Chapter 85

After Clara and Mathilda had resolved to live together with Noein as a trio, Clara returned to Letvik and said, "As soon as I get back, I intend to ask Father for permission to marry Lord Noein."

A few days later, Noein also went to Letvik to propose marriage to Clara to Arnold.

This time, he was invited to the garden of the manor, not the parlor, as this was not a business discussion.

"Clara has told me everything. I have no reason to oppose your marriage, as I was the one who suggested the engagement."

Despite his words, Arnold looked somewhat uneasy.

"But, what did you do this time? My daughter, who was troubled about marriage, suddenly looked refreshed when she returned the other day... When I asked her, she only said, 'I found hope in life and made up my mind.'"

"It was not me, but Mathilda's doing."

Noein smiled wryly and glanced to the side. Not far from Noein and Arnold, Mathilda and Clara were chatting amicably.

"No matter how much I tried to talk to her, I couldn't get her to open up about her troubles, but Mathilda managed to do so with just a short conversation and even offered a solution."

Mathilda was the greatest contributor this time. She overcame the barrier that Noein couldn't, and found a path to make Clara, Noein, and himself happier.

"Indeed, 'women are stronger than men in carving out a life.'"

"Yes, I felt that strongly again."

Arnold's mutter and Noein's nod were a common saying in this world.

In this world, where there are many injustices, women have a stronger ability to accept them and find hope within. While men are troubled, women make up their minds and move forward, carving out their lives.

Noein and Arnold strongly felt this truth, which was derived by their predecessors.

"Your wedding will be in two months. It's quite a sudden arrangement."

Clara apparently threw a tantrum to Arnold, wanting to have the wedding as soon as possible, but they needed to send invitations to other nobles and prepare gifts, so Noein and Clara's wedding was set for mid-July.

The Arquvist and Koenitz families, as the hosts, had some leeway in their preparations, but this was still considered a rather hasty noble wedding.

"…You don't seem very enthusiastic. Was it a bother for you?"

Noein asked Arnold, who still looked uneasy.

"No, it's not a bother... I thought it would take my daughter a few more months to decide on marriage. For her to get married and leave in just two months... Well, as a father, I feel a bit lonely."

Arnold's face, looking unhappy, was that of a father who couldn't let go of his child.

"I see, you're sad about not seeing your daughter as often."

"…It gives me goosebumps when you call me 'father-in-law.'"

Arnold became even more sulky in response to Noein's playful comment.

...

Days passed, and the season turned to summer. Noein and Clara's wedding preparations proceeded smoothly, and the night before the ceremony finally arrived.

The nominal main character of the wedding is Noein, the head of the Arquvist baronial family, but since the Koenitz family is of higher rank and Letvik is more convenient for the guests' accommodations, the ceremony is being held at the Koenitz viscount's manor.

That day, Noein was staying in a guest room at the Koenitz viscount's manor. Although he was the groom-to-be, thanks to Arnold's arrangement, he was allowed to share a room with Mathilda.

All that was left was to rest and prepare for the next day. Since Noein and Mathilda's relationship wouldn't change after the wedding, there was no somber atmosphere, and rather, there was an air of anticipation for welcoming Clara and living happily as a trio.

However, there was something Noein wanted to do, something he wanted to tell Mathilda.

"Mathilda, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Just as they were about to go to bed, Noein said this.

"Yes, what is it, Lord Noein?"

When Mathilda turned to Noein, he held a small box in his hand. It was likely a ring case.

Holding the box, Noein approached Mathilda and knelt before her.

Noein opened the box.

"Is this... the wedding ring for Lady Clara?"

Inside the box was a ring adorned with lapis lazuli from the Arquvist territory. It was made from the purest part of the lapis lazuli and crafted by the most renowned jeweler in the northwest of the kingdom.

Mathilda had seen this ring, which Noein had prepared to give to Clara as a wedding gift.

"No, it's not. The design is the same, but this isn't for Clara... Mathilda, this is for you. I secretly had it made without telling you."

Hearing this, Mathilda gasped and stared at the ring.

"Mathilda has been by my side since I was nine. No one has been with me longer or closer, supporting me all this time. So, if I were to give a ring as a symbol of eternal love, the first person should be Mathilda. Will you accept it?"

When Noein asked this, Mathilda started crying so much that it surprised Noein.

"M-Mathilda?"

"I'm sorry, but... I'm just so happy, and the tears won't stop."

Noein stood up, smiled wryly, and pulled Mathilda into a hug, wiping away her tears with his fingers.

"Thank you, Lord Noein. I love you with all my heart. I am the happiest slave in the world."

"I love you too, Mathilda. I will always make you happy. This ring is a symbol of that promise."

While hugging Noein, Mathilda felt a deep sense of relief.

Noein held her tightly until she calmed down.