Chapter 3

At the age of fifteen, in September, when summer was drawing to a close.

I was on my way to the northern Bartzline Margraviate in a carriage.

The journey from the capital to Bartzline took two weeks by carriage.

The purpose of this journey was to decide my engagement and to learn about the place.

Father was not pleased that the royal family had put my engagement on hold.

Therefore, he entrusted me with the authority to decide the engagement with the Margrave of Bartzline and sent me off.

"What kind of person is he... Lord Bartzline?"

The Margrave, Lord Ash Bartzline, who had replied to my letter, was a man five years my senior.

Of course, I had never seen him or spoken to him.

"I must have been quite bold..."

After all, I had proposed a marriage arrangement to someone I had never met.

But if I had just waited for the royal family's response, I would never have been happy.

That's what I thought. So I made the decision.

"– The situation with Prince Leonhardt and Brother Carlos has nothing to do with me."

No matter what their intentions were, I would seize my own happiness.

With that resolve in my heart, I continued my journey to Bartzline.

... Eventually, as the two-week journey came to an end, the prosperous streets came into view in the distance.

"That's the town of Bartzline! And beyond it is—"

Beyond the town, a large 'wall' was visible.

Beyond that wall lay the northern great forest, where monsters spawned.

I swallowed hard. I had never seen a monster before.

As a high-ranking noble, I had been taught to use 'magic.'

Moreover, my magical power was said to be quite substantial in the kingdom.

It was unknown whether I would be useful as a combatant, but if I trained, I could become useful.

"I wonder if Lord Bartzline will accept me."

That was my greatest concern at the moment.

No, since I had never met him, I was also worried about what kind of person he was.

He might not like the fact that I had complicated the engagement negotiations with the royal family.

As Brother Carlos had said, Lord Bartzline might reject the engagement with me.

He might refuse, saying that even though I can use magic, I am useless in combat.

Our personalities might not match.

It could be as simple as not liking my 'appearance.' These were possibilities.

And I might not be able to build a good relationship with the Margrave's family...

"I remember, Lord Bartzline has a younger sister, doesn't he?"

He had lost his parents at a young age and had helped each other as siblings.

His sister was not someone to be taken lightly.

She might even think of me as a 'villainess' trying to take away her precious brother for political reasons.

"...It's finally time."

With various concerns, I stepped onto the land of Bartzline.

◇◆◇

"Welcome! To the Bartzline Margraviate! Lady Angelina!"

The one who welcomed me was a noble lady who looked to be about my age.

With wavy silver hair and ruby-red eyes.

From these features, I assumed she was Lady Aria Bartzline, the Margrave's sister.

"Yes! Lady Angelina! I am Aria Bartzline! Nice to meet you!"

"Um... yes. Nice to meet you."

I was confused by Aria's enthusiastic welcome.

We hadn't even decided on the engagement, so calling me 'sister-in-law' was premature.

"Sister-in-law, you are very beautiful... and cute! Your pink-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes are very charming!"

"Thank you, Aria. You are very beautiful too."

"Thank you!"

I didn't mind being complimented on my pink-blonde hair, which I inherited from my late mother.

Still, I had received a rather enthusiastic welcome.

Not only Aria, but the sturdy knights and servants lined up in front of the mansion were also smiling at me.

...It seemed the entire Bartzline family was in a welcoming mood.

Perhaps, from their perspective, I was being treated as a 'new bride'...

"Angelina Steizen, Duchess."

In this welcoming atmosphere, a young man stepped forward and bowed.

"I am Elke Sedar, the son of the Sedar Viscount, who serves the Bartzline family. I am Lady Aria's attendant, inspector, and also an advisor to Lord Ash."

"Thank you for your courtesy. I am Angelina Steizen."

"Please, this way. I will take you to Lord Ash."

"Yes, thank you."

Finally, I would meet him. The moment that would decide my future was approaching.

As I was led into the Bartzline mansion, I noticed the interior was well-maintained.

The impression of the mansion being more rugged than the Steizen family's was not just my imagination.

The atmosphere of the house seemed to reflect its character.

"Brother Ash! Sister-in-law Angelina has arrived!"

"...Lady Aria."

Aria called out to the other side of the door with a familiar, family-like warmth.

And the young man, Elke, reprimanded her, giving a sense of a family-like relationship.

"Um, um. Ah... Come in."

The Margrave's voice was heard through the door. It was a youthful, young man's voice.

"Then, Duchess Steizen, please."

The door opened, and I entered the room. Once inside, I greeted him.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Bartzline. I am Angelina Steizen."

I paid my respects with a curtsy and greeted him.

"Ah. Raise your head. Duchess Steizen."

I raised my head as he instructed and saw him for the first time.

"Nice to meet you. Thank you for coming all the way to Bartzline. I am Ash Bartzline, the Margrave."

He had the same silver hair as Aria, cut short.

He gave the impression of a rugged but good young man.

His eyes were the same ruby-red as Aria's.

The first impression was that he was tall.

I was tall for a woman of my age, but I had to look up at him.

He seemed tall because his build was solid and muscular.

He had the aura of a well-trained warrior. His face was also well-featured.

He was well-groomed and gave no unpleasant impression.

...Overall, I had a good impression. I felt relieved inside.

"Lord Bartzline, I am grateful that you received my letter and proposed the engagement."

"...Yes, I am also grateful. Thank you for coming all this way. I think we have much to discuss, but you must be tired after the long journey. We have prepared a room for you in the mansion. We have also prepared a room nearby for the maid who came with you. Please rest first."

"Thank you, my lord."

"The knights who accompanied you will be in a room a bit further away, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We will do our best to accommodate you."

"Thank you again."

The welcoming atmosphere seemed to extend to Lord Bartzline as well.

"Miss Steizen."

"Yes, my lord."

"I, and we, the Bartzline family, welcome you."

"...Thank you, Lord Bartzline."

The welcome was quite warm. But how should I put it?

He seemed like a simple, rugged person who had been told by everyone around him, "Don't let her get away!"

...There was a temperature difference. It felt more like the pressure from those around him was stronger than his own enthusiasm for me.

...I should have a proper conversation with him personally, without being swayed by the surroundings.

I wondered what his intentions were in listening to me. It seemed he had something on his mind.

Then, I, along with the maid and guards who came with me, was allowed to stay at the Bartzline mansion.

I had researched and heard about the situation in the territory beforehand.

Although it was a place of battle against monsters, they did not seem to be suffering from food shortages or other issues.

It didn't seem like my sudden arrival would cause them to go hungry.

Before deciding on the engagement, I wanted to ask if they needed any support.

First, I needed to accurately understand the situation here.

There were many things I wanted to ask... but first, I needed to see if Lord Bartzline and I could get along well.

The first impression was not bad. He seemed like a good young man.

...If his parents were still alive, he would still be the 'heir.' He had a youthful appearance that suited a noble young man.

From this, I could infer that he had faced many challenges.

And from Aria and the people around him, I could see that he was well-respected. Everyone seemed to be supporting him.

"...Yes, not bad."

I hoped he would also have a good impression of me.