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Chapter 46: Engagement Ceremony

My room in the mansion.

I was lying on the bed with my arms and legs spread wide, enjoying Amagi's lap pillow.

It feels like I've come home.

"Amagi, how is Rosetta's condition?"

"She is being given a tour of the mansion and is chatting with her family during her break."

-- How boring.

I wanted her to despair more, or to show more defiance.

But, she seems happy to be reunited with her family now.

Should I wait a little longer?

"I see... I wish she would be more aware. That I have taken everything from her."

"Everything? Have you already been intimate with her?"

"Huh? Why?"

Amagi is looking troubled.

She's cute, isn't she.

"Master, you are about to welcome your wife, so if you pay too much attention to me, she will lose interest in you."

"If that happens, I will discard the woman. That's all there is to it."

"If you discard Lady Rosetta, you will lose the trust of aristocratic society. You will also lose your title."

"Then, house arrest? I don't like women who find fault with what I do."

My ex-wife was like that in the end.

She would complain about anything I did.

I still remember her throwing away the presents I gave her into the trash.

It makes my stomach churn.

If I ever meet her again, I'll kill her with my own hands.

If I ask the guide, maybe they'll bring her here?

But, come to think of it... I don't even want to see her, so maintaining the status quo is probably better?

I'll take out these accumulated, pent-up emotions on Rosetta.

She will surely resist me.

I will thoroughly... her.

"Master."

"What is it?"

Amagi's words pulled me back from my fantasy world to reality.

"Lady Rosetta is your wife. Please be kind to her."

I couldn't answer to that word, "kind."

After all, I only married Rosetta to torment her.

Also, the pressure from Amagi and Brian saying "When will we have a bride?!" was undeniable, and I felt a bit rushed.

Amagi strokes my head.

"The engagement ceremony is planned for after graduation from the academy."

"-- Is that so? No, wait."

I sat up and turned to Amagi.

"What is it?"

"We will hold the engagement ceremony immediately. During this long vacation."

"However, there isn't enough preparation time."

"It's fine. Do you intend to hold a lavish engagement ceremony for Rosetta? A simple one is fine. Just hurry it up."

"There is also Lady Rosetta's education. It will take at least three months for education using the capsule."

Rosetta has only undergone minimal education and physical strengthening using the education capsule.

Her grades at the academy are also due to this.

Therefore, she will be put into the capsule during the long vacation to aim for even a slight improvement in her grades.

"Hurry and put her in the capsule, then prepare for the engagement ceremony."

"-- Understood."

Even Rosetta, with her steel will, will surely face reality once the engagement ceremony is held.

And then, I will be able to take the Duke's position from the Claudia family.

I'm still in a position like a Duke-to-be, as we are not officially married yet.

"Ah, I'm looking forward to it."

Rosetta -- I will definitely break your spirit.

The education capsule room in the Banfield family mansion.

There were doctors and escort maid robots.

Rosetta was covering her body with a thin cloth.

"This is different from the simple education capsule at my parents' house."

It's practically a different thing -- around the high-class education capsule, specialized female staff were making adjustments.

A female doctor explains.

"This will be a short-term adjustment. Considering the rehabilitation period, please consider yourself confined for about four months."

"That's almost the entire long vacation."

Seeing Rosetta looking down, the female doctor consoles her.

"I've heard about your grandmother. You must want to be by her side more, but this is Lord Liam's decision."

"Yes, I understand. Grandmother wants it too."

She wipes away her tears.

Rosetta, who cries a lot, is actually not in good health.

Even with the Elixir, her important spirit has already been broken.

With the Elixir, any injury or illness can be cured.

However, there is a limit to lifespan.

While some life extension is possible, Rosetta's grandmother is quite old.

Even if her body is fine, her mind and soul are reaching their limit.

There was no more time.

"Lady Rosetta, we will do as much as possible in a short period, but please remember that this is only a makeshift measure. The full use of the education capsule will be after the academy graduation ceremony."

Rosetta looks up.

"-- Please."

Before entering the capsule, she removes the cloth and enters the liquid naked.

Inside the capsule, Rosetta curls up like a fetus.

(I must have Grandmother participate in the engagement ceremony, no matter what --)

Her consciousness fades, and the study and physical strengthening using the capsule begin.

Thomas, Liam's merchant, was in a panic.

"Hurry! Gather everything needed for the engagement ceremony!"

The announcement of the engagement of the Banfield Count family.

And, there was less than half a year until the engagement ceremony.

His subordinates were frantically loading containers onto ships.

"Is there any reason to rush this much? Couldn't the engagement ceremony be held after graduation from the academy?"

To his subordinate who complained about the busyness, Thomas says.

"The Duchess's daughter -- Rosetta's grandmother is said to not have much time left."

The subordinate understands various things.

In other words -- Liam is rushing the engagement ceremony to show Rosetta's happy appearance to her grandmother.

Thomas was trying to respond to that sentiment.

"She has apparently been through difficult times. If we don't work hard here, we can't call ourselves the Banfield family's merchants. I'm sorry, but I need your cooperation."

The subordinate silently returns to work.

Something is wrong.

The state of the territory is strange.

Although eccentric fashion is always popular in the territory, this time the trend is -- my beautiful story.

For some reason, the reason I'm rushing the engagement ceremony is for Rosetta's grandmother.

Even now, while watching the news on the monitor, the caster was explaining about the engagement ceremony.

"It seems that Lady Rosetta, whom Lord Liam has decided to engage, has gone through a lot of hardship."

Starting with Rosetta's personal story, it meticulously explains how the Claudia Ducal family has been treated.

It was a past that even I found off-putting.

It was twice as bad as what Wallace had told me.

And then, Lord Liam, who saved such a Rosetta -- and is even marrying her, is amazing! they said.

Although the mass media in the territory is under my control, being praised so openly is unsettling.

It makes me suspect there's a hidden agenda.

"And, Lady Rosetta's grandmother, the former Duchess, is not in good health --"

I had heard that her condition was being managed with Elixir.

However, this is the first time I've heard that I am considering it and rushing the engagement ceremony.

I turn my gaze to Amagi, who takes care of my daily needs.

"What is this?"

"The engagement between you and Lady Rosetta is a beautiful story. There must be many who latch onto it. By the way, there are also talks of turning the past events into dramas and movies."

"-- You're kidding."

They apparently want to make my and Rosetta's meeting seem fated.

They want to make it a touching work, even though there isn't a single element of that.

Are my citizens okay? Are they on the verge of going rogue?

Did I squeeze them too hard on taxes? I should let them rest for a bit, and then squeeze them again.

"Amagi, lighten the taxes a little. Just a little."

"That's sudden. Then, shall we lower the taxes at the same time as the engagement ceremony?"

"That's it! Anyway, let's make it a little cheaper and let the citizens rest."

"Then, I will make arrangements accordingly."

I wipe my sweat.

I'm starting to worry about the citizens.

I manipulated the situation to my advantage, but for a moment, I was scared.

No, wait -- this situation can be used.

Rosetta, whose humiliating encounter with me has been turned into a beautiful story, will surely show a displeased expression.

I'm looking forward to it from now on.

"I'm looking forward to the engagement ceremony."

Amagi watched me with a smile as I grinned.

As the long vacation was nearing its end.

Many guests flocked to the Banfield family mansion.

Wallace, dressed in formal attire, was drinking a beverage.

"I expected a more lavish party, but it's quite subdued, isn't it?"

Kurt, who was invited, also attended the engagement ceremony in formal attire.

"From my perspective, it's very luxurious?"

"From a Count's family perspective, it's subdued. It doesn't mean it's simple. It means there's almost no eccentricity, so one can feel at ease."

Sometimes, nobles put too much effort into parties and they become incomprehensible.

"The only successful eccentric parties, besides the bucket party, are very few."

"The bucket party is, after all, a staple, right?"

"Ah, I've attended it a few times too, and it's amazing. It's no wonder it's a staple. Whoever thought of it is a genius."

In a standing buffet style, the participants enjoyed food and drinks.

Kurt looks around.

"There are many nobles participating. Father seems busy with greetings."

More nobles are participating than before.

Wallace understood the reason.

(Liam -- was he aiming for this?)

Liam, who declared himself an enemy of the Barkley family.

I thought he only had enemies, but sensible nobles are gathering around Liam.

It's probably still a stage of observation, but Wallace was surprised by this.

(If this goes wrong -- it might lead to a proxy war within the empire, with other nobles involved in a war between the Banfield family and the Barkley family.)

It will be a contest between sensible nobles and corrupt nobles.

Liam is the representative of the sensible faction.

"Ah, there's Liam."

Liam appears in the image projected in the sky.

He was dressed in pure white attire along with Rosetta.

Engagement Ceremony.

Kissing in front of a large crowd seems to be the same in Earth and in the interstellar nation.

I thought, "They're similar in this regard," but now I wanted to see Rosetta's face, which was hidden by the veil.

A man, acting as a priest, tells us to kiss, so we face each other.

"Rosetta, how are you feeling?"

When I spoke to her, I received no answer.

Her face must be contorted with frustration.

"Everything about you will be mine. Your family, and the title you were supposed to inherit -- I have obtained it all."

As I slowly lifted the veil, Rosetta's face began to appear from her chin.

Her made-up skin was white and beautiful.

Her lips, colored with lipstick, were moist.

-- Huh? That's strange? I thought she'd be grinding her teeth here, but that wasn't the case.

Is this a state of apathy?

But, if her spirit is broken, that's a sight to behold.

As I slowly lifted the veil and looked at Rosetta's face -- her cheeks were flushed.

Her moist eyes sparkled, and she was looking only at me.

-- Hey, wait a minute! This is strange!

Did she give up already? Are you still a woman with a steel spirit!

As I froze, looking at Rosetta's face,

"-- Thank you for accepting someone like me. Darling, I! I will always be by your side!"

-- Darling!? Did you eat something strange?

It's to the level where I suspect the doctor who used the capsule brainwashed her.

B-but, the maid robots are telling me that "normal procedures were performed."

That's proof that there was nothing there.

They can't lie to me, so I think that's correct --.

Rosetta closes her eyes and leans towards me.

I expected her to resist more, but this is unexpected.

And yet -- if I look closely, she's cute, or rather, beautiful?

She was beautiful if you looked closely.

In any case, I kissed her to proceed with the engagement ceremony.

Rosetta sheds a single tear.

Could it be that she's trying to trick me?

If s-so, that's still good.

It's proof that she still has the will to betray me.

I pull away my lips.

"Rosetta -- I'm looking forward to what's to come."

These were words filled with the desire to make her submit.

When I showed a smile along with them, Rosetta wiped her tears with her finger -- and gave me a radiant smile.

"Yes, Darling."

-- Wait a minute! Are you really not broken?

In the venue, laughter erupted as people saw Liam's bewildered expression.

It wasn't mockery, but they were watching with amusement, seeing it as youthful.

Amidst this, Wallace was looking at Liam's knights lined up.

Christiana as the chief knight.

Marie as the second-in-command.

Both are capable female knights who suddenly appeared.

"Where does Liam find these people? Those two are knights of a level rarely seen even in the palace."

And then, at the engagement ceremony, the congratulatory messages that arrived were being read.

Among them was one from the Prime Minister.

Wallace quietly drinks his wine.

(Is the Prime Minister also expecting something from Liam? No, that old fox isn't that kind of person. He's probably weighing it against the Barkley family.)

However, it means that Liam is someone the Empire's Prime Minister pays attention to.

Wallace smiles.

"I am very happy that my patron is capable. I shall cooperate a little as well. -- After all, I would be troubled if my patron disappeared."

Brian. ・゜・(ノД`)・゜・. "Sob -- Lord Liam! Congratulations, congratulations -- sob. It's painful that I can't find the words."

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