“Thank you. I’ll make sure to convey that to Louella.”
“Actually, I came here because I had something to say, Duchess.”
“Yes.”
“………I’m going to propose to Princess Louella.” Merce gasped.
Alexid bit his lip hard. Merce pulled herself together and tapped Alexid’s thigh. It was a message to keep his mouth shut. Alexid glared at Ernst.
“Thank you, but Louella has been on good terms with Gerald. It’s a verbal promise, but they’re supposed to get married as soon as I let them. Unfortunately….”
“It was promised by word of mouth, not written, right? In that case, I understand that the Royal Proposal is a priority.” Ernst gently cut off Merce’s words.
Merce took a deep breath. You look like your mother. Ernst looked at the Duchess and thought.
“If Louella wishes, but if not, I will reject it by using the rights as the Duchess, Your Highness the Crown Prince. We don’t want to make our child do something she doesn’t want to do.”
“The rights of the Duchess…. Of course, it is true that the Leander family has protected the Imperial Family and the Arena Empire. But is it really great enough to ignore my proposal when I will be the next Emperor?” Merce gave a wobbly smile.
She felt the blood in her body cooling down. She didn’t expect the Crown Prince to come out like that.
“I’m going to send a formal proposal soon, Duchess.”
Ernst smiled. “I look forward to your acceptance with pleasure.”
“………are you going to push ahead even if Louella doesn’t really want it?” Ernst hesitated and nodded.
The White Uroboros never missed what he had decided to have. He wanted to have Louella for a second.
“Then do as you please, Your Highness. We’ll do our best to protect Louella’s heart.”
The goodwill that sparkled from Merce’s eyes disappeared.
Ernst rose from two glances at him. It’s enough because he was here to notify them now anyway.
“It’s a pity that I couldn’t meet Lady Louella in person. See you next time, then.”
Ernst ignored Merce’s declaration of war and stood up. The tea that was served on Ernst’s teacup was still hot.
Mercedes stared at the seat where he was sitting with a frosty gaze.
“……I need to know in detail what the hell happened. Bring back Louella and Gerald, Alexid.”
Alexid, who noticed Merce was genuinely angry, nodded and ran out. Mercé sighed slowly.
It’s Louella. She had known for a long time that she was special. There is no way that Mercé, who was born with the discomfort of noticing how Louella kept acting as her ‘child’, could not know.
Louella seemed to be afraid of something, and Billiers and Merce seemed to be up to something they didn’t know. And she was convinced that all of that would have been related to Nisephor.
Louella had been preparing for that present since her childhood. She didn’t know that the Crown Prince would be involved in her fate.
* * *
I had to kick Gerald immediately away from me because my brother Alexid, opened the door without knocking.
“What, what’s going on?”
“It’s not the time for you to be like this, Lulu! Jeje, not you as well!”
Gerald rose to his feet.
“Mother is calling,” Alexid told me with a sinking face.
“What’s going on? You don’t look good, Alexid.”
Louella was sure he had a glimpse of what she and Gerald were doing, but Alexid didn’t seem to care about it now. It seemed like he didn’t have the time to get distracted by unnecessary things.
Alexid spoke in a subdued voice. “……The crown prince said he would send a proposal.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“Ha?”
“Mother said that we should listen about it in detail. Lulu, take it easy. I think it will be a long fight.” Alexid said with a grim look.
The voice, which touched my shoulder and whispered not to worry too much, was sweeter than she expected. Before she knew it, her playful brother was already an adult.
She became the first person to take the lead when misfortune came for their family.
Alexid said. “Do you want to marry the Crown Prince?”
Louella turned her head and looked at Gerald. She shook her head, holding Gerald’s hand tightly.
“No. Never will I want to marry the Crown Prince.”