Chapter 12
Chapter 12.
“Welcome, Agatha.”
With an indifferent face.
Even so, the handsome man made even the flowers look beautiful. His neat yet somehow gentle tone and the name spoken without warning made Agatha’s earlobes flush.
‘This is cheating.’
She had certainly received countless flowers before.
This was the first time her heart had pounded with such joy, and her voice trembled.
“……Enoch?”
“Yes. I hope you like the flowers I prepared. I tried to pick ones that would suit you, and the bouquet ended up much larger than I expected.”
The bouquet he strode forward and handed her was indeed heavy and large, almost too much for Agatha to hold in her arms, but.
“……It’s perfect.”
The rich floral scent filling her nostrils was deep and pleasant, much like this man. The man, his lips curving into a surprisingly gentle smile, knelt before Agatha on one knee.
The attendant maids standing behind, the palace staff of the Imperial Palace, and the Imperial Family knights who had followed.
All stared at the two of them with wide, astonished eyes.
“Agatha.”
He whispered, pressing his lips deeply to the back of Agatha’s hand.
“Though our time together has been short, I swear I am ready to cherish, love, and protect you in any situation. So.”
“……”
“Will you accept my proposal?”
She had thought the reason he mentioned marriage so openly was to investigate his relatives who were likely plotting behind the scenes.
So, she had thought it might be a proposal in words only.
‘Such a sincere proposal.’
Agatha decided she didn’t care what he valued more. Still holding the hand he gripped, she pulled him closer.
“I said it would be enough.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed the man’s cheek as he leaned closer. A sweet sound echoed from her lips as they lightly touched and then parted.
“I accept your proposal.”
Agatha smiled brightly, looking up at the man who gazed down at her without moving.
This time, it felt like it would be a happy marriage.
Agatha chose the largest and most beautiful vase and arranged the bouquet beautifully.
She also remembered to pick out one of each type of flower and sort them.
“I’m going to frame this later, so please dry them carefully. Alright?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Enoch had been silent since his proposal was accepted. Yet, as his gaze lingered on her, Agatha placed her hand on his arm and led him out of the palace.
The weather was good, her mood was good, and her physical condition was fine, so she thought she would go to the Imperial Palace’s flower garden.
“A walk, is that alright?”
Upon entering the garden, she saw more people than usual. They were watching the two of them so intently that even Agatha, accustomed to being observed, noticed.
It seemed the rumor that Enoch had just formally proposed had already spread like wildfire.
Agatha had experienced such moments many times and knew how to handle them.
Ignoring them was the best course of action.
Treating the onlookers as if they weren’t there, she moved, and Enoch, sensing her intention, followed suit.
The flower garden was not far from Agatha’s palace. The garden, where the warm sunlight mingled with late spring and early summer flowers, was showcasing its colorful beauty.
Fountains spurted cool water in various places.
Enoch, who had been escorting her silently, hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Of course. I’m well enough to be walking around like this.”
At Enoch’s worried words, Agatha’s eyes widened, then she smiled slightly.
“Still, I don’t mind you worrying about me.”
She wanted to savor this feeling and spend more time like this, but there was something she had to say.
Agatha gestured for her attendants to step back and handed Enoch the documents she had prepared.
“Would you like to see? This is the alternative plan I will present to His Majesty.”
“Is this about the East Continent trade you mentioned before?”
“Yes.”
As his long, slender fingers slowly turned the pages, Enoch’s gaze stopped at one section.
“You will be directly involved in negotiations with the Mainyucore Empire?”
“Only for the initial phase of settling relations. I didn’t want to get involved beyond providing the island, but the conditions His Majesty desires likely include my participation.”
“Is there a specific reason you must be involved?”
“……”
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had to be so blunt, but since they were to be married, it would be better not to hide it.
Besides, it was something that could be easily discovered with a little investigation.
“The reason the relationship between the Mainyucore Empire and our Empire has become delicate is due to my divorce from Prince Fernand.”
“……”
“Of course, it happened almost ten years ago, and it was their fault that things turned out this way, but it would look better for everyone if I were involved. It would also be advantageous for the negotiations…”
The man, who had lifted his gaze from the report, looked at her.
Even though she had been married and divorced six times already, it was awkward to bring up her ex-husband on the day she received a proposal.
Even though it was just something she had to do, it was difficult to finish speaking.
“Well, I think I’ll have to go to that island once. My prediction is that His Majesty will likely order me to go there soon.”
“……I see.”
Was he surprised?
As Agatha quietly observed his impassive face, a knight approached, making his presence known.
“Marquis Aratus. Lady Nobilis.”
A servant from the Ministry of Household, bowing in turn, spoke.
“His Majesty requests your presence for lunch in two days. Marquis Aratus, who is beside you, has also been invited.”
“Really?”
Surely, he had heard the news that Enoch had proposed to her.
Having received permission for an audience, she felt she had overcome nine-tenths of her plan. Dismissing the servant, Agatha looked up at him with a beaming face.
“That’s great. Shall we meet at His Majesty’s palace in two days then?”
“No.”
Agatha’s eyes widened at his swift denial. He looked down at her for a moment before speaking politely.
“I will come to pick you up. Please be ready and wait at the palace that day.”
“……!”
The man, observing her reaction, looked into her trembling amethyst eyes and kissed her cheek.
Her soft lips lightly touched her smooth skin before parting.
“I will see you in two days, Agatha.”
Agatha lowered her trembling eyes beneath her long eyelashes. Though she had just done the same thing without hesitation, her heart was pounding uncontrollably.
The proposal had taken place in a secluded part of the palace, but the kiss was received in the open flower garden.
The news spread like a colossal tidal wave, striking the entire capital.
It was the news of Agatha Nobilis’s seventh marriage.
\ \ \
Clop, clop-
On the way back to the mansion in the capital, Aratus.
Enoch, riding his horse as usual, was lost in thought.
He was thinking about his recent actions.
He had impulsively kissed her cheek.
Unlike the time he kissed her ring finger instead of her hand, this was an unrefined contact.
After kissing her cheek, he felt a subtle discomfort transform into a strange satisfaction, and though he didn’t show it outwardly, he felt bewildered.
Come to think of it, she had been a woman who inexplicably caught his attention from their first meeting.
With a tired, delicate face.
She was someone who worried about the aftermath even before putting down her sword.
Enoch, who had awkwardly run a hand over his face, blinked slowly as the tension eased, his mind drifting back to another scene.
The moment he proposed. The moment she stood on tiptoe with a slight smile.
The keen eyesight of a skilled knight captured it all like a painting: her eyes crinkling softly, her beautiful lips, and the way she shone brightly.
Her trembling eyes, her blushing cheeks, and finally, the movement of her long eyelashes that concealed her expression.
‘Was she that beautiful?’
He had certainly known Agatha Nobilis was beautiful.
But this was a moment that touched his heart, not his head.
“……It’s bothersome.”
“Yes?”
The knights following behind pricked up their ears for a moment, but Enoch said nothing.
Meanwhile, there were those who were furious about the news of Agatha’s seventh marriage spreading throughout the capital.
They were the former Duchess Neuta, the late Duchess Neuta, and Lady Neuta, who had been the reason for Agatha’s sixth divorce just three months prior.
The former Duchess, mother of the current Duke Theodore Neuta, also known as Grand Lady Neuta, slammed her hand on the table.
Bang!*
“Married again less than three months after her divorce!”
She had been confined to Duke Neuta’s residence for three months due to the sudden divorce commotion.
The most agitated, Grand Madam, cried out,
“Mother. What are we to do? Theodore’s name will become a laughingstock!”
“How could that be, Aga?”
The one gently admonishing her was the current Duke’s grandmother, Madam Neuta.
“Agatha, if she had any sense, could she possibly do such a thing? Not while I am alive and well.”
“Of course, I trust you, Mother, but Agatha’s influence is not insignificant!”
