Santana’s request to meet her.
In response, Estelle began to walk slowly, curious, following the back of the red-haired maid.
‘So, Santana Andreas… I’ve heard quite a bit about him, but what kind of person is he really?’
She already knew about him through the rumors.
The heir of Bohemia who left his family to become a Paladin and returned after more than ten years…
Moreover, despite such a long absence, he is the one who defeated that fearsome Emperor’s army and brought victory to Bohemia.
And through this background, he has gained the full trust of the hot-headed Count Turun.
Considering all of that, Estelle, though she had never seen him in person, could naturally start to picture what kind of man Santana was in her mind.
‘Since he worked as a Paladin, he must surely have the qualities of a warrior… And he must have considerable military talent. If he resembles Count Turun, he’s likely a strong knight with a fiery temperament.’
The image that came to mind was that of a rather burly knight with a massive build.
A brave warrior, leading the charge into battle and taking down enemies like a beast.
Of course, wars aren’t solely fought with strength; there are all sorts of strategies and tricks involved. But generally, when one thinks of a ‘hero who leads battles to victory,’ that’s the type of person that comes to mind.
And in this regard, Estelle’s current impression of Santana was that he seemed like a man who might not really match her at all…
‘Of course, I’ll have to see for myself to know for sure… But based on the rumors alone, he doesn’t seem like my type at all.’
A man who tries to solve things with brute force was not her cup of tea.
Although, for political reasons, there was a high possibility he could be of use, and thus she was considering marrying him if necessary, that didn’t mean she was emotionally invested in the idea.
Like most nobles, she viewed marriage as a mere political tool, and she didn’t care much for the notions of love or romance.
‘Noble marriages exist solely for the benefit of the family. Even if I don’t care for my husband much, that’s just something I have to accept. My goal is to strengthen my and my brother’s power even further.’
While Estelle was lost in such thoughts, the maid who was guiding her finally arrived in front of a certain door and politely knocked.
“I’ve brought the guest, my lord.”
“Yes, come in.”
A calm male voice came from beyond the door, much more composed than she had expected.
Estelle felt a hint of bewilderment at the unexpected gentleness of his voice, as she stepped carefully into the room, following the maid.
Right after…
She saw a man in front of her.
The moment she took in his appearance, Estelle realized quite clearly that her initial predictions were way off, and an expression of slight confusion began to form on her face.
‘He looks… much more delicate than I thought…’
Contrary to her expectation of a muscular giant, the man before her was relatively small and lean. But that didn’t mean he was entirely without muscle.
To put it simply, he had a fairly healthy appearance.
Though not strikingly handsome, his face didn’t give off a rough impression either; he looked more like a scholar than a warrior.
If she were to describe it in terms of appearances, he was actually quite to Estelle’s taste.
‘Well… it’s not the most important thing, but having a husband who looks good isn’t a bad thing.’
Feeling a strange sense of joy at the unexpected realization, Estelle calmly took a seat.
“I am Santana Andreas, the son of Count Turun. Thank you for accepting my invitation, milady.”
Santana, bowing politely, showed none of the rough persona she had expected in his voice.
As she took an interest in this fact, Estelle returned the gesture, bowing respectfully to her “potential fiancé.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Estelle Bertina Fernandez.”
As she introduced herself, Estelle wore a sincere smile, one usually reserved for social masks, and continued speaking.
“I have heard of Mr. Santana’s reputation. I am truly delighted to meet the heir and savior of Bohemia in such a manner.”
“It’s an honor for me as well, to meet the esteemed Estelle, who governs the Rhapsody Region on behalf of the Lord.”
“You are too kind. It’s just a small region. Compared to Mr. Santana’s achievements of defeating the Emperor, mine pales in comparison.”
With that remark, Santana gave a serious smile.
Then, his dark eyes, filled with intensity, sparkled as he continued.
“To serve a young lord and to manage it as a woman in the Sacred Empire is no easy feat, especially considering how many nobles have opposed you. Even with the support of the Dragona Empire, I believe you deserve great respect for that.”
“…”
Formal, yet full of substance…
Santana spoke the truth, and as she listened, Estelle instinctively began to feel that this man before her was far from an easy opponent.
“…I will take that as a compliment. Now then, since we’re both busy, may I ask why you wished to see me, Mr. Santana?”
“That’s true. Unlike me, Estelle, you must have many places to visit for information gathering.”
“!… Wh-what do you mean?”
Santana’s piercing words caught her off guard.
With that, Estelle unconsciously began to show signs of fluster, and seeing her reaction, Santana maintained a calm smile as he spoke lightly.
“I mean it quite literally. You’ve been exploring here and there in Bohemia under the pretext of a fiancée candidate, haven’t you? From lord’s castle to the commercial district, not to mention sneaking into places like the training grounds. You’ve really been diligent in your wanderings. Though you had a plausible excuse, I think you should have been a bit more cautious.”
“Hmm…”
Santana’s words perfectly described her discreet movements.
In this unexpected situation, Estelle felt like cold sweat began to flow.
‘I thought a war hero would just be a brave warrior filled with courage… But he’s completely the opposite of that type of person…’
While thinking this, Estelle decided to adopt a more cautious smile as she regarded the man in front of her.
“…So you know that much, it seems I’ve been rather careless. So? What do you intend to do? Are you planning to arrest me under the pretext of being a spy?”
“No, no such thing. I know well that proving anything from circumstantial evidence is not easy.”
As he said this, Santana took a slight sip from the cup before him.
Then, looking back at Estelle, he spoke in a more serious tone.
“The reason I asked to see you is not to threaten you, but to request a certain trade.”
“A trade, you say?”
Though she spoke as if incredulous, Estelle was beginning to sense that there was an undercurrent of intimidation in his words.
While it would be difficult to take immediate formal action due to this, simply spreading this sort of story in public would cause Estelle and the Rhapsody Region to suffer a certain amount of backlash.
Rumors of spy activity during a marriage arrangement would inevitably tarnish their reputation.
Especially during such a sensitive time, the repercussions could be even greater.
To prevent this, Estelle realized she had no choice but to commit to accepting at least half of whatever trade this Santana wanted.
And as Estelle contemplated this, Santana calmly told her about the trade.
“Lady Estelle, will you become my fiancée?”
“N… What?”
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