The second encounter Emily recalled was like this.
Fortunately, on the day of that embarrassing encounter, the Duke only stayed for a day and left, and there was no significant contact after that.
But somehow the Count managed to arrange the engagement between the Duke and Emily.
“Does he really want to get engaged to me?”
No matter how much Emily thought about it, it seemed like her father was bluffing.
But unlike other nobles, her father had neither ambition nor courage. It was puzzling how he found the courage to propose marriage to someone as high as a Duke.
“I was really surprised too.”
Next to her, the Countess happily tucked Emily's flowing hair behind her ear.
“Do you by any chance dislike this engagement?”
Emily, who had been lost in thought for a moment, soon shook her head.
“No, it’s okay.”
Duchess Sadie, the tone was right. Even though the man seemed a bit unsavory, with his looks, title, and wealth, even Lady Marlene would surely be upset.
“Father, you are quite talented.”
"I?"
The Count tilted his head.
“Didn’t my father send him a proposal?”
“His Excellency the Duke suggested it first.”
"Yes?"
Naturally, she assumed that the proposal came from Sinope. Sinope was much more inclined to the Duke than the Duke was.
Emily, who was trying to figure out the Duke's intentions, nodded as if she had reached a conclusion.
“I guess it’s because of my looks...”
The Count and his wife met each other's eyes as Emily whispered softly.
'What's with that excessive self-consciousness?'
'It's your fault, wife, because I've been saying you're so pretty since you were little.'
Emily looked in the mirror and sighed, oblivious to how those around her were looking at her.
With the engagement consummated, Charles returned to the estate. This time, he was received in a proper setting and with proper attire.
“Welcome, Your Excellency.”
Charles, who had arrived officially as her fiancé, politely kissed the back of her hand. Emily, feeling unfamiliar with his behavior, cleared her throat and led him to the reception room.
She is a social queen, but strangely enough, she is also a slacker who has never been in a relationship.
A stiff silence fell between them as they sat across from each other in the drawing room. Charles had been accustomed to her somewhat blunt nature when they first met, so seeing Emily before him felt strange.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere than when I saw you before.”
Finally, Charles spoke up. Emily, unfazed by his words, sat up straight and drank her tea in a static posture.
“This is my original appearance, Your Excellency.”
Hmm. Charles leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed.
“It’s a shame, I liked you better back then.”
Was her mother's plan wrong? Emily, racking her brain, immediately changed course.
“Then I will take note of it.”
Emily also put down her teacup and leaned back on the sofa like Charles.
'Good. The Duke likes women who feel friendly. That shouldn't be too difficult.'
Emily chuckled, taking in the new information. Charles immediately chuckled, his gaze slackening.
“Young Lady, I don’t think you find it that difficult?”
“Um, because we got engaged?”
Emily thought, "Isn't it weirder to have a hard time with your fiancé?" She even had the bold ambition that if she succeeded in marriage, she would be just as open-minded.
“You’re quite cheeky.”
“Me?”
Emily was taken aback by such comments. What if she had unnecessarily upset him and ended up breaking off the engagement? Old Marlene would surely be very pleased.
'No, I can't leave it like that.'
Emily, having finished her daydream, sat back down on the sofa, clasping her hands together. It was difficult to approach him in a friendly manner without being brash.
'Damn, he's such a picky and weird person.'
Charles looked at Emily, who had just straightened her posture, and opened his mouth, suppressing a smile.
"Come visit the Duchy before you get married. I need to let Young Lady know how great a person you're marrying."
Charles, who was trying to kill her, was unlucky, but Emily, who was of inferior status, had no other way to respond. All she could do was politely say, "Yes."
Of course, as we all know, Emily never made it to Charles's estate. A few months later, the two broke off their engagement.
“This is really the end.”
Emily, who had finished her flashbacks, said that she had not had much of an emotional connection with Charles, but as a man, Killian was able to sense it quickly.
Charles had a strong crush on Emily.
“You look upset.”
“It’s Madame’s mistake.”
Emily looked at his profile with a strange gaze. Doesn't it seem as if he's jealous?
But soon she shook her head. Jealousy, too, must be based on the emotion of love.
She didn't think Killian had any such feelings for her yet. Perhaps he simply developed a sense of rivalry as a man.
Anyway, the two people who had been out for too long returned to the banquet hall. No matter how upset he was, they had to pay their respects to the Emperor since they were here.
The Emperor, sitting proudly on the high throne, was receiving greetings from people.
“I see the sun of the empire.”
When it was their turn, the two men stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor.
“Oh, welcome. It’s been a while since I gave you the title.”
The Emperor was now approaching sixty years of age, but apart from his white hair, he looked remarkably healthy.
He welcomed him very warmly, perhaps because he had paid off many of the royal family's debts with the money Killian had donated.
“And you are the new bride who married the Marquis this time?”
The Emperor turned his gaze towards Emily this time.
“Yes, my name is Emily Starr.”
This was Emily's first time meeting the Emperor privately. The Emperor looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if something was coming to mind.
“What family are you originally from?”
“This is the Sinope family.”
The Emperor's face, which had always sported a benevolent smile, suddenly lost its smile. He glared sharply at Emily and slowly opened his mouth.
“I feel sorry for your parents.”
Emily, who had been keeping her head down the whole time, was simply touched by the Emperor's knowledge of her parents' case, without even realizing how he was looking at her.
“Thank you for remembering my parents.”
“You talk nonsense.”
Killian listened to their conversation with a stiff demeanor. He just wanted to get out of here quickly. Fortunately, the Emperor must have sensed Killian's nervousness, as he sent them off sooner than expected.
“Then, enjoy the rest of your time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Killian returned to his seat, escorting Emily as if he had been waiting.
“Why are you like that?”
“What are you talking about?”
It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what he meant, but Emily felt he was incredibly sharp. It was also strange how he almost seemed to protect her from the Emperor, almost like he was escorting her.
'But let's just pretend we don't know. It gives me a headache.'
Emily shook her head slightly and pointed to the table for him.
“What would you like to eat?”
The deeper you delve into anything, the less interesting it becomes. Emily decided not to delve into Killian's thoughts so obsessively.
Meanwhile, there was a young man who fell into despair at the sight of the two together.
“Is that person Madame Starr?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It was none other than the Crown Prince of this country, Lucius.
When he finally found his ideal type with a strange man, he called his servant over and had him quickly identify her.
And soon after, he learned that she had married the Marquis of Starr a few weeks earlier.
“I wish I had returned to Vancent a little sooner.”
Lucius sighed and pushed away the crowds that were gathering around them. The atmosphere, unlike earlier, was gloomy, and the people began to murmur.
The Empress also clicked her tongue as she watched Lucius from afar.
“Why did the person you had in mind happen to be a married woman?”
“That’s what they say, Your Highness.”
“Oh my, that pathetic guy.”
The maid, who had contacted Lucius's aide at the Empress's behest, relayed the story that he had taken an interest in Emily.
“Do not let Lucius know that Lady Starr was a candidate for the Crown Princess, do you understand?”
"Yes, don't worry. I will make sure the subordinates are thoroughly disciplined."
In fact, several years ago, the Emperor had first mentioned Emily as a candidate for the Crown Princess. However, for some reason, he decided to pair her up with the Duke of Sadie, but ultimately broke off the engagement himself by sending her a betrothal letter.
Duke Sadie later learned of this fact and strongly protested, but it was not accepted.
'I really don't know what that old man is thinking?'
The Empress's eyes also began to gleam as she saw Emily, who had reappeared in the social world after a long time.
Her family wasn't exactly a surname, but the fact that she had such a strong royal family wasn't a good thing either. Emily, even if she wasn't beautiful, possessed a purity not easily found in others.
“Ugh.”
The Empress now took her eyes off Lucius and looked around the banquet hall.
A new candidate was needed to quickly dispel his son's unrequited love.
***
Fortunately, on the day of that embarrassing encounter, the Duke only stayed for a day and left, and there was no significant contact after that.
But somehow the Count managed to arrange the engagement between the Duke and Emily.
“Does he really want to get engaged to me?”
No matter how much Emily thought about it, it seemed like her father was bluffing.
But unlike other nobles, her father had neither ambition nor courage. It was puzzling how he found the courage to propose marriage to someone as high as a Duke.
“I was really surprised too.”
Next to her, the Countess happily tucked Emily's flowing hair behind her ear.
“Do you by any chance dislike this engagement?”
Emily, who had been lost in thought for a moment, soon shook her head.
“No, it’s okay.”
Duchess Sadie, the tone was right. Even though the man seemed a bit unsavory, with his looks, title, and wealth, even Lady Marlene would surely be upset.
“Father, you are quite talented.”
"I?"
The Count tilted his head.
“Didn’t my father send him a proposal?”
“His Excellency the Duke suggested it first.”
"Yes?"
Naturally, she assumed that the proposal came from Sinope. Sinope was much more inclined to the Duke than the Duke was.
Emily, who was trying to figure out the Duke's intentions, nodded as if she had reached a conclusion.
“I guess it’s because of my looks...”
The Count and his wife met each other's eyes as Emily whispered softly.
'What's with that excessive self-consciousness?'
'It's your fault, wife, because I've been saying you're so pretty since you were little.'
Emily looked in the mirror and sighed, oblivious to how those around her were looking at her.
With the engagement consummated, Charles returned to the estate. This time, he was received in a proper setting and with proper attire.
“Welcome, Your Excellency.”
Charles, who had arrived officially as her fiancé, politely kissed the back of her hand. Emily, feeling unfamiliar with his behavior, cleared her throat and led him to the reception room.
She is a social queen, but strangely enough, she is also a slacker who has never been in a relationship.
A stiff silence fell between them as they sat across from each other in the drawing room. Charles had been accustomed to her somewhat blunt nature when they first met, so seeing Emily before him felt strange.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere than when I saw you before.”
Finally, Charles spoke up. Emily, unfazed by his words, sat up straight and drank her tea in a static posture.
“This is my original appearance, Your Excellency.”
Hmm. Charles leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed.
“It’s a shame, I liked you better back then.”
Was her mother's plan wrong? Emily, racking her brain, immediately changed course.
“Then I will take note of it.”
Emily also put down her teacup and leaned back on the sofa like Charles.
'Good. The Duke likes women who feel friendly. That shouldn't be too difficult.'
Emily chuckled, taking in the new information. Charles immediately chuckled, his gaze slackening.
“Young Lady, I don’t think you find it that difficult?”
“Um, because we got engaged?”
Emily thought, "Isn't it weirder to have a hard time with your fiancé?" She even had the bold ambition that if she succeeded in marriage, she would be just as open-minded.
“You’re quite cheeky.”
“Me?”
Emily was taken aback by such comments. What if she had unnecessarily upset him and ended up breaking off the engagement? Old Marlene would surely be very pleased.
'No, I can't leave it like that.'
Emily, having finished her daydream, sat back down on the sofa, clasping her hands together. It was difficult to approach him in a friendly manner without being brash.
'Damn, he's such a picky and weird person.'
Charles looked at Emily, who had just straightened her posture, and opened his mouth, suppressing a smile.
"Come visit the Duchy before you get married. I need to let Young Lady know how great a person you're marrying."
Charles, who was trying to kill her, was unlucky, but Emily, who was of inferior status, had no other way to respond. All she could do was politely say, "Yes."
Of course, as we all know, Emily never made it to Charles's estate. A few months later, the two broke off their engagement.
***
“This is really the end.”
Emily, who had finished her flashbacks, said that she had not had much of an emotional connection with Charles, but as a man, Killian was able to sense it quickly.
Charles had a strong crush on Emily.
“You look upset.”
“It’s Madame’s mistake.”
Emily looked at his profile with a strange gaze. Doesn't it seem as if he's jealous?
But soon she shook her head. Jealousy, too, must be based on the emotion of love.
She didn't think Killian had any such feelings for her yet. Perhaps he simply developed a sense of rivalry as a man.
Anyway, the two people who had been out for too long returned to the banquet hall. No matter how upset he was, they had to pay their respects to the Emperor since they were here.
The Emperor, sitting proudly on the high throne, was receiving greetings from people.
“I see the sun of the empire.”
When it was their turn, the two men stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor.
“Oh, welcome. It’s been a while since I gave you the title.”
The Emperor was now approaching sixty years of age, but apart from his white hair, he looked remarkably healthy.
He welcomed him very warmly, perhaps because he had paid off many of the royal family's debts with the money Killian had donated.
“And you are the new bride who married the Marquis this time?”
The Emperor turned his gaze towards Emily this time.
“Yes, my name is Emily Starr.”
This was Emily's first time meeting the Emperor privately. The Emperor looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if something was coming to mind.
“What family are you originally from?”
“This is the Sinope family.”
The Emperor's face, which had always sported a benevolent smile, suddenly lost its smile. He glared sharply at Emily and slowly opened his mouth.
“I feel sorry for your parents.”
Emily, who had been keeping her head down the whole time, was simply touched by the Emperor's knowledge of her parents' case, without even realizing how he was looking at her.
“Thank you for remembering my parents.”
“You talk nonsense.”
Killian listened to their conversation with a stiff demeanor. He just wanted to get out of here quickly. Fortunately, the Emperor must have sensed Killian's nervousness, as he sent them off sooner than expected.
“Then, enjoy the rest of your time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Killian returned to his seat, escorting Emily as if he had been waiting.
“Why are you like that?”
“What are you talking about?”
It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what he meant, but Emily felt he was incredibly sharp. It was also strange how he almost seemed to protect her from the Emperor, almost like he was escorting her.
'But let's just pretend we don't know. It gives me a headache.'
Emily shook her head slightly and pointed to the table for him.
“What would you like to eat?”
The deeper you delve into anything, the less interesting it becomes. Emily decided not to delve into Killian's thoughts so obsessively.
Meanwhile, there was a young man who fell into despair at the sight of the two together.
“Is that person Madame Starr?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It was none other than the Crown Prince of this country, Lucius.
When he finally found his ideal type with a strange man, he called his servant over and had him quickly identify her.
And soon after, he learned that she had married the Marquis of Starr a few weeks earlier.
“I wish I had returned to Vancent a little sooner.”
Lucius sighed and pushed away the crowds that were gathering around them. The atmosphere, unlike earlier, was gloomy, and the people began to murmur.
The Empress also clicked her tongue as she watched Lucius from afar.
“Why did the person you had in mind happen to be a married woman?”
“That’s what they say, Your Highness.”
“Oh my, that pathetic guy.”
The maid, who had contacted Lucius's aide at the Empress's behest, relayed the story that he had taken an interest in Emily.
“Do not let Lucius know that Lady Starr was a candidate for the Crown Princess, do you understand?”
"Yes, don't worry. I will make sure the subordinates are thoroughly disciplined."
In fact, several years ago, the Emperor had first mentioned Emily as a candidate for the Crown Princess. However, for some reason, he decided to pair her up with the Duke of Sadie, but ultimately broke off the engagement himself by sending her a betrothal letter.
Duke Sadie later learned of this fact and strongly protested, but it was not accepted.
'I really don't know what that old man is thinking?'
The Empress's eyes also began to gleam as she saw Emily, who had reappeared in the social world after a long time.
Her family wasn't exactly a surname, but the fact that she had such a strong royal family wasn't a good thing either. Emily, even if she wasn't beautiful, possessed a purity not easily found in others.
“Ugh.”
The Empress now took her eyes off Lucius and looked around the banquet hall.
A new candidate was needed to quickly dispel his son's unrequited love.
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