Enoch stared at the Emperor's actions. The Emperor had the appearance that a Crown Prince would have when he reached middle age, but his personality was very different from that of the Crown Prince.
'The Crown Prince seemed quite attached to Agatha Nobilis.'
However, the Emperor seemed more interested in profit than information.
‘Well, if you really cared for her, wouldn’t you have been thinking about an arranged marriage even now when she is sick...?'
Suddenly, the main character of this story seemed to pop into his head.
With a face soaked in blood, a sword held tightly in trembling hands.
Agatha Nobilis had a delicate face that caught his eye in the middle of the battlefield.
But when he actually met her, was she surprisingly confident?
Even when she was in a feverish state and groaning, she was a woman who paid attention to cleaning up after herself.
The Emperor, who had been contemplating Agatha's next husband with a slightly excited face, suddenly raised his head.
"Ah. The Prince may leave. Marquis Aratus, you too have worked hard. I give you 3,000 gold kars to recognize the Marquis’ merits.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Enoch left the Emperor's office along with the Crown Prince. As soon as the door closed, Anthony roughly tore through his hair.
“I thought it would be safe for a while. I knew it would be like this.”
“...”
“Ah, Marquis. You can just leave. We'll see each other again when Agatha recovers. You had a hard time today.”
“No, Your Highness.”
Enoch turned around and slowly left the Emperor's palace. The news of Agatha Nobilis' attack had already spread widely, so all kinds of courtiers and nobles were around.
“My Lord!”
The Knights of Aratus, who were waiting outside the Emperor's palace, raised their hands. Because they had moved straight after the battle, they were all covered in dust.
“Are you okay? Did anything special happen?”
Enoch shook his head as he received the reins from First Vice-Captain Leon Takran.
“Nothing special happened. Let’s go right back.”
"Yes!"
Enoch Aratus led the knights and returned to the mansion amidst numerous gazes.
A day after that.
News that the Aratus family had become the benefactors of Agatha Nobilis spread throughout the empire.
The Nobilis family has always paid a heavy price for its enormous power and wealth.
It had a greater impact than the Emperor's decision to uncover the attackers' background.
Soon letters from nobles began pouring in to the Marquis of Aratus.
This happened just two days after the rumor spread.
***
Agatha woke up after being sick for three full days. It was fortunate that she didn't break anything when she fell from her horse, but it was because the aftermath hit her.
By the time the high fever had finally gone down and the wound had healed, she was able to move around properly.
Agatha was having tea time with the Crown Prince, Anthony Roxiba, in the palace garden.
It was not a planned schedule. Anthony just suddenly barged in.
“Please leave in a little while.”
"Why? Who’s coming?”
“I invited the Marquis Aratus. I even received a reply saying that he would come.”
A medicinal tea with the effect of purifying blood was placed in front of Agatha, and a golden fruit tea was placed in front of the Crown Prince. Anthony grumbled dissatisfied.
“You just woke up. Isn’t that too much?”
“It’s still late now. If I don’t want to marry a nobleman I don’t like, I have to move quickly.”
The first thing Agatha did when she came to her senses was to assess the situation. There was no way the Emperor would remain silent as the only heiress of Nobilis almost died.
As expected, the Emperor declared that he would not overlook this incident, and although he had mentioned it many times, he used this incident as an excuse to mention Agatha's marriage.
She thinks he'll probably come back in a few days to bring up the topic of marriage in person.
“What about the candidates?”
“It's being selected. It seems like Father is very interested in trade with the Eastern Continent this time.”
Anthony sneered as he rubbed the mouth of the teacup. After the war, the Emperor, who had new ports and territories, was now eager to generate tax revenue through trade.
It would be natural since the war was started for that purpose in the first place.
“If it’s the East Continent, we’ll need an island to use as a base.”
"Yes. So, you should keep an eye on the nobles who have territory there. If you’re going to get married the way you want, shouldn’t you prepare a replacement?”
It is breaking the will of the Absolute. To proceed as desired, it was natural to come up with a satisfactory alternative.
Agatha smiled and picked up her quill.
“Are you going to help me this time too? When the correct candidate comes out, you must let me know.”
“It’s quite a shame to use the Crown Prince as a spy.”
“I told you what you wanted in advance, but you couldn’t even hunt. Think of it as doing that for you.”
"Shit. I guess you made me work twice?”
Agatha filled out the letter on the spot.
The instructions were to ask the vassals to imagine a sea route that would be used as a new trade route with the Eastern Continent, and at the same time, to investigate whether there was a port in the Nobilis Territory where they could dock and, if so, how big it was.
Anthony, who was staring at the letter in a relaxed posture with his soft platinum hair hanging down, opened his mouth.
“Who are you going to marry this time?”
"Well. I didn’t know I would get married so soon.”
“Is there a guy you like?”
“...”
Even Agatha couldn't ignore this question.
'A guy I like?'
There was already a man who had fallen in love with it, rather than such an awkward word. It was different from when she was feverish and her judgment was clouded.
Suddenly she thought of that man.
When she thought of hair that fluttered like lapis lazuli under the sunlight and a face with a combination of wild beauty and beauty, her ears turned red without her knowing.
She also remembered a soft voice sometimes.
"Are you still worried about that during this time?"
Unlike his appearance who was indifferent and cold-hearted, he was also a man with a sweet side.
Agatha thought of Enoch Aratus as if she had been possessed without realizing it, and only after her cheeks blushed slightly did she break off her thoughts. Before she knew it, the hand that had been writing the letter had stopped.
“What, I guess there isn’t much?”
"Be quiet."
"What? Who? When did you say that there is no such thing as a proper husband, including me?”
Agatha ignored it and finished filling out the letter.
Antony, who had been staring at her persistently until the completed letter was placed in the hand of a maid, looked relaxed.
"Done. Do it yourself. I won’t help you other than informing you of the correct candidate.”
“That’s enough.”
It is up to her how she defines her relationship with Enoch Aratus.
Although she had invited him because she wanted to see him again or to properly define this feeling, Agatha would soon have to focus all of her energy on dealing with the Emperor.
She also wanted to check the facts.
Wasn't this feeling just a brief moment of shaking at the risk of death?
“Young Lady. The invited guest has arrived.”
“Bring him here.”
Agatha adjusted her attire and looked at the man who entered after the chamberlain.
Unlike back then, when he wore a deep hood and the uniform of the Knights Templar, the man was dressed neatly in formal attire.
'...The suit suits you well too.'
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. The feet on the ground were solid, and at a glance, the legs were long, so the strides were long enough to reach this side at any moment.
Even without looking, she could tell that his entire body was made up of muscles. His skin was uncharacteristically white for a knight, and the stab wound across his cheek made him look more wild than anyone else.
He was a man with a stoic aura, who had a bloody smell when he raised his sword, and whose now grave gray eyes were strangely heated.
“I guess I’ll just have to go. Good luck, Agatha.”
“...Please take a look, Your Highness.”
Agatha, who was looking at him as if fascinated, stood up. Her heart was beating so hard that it felt like it was going to jump even if she wasn't listening.
'Can this be said to be a feeling that only passes for a moment?'
While Anthony was crossing the garden and briefly exchanged greetings with Enoch.
Agatha, with a calm expression on her face, smiled a familiar smile. Soon the man came to the table and kissed the back of Agatha's hand.
“Thank you for the invitation, Young Lady.”
“Welcome, Marquis. Maybe I sent the invitation too late?”
“I think it’s sooner than expected. Are you feeling okay?”
“It’s gotten a lot better. Please sit this way.”
In no time, the place where the Crown Prince sat was cleared and new refreshments were prepared. The mantle he had given him earlier had long since been passed along with a thank you to John Whitney, the aide who came with Enoch.
Agatha first put the life price she had prepared on the table.
“The reason I invited the Marquis today is because I wanted to repay you for your help back then. Please read it first.”
“...”
The man's gaze turned downward after staring for a moment. Palk, neat fingers turned the first page of the document.
It contained a reward that Agatha had prepared according to Aratus' current situation.
100,000 kar gold.
In addition, a proposal was made to provide interest-free loans and to supply grains at reasonable prices to each of Aratus' territories until this year's wheat harvest through the top of Nobilis and to purchase specialty products.
“That's all I've thought of for now, but if you need any additional information or items, please ask. I will listen to you as much as I can.”
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