Chapter 3

The day after the engagement was decided, I immediately headed to His Majesty's office. I wanted to report that the engagement had been finalized as soon as possible, since I had been causing him worry over my marriage prospects for a long time.

I knocked, and a response came almost immediately. The door was opened from the inside by my childhood friend, the valet Marco, and I entered the room. It was still early in the morning, but His Majesty was already seated at his desk, working on a stack of documents. Standing beside him, like a watchful eye, was the Prime Minister, Antonio.

His Majesty, the Prime Minister Antonio, the valet Marco, and I have been childhood friends since we were young.

Six years ago, a coup led by the late king's youngest brother failed, but it resulted in many casualties. The late king survived but took responsibility and abdicated the throne to the crown prince, who is now the current king. Many of the former prime ministers and ministers were killed by the rebels, so the current administration is largely composed of a younger generation.

Valerio is one of them. The former head of the Royal Knights was the mastermind behind the coup, and many of the knights were secretly involved and joined the rebels. Valerio, who had just become the chief guard of the crown prince and was at the ball, protected the king and the crown prince, and was chosen as the new head of the Royal Knights for his bravery in defeating the mastermind of the rebellion.

"Good morning. Do you have a moment?"

"Good morning. What's the matter? Is it an emergency?"

"No. It's personal, but I've come to report that my engagement has been finalized."

"Really! No way! It's finally decided!? Wait, hold on, I want to hear all about it! In detail! Wait, wait!"

His Majesty threw down his pen and hurriedly moved to a single-seater sofa in the reception area, gesturing for the rest of us to sit down. Antonio quickly placed the documents he was holding on the desk, and Marco picked up the pen His Majesty had thrown. They both sat down on the sofa next to each other, ready to listen.

The four of us grew up together, as the future king and his potential aides. Even after His Majesty became king, his down-to-earth personality kept our relationship relaxed and informal. When we were alone, we often talked freely, and the camaraderie reminded us of the times we used to play pranks together as children. Now, all three of them were no longer acting like king and subjects but as childhood friends, and I was the same.

"So? Who is she? Who is it?"

"Right! I'm curious about the lady! Come on, don't be so mysterious!"

"To think there's a lady with a strong heart who accepted Valerio. Fascinating."

As I sat down on the sofa, His Majesty and Marco leaned in eagerly to hear more. Antonio, with his usual sly smile, made a rather unkind comment, fully embracing his role as the prime minister.

"The lady is Lila Saranje, the daughter of the Earl of Saranje."

"......What?"

"Lila Saranje, the daughter of the Earl of Saranje."

"「Whaaat!?」"

When I repeated the name of the lady, this time the other two, not His Majesty, screamed in unison. Their screams echoed through the office.

There was a loud knocking on the door, and a voice shouted, "Opening the door!!" The guards stationed outside the door rushed in.

"What happened!? Are you all right!?"

"Nothing! We're fine. You can stand down."

"......I apologize for the intrusion."

I couldn't tell the guards that their screams were due to my engagement report. The guards looked around the room, confirmed that only we were there, and then left. After the guards had left and the door was closed, I asked about the reason for their screams.

"What's wrong? Is there something about her?"

Anxiety washed over me as I saw their reactions. Was there something hidden, something about her that made her notorious?

"Valerio and the phantom flower... I can't believe it!"

"Please tell me it's a lie!"

"The phantom flower, who is now openly called a monster, and Valerio? The world has truly gone mad. I can't believe it..."

"It's not a lie, but what do you mean by 'phantom flower'? And Antonio, you've been really harsh."

Was 'phantom flower' some kind of code word? As the head of the Royal Knights, I was familiar with many of the code words used in the castle and the knights, but this was the first I had heard of it. It seemed to be a term for something toxic, but I had never heard it before.

"What? Valerio doesn't know about the phantom flower?"

"Valerio, you have no interest in ladies at all, do you? It's hard to believe you were even trying to find a match."

"The phantom flower refers to Lila Saranje, the daughter of the Earl of Saranje."

From the context, I understood that 'phantom flower' referred to Lila, but I still didn't understand why she was called that or what it meant. Could someone explain it more clearly?

"Lila Saranje, the daughter of the Earl of Saranje, is very beautiful, and she would be the flower of society, but she is said to be very frail and only appears once a year at the royal ball."

"Is she that frail?"

"Who knows? She never appears in society, so it's hard to tell, but she is known to be frail."

"Right. She only appears at the royal ball, and she always arrives late, just as the royal family is about to appear, and then disappears without a trace. Someone said her existence is like a phantom, and the term 'phantom flower' spread. She is also called the 'phantom forget-me-not' because of her pale purple eyes."

"Since she only appears at the royal ball once a year and her arrival and departure times coincide with the royal family, there are even rumors that she might be an illegitimate child of the royal family."

"That's a strange rumor."

"I wish she were my sister. She seems so gentle."

"Your Majesty, the princess would be angry if she heard that."

Still, is she really that frail?

I recalled Lila's appearance from yesterday. She was indeed delicate, pale, and ethereal, but her complexion didn't look bad. Her cheeks were even slightly pink, giving her a healthy appearance. Maybe she had a fever?

However, if she is as frail as to only be able to attend the royal ball, that would be a problem.

As the heir to a dukedom, I have the responsibility to produce an heir. In fact, that's why I'm eager to get married. If she is frail, she might not be able to endure pregnancy and childbirth.

"Wow, that's great. The phantom flower! She's beautiful. I wonder if she would have accepted me if I had proposed?"

"Your Majesty, you must choose a suitable partner."

Antonio, with a serious face, responded to His Majesty's light-hearted comment.

"I was thinking of offering her to my sister if Valerio didn't find a match by the time he turned 30."

"That would be too much of a burden..."

"By the time Valerio is 30, my sister will be 18, which would be a good age. Besides, she isn't afraid of Valerio."

"Your Majesty, with a 12-year age gap and Valerio's stern appearance, it would be too pitiful for the princess. She must also choose a suitable partner."

"That's too pitiful. Antonio, you're harsh..."

Still, could it be that Lila, being frail and having no prospects, accepted my proposal to hide her condition?

Did she orchestrate the engagement so meticulously for that reason? I hadn't considered this possibility, but it's certainly a plausible explanation.

"Still, why Valerio? I heard that she has been turning down all the proposals she's received."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. Because of her beauty, she has received many proposals. Second and third sons who don't plan to inherit their family's estate are willing to marry her as a bride, and even those who can adopt her as a daughter-in-law are willing to overlook her frailty. Some have even proposed multiple times despite being rejected."

She is that popular?

Then why?

The mystery only deepened.

"Well, this marks the end of Valerio's search for a match. That's great."

"Is it? We can't be too sure until the marriage is finalized."

"Antonio, you're harsh..."

Still, could it be that Lila, being frail and having no prospects, accepted my proposal to hide her condition?

Did she orchestrate the engagement so meticulously for that reason? I hadn't considered this possibility, but it's certainly a plausible explanation.