Marie-Chez said as she left the reception room, turning back to add:
"You can be upset that we're speaking to you like this. But I'm on Siri's side."
Beramund shook his head and smiled, saying:
"No, thank you. Sigrid is, well, she's alone. She needs supporters, and I'm grateful that you're willing to take on that role."
Marie-Chez's eyes widened before she smiled.
"You just earned ten points from , Beramund Lunatil."
And with that, Marie-Chez left the reception room with a spring in her step. Beramund rolled his eyes and asked Lowengrin:
"Is ten points a high score?"
Lowengrin burst out laughing.
"I'll tell you it's the first points you've ever earned."
"A precious ten points, then."
"By the way, do you need to know her ring size?"
"I don't."
"Good."
Lowengrin smiled slightly and added:
"I'm glad Sigrid has found a good person."
"Thank you. Good people tend to attract good people around them. Like you all around Sigrid."
A way of complinting himself, Sigrid, and Marie-Chez all at once. Lowengrin chuckled as she left the reception room.
Beramund stood dazed in the empty reception room for a mont before frantically calling for his servant. He then began preparing to head out to the jeweler's imdiately.
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Sigrid looked uncertainly at the feather ornant in her hair. This large, vibrantly colored feather had co from a distant southern country by ship.
Of course, the price was eye-poppingly expensive.
Marie-Chez looked at the mirror with a satisfied expression.
"Great, Siri. You look beautiful. As expected, with your silver hair, even such strong colors suit you well. Blondes surprisingly don't take strong colors well......"
Marie-Chez shook her head. Sigrid gently tapped the feather and asked:
"Is it alright to accept sothing so expensive?"
"It's fine. I received it too, after all."
"Really?"
"Yes. From Her Highness the Crown Princess. I received two, but this one didn't suit . She said it was fine to give it to you, so don't worry. Even I couldn't buy sothing this expensive."
Marie-Chez said with a bright smile.
Lowengrin adjusted the hem of Sigrid's dress. Sigrid found the long gloves uncomfortable. It seed like the sword hilt would slip if she held it wearing these.
Lowengrin smiled slightly and said:
"Well then, Sigrid, have fun."
"Yes, thank you both."
As Sigrid bowed her head, the feather ornant tilted forward, startling her and making her quickly lift her head. Marie-Chez laughed and said:
"It's okay, it won't fall off even if you shake your head in all directions."
"Really? Alright."
"But don't actually shake it."
"I won't."
Sigrid replied with a smile to Marie-Chez's worried words. Just then, there was a light knock and the door opened.
"Are you ready?"
It was Arkana. Sigrid nodded, and Arkana smiled.
"You're so beautiful, I might go blind. Before you go, here. A gift."
What Arkana held out was a dagger. Marie-Chez and Lowengrin's expressions beca subtle, while Sigrid's face lit up.
"A dagger?"
"Yes, you always said you felt uneasy wearing a skirt without a sword. I made a leather holder so you can strap it to your thigh. Rember that sword of yours that broke?"
"Ah, yes."
"I made this from that. I reassembled it with magic, so you don't need to worry about its strength."
At the ntion of magic, Marie-Chez's ears perked up. Lowengrin also looked at the dagger with an intrigued expression. Marie-Chez said:
"Surely it won't move on its own and make Siri a widow on her wedding night."
Sigrid exclaid "Marie-Chez!" and slapped her arm in protest, and Marie-Chez stuck out her tongue slightly, saying:
"I'll apologize if that was rude."
Arkana said, "It's nothing like that," and handed the dagger to Sigrid. Sigrid unsheathed the dagger. With a smooth "shing" sound, the dagger slid out.
"It's beautiful......."
Sigrid murmured in an enraptured voice as she looked at the blade. Arkana said:
"Not only is it sharp, but it's also enchanted to return to its owner."
"Return?"
"No matter where you lose it or where you put it, it will co back to you."
"That's amazing."
Sigrid said as she resheathed the dagger:
"Thank you, Arkana."
"It's nothing. I just fixed what was already there. Here's the holder."
It was a holder made of soft lambskin to prevent chafing. Sigrid lifted her left leg onto a stool and started lifting her skirt. Arkana politely turned away. Lowengrin said quietly:
"Sigrid, that action was inappropriate just now."
"Huh?"
"You shouldn't lift your skirt and show your thigh to a man who isn't your husband."
"Arkana isn't just any man."
"Let's say a man other than your husband, then."
At Lowengrin's words, Sigrid obediently lowered her leg from the stool. Marie-Chez finished up:
"Thank you for the gift, we'd appreciate it if you left now."
"Of course, gladly."
Arkana left the room, and Sigrid lifted her skirt again. Marie-Chez sighed and held the skirt for her.
"Thank you, Marie-Chez."
"It's nothing. Hurry up and strap it on. I can't understand how wearing that ominous thing makes you feel at ease."
"If I can't get any weapon at all, I feel powerless. All done. Thanks."
Marie-Chez let go of the skirt and adjusted the dress again. Not long after, a maid ca to inform them that Beramund had arrived to escort her.
Lowengrin said with a grin:
"Well then, have a good ti."
"Yes, thank you both for helping
dress."
"It was our pleasure too."
The two saw Sigrid off to the door. They caught a glimpse of her lightly running down the second-floor stairs and gracefully greeting Beramund, who was waiting at the entrance. As the couple left the mansion, Marie-Chez dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, saying:
"Our little one has grown up so much already."
"Grown up and getting married."
Lowengrin said jokingly, then beca flustered.
"Mari? Are you really crying?"
"No, I'm just so proud~"
Marie-Chez sniffled and shook her head. Lowengrin smiled and said:
"It really is sothing to be proud of."
"Right. Well, shall we go?"
"Go?"
"Of course we should follow them and see."
At those words, Lowengrin sighed and linked arms with Marie-Chez, saying:
"Ah, Mari. We're closing up shop now. Let's just go ho and have so tea."
"But—! Aren't you curious?"
"Yes, yes. We'll interrogate her tomorrow."
Lowengrin said this and pulled Marie-Chez downstairs. Receiving polite farewells mixed with laughter from the maids, the two left Sigrid's mansion.
Sigrid pushed the carriage window open slightly.
The scent of the sumr night forest flowed into the carriage like an overflowing stream. Taking a deep breath of the pleasant grass sll, Sigrid asked:
"Where are we going?"
"It's a secret."
Beramund answered with a smile. When Sigrid said "Is that so?" and looked out the window, Beramund gently closed it.
"You're not supposed to look."
"But—"
"No peeking."
"Alright."
Sigrid looked at the round light fixture on the carriage ceiling and said:
"This is that thing we saw before, isn't it? Fairy stone? So it can be used like this too."
"Yes. It's perfect for use in a swaying carriage."
Using candles would risk starting a fire, after all.
"You're right."
The carriage stopped once about halfway through the journey, then started moving again. The speed was too fast to be traveling within the city, and given the ti that had passed, Sigrid could tell they had left the capital.
After a while, the carriage ca to a stop. Beramund opened the door and got out first, then offered his hand to Sigrid, who lightly stepped down onto the ground. Sigrid looked around.
"It's a forest?"
"Yes. A forest."
"It's very dark."
"It's a new moon tonight. Let's go. We'll be back."
At Beramund's words, the coachman took off his hat and bowed politely. Beramund looked at Sigrid, wondering what to do, then scooped her up with one arm, as if carrying a child.
"Beramund!"
"It's hard to walk in those shoes, isn't it? Besides, I have no intention of letting my Sigrid in her dress walk on a dirt path."
Saying this, he began to walk with long strides. Sigrid held onto Beramund's shoulder. She said:
"This seems quite different from the date I was expecting."
"Hahaha, I'll show you sothing good."
"Sothing good?"
"Yes."
After walking for a short while, the view gradually opened up, revealing a large lake. Sigrid's eyes widened as she let out a gasp.
There was no wind, so the water's surface was calm, perfectly reflecting the sky above. The thousands, tens of thousands of stars in the sky were mirrored on the water's surface. Even the moon shone clearly as if it had risen from the bottom of the lake. It was as if light was emanating from the lake itself.
"This, this is too......."
Sigrid panted softly. It was a more surreal sight than anything she had imagined.
"I wanted to show this to you too, Sigrid."
Beramund whispered and approached the lakeshore. A boat was prepared there. He set her down on the boat, which was equipped with a shawl and soft cushions. Sigrid sat down obediently and said:
"This is the first ti I've been so excited to ride a boat."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Beramund smiled as he untied the rope from the stake and boarded the boat. Then he pushed off with the oar. As the water's surface rippled, thousands of stars rippled along with it.
Sigrid looked at the sky, then back at the water's surface.
The water's surface sparkled like crystal fragnts scattered on black silk. Sigrid, forgetting she was wearing gloves, tried to touch the water's surface before quickly taking them off. Beramund, growing anxious, said:
"Don't lean out too far."
"Okay."
Replying, Sigrid touched the water's surface with her hand. The starlight and moonlight sparkled along the circular ripples. If the stars in the sky twinkled with the wind, the stars in the lake twinkled with the water's movent.
Thunk—
With a light sound, the boat bumped to a stop. As Sigrid looked up, she saw a pavilion standing in the middle of the lake. It was an iron pavilion intricately woven in the shape of vines.
"—?"
Though she wondered why there was a pavilion in the middle of the lake, Sigrid felt it didn't matter as she was already halfway into a world of fantasy. Beramund tied the boat to the pavilion, stepped onto it, and extended his hand to Sigrid.
Sigrid stood up and carefully took his hand, lightly moving onto the pavilion. She could feel the floor swaying beneath her.
'Is it on a raft?'
Sigrid tilted her head.
Beramund reached out and lightly tapped the pavilion pillar. After two taps, light began to emanate from various parts of the pavilion.
"—!"
Sigrid looked around. Fairy stones were embedded throughout the pavilion, and they had all started emitting light simultaneously. The sight of light shining from all over the snow-white vine-patterned pavilion was srizing just to look at.
"Beramund....... It's truly beautiful."
Sigrid lanted her innate lack of eloquence. She felt that Marie-Chez or Lowengrin could express this scene much better. To only be able to say it's beautiful.
Beramund took her hand. Sigrid looked up at him with a bright smile.
"Thank you. It's really, really, really much more wonderful than I expected."
"It's not over yet."
At Beramund's words, Sigrid tilted her head and said, "Is that so?"
As she wondered what more there could be, Beramund knelt on one knee. Sigrid caught her breath in surprise. Beramund quickly took out a box from his pocket and opened it.
A diamond reflected the light, showing off its splendor on the black velvet.
"Will you marry , Lady Sigrid Ankertna?"
Sigrid blinked. Her lips trembled slightly. For a mont, Sigrid thought she had forgotten how to breathe. Otherwise, there was no reason for her breath to be caught like this.
Taking a deep breath, Sigrid answered:
"Yes, yes. Yes!"
Beramund burst into laughter and stood up, lifting her in his arms and spinning her around. Sigrid giggled. Elated, laughter bubbled up naturally.
Quickly setting her down, Beramund took out the ring. Sigrid wondered if she should take off her gloves, but Beramund slipped the ring on over the glove. It fit perfectly.
Sigrid chuckled and said:
"I never expected to be proposed to twice!"
"I didn't expect to do it twice either."
Beramund laughed and kissed her. His lips touched hers gently. Their breaths mingled as Beramund kissed her slowly. It was a light, intimate, and affectionate kiss that could be shared while smiling. Sweet enough to be just right, and pleasant enough to make one happy. So Sigrid thought that she could do this kind of kissing for hours, no, all day long.
"I didn't expect you to propose again, since I already answered."
"Hmm— I was worried that your answer might have been because I was sick."
At Beramund's words, Sigrid looked at him with wide eyes. His blue and red eyes shone like jewels in the darkness. In those eyes that looked at her with affection, gentleness, and love, there was a hint of anxiety.
Seeing that, Sigrid realized.
He had been as afraid as I was.
The parts I wasn't sure about, he wasn't sure about either.
Sigrid wrapped her arms around Beramund's neck and kissed him. After kissing, Sigrid said:
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I really want to marry you."
Beramund's hands tightened at her emphatic words. It was sothing he never thought he'd hear from Sigrid's mouth.
Love.
Beramund burst into laughter without realizing it. Otherwise, he felt like he might cry for so reason. He pressed his lips to hers again and again.
"I love you even more."
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