Fiance (1)
I searched through my memories and recalled what she had looked like when we met at the age of seven.
The first thing that came to mind was a black-haired girl staring at me with lifeless, dead-fish eyes.
And beside that memory was the deeply frowning face of Heinkel Leinrant.
"Your Grace, you must decide!"
"If Young Master Klein and the young lady of House Ailasis Ducal House were to become engaged, what a joyous occasion it would be!"
At the time, less than a year had passed since I came out of the reformatory.
The collateral nobles were the most excited of all when a marriage proposal arrived for someone considered utterly worthless like me.
"They are still children. Deciding their marriage already is…"
"It is for the sake of the ducal house, Your Grace!"
"Think of the harmony this engagement would bring between the two families…!"
Harmony my ass. They probably got bribed behind the scenes.
I was inwardly mocking those pigs blinded by greed when—
"I cannot so easily accept such a sudden proposal. Leave for today!"
Heinkel sharply rebuked the high officials who had come alongside Ciel la Ailasis.
"Y-Your Grace!"
Ignoring the desperate cries of the collateral nobles, Heinkel simply turned his back and strode out of the room.
What the hell? I thought he was just some uptight scholar-type, but he's got a temper.
I had only known Heinkel for a short time back then, so the sight felt strangely refreshing.
"Hmph, to think he'd be that stubborn…!"
Once Heinkel—the one with authority over the marriage negotiations—left the room, the collateral nobles and the officials of Ailasis hurried after him.
"Please reconsider, Your Grace! This is—!"
"It is for the bond between our houses! To begin with, Young Master Klein has little value—!"
Their voices gradually faded into the distance as they followed after Heinkel.
And so, without even a servant attending us, Ciel and I were left alone in that shabby playroom.
After silently staring at her hollow eyes for a while, I cursed inwardly.
…Fuck. This is unbearable to watch.
Then I suddenly stood up and grabbed her hand without warning.
"Come with me! Staying here feels suffocating!"
After silently watching me for a long moment, Ciel finally asked:
"Go? Where?"
"Where else?!"
Her eyes were still dull and clouded.
Looking into those dark, murky eyes no child should possess, I deliberately shouted loudly:
"We're going to play!"
"It's been so long, Klein!"
"Ah… yes… It's been a long time…"
Her clear voice pulled me out of my old memories.
Recalling the vague image of the girl from back then only made the sense of dissonance stronger.
She's become a completely different person from when I met her before.
It had been eight years since I first—and last—met Princess Ciel.
And the girl I saw back then had been the complete opposite of the one standing before me now.
The problem is why she came here…
When I turned my eyes toward the mansion windows, I could see maids hurrying about in every direction.
So it really was an unplanned visit…?
Watching the bustling servants only deepened my thoughts.
Is Ailasis trying to keep tabs on me? No… Our families barely have any contact. There's no reason to provoke things this way…
While countless possibilities tangled through my head, the highest-ranking person present—Delline—stepped forward and greeted her properly.
"It's been a long time, Lady Ciel."
Flawless etiquette, exactly like Delline.
And as though responding in kind, Ciel gracefully lifted the hem of her dress and returned the greeting.
"Thank you for allowing such a sudden visit, Young Master Delline."
A refined appearance without the slightest disorder.
As I continued turning possibilities over in my head while watching her, Delline jabbed me in the side.
"What are you doing? It's your fiancée you're meeting after all this time."
He gestured toward Ciel, who was nervously watching my reaction.
But my expression still wouldn't relax.
"This is weird!"
"What's weird about it?"
Seeing Delline frown as though he genuinely didn't understand only made exhaustion wash over me.
"Think about it. She disappeared for eight years without a word, so why suddenly come looking for her political marriage partner now?"
"Maybe she suddenly missed you?"
"No, what kind of—!"
Unable to continue because of sheer frustration, I stopped speaking, and Delline merely shrugged as if I were hopeless.
"Hey. Then tell me this. Does that look like the face of someone looking at a mere political marriage partner?"
"Th—!"
At Delline's words, I glanced sideways toward Ciel.
The moment our eyes met, she smiled brightly at me.
And the blush spreading across her face was, no matter how I looked at it…
Then why is she making that kind of expression…?
The sincerity written all over her face only made things worse.
No, seriously—she may technically be my fiancée, but that was eight years ago.
And we only met once.
Then why was she looking at me like that?
While Delline and I whispered back and forth, Ciel, who had been carefully watching my face, suddenly asked:
"Perhaps… was this rude of me?"
Her anxious voice immediately made me wave my hands.
"N-No. Not at all."
Regardless of the countless questions in my head, Ciel was still officially my fiancée.
I couldn't treat her with the same cold indifference I used toward Lia.
"That's a relief! I came without any notice, so I was very worried. So…!"
At my single sentence, Ciel's expression brightened immediately.
Then she suddenly stepped closer and grabbed my hand before speaking with a worried face.
"I heard the Great Wall is extremely dangerous. You weren't hurt anywhere, were you? Is there anywhere uncomfortable or painful…?"
Ciel desperately kept talking, as though trying to hold my attention.
And seeing that made me feel suffocated.
This is driving me insane. Why is the daughter of a house as prestigious as Ailasis clinging to me?
Ailasis Ducal House.
One of the Empire's Three Great Ducal Houses, and by far the most outstanding mage family in the Empire.
Unlike the declining House Leinrant, they were a great noble family possessing the greatest power among the Three Great Dukes.
The fact that the daughter of such a house reacted emotionally to every word I said was something I simply could not understand.
Still, she looks much better than when we met before. At least that's a relief.
As I thought back on those childhood memories—
The ever-grinning Delline Leinrant grabbed my shoulder.
"So, are you planning to keep your fiancée standing around in the training ground forever?"
"H-Huh?"
When I blinked in confusion, Delline shook his head in disbelief before speaking to Ciel la Ailasis.
"My younger brother is rather inexperienced with these kinds of matters. We'll prepare him, so please head to the carriage first."
"Ah, thank you very much, Young Master Delline!"
Ciel's face brightened immediately at his words, and under the guidance of a knight, she gradually disappeared from view.
"…Prepare me? What are you talking about?"
"What else?"
The moment Delline answered that, he abruptly shoved me sideways.
"Hey, Delline, what are you—?!"
My body staggered from the sudden ambush.
And the one who caught me was—
…the head maid, built almost as massively as Corax.
"Maria…?"
The disciplinarian of the Leinrant estate.
The moment I called her name with a trembling voice, the sturdy face hidden beneath shadows revealed a row of white teeth.
And behind her, the maids were all staring at me with similar smiles, like predators who had found prey.
"It's the first date of the Second Young Master of House Leinrant. You can prepare him without mistakes, yes?"
At Delline's words, my thoughts froze.
…Wait a second.
A date?
Me?
With Lady Ciel?
While I stood there dumbfounded watching Delline issue orders to the maids, they flawlessly restrained me.
"Leave it to us, Young Master!"
"We've spent every day washing sweaty knight uniforms and training clothes, and now our Young Master is finally going on a date!"
"It's been ages since we've had work worthy of actual maids! There's no way we're letting this chance go!"
Delline smiled with satisfaction at the maids' enthusiastic responses.
And the moment I realized the meaning behind that smile, my face turned pale.
Right.
Only then did I finally understand the true purpose of this damned older brother of mine.
"You're sacrificing me under the excuse of a date with my fiancée just to buy time, aren't you?"
"Exactly."
After answering, Delline leaned closer to me while I remained trapped in the maids' grasp.
"The visit wasn't planned, so the estate needs time to prepare things."
"…!"
"So just spend some time outside Leinrant City. We'll come get you once preparations are finished."
After saying that, Delline gave the maids a short command.
"Take him away."
At the order of the First Young Master of House Leinrant, the maids immediately dragged me toward my room.
"No, hey! I can walk on my own, alright?! Let go of me…! Why are you taking my clothes off too?!"
What awaited me in the hands of the maids—who had finally regained their true calling after so long—
…was a horrifying scene of abuse.
"I'm reporting every single one of you for insulting nobilityyyyy—!"
Dragged around by the maids, washed, changed into outing clothes, and stuffed into a carriage—
My screams echoed nonstop throughout the Leinrant estate.
"Lady Ciel and Klein…"
Inside Heinkel's study.
The carriage of House Leinrant visible beyond the window gradually disappeared down the road.
"So. Was what you just said true?"
Watching it all, Heinkel Leinrant questioned Head Maid Maria once more.
"Yes, Your Grace."
Maria immediately answered before continuing.
"While the two of them were heading toward the outskirts, we sent a mana communication to House Ailasis Ducal House."
As she spoke, she recalled the conversation from earlier.
"It was such a sudden visit that we intended to ask whether they required anything."
"But their reaction was strange?"
"Yes."
At Heinkel's question, Maria nodded.
"They sounded extremely flustered. Suddenly there was commotion on the other end, and I could even hear running footsteps."
"So they were panicking."
When Berkman muttered that, Maria agreed.
"They even asked us again whether Lady Ciel was truly here before abruptly cutting the communication."
"I see."
After hearing that, Heinkel stroked his chin and sank into thought.
For a ducal house not to know their own daughter was visiting another family.
That was impossible.
And if it was a mage family like Ailasis, even more so.
"Your Grace."
Standing beside him, Berkman brought up information regarding Ailasis.
"Lady Ciel has not appeared publicly once in the past eight years."
"Eight years?"
"Yes."
Answering Heinkel's question, Berkman added another detail.
"Ever since the birth year of the current heir, Young Master Aigin."
Hearing the butler's information, Heinkel tapped his finger against the desk.
"A young lady who vanished from public appearances after the birth of the heir…"
Listening to the tapping sound against the wood, Heinkel organized his chaotic thoughts.
"And now she appears at Leinrant of all places…"
Just as he muttered that while holding his chin—
Knock knock.
Urgent knocking shattered the heavy atmosphere inside the office.
"Enter."
As Berkman answered in place of the contemplative Heinkel, the door opened and a mana observer rushed in.
"H-House Ailasis has requested authorization to use teleportation magic!"
"Ailasis?"
That single sentence immediately snapped Heinkel out of his thoughts.
"The location?"
"I-It's an alley located within Leinrant City. Address: 12th Alley, 3rd Street…"
At the report, Berkman immediately recognized the location and spoke.
"That is where Young Master Klein and Lady Ciel just headed."
At those words, Heinkel muttered quietly:
"If five court mages are being dispatched the moment they receive our contact, then they intend to retrieve Lady Ciel."
"What are your orders?"
After briefly considering Berkman's question, Heinkel answered.
"A request has come from one of the Empire's Three Great Ducal Houses. We cannot reject it. Approve the teleportation."
"Understood."
"And one more thing."
Stopping Berkman before he could leave, Heinkel gave another order with a hardened expression.
"Send Dunkel and his knights into Leinrant City to protect Klein and Lady Ciel. As quickly as possible."