Chapter 4

A few days after reporting to His Majesty, I visited the House of Sarenje to finalize the wedding details, as we had promised on my first visit.

However, today there is something I need to ask before finalizing the wedding details. If she is truly frail, it would be a great pity, but I would have to abandon this arrangement.

In the House of Claudel, there is currently no prospect of adopting a child from a relative. If I remain single until old age, I might find someone by then, but at the moment, there is no boy who can be adopted. While women can also be the head of the family in this country, the preference is for men. I have heard that finding a husband is more difficult than finding a wife, and I don’t want to burden an adopted daughter with extra hardships.

Therefore, I would prefer to have my own child as the heir. I want to verify the truth of the rumors, but...

Lila is looking at me with her sparkling eyes, seemingly happy, which makes it very hard to ask.

"Um..."

"Yes! What is it?"

"Um... well... Lila, I heard you are called the 'Phantom Flower' of the social world."

"Is that so?"

She tilts her head in a cute manner, making me want to smile. Even if I smile, my fierce face won’t become gentle.

"Rather, please call me Lila. We are engaged, after all."

"Ah, yes."

"If you don’t mind, please speak without formalities. I am from a lower-ranking family, after all."

"Ah, yes. Then..."

"Formalities..."

She pouts slightly, looking cute even when she seems dissatisfied. Rather, her pouting face is so cute that it’s a problem.

"Um, well, I have something I need to confirm today. Is it okay?"

"Yes, anything! Please ask anything."

"Um, Lila, are you still using formalities?"

"Is it okay not to use formalities?"

"Since we are engaged, it should be mutual. Let’s talk without formalities. You can call me by my name too."

"Okay, I will."

When she smiles at me happily, I feel satisfied. I almost think that everything is fine, but no, I can’t. I mustn’t forget my duty as the head of the House of Claudel.

"So... I heard you are frail. Is it true? I heard you are called the 'Phantom Flower' because you only attend royal balls due to your frailty."

"Um... it’s true that I only attend royal balls. But I am not frail. I... I pretend to be frail."

"Pretend? Why do you pretend to be frail?"

"When I was a child, I often felt unwell. I would get sick when I went out with my parents, and I would decline tea parties and gatherings with other children, so people started calling me frail. Since I didn’t go out much as a child, I became shy. It’s embarrassing, but I still find it difficult to socialize... So, my health is fine. I haven’t caught a cold since I became an adult, and I am quite healthy."

So, you used the rumors to avoid socializing and continued to pretend to be frail even as an adult? That’s quite bold.

Lila looked a bit embarrassed and dejected. I didn’t mean to blame her, but I felt really bad.

"Are you still shy? Are you shy around me?"

"Not really."

"Not really, huh?"

"Yes. Now, it’s more like... I want to make a good impression. I want to be seen well."

She looked down, blushing and fidgeting, which was almost too cute to resist. I wanted to hug her right away.

No, I can’t. She’s too cute, and I might think everything is fine. No, I need to stay focused. I am the head of the House of Claudel.

However, even though I say that people are not just their appearance, I don’t like how easily I could fall for her.

But it’s not just about her beauty. I think Lila’s charm lies in her actions, especially her gestures and changing expressions. That’s what makes her so appealing.

"So, there are no health issues, right?"

"Yes. If you’re worried, you can have a doctor examine me before the wedding. I am so healthy that I can handle surprise visits."

"---No, that’s not necessary. Yes, it’s fine."

Since she is confident enough to offer a doctor’s examination, she must be healthy. If there are no health issues, it seems safe to proceed with the wedding. Even if there are issues with having children, we can deal with that when it happens. If there are any hidden problems, they shouldn’t be insurmountable.

In fact, my parents had a political marriage, and they divorced when I was a child. My mother left.

The House of Claudel, with its long history of military service, has always lived frugally. My mother, from a relatively wealthy marquis family, was used to luxury. She thought she would have a more elegant and luxurious life after marrying into a prestigious ducal family, but she couldn’t live frugally, and her knight husband was often away from home. She left for another man, but it didn’t work out. I heard she became a second wife in a neighboring country’s noble family.

Still, she fulfilled her primary duty as a duchess by giving birth to a male heir, and I grew up fine despite being abandoned by her. I was already thinking of marrying to produce an heir, so I can overlook minor issues.

"Also, my family doesn’t approve of luxury. Is that okay?"

I asked to confirm, given my mother’s history, but she looked confused.

"Um, I don’t want you to misunderstand. Even though we are a ducal family, we live frugally. If you expect luxury, you might be disappointed. It’s embarrassing to talk about, but my mother was like that..."

"I want to marry you, Valerio. Whether you are a duke or the head of the knights, it doesn’t matter. No matter what position you have, I want to be with you. I believe I can be happy with any life as long as I am with Valerio."

Lila pouted slightly as she said this. The moment I understood her words, I was filled with joy. It might have been the words I had always hoped to hear. To have someone who wants me for who I am, no matter what life we have.

With the biggest concern cleared, we proceeded to discuss the wedding with Lila’s parents, and the wedding was set for three months later. Lila said the shortest time was best since there was no reason to delay the date. It made me happy to know she wanted to marry me soon.

Back at the mansion, I reported to Filio that the wedding was set for three months later. Filio would be busy with wedding preparations.

"Lord Valerio"

"What is it?"

"What about Lila’s maid? Will she bring one from the House of Sarenje?"

"In this case, we need to provide one. Lila wants to be involved in the interview."

"Then I will start the recruitment process early."

"Thank you."

Thus, we decided to hire new servants for the wedding.

Currently, the House of Claudel only has former male knights as servants. We have tried to recruit maids before, but there were no applicants, or if there were, they would decline after the interview. Knights are trained to handle various tasks, including grooming, cleaning, and laundry, so I can handle most things myself. Therefore, having only former male knights as servants was not a problem.

However, Lila will need a maid. Maids help with grooming, and I am worried if the maid will be afraid of me.

I thought Lila’s personal maid would come with her from the House of Sarenje, but she said she wouldn’t bring one. Her personal maid is the only one, and she is planning to get married and leave in six months. So, it’s not that she won’t bring a maid, but there is no maid to bring.

In that case, we need to hire more maids, but it might be difficult to find someone willing to work in the House of Claudel. I am considering recruiting former female knights who have left due to marriage or childbirth and whose children are now grown.

When I mentioned this, Lila asked to be involved in the interviews.

The hiring of servants is usually handled by the butler, but in the House of Claudel, it has always been done by the head of the family. The heads of the family have always had intimidating faces, and some servants have even fled after starting work. Even if they don’t flee, working in fear is not pleasant.

Therefore, we need to select someone who won’t be intimidated by the head of the family.

If Lila is involved in the interviews, there is a possibility that she will see the interviewees being intimidated by me, which might make her reconsider the marriage. I would prefer to handle the hiring myself, as it is not a problem for the servants of a ducal family.

However...

"Please. I want to see my maid with my own eyes."

When she says this with a pleading look, I can’t refuse.

We need to start the recruitment process early so that the maid can learn the duties of the House of Claudel before the wedding. However, I don’t expect to find someone immediately, so the interviews will likely be in about a month.