Chapter 14
Chapter 14.
The Emperor, perhaps having just finished court, was adorned with a golden crown and a purple cloak.
Agatha and Enoch, who immediately rose from their seats, paid their respects.
“We greet the Sun of the Empire.”
“Welcome, Agatha. Marquis Aratus, it has been a while.”
The Emperor, entering with a smile, seemed to be in very good spirits.
The Emperor, lightly adjusting his attire, sat in the seat of honor and asked.
“So. The Marquis proposed marriage to my goddaughter, did he not?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Enoch, who had taken his seat, replied respectfully.
“A war hero and my goddaughter. Ho ho, a very good match indeed.”
At least, it meant the Emperor approved of the prospective groom.
The Emperor, smiling with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Agatha.
“Since the Marquis was present at that meeting before, I will not mince words. Are you prepared?”
“I have done my best to show my gratitude for Your Majesty’s consideration.”
“Oh?”
The proposal Agatha had prepared was passed to the Emperor via the head attendant.
〈Regarding the Pioneering of a New Trade Route to the Eastern Continent and the Increase of Tax Revenue〉
Upon reading the first page, the Emperor’s lips softened into a smile.
“Indeed, my goddaughter. You have brought a perfect groom and a counter-proposal, as if you have read my mind.”
“You are too kind. You must be hungry, so how about examining it over a meal? You have other schedules, don’t you?”
“Shall we? Still, it is a luncheon after a long time, so I have set aside ample time. Marquis, please do not misunderstand.”
As he spoke, the Emperor rang a bell. The head attendant brought wine and subtly let slip a word.
“His Majesty instructed us to select only the finest dishes for the young lady and the Marquis today.”
“Is that so? I am very much looking forward to it. The chef here cooks perfectly to my taste.”
Agatha said with a smile, turning to Enoch. Meanwhile, the Emperor was examining the proposal with a satisfied smile.
He probably wouldn’t find any flaws. She had prepared it to his exact liking.
The first appetizer served was salmon.
Fresh fish, topped with various vegetables, seasoned just right with a hint of sweetness.
It was the skill of the Emperor’s personal chef, who had accurately grasped Agatha’s preferences.
While the Emperor barely touched his food, Agatha neatly finished her hors d'oeuvres, prompting Enoch to ask.
“You seem to like seafood.”
“Yes. I like all kinds of boneless raw fish. Shall we go fishing together when we visit a coastal city? I’m not very good, but I always enjoyed cooking and eating freshly caught fish.”
After a moment of silence, Enoch spoke.
“I have fished in rivers before; I hope that experience will be of some help.”
“When you were young?”
“No. When supplies were scarce on the battlefield, we would procure them locally, and I caught a few fish then.”
One could encounter all sorts of things on the battlefield.
Agatha, who had just received a large steak as her main course, was suddenly worried about his nutritional status when—
“With the bond between the two soon-to-be-married individuals being so strong, I have nothing more to worry about!”
The Emperor laughed heartily and pushed the reviewed proposal aside. Agatha, after briefly glancing at Enoch, lowered her head.
“I am humbled, Your Majesty. How did you find the proposal I prepared?”
“Ah, why are you being so formal? You have never once disappointed me.”
The Emperor happily downed his wine. Frankly, the price Agatha had offered in exchange for choosing a husband was not insignificant.
She was planning to contribute a considerable amount for the expansion of the port and city, and more importantly, hadn’t she conceded a substantial portion of the customs duties to be paid to the imperial family?
“Marquis. My goddaughter is so intelligent and treats even me so well. You must cherish Agatha dearly. Hmm? I will be watching with my own eyes.”
The Emperor, having unnecessarily admonished Enoch, then asked with a subtle glint in his eye. Food was still far from his primary concern.
“So. When do you plan to get married? The sooner, the better.”
“While sooner is better, we also need time to prepare, so it will likely be next month, Your Majesty. If you could set a date within the next month, I will follow Your Majesty’s wishes.”
“Indeed. Then, early next month would be good…”
The Emperor trailed off, then added after some thought.
“I will send word to the envoy currently dispatched to the Mainyucore Empire today. A reply should arrive within a month, and then you will need to step forward, but will you have the time for that?”
“……”
Wedding preparations could be managed within a month with gold and resources, but for the main parties involved to carve out time amidst it all was too much.
“Hmm, Agatha, you will also need to visit Palavi Island. The city and port need to be expanded, and we might even have to allocate a district to the Mainyucore Empire…”
The Emperor’s words stretched on endlessly. Ultimately, what he meant was that there was no time.
From Agatha’s perspective, she had intended to proceed with negotiations at a slower pace, but for the greedy Emperor, who had almost finalized the new Eastern Continent trade deal, this was unacceptable.
After a moment of thought, Agatha sighed.
“Then shall we postpone the wedding for a while? The Mainyucore Empire will likely want to inspect Palavi Island as well, so perhaps I could meet them there—”
“Agatha.”
“Yes?”
Agatha’s eyes widened. Enoch, cutting her off politely but firmly, gazed at her.
“The journey to Palavi Island is long. Furthermore, wouldn’t it be safer for you to have a husband before meeting the envoys from the Mainyucore Empire?”
“Th-that’s right. The Mainyucore Empire might demand another marriage…”
The Emperor chimed in, somewhat taken aback.
Agatha also felt a sense of bewilderment.
This was the first time the man, who had remained silent unless asked a question, had spoken up in this dining hall.
“And you, didn’t you say you wanted to visit islands or coastal cities?”
The man, setting down his cutlery neatly and holding his red wine glass, whispered softly.
“Include Palavi Island in your honeymoon itinerary after the wedding ceremony. I have no intention of letting you go alone, so it would be good for us to go together.”
The Second Prince’s Palace in the Mainyucore Empire’s Imperial Palace.
In a bedroom filled with luxurious red drapes and gold embroidery, other skin tones besides Prince Fernand Mainumconti, the Second Prince, were prevalent.
He, who was also Agatha’s second ex-husband, was slowly waking from his sleep to the sound of something being tapped, tap, tap.
“Ugh, what is it?”
With immaculate silver hair, alluring red eyes, a smooth face, and a moderately muscular physique, he was second to none in the Mainyucore Empire as a womanizer. The moment he checked the carrier pigeon, he moved like lightning.
“Mmm, Your Highness…?”
Normally, he would have indulged her and told her to sleep more, but he was too preoccupied with checking the message.
A few long sentences written on a rolled-up piece of paper.
“…She’s getting married again?”
Upon confirming the contents, Fernand gritted his teeth. It had already been 10 years since Agatha divorced him.
Agatha hadn’t come anywhere near the Mainyucore Empire since then.
Fernand, who had regretted their divorce continuously, could only follow her movements, missing her.
Ten years passed.
Agatha was a subject of great interest to nobles, and she had many relatives who were equally interested in her, so tracking her whereabouts was not difficult.
But it had only been about two months since their divorce.
She was getting married again. This time, it was to a ferocious-looking man, a war hero or something, with scars on his face.
“Isn’t this enough? After marrying and divorcing so many times, you should be looking for a partner among your familiar ex-husbands by now!”
As the saying goes, the old is gold.
Frankly, Fernand thought he was better than any man in the world.
He was handsome! He was good in bed! He was confident he would treat her well if they remarried this time!
“When I am such a perfect candidate waiting for you!”
“……”
The women who knew that it was not beneficial to provoke Fernand at times like these held their breath.
After venting his frustration for a while, he shouted.
“Is anyone outside!”
“Yes, Second Prince! Your head attendant is here!”
“I am going to my study. Prepare me at once!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
He needed to find out exactly who this new partner was. Fernand, having hastily thrown on a robe, confidently left the bedroom.
Agatha, having returned to her first residence in the capital, Nobilis, went out for a social event after a long time. It had been about a week since her wedding was set for the following month.
The location she chose for her grand salon was on Nerta Hill, on the outskirts of the capital, a beautiful place but one that regulated visitor numbers through reservations for various reasons.
Agatha solved the venue issue by renting out the hill for the day.
Numerous noblewomen and young ladies responded to the invitation, and security personnel and imperial knights were dispatched for potential safety concerns.
The weather was clear, as if blessing her long-awaited outing.
In front of a valley, the hillside was covered with late spring and early summer flowers, and many aristocratic gazebos were set up.
Agatha wore a cocktail hat adorned with ribbons and a veil and a dress dyed in a bright blue hue.
Her gazebo was in the center of the hill. Around it were seated influential noblewomen and young ladies, who flocked to Agatha’s side as soon as she appeared.
“Lady Agatha! It’s been so long!”
“Congratulations on your wedding. We heard about the romantic proposal you received.”
“Your outfit today is so beautiful. We were just discussing how lovely your wedding dress will be.”
“Are you feeling better now? We were very worried about you, my lady.”
