I hesitated for a moment before agreeing. It seemed that Ludger had not disclosed my circumstances to the butler.
The members of our knights’ order were misunderstanding things…. and since the engagement was decided so suddenly, it’s only natural that the reason would be interpreted as ‘love’.
‘If I remember correctly, Ludger had mentioned that the butler knew quite a bit about his activities as the Phantom Thief Heilbronner.’
He hadn’t confided my situation to someone he trusted that much… I assumed he kept it a secret out of respect for my personal circumstances.
Honestly, I felt grateful. The shame of being forced into a marriage due to blood ties was hard enough to bear, and if that were to be exposed to others, it would be even more unbearable.
Whenever he shows this side of himself, I couldn’t help but want to believe in him.
He may be the villain, but he doesn’t seem like a bad person… Yet I quickly put my guard back up.
Regardless, I needed to pretend to be in love in front of the knights….. so it probably wouldn’t make a difference if I did it in front of the butler.
So I smiled vaguely, not denying the ‘united by love’ narrative.
“That… Honestly, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”
“Haha, human relationships are truly strange. I had a feeling it would turn out like this.”
Although his words were polite, there was an unmistakable sense of contentment flowing from the butler that couldn’t be hidden.
“A premonition…. is that it?”
“Yes. It’s the first time our Young Master has shown such care for a woman.”
“……”
That was because I knew the true identity of your Young Master……
But since we were supposed to be in a mutually beneficial relationship, it felt awkward to say anything.
However, what was more puzzling, though, was the butler’s warm welcoming behaviour towards me. Since his master was a successor from a well-established family, wouldn’t his reaction be like, ‘How dare a commoner approach our master! You thieving cat!’?
Of course, he’s the butler, not the Head of Ludger’s family, so he wouldn’t want to show any disrespect toward his master’s future fiancée.
But looking at his attitude, it seemed to hint at something deeper; it was more than a mere lip service.
“Actually, I thought… you’d dislike me.”
“Me? Dislike Captain Weyburn?”
“Yes. I assumed you wouldn’t approve since I’m just a commoner.”
“A commoner…”
A bitter smile flickered across the butler’s face.
“Normally, one might think that way. But… I want you to be happy, for my Master’s sake.”
“……”
“He’s been suppressing himself since he was young. For him to endure something like a marriage as well… isn’t that too cruel?”
As someone unaware of Ludger’s past, I had nothing to say in response.
However, I could sense the sincerity in the butler’s words. I vaguely understood that he wasn’t just a trusted subordinate, but someone who was like family to Ludger.
“Ah, ahem. This old man tends to talk a lot on his own. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see how the Young Master so smitten with the Captain.”
‘That’s a real misunderstanding.’
“Please, I hope…. you can make our Young Master happy.”
I felt a pang of guilt at his sincere request.
I was merely using this engagement as a means to escape my current situation.
‘But well, it’s not like Ludger is actually getting engaged to me because he’s in love with me.’
Whether it’s to keep an eye on me or to tie me down with a debt, I was sure the villain has his own motives. Since I was fulfilling what his Young Master wants, I decided to think of myself as a salesperson providing what he wanted.
“I will do my best…. to ensure that I wouldn’t become a burden to the Young Duke.”
When I gave a somewhat vague answer, the butler smiled gently in response.
‘I can’t promise him happiness, but I won’t let him down…’
For now, until the engagement is annulled (?), I felt a sense of responsibility to play along with the act of not being able to live without each other.
* * *
After arriving at the Duke’s residence, I was escorted to the reception room.
I was served a simple cup of tea, but since it was late, there were no refreshments. I felt a little disappointed as I had been feeling hungry.
‘I was in a hurry… so I couldn’t have dinner…’
It wasn’t a big deal; I often worked overtime without eating. I decided to have a hearty breakfast tomorrow instead, and then discuss with the butler about some matters for the engagement ceremony.
Most of them were about the engagement ceremony guest list, any particular preferences, and other small details necessary for the practical arrangements of the engagement.
Since the number of guests would be small and only included the members of our knight order, the formality of the engagement ceremony itself wasn’t important, and I suggested he handle the arrangements as he deemed fit.
The butler seemed a bit surprised by the lack of romantic expectations from the future fiancée, but he suggested he would present some options and ask for my opinion later before leaving.
I felt a bit guilty for not having an opinion and possibly making more work for him. However, since it wasn’t a real engagement, there was no reason for me to have any romantic expectations….
As I finished my tea, Ludger hurried into the room.
“Sir Clara.”
“Ah, Your Highness. It’s good to see you again.”
“…… Yes. Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just finished discussing with the butler.”
“I see.”
Noticing Ludger’s cravat was slightly disheveled, it seemed like he had rushed to the reception room.
I tilted my head in confusion.
“It’s not like I’m running away anywhere, why did Your Highness rush over?”
“It’s rude to keep someone waiting, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his unnecessary formality.
“I can wait as long as you need. After all, I’m the one who has to ask the Young Duke for something important, so I understand.”
“…… It seems like the Captain’s mind hasn’t changed.”
Ludger sat down across from me. Only then did the urgency in his expression begin to fade and he began to relax.
“Yes. I believe this is the best path for me. However, there’s something that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Your Highness.”
I knew he had his reasons for proposing this engagement, but I needed to address it.
“That, you stand to gain nothing from this engagement, correct?”
“What….”
“Of course, I understand your desire to ‘manage risk’ by keeping an eye on me. But still…. wouldn’t it be a significant loss to engage directly with me?”
“…. Loss?”
“Yes, because I’m a commoner. I understand that I’m not the type of fiancée that a Duke’s heir would be engaged to. Therefore, I’ve thought about it as well. For the most part, I’ll follow the Young Duke’s wishes. Of course, if you ask me to quit the knights, that would be difficult, but instead, I believe I can live quietly, like a mouse, to avoid drawing attention from the nobility and causing any rumors….”
“…… Wait. Please wait.”
Ludger stopped me as I spoke rapidly. He had a complicated expression on his face, a mix of confusion and concern.
“Why on earth do you have such self-deprecating thoughts?”
“But… isn’t that an objective fact? If necessary, I’m willing to draft a contract. For instance, we could agree to annul the engagement after a certain period. I need to be cautious in my actions to avoid causing any shame upon the Young Duke.…”
“……”
Ludger sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair in a somewhat melancholic gesture.
“…… Well, yes. I suppose Captain could think that way.”
“……”
“First, let me clarify it; the engagement with the Captain is not a loss for me. In fact, it’s a gain.”
“Yes?”
If he wanted, he could easily attract love interests from all the noble families in the Empire.
There are even rumors that some noble families, despite their daughters being past marriageable age, delay their daughters’ weddings in the hope that they might marry Ludger Kassen.
I couldn’t fathom how an engagement with me could possibly benefit someone as distinguished as him.
“I don’t know if the Captain is aware, but I have an uncle.”
“Ah… Yes, I know. It’s Count Rentorich, right?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, a hint of discomfort appearing on his face.
“This uncle… has done a lot of schemes towards me behind the scenes to secure a title, and backstabbed his young nephew who lost his parents.”
“……”
“Many vassals of the Duke of Kassen sided with him…. placing me in a very precarious position.”
“But what I read in the newspaper…. the relationship between you two wasn’t that bad….”
“On the surface, perhaps. My uncle and I share similar interests.”
I began to understand the dynamics after hearing Ludger’s subsequent explanation.
He feigned disinterest in titles and politics in order to survive. Meanwhile, it seemed he had been gradually building his own influence, all the while making sure not to be discovered by his uncle, Count Rentorich.
“However, there is something I must accomplish as ‘Heilbronner’. I can’t afford to focus on my family’s power struggles.”
I instinctively held my breath for a moment.
Accomplishment as Heilbronner.
I recalled how he had purified and recovered artifacts related to black magic not long ago.
