Chapter 17
Episode 17.
Late afternoon.
Agatha, basking in the bright sunlight after a long time, received her late breakfast-cum-lunch.
Unlike the dim hours she had been waking and sleeping, it was a very refreshing start.
"The Marquis?"
"He just finished his luncheon appointment. He heard that you had woken up, Miss, and said he would stop by the mansion."
"Is that so?"
Agatha had been flustered even when she first opened her eyes.
I have appointments this morning too. Why didn't anyone wake me? she wondered.
'It was the Marquis's strict order. He said he would handle the schedule in your stead, so you were absolutely not to be woken, Miss, and to sleep soundly without worry.'
'…….'
Before her, documents and instructions, perfectly handled by Enoch who had arrived at the mansion early that morning, were neatly organized.
He had even left to attend events that he could attend in his capacity as her fiancé.
Agatha, who had been allowed to rest fully for half a day, felt an indescribable emotion.
She was bewildered. Yet, strangely, she felt good.
She leisurely washed, brushed her hair, and ate a simple meal on the terrace.
It was a peaceful time she hadn't been able to enjoy since she had fainted and woken up.
While having coffee and cake for dessert, she read through the documents Enoch had handled, realizing her prospective husband was also very capable.
He had marked parts that needed confirmation, ordered provisional execution and subsequent approval for parts requiring approval/sanction, and even flexibly adjusted her future schedule.
It was as if he were going to come to this mansion to work every day.
"Oh, it seems the Marquis has arrived."
Allen, the butler, smiled contentedly as he cleared away the documents she had finished reviewing.
Clang-
The main gate of Nobilis Mansion No. 1, which had been firmly shut, opened.
At the forefront of the horse entering under the military salute of the Aratus knights on guard, a familiar hair color was visible.
Jessie, her attendant maid, tactfully draped a gown over her.
Agatha went down to the first-floor hall to greet him.
Waiting for the door to open, she felt as if their newlywed life had already begun.
I used to go out to greet my husband like this often before.
Unlike then, her heart was not calm but pounding.
The door opened. The man, who was handing his outer garment to the butler as he walked in, offered a faint smile upon seeing her.
"Agatha."
"...You're here?"
Enoch naturally took her hand and pressed his lips firmly onto the back of it.
"Your complexion has improved. Are you perhaps angry about me letting you sleep without saying anything?"
"How could I be? I know it was done for my sake. And..."
Excluding matters concerning Nobilis, he had only handled things related to the wedding, matters requiring Aratus's cooperation, and those he could resolve as her fiancé.
The boundaries were so clear that Agatha herself had been taken aback.
"And?"
"...No. Thank you. Thanks to you, I feel like I rested well today."
He nodded and placed Agatha's hand on his arm.
Leading her naturally to the terrace where she had been sitting just moments before, he then very naturally took a stack of documents from Allen, the butler.
"Ah, I can do that now."
"No. It would be better for you to rest more today. I inspected the wedding venue and checked the items for the reception, and the progress is going smoothly. The wine has also arrived without issue."
"Ah..."
"There's only one thing to do today."
While reviewing the documents regarding the renovation progress of Nobilis Mansion No. 2, which would become their future marital home, Enoch slid a piece of paper next to her coffee cup.
〈Today's Schedule〉
- Wedding attire fitting
"……."
"Madame Chalette is expected to arrive soon, Miss," the butler, Allen, announced as he placed down a new coffee cup.
Agatha, who had only blinked, relaxed her body and leaned her back quietly against the sofa.
It was true that she had overexerted herself lately.
She felt bad making him work right after he returned, but she couldn't ignore his intentions now that he had come this far.
Honestly, she felt good.
He's worried about me.
He came right away, checked her complexion, told her not to overexert herself, and handled work for her.
Thinking about it, he was truly fulfilling the role of a prospective husband more than enough.
He always came himself to state the destination and ask for permission whenever I had to go somewhere.
Did he really need to be such a good person?
Suddenly, she thought that if this continued, she might unconsciously start demanding things from him.
It felt like just yesterday she had said she only wanted respect as a wife.
Was she falling for her own trick, now mistaking their relationship as if they were real lovers?
"Miss. Madame Chalette has arrived."
He looked up. The moment their eyes met, Agatha instinctively lowered hers.
Her heart was still pounding wildly.
"A guest has arrived."
The man, who had neatly placed down his quill, extended his arm.
"If it's alright, may I come here again tomorrow to work?"
"...You plan to come here tomorrow too?"
"I will come for a week."
Enoch's voice was calm but firm.
She had already adjusted her future schedule, so she had a feeling this might happen.
"Perhaps... am I supposed to rest tomorrow as well?"
"I would like to allow that, but checking the wedding venue is not a task I can do, so I wish to entrust it to you."
Ah.
Agatha could picture Enoch's plan. He intended for her to handle the on-site tasks like how to decorate and what food to serve, while he would take care of everything else.
"Hmm, I understand your intention. But..."
"May I bring my close aides to the mansion? If you permit it, we can work together with them. Wouldn't it be an efficient division of labor if you handle the on-site preparations and I provide support?"
Agatha hesitated, then nodded. Aratus was not a family as disorganized as Nobilis, and the loyalty of its retainers was high.
If Enoch took charge, he would prioritize safety, and perhaps even thwart any potential schemes from relatives.
It felt a little awkward entrusting work to someone else, but with him, she felt strangely at ease.
And now, they were at a point where they could trust each other to some extent.
"Yes. Let's do that."
His eyes curved gently.
"I will do my best not to disappoint you."
"Don't overexert yourself. I'll help whenever I can."
The butler and servants watching him from behind as they followed had their faces relax into smiles.
From the next day onwards, Enoch began visiting Nobilis Mansion No. 1 with his close aides, accelerating the wedding preparations and creating a sense of ease.
The fact that the retainers began to interact with each other, building trust early on, was an added bonus.
Time flowed quickly, and finally, the wedding day dawned.
It was a clear, sunny early summer day.
A month was enough time to transform the small sanctuary into her desired vision.
The nobles, who had initially shown slight bewilderment at the chosen location, were awestruck by the appearance of the sanctuary on the wedding day.
"Indeed, Agatha Nobilis. She has turned this place into an entirely different world."
Adorning the field in front of the sanctuary were transparent crystal flowers carved from colorful crystals.
Beyond the dazzlingly beautiful flower garden, white pillars decorated with fresh flowers and ribbons stretched long from the temple entrance to the venue.
A white carpet embroidered with gold thread, woven in an exotic style, was laid on the floor.
Beyond the wedding arch made of gold and emeralds, crystals were strung out like a canvas across the ceiling.
A glass tower made of thousands of glasses, golden candelabras placed throughout, and tables made of white ivory.
"I wondered why they were holding the ceremony in such a small sanctuary. Lady Nobilis wanted this kind of venue. It seems everything has been changed except for the foundation stones?"
"I did receive a slight hint from Lady Agatha. But as expected, the reality is even more beautiful than what I heard."
"Oh, Mrs. Iris. I heard that her Ladyship received your advice when decorating this place. I heard she obtained very precious wine through you—"
"Duke Theodore Neuta arrives!"
The nobles, who had momentarily paused their admiration at the announcement of the entrance of Agatha's sixth ex-husband and head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all turned their gazes towards the entrance.
The Duke, who entered alone, parting the crowd, had a somewhat gaunt and pale complexion.
Nobles, naturally covering their mouths, began to chatter about the Neuta Ducal family again.
"I heard his condition wasn't good after the divorce, but I didn't realize it would be so apparent."
"Is His Excellency alone? Where are the former Duchess of Neuta, the late Duke's wife, and Lady Neuta?"
"Well. I heard they've been busy lately, but ah! There's a rumor that Agatha only sent an invitation to Duke Neuta."
"Good heavens. Could the rumors that circulated before the divorce have been true?"
As high-ranking nobles, starting with the Duke of Neuta, entered one after another, Agatha was finishing her preparations in the bridal waiting room.
The wedding dress she had chosen this time was a mermaid dress.
The lace sleeves that slightly revealed her skin.
The white, subtle fabric, tailored to her body's curves, elegantly spread from her knees like a mythical mermaid's tail.
Agatha, with her long eyelashes lowered, held a bouquet of fresh flowers that had bloomed most beautifully today.
A long cathedral veil, connected to the tiara bestowed by the Emperor, swayed softly with her movements.
