Chapter 9

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

The Emperor and Lila were talking about something throughout their dance. The Emperor seemed to be enjoying the conversation, but I wonder if Lila isn't shy around him? Since Lila's head was lowered, her expression was hidden.

I thought she would be safe with the Emperor, but the thought of what they might be talking about made my chest ache slightly.

As soon as the dance between Lila and the Emperor ended, the young nobles immediately surrounded Lila, and she quickly disappeared from view. Only the Emperor's tall figure was visible, allowing me to barely know that Lila was there.

In my mind, I thought, "This is incredible. It's like a pack of wolves surrounding a single rabbit."

Moreover, if this is always the case, it makes sense why I never saw Lila's face in the past. If the delicate Lila is surrounded by so many men and is looking down, even from a higher vantage point during my guard duty, I wouldn't be able to see her face. I probably just thought, "I don't know who it is, but that group is quite something."

I snapped back to reality at the sound of a murmur. I realized I shouldn't be thinking about such things and took a step forward. The crowd parted, and the Emperor, looking very pleased, escorted Lila to me.

It wouldn't be appropriate for a noble to forcibly take a lady who the Emperor hasn't released, even after the dance.

The Emperor, like a prince protecting a princess from a pack of wolves, brought Lila to me. Seeing the two of them up close, I felt a sharp pain in my chest again, but I was relieved that Lila had returned to me thanks to the Emperor.

I wonder if some of the young nobles are glaring at me because the Emperor didn't let Lila go or because they lost their chance to dance. I don't know the reason, but they are quite bold to glare at me. They seem young, and I wonder if they would join the knight corps if I scouted them. They are cowards who look away when our eyes meet, so probably not.

Lila recognized my face and visibly relaxed. It made me very happy and touched my heart. The pain in my chest, which felt like it was burning, seemed to disappear instantly.

"The Emperor has already declared to everyone that Lila is mine."

"That... I appreciate your efforts."

"It was fun to see everyone's reactions."

(Well, it's obvious that you did it on purpose to see everyone's reactions. But thanks to you, it's now officially known that Lila is mine. Maybe that's why I was glared at earlier?)

Lila came to my side with a red face and placed her hand on my arm. I wondered why her face was so red, but her fingers gripping my clothes, her slight step back to hide behind me, and the way she clung to my arm were all very cute. When she pressed her forehead against my arm, it was so cute that I almost lost it.

"You look so happy. That's nice."

"Even the Emperor... I will never give her up."

"No, no. If you ask me so cutely, I might consider getting married soon."

"That sounds like Antonio would be very enthusiastic."

"If he finds out, he will definitely bring a marriage contract tomorrow. He will have already narrowed down the candidates and will probably say, 'Please choose from these three.' It's scary."

"You can't say such things carelessly."

"Yeah. It's better to have options. But I still don't want to get married."

After that, Antonio and Marco came with their wives.

"Thank you earlier. This is my wife, Margaret."

"Hi! I'm Marco Zeller, the Emperor's attendant. And this is my wife, Alissa. I hope we can be friends!"

"Nice to meet you. I am Lila Saranje."

Margaret and Alissa stepped forward to surround Lila.

"I've been wanting to talk to you, Lila."

"Me too. Since our husbands are childhood friends, let's be friends too!"

"Yes, I would be happy to."

I was worried about Lila's shyness when I saw how she acted with the earlier noble, but seeing her talking with the two wives with a smile, it seemed she would be fine. Maybe she isn't as shy with women?

Margaret is a kind girl, but as a duchess's daughter, she has a dignified and unapproachable demeanor. Her face is a bit stern, so she is often misunderstood on first meeting. She is quite sensitive about this.

I understand Margaret's concerns well because they are similar to mine, though to a lesser degree. We used to talk about being misunderstood by our appearances when we were younger. However, Lila seems to accept her easily. She really has a good eye for people.

As I was thinking this, Marco quietly moved next to me and whispered.

("Hey, she's really beautiful!")

"What?"

("I've never seen a woman like her up close before. She's in a different league!")

("Hey, Alissa will be angry if she hears you.")

We looked at the women, and it seemed they had already heard. Alissa and Margaret were glaring at us.

"Alissa! This isn't what you think! Right? You know it's not like that, right?"

"Even as a woman, I can't help but be captivated by such a beautiful Lila. I understand how you feel."

"Right!? You understand, right!? Ah, don't call me 'Your Highness' so formally, just call me as usual. Right?"

"That's a different matter!"

"Ah, sorry! Alissa!"

While Antonio looked at Marco with a cold eye, Margaret and Lila were giggling happily. I was relieved to see they might become good friends. If they become Lila's friends, it will be a great support for her.

As I watched the three women, Antonio commented, "Valerio can look so gentle. It's not that you're less scary, but it's a different kind of scary."

Indeed, when I think about Lila, I feel gentle, and my facial muscles relax without me noticing. I have to consciously tighten them. Recently, I try not to think about Lila during work to avoid looking too relaxed, which has made my subordinates worry.

After that, the conversation centered around Alissa, who was in a good mood after agreeing to buy three new dresses, including shoes and accessories, and Marco, who was completely dominated by Alissa. We had a pleasant time.

Lila, who I was worried about being shy, had no problems with Margaret and Alissa. They even agreed to have a tea party later.

By the way, Antonio later mentioned that the Emperor was looking at us enviously from a distance, but I didn't notice. I wonder if Antonio just ignored it...

---

Thanks to this evening party, the news of my engagement to Lila and our upcoming marriage spread quickly in the social circle. Knowing that the Emperor has spoken, I feel relieved that no one will propose to Lila anymore.