. This is the engagement the young lady wanted. Since Estevan also wishes to become engaged to her, there is no reason for me to refuse.”
Mikael clenched his fists and trembled all over.
‘Liliana becoming engaged to my brother…’
With an expression of disbelief, Mikael looked at the Emperor.
The Emperor met his gaze, but that was all. With a calm expression, he continued discussing the procedures for the engagement between Liliana and Estevan.
For a moment, Mikael was so angry that he almost stormed out of the luncheon, but he barely managed to restrain himself.
Isabella gently soothed him.
“Control your anger.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Mikael barely suppressed his anger and looked at Estevan, who was leisurely eating beside him.
‘That sly bastard.’
He wondered what trick Estevan had used to seduce the young lady of House Dayan.
‘What is His Majesty thinking? Surely he doesn’t intend to make me compete with that bastard.’
It was absurd.
More than anything, the most absurd thing was that Liliana, whom he had been trying so hard to win over, had gone over to Estevan.
‘Why?’
He couldn’t understand it.
The chaotic luncheon finally came to an end, and Mikael immediately approached Estevan as he stood up to leave.
“Brother, please speak with me for a moment.”
Estevan nodded and glanced at Mikael.
“A quiet place would be better, right? Follow me.”
“Very well.”
The two stood in the middle of a quiet garden.
After confirming that no one was around, Mikael asked Estevan,
“Since when?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Since when did you charm the young lady?”
“Charm?”
“Did you seduce her with that handsome face of yours?”
When Mikael mocked him, the corner of Estevan’s lips curled upward.
“Well. It looks like I am more to the young lady’s taste than you.”
Mikael looked at him with an incredulous expression.
“Do not joke. You must know that I have been courting her for a year now. From my point of view, it seems that you deliberately took her away from me.”
“So what?”
“I do not know what method you used, but it will not be easy. I have never allowed what belongs to me to be taken by someone else.”
“That is quite the confidence.”
“Just watch. She will definitely choose me.”
Mikael declared confidently.
“Will she? It’s already decided, but I will look forward to it. Try to live up to that expectation.”
As Estevan turned around, Mikael clenched both fists tightly.
***
Liliana met Jerdin, Black Cat’s Information Master. It was to discuss something important.
“I will soon become engaged to Prince Estevan.”
Jerdin’s eyes gleamed with interest. He had already heard the news.
“So you truly are getting engaged.”
“Yes.”
Jerdin immediately saw through Liliana’s intentions.
“Are you planning to place him on the Imperial throne?”
“That’s right. I will help him. That’s why I needed your organization’s strength.”
“Are you planning to become Empress?”
Liliana shook her head.
“No. Prince Estevan and I are only in a contractual relationship. Once we each achieve our goals, it will end there. When Prince Estevan safely becomes Emperor, I will break the engagement with him.”
“I see.”
Jerdin looked at her with a serious expression.
“What would you like us to help with?”
“Once we become engaged, I will enter the Palace as the First Prince’s future Consort. When that happens, send me capable maids who can act as my hands and feet. It would be even better if they possess some level of combat ability.”
Jerdin’s eyes shone.
“Understood.”
“And spread the rumor so that everyone knows about my engagement with Prince Estevan.”
“I will do so.”
After finishing her requests to Jerdin, Liliana returned to the mansion.
***
Before long, news of Liliana and Prince Estevan’s engagement spread as a rumor throughout the entire Empire.
It was thanks to Black Cat doing their job properly, just as she had requested.
“The rumor spread quite quickly.”
“It did.”
Liliana was having tea in the office with her father.
He had called her there to discuss the engagement ceremony.
“Yes, the engagement ceremony will be held in the Grand Banquet Hall.”
Liliana widened her eyes at her father’s words.
“The Grand Banquet Hall? Is that not too much?”
The Grand Banquet Hall was the most magnificent and largest of the banquet halls in the Imperial Palace, yet the Emperor had readily allowed them to use it.
“It is my daughter’s engagement ceremony. It can’t be held just anywhere.”
Liliana narrowed her eyes and looked at her father.
“Was it you who requested it, Father?”
“There is no need to look at me like that. I merely asked for what was only natural…”
“I would have preferred something simple… but it cannot be helped.”
Feeling the warmth of her father’s concern for her, Liliana decided to accept it.
“When would be a good date?”
“Any time is fine. Please choose a suitable date, Father.”
Her father stroked his chin.
“Then I will decide after discussing it with His Majesty.”
“Yes, Father.”
After finishing the discussion about the engagement ceremony, Liliana left her father’s office.
Then she looked with a puzzled expression at Anna, who came running toward her in a hurry.
“My Lady, Lady Elisha is in the reception room.”
“Really?”
“Yes, she has been waiting for quite a while. She was so angry that Mary ran out crying.”
At those words, Liliana’s eyes turned cold.
The reason Elisha acted so arrogantly like this was because Liliana had treated her as a friend all this time.
She visited the Ducal estate as if it were her own home and expected to be treated on the same level as Liliana.
That was because Liliana had allowed it.
And now she could no longer tolerate it. After being stabbed in the back so harshly, how could she possibly look kindly upon her?
Someday she would make Elisha regret it, but that time was not now.
“Let’s go to the reception room.”
“Yes, my Lady.”
Liliana slowly headed toward the reception room.
When she opened the door and entered, Elisha, who had been full of irritation just moments ago, suddenly smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Lily!”
When Elisha called her by that nickname, the servants nearby frowned.
Liliana didn’t like hearing it either.
‘For now, I have no choice but to endure it.’
Elisha approached and held Liliana’s hand with both of hers.
“I heard about your engagement. I was so surprised.”
“Was that so?”
“Mhm. Why did you not tell me? I’m really hurt.”
Holding back a faint laugh, Liliana removed her hand from Elisha’s and sat down on the sofa in the reception room. Elisha naturally sat down across from her.
The servants brought tea for Liliana.
Taking a sip of the tea Anna poured for her, Liliana spoke casually.
“Elisha, you should get engaged too. Is there anyone you have had your eye on recently?”
When Liliana probed lightly, Elisha seemed slightly flustered but quickly composed her expression before answering.
“Ah, not yet. But more importantly, since when have you been seeing Prince Estevan? If I didn’t know, were you meeting him secretly?”
“Not really. We haven’t known each other for very long.”
“I see.”
Elisha lifted her teacup. Liliana’s eyes moved to her wrist, where a bracelet that looked quite expensive was fastened.
It was a sapphire bracelet, with intricate craftsmanship and gems of the highest quality.
But the problem was that Liliana owned a bracelet of the exact same design.
Only the gemstone was different, but the design was identical.
“Elisha, did you buy that bracelet recently?”
