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Before the spring flowers, which had bloomed early, completely dropped their petals to the ground, my engagement ceremony with Elena took place, as promised to her earlier.

Though named an engagement ceremony, it was not a grand affair. There was no wedding, and it was merely a simple ceremony. The significance of today’s engagement was more about officially documenting our engagement, which had already been known to the public, between Elena and me.

Perhaps it’s because of this that the scale of the engagement ceremony was very small. While our opinions were taken into account, we did not gather other families like at a banquet; it was just a quiet gathering of our families. After all, there had recently been significant events, and we did not want unnecessary disturbances.

It wasn’t unnecessarily hectic, and I thought it was a good choice. Standing in front of people one after another is no small feat, and there was no need to dampen the mood on this pleasant day.

However, it was inevitable that news reached those with whom I had personal ties. If they asked about my engagement with Elena, they likely hinted at when it might happen.

I heard that Noel sent a letter to Elena saying she wanted to attend the engagement ceremony, but as expected, she and Orcus could not be here. The Emperor would not permit them to go outside the capital now that security for the royal family had been tightened.

Perhaps, after some time, I might receive a letter from Orcus apologizing for not being able to attend the engagement ceremony.

The engagement ceremony was held in the garden in front of Isilia Pavilion, as Elena had previously mentioned to me.

In the garden, there was a simple spot set up with a tea table for a meal, which was chosen as the venue for the event. Since there weren’t many attendees, it was enough to simply arrange the seats and bring out the food.

The overall appearance of the engagement ceremony resembled the outing my family had taken when I first came here. Quietly observing the surroundings and making trivial small talk, this place, which may become a starting point for changing the dynamics of the Empire, appeared light and peaceful.

Alphonse, unable to resist the warm spring sun, kept dozing off with his eyes half-closed, while my father and Joachim sat across from each other, raising their glasses. This scene looked nothing like an engagement ceremony, but rather a spring outing, which I found quite delightful.

“It might be simple, but I wish we could have held it at Merohim.”

“What are you talking about? It’s better to stay here than in some isolated place with hardly any view. Besides, the new daughter-in-law said she wouldn’t want it in a place with withered flowers. Isn’t this the best? The only things you’d see there would be the snowflakes you conjure with your magic.”

“…Just stop talking.”

Avoiding my father’s words, Joachim turned his gaze toward me.

Feeling the icy glare of Joachim, I instinctively leaned closer to Elena. Why do I get the brunt of my father’s bluster? I didn’t say anything, and yet I feel wronged.

But soon, as if it were all a joke, Joachim subtly smiled and turned his gaze towards the scenery around us. Then, changing his mood, he softly agreed with my father’s statement.

“Surely, the south is beautiful.”

With a sense of wonder at Joachim suddenly smiling as if nothing had happened, I turned my head to see why he felt more relaxed while gazing at this place.

Where Joachim’s eyes were directed, unsurprisingly, was Elena. Contrary to my expectations, Elena was staring at the horizon of the garden, seemingly uninterested in the conversation between my father and Joachim.

She had an unusually dazed expression, but seeing the smile that hadn’t left her lips all day gave me insight into how she felt.

Perhaps it was observing this appearance of Elena that melted Joachim’s frozen face. As expected, seeing Elena happy seemed sufficient for him. Before long, Joachim completely immersed himself in the garden’s atmosphere and began to enjoy small talk with my father.

As I quietly observed this, Elena spoke to me.

“What are you so happily watching?”

“Just… Your father and mine are too funny. Don’t you think so, Elena?”

I pointed to my father and Joachim, who were playfully teasing each other. The heads of the two families, who were goofing around, didn’t seem like local lords at all. I’d take that over rigid old men any day.

Elena dismissed my comment with a single phrase.

“Like children?”

“…That’s not wrong.”

Both Elena and I chuckled at that.

Watching us laugh, I couldn’t help but recall the first time Elena and I spoke in this garden. The current moment, with our engagement officially recognized, stood in stark contrast to the day I had suggested calling off the engagement. Perhaps that’s why this moment comes to mind even more now.

Reflecting on how the situation had changed from one where I hadn’t even considered it, I realized the outcome of my attempt to comfort the girl who had been crying in front of me had led us here. If someone who truly wanted Elena were to appear, I would let her go then, but the story has unfolded this way.

So much had changed from what I had first thought. Unlike what I initially imagined, I didn’t want to let her go, and I dared to dream of being the male lead, stepping away from the role of a third-rate villain making a hasty exit. I’m unsure how things will unfold going forward since so much diverges from the original story, but I don’t believe my feelings will change.

So, has something changed in Elena as much as it has in me?

From my perspective, she seems unchanged since the first time we met. As I see it, she’s simply a girl who has liked me from the very beginning. For her, the only change is that our distance has closed.

That was what Elena had desired all along.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the current situation transforming so greatly lies not in my actions but in Elena. Her feelings for me, stemming from a place of liking that deviates from the original narrative, have brought us to this point.

It makes one curious about unexplained favor; however, I’ve already decided not to dwell on it.

I’d rather not dig too deeply and end up misunderstanding and hurt, but there’s a proverb that ignorance is bliss, and I don’t feel the need to uncover the truth. Perhaps one day I might ask casually, but it’s not the time for that now.

Even if she isn’t the Elena I saw in the story, even if she is a different being like me, I don’t care right now. The Elena Edelweiss whom I love is the one who has spent this time with me.

So, I hope she feels the same way.

*

After finishing the brief and straightforward engagement ceremony, just like back then, I strolled through the garden with Elena alone.

The signs that spring was ending were visible, as the once vibrant petals were now losing their strength. Nevertheless, the lingering fragrance that surrounded this place often swept me back to that moment when we first walked together.

“It seems we’ll have to say goodbye to this view for a while,” Elena said, looking at the crushed petals on the pathway.

Blossoms bloom only once each season. The flowers of spring, summer, autumn, and winter differ; in the Lord’s Castle, flowers are planted to match the four seasons, but in the case of Isilia Pavilion, most of the plants there were spring flowers.

Now that the season has passed, with us reaching the end of spring together, it would be difficult to see a landscape like this in Isilia Pavilion for quite some time.

Nodding at Elena’s remark, I glanced around at the purple hyacinths blooming near her.

Since I liked the fragrance of these flowers, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret. Before Elena came here, I was the one who frequented Isilia Pavilion the most.

Elena and I walked side by side in silence.

Occasionally we exchanged words, though we didn’t feel the need to force conversation, enjoying the stillness of the moment. Like that day, we paused for a moment to look up at the sky, and I gently reached out to feel the spring breeze carrying the floral scent.

Just as it seemed we would maintain the silence all the way back to the Lord’s Castle, I broke it.

“Elena. Do you remember what I said the first time we came to Isilia Pavilion?”

At my unexpected question, a look of surprise crossed Elena’s face for the first time today. Seeing that expression, I realized she recalled our conversation even without waiting for her response.

“Yes…”

I added a bit of strength to the hand I held hers. Perhaps reassured by it, the tremor in her eyes ceased. I continued speaking.

“I definitely said that an engagement was premature. And you cried upon hearing my words. Honestly, I was quite taken aback at that time. I hadn’t rejected the engagement; I only meant to suggest we take some time to think things over, and I didn’t expect you to cry so sadly.”

“W-well…!!!”

“Which is why I proposed it. The engagement.”

“Eh?”

“It was the only way I could think of to stop your tears back then.”

Elena looked momentarily stunned by my words.

Hmm, did I say too much?

I embraced the ice-like figure of Elena, whose expression had frozen. Though it was a bit cool, it wasn’t unbearable. I gently stroked her hair as I continued to speak.

“Back then, we had only met for a day, and there was no affection to speak of. What I told you was simply that I hated seeing you cry because of me, and that was my attempt to get past that moment.”

“So… are we just going to pretend that never happened?”

“Of course not. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have held an engagement ceremony. Right now, you can hear my heartbeat. What I want to say isn’t that.”

The engagement, accepted only to get out of the situation. Now, I would unveil the words I had pushed aside all this time.

“I like you, Elena.”

Though we had shared a brief kiss that could certainly be deemed an act of affection and had lived like lovers under the name of engagement, this would probably be the first time I openly expressed my feelings to her like this.

I slightly pulled back from the embrace to meet her gaze.

And this time, with clear emotion, I spoke to her.

“Will you stay by my side in the future as well?”

Only after the engagement ceremony did I finally feel I could make a proper engagement proposal to her.

 

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