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“So… when are you planning to propose, Tristan?”

“…Propose?”

Bella, sitting across from me, rested her chin on her hand and stared at me.

I was a bit flustered. She suddenly showed up, and now she’s talking about a proposal?

We had done a fake proposal before, at her request, so I wondered if she was asking for another one.

Sure enough, Bella sighed as if she read my mind.

“What you did back then was just practice, not a real proposal. You’re not planning to marry me without proposing, are you?”

“……”

Well, I was.

“Honestly… you’re so insensitive, Count.”

“A fake proposal is still a proposal.”

“Stop with the nonsense… Then should I fake marry you too?”

“Come on. Haven’t we been acting as more than lovers but less than spouses all this time?”

“If you keep being this shameless, we might end up as less than lovers.”

“……”

I shut my mouth before things could escalate further.

Bella smiled contentedly at my reaction.

“I’ll be waiting for your proposal.”

Indeed, proposals are a big deal for women, just like weddings. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I could feel Bella’s determination to get that proposal.

Of course, I understand her feelings.

But understanding doesn’t make it any less bothersome.

After all, a proposal is just a request to marry, right? And Bella has already agreed to marry me, so a proposal seems redundant.

‘I’m already busy enough…’

Feeling unfairly treated, I decided to ask the opinion of the girl snickering beside me.

“Helga.”

“Yes?”

“Do you also want me to propose to you?”

“Of course.”

An unexpected answer.

I thought someone as impatient as her would skip the proposal and go straight to marriage.

“So, you won’t marry me until I propose?”

“Fufu… Of course, Count. Even though I’ve given you my body, heart, and soul, I haven’t given you my hand in marriage yet.”

“…Isn’t that basically everything?”

“You don’t understand. A proposal is absolutely essential. You must propose to both me and the Princess.”

“Your knight feels the same way, Count.”

“……”

This is weird.

Helga and Bella shouldn’t be getting along this well.

Did they plan this behind my back?

Looking around for someone who might sympathize with me, I noticed a woman standing next to Bella.

“Blanshe, what do you think?”

“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch that…”

“About proposing before marriage.”

“Ah…? A proposal…?”

What’s with her?

Blanshe seemed completely out of it, not having heard our conversation at all.

“Ah… Blanshe’s been preoccupied lately.”

“Preoccupied?”

“Not right now, but if I get married and leave the mansion, Blanshe would naturally follow me, but…”

“My lady, I’d love to follow you, but…”

“Then just come with me.”

“I’m sorry… Before being your knight, I’m a knight of the Izakhel Family. I have a duty to stay and protect the Duke and the family.”

“Ugh… It’s not like you’re the only knight.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Blanshe trailed off.

Just from the conversation, I could tell what was going on.

Blanshe, being the stubborn type, was torn between her duty as a knight of the Izakhel Family and her role as Bella’s bodyguard.

In the end, she couldn’t do both. She’d have to give up one.

And it was clear which one she’d choose.

Bella obviously wanted Blanshe to come with her, and Blanshe wanted to follow Bella.

Well… there might be a way.

“Blanshe.”

“Yes?”

“How about you get married and become independent?”

“Wh-what?!”

Thinking about it, if I introduced her to a suitable partner, it could solve the problem.

If she married a man, she’d naturally have to give up her title as a knight of the Izakhel Family.

And if I introduced someone from my own household, she could follow Bella.

“Hmm… That’s actually not a bad idea.”

Bella nodded in agreement. It seemed like a pretty good plan.

But Blanshe didn’t seem to think so.

“M-m-marriage?! That’s not for me…!”

“Come on. What’s wrong with that? I was feeling bad about getting married before you, so why don’t you get married too, as the Count suggested?”

“B-but how could I possibly…?”

Blanshe, usually so composed, was visibly shaken by the marriage talk.

It was kind of sad.

After all, Blanshe was a victim of our family’s past misdeeds. As the head of the family, I felt responsible for giving her a happy future.

“It’s okay, Blanshe. You deserve it.”

“Count…”

“It doesn’t have to be marriage. I just want you to find your own happiness.”

Blanshe’s life has been tough.

An orphan taken in by the Ruelberta Family, she lived as an assassin. Then she was abandoned by Tristan and saved by Bella.

It took a long time for her to open her heart after living as a tool for assassination.

Now it’s time to forget the past and be happy.

“The Count is right, Blanshe. I want you to be happy now.”

“My lady…”

Bella doesn’t know everything about Blanshe’s past, but she knows it’s complicated. Still, she said that.

As far as I know, Bella never pried into Blanshe’s past.

She wasn’t looking at Blanshe’s dark past.

She was looking at the “now” we were living in.

Blanshe bowed her head, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

She needed some time.

*Knock knock.*

“I’ll bring some tea…”

“Sure.”

Just then, Wendy and a maid came in with tea.

We sipped our tea, as if by some unspoken agreement, waiting for Blanshe to speak.

“How’s the tea…?”

“Mmm. It’s good. Much better than last time.”

“Ahaha… R-really…?”

“Yes, Wendy. You’ve really improved.”

Bella, sipping her tea, suddenly shot me a look.

“Count, say something too. Don’t just say it’s not bad or something dismissive.”

“…It’s not my kind of tea.”

“Tristan! Seriously?”

“M-my lady…! I-it’s fine…”

“Wendy… You’re being too nice, and that’s why the Count says things like that.”

“N-no… I didn’t make this tea…”

“Huh?”

Bella tilted her head and noticed the blonde maid next to Wendy.

“By the way, there’s a new maid here? Is she new?”

“Ah… This, this is…”

“This…?”

Finally, the new maid turned around.

“Bella… Save me.”

“Lady Michaela?!”

The golden-eyed goddess, Michaela, was dressed in a maid uniform, serving us tea.

Bella, realizing this, shot up.

“Lady Michaela, why… No, Count! What are you doing to Lady Michaela?!”

“As you can see, I hired a new maid to replace Wendy.”

Michaela, caught by Helga, had no choice but to work in my mansion.

If she wanted to go outside, she had to stay on my good side.

“Are you serious right now? Who in their right mind hires a god?!”

“Right here.”

“Stop joking and send Lady Michaela back to paradise!”

“Why? She begged me for a job, so I gave her one.”

“Who begged you?!”

Michaela, furious, placed her hands on her hips.

“You crazy bastard! Do I look like someone who’d serve tea here? I’m a god! Omnipotent compared to you!”

“Omnipotent, huh? You sure make good tea.”

“Stop talking nonsense and send me back to paradise!”

“Do you want to go back?”

“Of course!”

“Hmm… I see. So, you don’t want to go ‘outside.'”

“!”

Michaela froze.

“You… You petty…! Are you serious?”

“The one who’s disappointed is you.”

“Ugh…!”

“Refill.”

I held out my empty teacup with a smirk.

Michaela trembled with rage, but…

Helga was standing next to her, smiling as if daring her to try something.

Finally, Michaela picked up the teapot, biting her lip.

“H-here you go… You b-bad… master!”

“Good. Pour some for Bella too. Her cup’s empty.”

“Y-yeah. Bella, here’s your tea.”

“Lady Michaela?!”

Bella, still confused, accepted the tea from a god.

She had no idea what was going on.

“I’ve decided.”

Blanshe finally broke her silence.

“I’ll go with my lady.”

“Blanshe, then…!”

“Yes. I want to stay with my lady forever. So…”

Blanshe spoke with a calm, determined voice.

“I’ll become the Count’s concubine.”

I dropped my teacup.

 

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