Chapter 192: The Father’s Counterattack
Viola and Primula found themselves exasperated by their mother, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time. However, the conversation was far from over.
“Oh, right! There’s one more thing I need to tell you,” she said.
“…What is it?” Viola asked, feeling a bit weary. Why was it so exhausting to converse with their own mother, who shared their blood?
“A letter has arrived at the Rosemary Marquis House. One from the Royal Family, one from the Crocus Duke House, and… one from the Cattleya Marquis House.”
““…………!””
Viola and Primula exchanged glances at Airish’s words. They had an inkling of what their mother was about to say next.
“Could it be…?”
“A proposal for engagement? With Lady Celestine?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Airish confirmed the sisters’ suspicions as if it were the most casual thing in the world.
The letters from the Royal Family and the Crocus Duke House were essentially requests to marry Celestine, who was a prized jewel of the Duke House. Celestine, being of royal blood, was treated almost like a princess due to the current lack of young unmarried women in the Royal Family. She had been engaged to the Third Prince, Rodel, for a long time due to the Queen Dowager’s arrangements, but that engagement had been rendered void after the foolish prince’s involvement in a rebellion. In other words… Celestine was currently without a fiancé.
“As the first candidate for Celestine’s new fiancé, Prince Andrew was suggested, but it seems he has declined. He believes that being connected to the Crocus Duke House would threaten Prince Richard’s position. Prince Andrew seems to be quite a sensible man.”
Airish spoke with admiration. Few knew the true reason behind Andrew’s refusal; publicly, it was attributed to his loyalty.
“Other suitable candidates of age already have fiancées. There’s even talk of marrying her off to another country, but… that would be too cruel for Lady Celestine.”
“…The neighboring country is unstable. Sending Lady Celestine to the Empire would be far too dangerous.”
While the Empire had been a friendly nation, it had recently become more aggressive in its military campaigns. Sending Celestine as a hostage could be a strategic move, but it would be a grave injustice to her. After all, she had already been burdened with the troublesome matter of Rodel, and to then send her to a neighboring country where her safety was uncertain was a blatant disregard for her rights. The Royal Family, feeling guilty over the Rodel situation, could not impose such treatment upon her.
“So, the proposal has now come to Rest, hasn’t it? I heard about it from Lady Celestine the other day.”
Primula sighed sympathetically.
Recently, when Celestine had visited the Development Village, she had spoken to Viola and Primula beforehand.
“I’m so sorry. Even though you two are engaged to Rest, it seems I’m intruding…”
Celestine had apologized for the Royal Family’s intentions to marry her off to Rest. Viola and Primula felt pity for her rather than anger or blame. It was clear that Celestine was in a difficult position, and there was no reason to reproach their friend.
(After all… it’s our mother who is preparing a multitude of mistresses to make Rest a stud, so this is hardly surprising.)
(Rest wants to keep Rest tied to the Royal Family. I even think it’s fortunate that it’s Lady Celestine…)
Viola and Primula sighed in unison.
“The letter from the Crocus Duke House says, ‘Please take care of our daughter.’ They plan to offer a substantial portion of the compensation they received from the Royal Family regarding Rodel as a betrothal gift.”
“Well, that’s quite generous of them.”
“Rest’s fortune will increase once again…”
The two of them forced a bitter laugh at their mother’s words, but then suddenly remembered. The letters weren’t just from the Royal Family and the Crocus Duke House; there was also one from the Cattleya Marquis House.
“By the way… what did Yuri’s father say?”
“Oh, that letter was addressed to my son-in-law, but since it seemed urgent, I opened it without permission. It contained messages like… ‘Return my daughter,’ ‘If you lay a hand on her, I’ll tear you apart,’ ‘What business do you have under the same roof as my daughter before her marriage?’ and ‘I’ll come to pick her up immediately, so wait for me.’”
““…………””
“Albert has also been quite fed up with the Knight Commander, who drops by the palace whenever he has free time. He may be my son-in-law, but he’s quite reliable. I hear that the Cattleya Marquis’s daughter has little magical power but possesses unmatched strength? I can’t wait to see what kind of child will be born if she bears my son-in-law’s child.”
That was hardly the issue at hand, but it seemed Airish had no intention of complying with the Knight Commander’s demands. The Rosemary Sisters felt the same way.
“Rest is… out on an expedition with Yuri, isn’t he?”
“I wonder how the Knight Commander would react if he found out?”
It was hard to believe that the busy Knight Commander would come all the way to the Development Village, but if they did cross paths, it would surely lead to complications. The Rosemary Sisters felt deep sympathy for their beloved fiancé.