An unexpected talk about engagement came up.

I momentarily couldn’t figure out how to react.

‘Engagement?.. No, why are they suddenly bringing this up? And they’ve already sent letters to the ladies? That means they’ve already started preliminary arrangements.’

I roughly knew how noble marriages worked in this era through the original work.

In other nations, it might be different, but in the Sacred Empire, most marriages had a political nature. Therefore, noble families typically arranged marriages based on their parents’ wishes, often marrying off their children to other noble families or, if fortunate, even royalty.

In other words, everything from selecting a bride to the marriage process was decided by the parents.

Naturally, the concept of free love was practically non-existent. Even if it existed, cases of nobles randomly falling in love and getting parental approval happened so rarely they were like beans in a family tree.

That meant… as the son of a lord, and the eldest heir at that, I was bound to be forced into a political marriage.

Knowing this, I was eager to progress my relationship with Cazerose as quickly as possible.

Even if I was set for an arranged marriage, it didn’t mean I couldn’t take the initiative beforehand.

If I quickly built a relationship with Cazerose, officially proposed, secretly bribed a suitable clergyman, and got married while also managing to secure a child, then I could bring the matter to a close.

Of course, my father, Count Turun, would be massively disappointed and angry, but the chance of him disowning me, his son and heir, seemed pretty low at this point.

Also, if I tied the knot first, then even if Count Turun pushed an arranged marriage, Cazerose would inevitably be the primary wife according to the rules, so that was a worry I didn’t need to have.

The problem was…

I had been outsmarted before I even got a chance to start anything.

From my perspective, something I never anticipated unfolded.

And it was happening without Cazerose even being present.

It was the worst situation at the worst timing.

Bringing up the matter of Cazerose in front of my father could end up backfiring on the plans I was intending to execute later on.

‘He is the lord of Bohemia, where the concept of free love doesn’t even exist… even mentioning Cazerose would likely get me not just a no but an effort to separate us. Plus, he would surely keep an eye on us to prevent anything from happening.’

Even the cliché lines you see in dramas or movies, “I already have someone I love,” couldn’t be spoken.

I was left in a position where I could neither move nor speak, only maintain my silence.

‘Damn it… why is everything going like this? I thought things might ease up a bit after winning the war… my fate really is terrible in so many ways.’

As I reflected on my unlucky life once again, at that moment, my father, Count Turun, looked at me with a warm smile and kept talking.

“You don’t have to worry too much, my son. Your younger sibling and your mother have a great eye for people, so they will surely find you a good match.”

“Um… but honestly, I’m feeling quite pressured. An engagement… I’m not ready yet.”

“Don’t say that. You’re already in your early twenties, aren’t you? Friedrich, who is your age, already has three children. Strictly speaking, you’re a little late.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Don’t worry; marriage may start off a bit awkward, but you’ll adapt quickly over time. For now, just wait patiently. Soon, you’ll find a great bride.”

‘That bride already exists. A pretty and charming girl who ticks all the boxes, except for her status!’

I internally screamed silently, unable to voice it, feeling my insides boil as I left the room.

*

“My concentration is wandering. Focus a bit more.”

“…..”

My younger sibling’s stern voice came from behind me.

I felt frustrated but tried to focus on the situation in front of me.

However…

-Crack!-

The wooden sword made a loud crack, looking like it would break any moment.

Observing it, Dust slowly shook his head and said,

“That won’t do. We should stop here. At this rate, the wooden sword will shatter.”

“Ugh…”

With my sibling’s words, I let out a deep sigh, withdrawing the magic I was releasing.

Watching me, Dust said cautiously,

“You seem to be losing your concentration. Is something bothering you?”

“… Nothing’s bothering me.”

Of course, that was a lie.

There was indeed something major at hand.

And it was directly related to the one asking that question, Dust.

‘It’s really mentally exhausting because of that bride candidate you’re picking…’

Dust was meeting various noble ladies with my mother to figure out potential brides for me.

Some of them were being visited directly, while others were scheduled to come here for a visit.

Luckily, it seemed they hadn’t specifically identified any one person yet, but the results might come soon.

‘And once that partner is chosen, I’d be practically forced into an engagement… the silver lining is that the actual marriage can be delayed for a while after the engagement.’

Even if I became engaged, it could take at least a year or two, or even several years, for it to lead to marriage.

Of course, that was in cases where both parties were young.

In my current situation, the likelihood of things progressing within a year or two was very high.

Regardless, if an engagement was arranged like that, it would make it even harder to secretly marry Cazerose down the line.

As I felt the growing anxiety gnawing at my insides, I set the cracked wooden sword aside and headed straight to my room.

Right after, what caught my eye was Polena, who had organized my clothes while waiting for me.

“You finished quite early today?”

“Yes. I couldn’t focus, it seems.”

“Hmm… You said something similar the day before. It looks like the absence of your lady has quite the impact, huh?”

“..Haha…”

“And soon, you’ll be engaged too… it would be unusual if you could concentrate in this situation!”

“…”

Polena, speaking lightly as usual, made my lips turn into a bitter smile.

She was practically the only person here in Bohemia who knew about my relationship with Cazerose.

And while she maintained a light demeanor around me, she was surprisingly tight-lipped in front of others, which made it easier for me to talk to her when we were alone.

“Honestly, I still don’t know what to do. No matter how much I think, I can’t find a good solution in this situation…”

“Hmm… that’s a bit unexpected. The clever master who swindled even the Inquisition is troubled by something like this.”

“…Sigh. I can’t solve every problem, you know. Especially in situations like this where I feel cornered.”

I found myself wondering just how much Polena saw me as an omnipotent being, and I let out a small sigh.

At that moment…

Looking at me, Polena spoke in a somewhat intriguing tone.

“Is that so? I feel like with your outstanding cunning, the answer will come soon.”

“Really? What do you mean…?”

“Haha… Quite literally. Think about what comes next yourself.”

Polena’s attitude seemed like she wanted to pose a riddle.

I felt a spark of inspiration in my mind and began to ponder seriously…

Watching me, Polena began to wear a smile full of intrigue.