“….”

Cazerose returned to her guest room.

However, at this moment, the traces of what had just happened remained vividly in her body and mind.

Cazerose, who had given her first to the man she loved.

In return… at this moment, the seed of that person was inside her body.

The pure white seed that Santana had given her.

She couldn’t be sure if this would sprout well or not.

She knew that even if a man and woman had relations, the chances of a baby being conceived were not that high.

Therefore, she also understood that to ensure conception, multiple encounters would be necessary.

Yet, despite that, her heart was filled with an intense happiness she had never felt before.

Just recalling what had happened a moment ago made her heart race.

The fact that she had mingled bodies with the one she loved melted away all the hardships Cazerose had been through on her way here like snow.

“Mr. Santana…”

Even though they had only parted a few minutes ago, she couldn’t help but miss him already, picturing that man’s face. A deep, profound smile began to form on Cazerose’s lips.

*

“You took quite a while.”

“…Yes… well… it turned out that way.”

I had entered when the sun rose and was leaving the room just when it was about to set.

At the entrance stood Polena, looking at me with a bright smile, but I had no choice but to deliberately avoid her gaze.

Given how incredibly perceptive she was, it wouldn’t have been hard for her to figure something out from my disheveled appearance, unlike earlier.

After exchanging brief glances, we started heading towards my office.

Although it was a pity that Cazerose was not with us at this spot, I knew there was nothing I could do about that for now.

Cazerose had regained her original status.

And now I was seriously considering pushing forward with our marriage.

However, to do that, there were matters I needed to wrap up first, and until then, it was essential to keep Cazerose’s identity a secret as much as possible.

‘If I recall that expression I saw back then… If I think of Estelle’s face, she might try and harm Cazerose.’

Of course, given that Cazerose was the Empire’s princess, the likelihood of Estelle acting impulsively was low.

There was a significant political burden at play, and in the worst case, Rhapsody Region could be wiped off the map being labeled an enemy of the Dragona Empire.

However, this was only applicable in general circumstances, and when it came to matters influenced by love, things could take a different turn.

Especially that moment when I had rejected her confession.

If I recalled the sticky emotions that had filled Estelle’s expression at that time, I believed there was a possibility she might react wildly and be unable to control her impulsive feelings.

To prevent that from happening, I had to take measures toward Estelle beforehand.

At that moment, as I was contemplating the complicated homework that had arisen after the sweet time spent with Cazerose, Polena calmly asked me.

“So, what do you plan to do from now on?”

“Excuse me?”

Seeing me lost in thought, Polena inquired in a steady voice.

“I mean Estelle. Although Cazerose has returned and her status is now sufficient to be with you, shouldn’t we solve the matter of your fiancée, Estelle, first?”

As always, Polena, who seemed to see right through me, was saying this.

I felt a bit surprised but was slowly becoming accustomed to such matters, recognizing the truth and wearing a subtle wry smile.

“Actually… I was just thinking about that. Honestly, I made a contract engagement for this reason, but I suspect Estelle’s resistance might be more formidable than I expected.”

Truth be told, it wasn’t impossible to force things through.

A contract engagement wasn’t just a mere contract; I had already drafted an agreement with her ahead of time.

If I were to officially announce it, no one could legally challenge this matter.

The issue lay with Estelle’s potential resistance…

And the scrutiny from other family members was likely to be quite severe.

‘If Estelle willingly gave me up, there wouldn’t be any problem, but if she were that cooperative, I wouldn’t be in this predicament at all.’

Thus.

Recalling the moments she had clearly professed her love for me, I began feeling that the situation had become quite challenging.

‘Since this is the case, I have to pressure Estelle into following through with the contract by any means necessary…’

If words wouldn’t suffice, it was only logical to use force.

Just at that moment, Polena, who had been standing beside me, still smiling, spoke up.

“Given the politically tangled situation, carelessly declaring the end of the contract with her wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. At least with Cazerose involved, we can mitigate the impact on the Dragona Empire, but the influence of the Heretic Alliance in the Rhapsody Region cannot be ignored.”

“Right. Moreover… frankly, even if it’s a one-sided sentiment, I feel it’s not right to completely disregard her feelings.”

Although it was an unwanted position, it didn’t sit well with me to harshly push away someone who had continuously shown me affection.

Most importantly, if she hadn’t facilitated the dealings with the Dragona Empire, it’s possible my chance to reunite with Cazerose would have been further delayed.

Thus, while I was contemplating this perplexing matter…

Polena, who had consistently pointed out the difficulties we faced, calmly said.

“In this case, it’s unavoidable. We must proceed as you usually do, Mr. Santana.”

“…Excuse me? The way I usually do? What does that mean…?”

Polena uttered something I couldn’t instantly comprehend.

I expressed my doubts, and in response, Polena spoke clearly.

“I’m talking about a deal. If accepting their demands is difficult and throwing them away carelessly is also not an option, wouldn’t it be better to negotiate a deal again? Taking what’s yours while compromising on what you can give.”

“…Hmm…”

It certainly seemed like Polena had a point.

Now that Cazerose had returned, complicating matters with roundabout schemes would only waste time.

Instead of waiting idly while drawing up plans, it would be appropriate to meet her and exchange offers correctly.

‘It’s indeed a bit risky on this side, but still, it would result in less harm for both her and me. After all, negotiating deals is my specialty…’

Of course, this carried the inherent risk that Estelle might refuse the deal outright and completely turn her back on me.

However, I believed that under the right circumstances, this could also be a necessary course of action.

Just like the previous time with Mansfeld, an uncertain alliance can be more dangerous than a clear enemy.

If this situation forced us into an unavoidable fate where we had to part ways…

Then it would be better to decisively turn our backs and resolve the situation once and for all.

Of course, if she agreed to negotiate with me, then I would willingly reciprocate in some way, too.