“Where on earth did I buy these clothes…?”
*Kyahhh!* “Miss, you look so beautiful!”
The magnificent dress that I was wearing for the very first time.
As soon as Iris stepped out of the changing room, she let out a *ugh* of discomfort.
Who knew a corset could be this suffocating?
Indeed, nothing beats the comfort of a nun’s attire.
“Now we need to finish your makeup, Miss.”
“What kind of necklace should we use?”
“What about your hair…”
I thought I had discarded all cosmetics and treasures since becoming a saintess.
But mysterious items kept popping up out of nowhere and being shoved at me.
If I had my way, I would love to throw them all away and just walk out in my nun’s habit, but I could already imagine the maids flocking around, blocking my way.
*Sigh…* “How did it come to this?”
I was sure I had the final say as the de facto head of this family.
But it seemed like marriage was an exception.
Rarely, all the elders united, raising their voices in agreement, making it impossible to go against them.
The elders had two main reasons for pushing this marriage proposal.
First, there was no longer a need to worry about the eyes of the Papal Palace.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Flechette barely managed to rebuild itself thanks to the saintess’s prestige.
Therefore, we had no choice but to buckle under the pressure of the Papal Palace.
However, now that it was clear Iris’s life was in danger, we had a good excuse to turn our backs on them.
And secondly, we no longer had to worry about the interference from Lichtenburg or Wigenburg.
Originally, Flechette was maintaining a strategy of neither giving nor taking from Schlus Hainkel, one of the Three Great Magical Families.
But if we could securely bind the engagement in secret as proposed by Schlus, the story would change.
We could form a powerful alliance with Schlus without fear of attacks from Lichtenburg or Wigenburg.
“No one is even considering what I think.”
No one bothered to ask for Iris’s opinion.
Everyone was hastily moving around, just trying to make her look as beautiful as possible.
As Iris sat quietly, staring into the mirror, she suddenly thought, *It’s so infuriating…*
The fact that she had to reach out first was bothersome.
It had only been three days since she slapped Schlus and kicked him out.
“Wouldn’t they think I’m a crazy woman? After chasing him away, suddenly…”
“That’s exactly why you need to reach out first, Miss. It’s to apologize as well.”
*…*
What was she supposed to do about not wanting to apologize?
The man who came to propose was the same man casually saying he had another fiancée.
To top it off, he wouldn’t even tell her that fiancée’s name; there wouldn’t be a woman in this world who wouldn’t be angry.
Yet, Flechette was in such a desperate situation that they had to bend their knees.
They were essentially trying to force Iris, who had already moved on from Schlus, into the engagement seat…
But the maids thought otherwise.
*What a jerk. Who is this fiancée of his?*
There’s a saying that the one who wants something must forgive.
Was that really true?
Iris had long since forgiven Schlus.
She had even thought it would be fine if it happened again.
The rage she initially felt was now long directed at that mysterious woman who’d snagged the engagement first.
She was just afraid of looking like a fool, so she couldn’t fully reveal her true feelings.
“Don’t frown, Miss. Is that man really that contemptible?”
*…*
No. He’s actually quite charming.
Iris couldn’t bring herself to say that, so she just chewed on her lips.
The maids gently wiped her teeth and lips and applied fresh makeup.
“His Excellency Schlus Hainkel has arrived.”
“Oh my. Already?”
“Goodness. He shouldn’t have come this early…”
As soon as the news broke, the maids busied themselves even more.
They fixed her hair stiffly, put on high heels, and only then could they finalize her appearance.
Finally, Iris stepped into the corridor, wobbling slightly but trying to keep her balance.
She quickly got used to the uncomfortable dress and shoes.
Now transformed into a splendid noble young lady heading to a party, Iris walked elegantly with a *tap-tap* down the corridor.
*…*
The elders lined up silently on the side, watching her leave.
Iris scanned their faces, then closed her eyes slowly.
*What a relief.*
Would there be anything uglier than clinging to the man who she’d slapped and chased away?
Fortunately, the desperate situation of this family provided her with a convenient excuse.
She was grappling with the idea of capturing that man to save the family.
Not for her own satisfaction.
Iris gave herself a pep talk and stood in front of the door.
With a slight nod, the butler grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
“You’re early.”
*…*
The man sitting cross-legged, reading the newspaper.
As the newspaper fluttered down, Schlus Hainkel’s expressionless face came into view.
That addictive expressionless look kept drawing her eyes…
“I thought I arrived on time.”
“But you came ten minutes early.”
“I thought that was on time. It seems our common sense doesn’t match.”
*…*
What kind of common sense is that…?
As expected, he was as bold and brazen as always, and recently a bit arrogant too.
But given the situation, he had a right to be.
Right now, he had practically everything except for the family.
She had a clear view of how this marriage proposal would unfold.
Schlus would simply keep asserting his demands.
Or perhaps he might even add one or two along the way.
Then, they would have no choice but to accept it all.
Yeah. It’s a matter of ‘no choice.’
It wasn’t because she liked Schlus so much that she wanted to be by his side and accept it all…
“Good morning, His Excellency Schlus Hainkel.”
“That’s too formal. When did we start being so polite between us?”
“Then, is it okay if I speak casually?”
“Go ahead.”
As always, he spoke in a playful tone.
Was Schlus not angry?
She slapped him without thinking…
“I baked cookies. They’ll be out soon—”
“I have no intention of waiting. Let’s get straight to the point.”
*…*
Such a quick-tempered man…
Iris sighed internally and tried to stay calm.
“I came here to apologize, Iris.”
“Excuse me?”
“I think I spoke thoughtlessly. It’s quite shameless to propose engagement while having another woman. I didn’t consider your feelings. I’m sorry.”
“Ah, no…”
That was an unexpected turn of events.
Schlus wasn’t in a position to apologize.
Why…?
*Ah.*
Suddenly, Iris recalled what kind of man Schlus was.
He wasn’t the type to change his attitude based on circumstances.
Even when he had nothing, he had maintained his confidence.
It was Iris herself who thought he had changed just because the situation had changed.
Schlus hadn’t changed at all.
Regardless of his position, if he thought he was wrong, he was the kind of man who would offer an apology first.
“No, I’m truly sorry for slapping you.”
“There was enough reason to be angry. I was careless. It’s all my fault that it turned out this way.”
*…*
But something felt off.
Schlus admitted his fault, but he wasn’t one to belittle himself.
She quickly sensed something was off from his strange demeanor.
“I truly appreciate your engagement proposal. However, a worthless man like me doesn’t deserve to stand next to a living saintess and such a splendid gem of a woman.”
*…?!*
Schlus loosened his crossed legs.
Iris, seeing him preparing to stand while adjusting his clothes, found herself at a loss for words.
Schlus belittled himself, saying he wasn’t fit for a saintess.
But nobody would take that literally.
This was clearly a polite rejection of the marriage proposal.
With this, Flechette had completely lost the opportunity.
“That’s all I had to say.”
*…*
Schlus looked at Iris with a deep gaze before getting up.
Seeing that expression, Iris bit her lip tightly.
What he was asking for wasn’t something else.
*Does he want me to stop making excuses…?*
Not as Flechette but as Iris, she had to propose marriage.
Given the family circumstances, it wasn’t about ‘no choice’ but to express her own desires clearly.
Putting down absurd defense mechanisms like being tipsy and coming out honestly…
That’s what Schlus wanted.
The moment Schlus clicked his tongue and turned away, Iris clenched her fist and stood up.
“Don’t go…”
“Do you still have something to say?”
In haste, she rushed to Schlus, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Clumsily, she tried to express as much affection as she could.
Iris bumped her forehead against Schlus’s broad back and choked back tears.
“I’ll say it… I can say it… I love you. I adore you so much, I don’t know what to do. I want you to be mine. I wish you would be my man.”
“Is this not something you said intoxicated?”
“No… You can forget about being tipsy. This is all true… I’ve wanted to say it for so long…”
She blurted it out.
She laid down her pride and let it out.
And suddenly, she felt a sense of relief.
She felt foolish for worrying so much before entering this room.
“Iris. As I mentioned before, I already have a fiancée. Are you truly okay with that?”
“I’m fine…”
“Really?”
“Actually, I’m not fine… But it has to be okay, right…?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
It was my fault for dragging this on for so long.
I didn’t muster the courage until I was overtaken by another woman.
But why is he apologizing?
Schlus turned and gently caressed her cheek.
I leaned my face against his large palm and felt the warmth.
Schlus was still the same.
Foolish, but that’s why I wanted to stay beside him.
“Don’t tell me this is about Erica?”
“It’s not another of the Three Great Magical Families, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Oh, I see…”
“Then should we consider this engagement finalized?”
“That’s fine. As long as you keep it a secret until the wedding…”
I didn’t think it would be this easy.
All I had to do was be a bit bolder.
She only needed to put down the weight of the family and the saintess and be honest about her feelings.
What was so hard about that?
*That woman must really love Schlus.*
Suddenly, Iris felt a twinge of envy towards that mysterious woman who was engaged to him.
Even without being one of the Three Great Magical Families, she had promised to marry him.
Seeing as it was a secret, it was highly likely that she was just an inconsequential commoner.
If that was the case, she must be the one Schlus truly loved.
*Wait?!*
At that moment, Iris’s eyes widened.
No wonder Emilia didn’t seem overly anxious.
She looked oddly relaxed.
Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces seemed to fit together.
*Finally, it’s happened…*
It was something worthy of a blessing.
Emilia had finally gotten together with the man she cherished so much.
Just recently, Iris had been cheering for Emilia, so naturally, it was a joyous event.
But for some reason, Iris felt a warmth rising deep in her chest.
It felt suffocating and suppressed, ready to explode at any moment.
