Conditions for a Proposal

“Oh?”

I had intended to obtain the conditions for a marriage proposal, yet instead, he worried about my head. Thanks to Kenntrips catching me earlier, I hadn’t hit anything. Though I would have been fine even without being caught, there was no doubt that he had been concerned for me. Smiling, I reassured him.

“I’m perfectly fine. I have no injuries. More importantly, please give me the conditions for your proposal.”

Kenntrips looked at me for a few seconds, as if searching for the right words, then closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

”…I am relieved that you are unhurt, Lady Hannelore. But first, could you release my arms?”

“That will have to wait until after you give me the conditions for your proposal. I wouldn’t mind binding your entire body, not only your arms, if necessary.”

I had no intention of releasing him here. Having finally pinned him down, it would be troublesome if he retaliated before I obtained the conditions. Due to our difference in physique, I was at a disadvantage. If I had to pin him down again, he would surely be on guard and ready to defend himself.

“Haa… To be honest, I never expected Lady Hannelore’s retainers to cooperate with something like this,” he noted with a sigh.

Our plan seemed to have worked perfectly. With another sigh, the tension drained from Kenntrips’ body. It appeared that he had given up on escaping for now. Sensing the success of our strategy, I deepened my smile. In contrast, his expression grew even more displeased.

”…Don’t look so smug,” he muttered.

“Oh my, but the strategy my retainers and I devised was a success. Of course, I’d be pleased. Wouldn’t you agree?”

I sought agreement from my retinue who were observing the situation, but they did not seem particularly pleased.

“Lady Hannelore, please proceed quickly with the discussion.”

“It isn’t a success until you obtain the conditions.”

They looked as if they had more to say but held back, warning me not to let my guard down. Indeed, I had not yet obtained the conditions for my proposal. Steeling myself, I once again looked down at Kenntrips.

“Kenntrips…”

“First, allow me to confirm something with you, Lady Hannelore. I believe we discussed this matter before. Since I am unable to participate in the bride-taking ditter, your engagement was unofficially settled with Rasantark… So why has it come to this?”

“If one is dissatisfied with the fiancée chosen by their father, the way to overturn that decision and secure marriage with the person they truly desire is by obtaining the conditions for a proposal.”

There was only one reason to seek the conditions for a proposal—because I believed that the future my father had decided for me was not the right one.

“I understand that, but… this proposal isn’t based on any romantic inclination, is it? For you, Lady Hannelore, there isn’t much difference between me and Rasantark in terms of romantic attachment, is there?”

“Well, that’s true.”

I nodded in agreement. Both of them were my uncle’s sons and had served as my brother’s retainers. We had been close since childhood, and I understood that they both held feelings for me, but I did not have romantic emotions toward either of them. Even if they sought my heart, I could not reciprocate. I felt that regardless of which of them became my husband, there would be no significant difference. That was precisely why I had been unable to choose until now.

“As you have pointed out, I don’t really understand romantic feelings at this point. I do have fondness for both of my fiancé candidates, but I don’t believe it is romantic love. Even when I held feelings that placed someone above all else, I was told that was not love. I wonder—what exactly are romantic feelings?”

“Didn’t Lady Rozemyne also say something like that?”

Kenntrips closed his eyes tightly, furrowing his brows in clear displeasure. He seemed deeply dissatisfied with the situation.

“If you understand so little about romantic feelings… If you truly believed there was no significant difference between Rasantark and myself, then why did you suddenly try to obtain my conditions for marriage? What reason—or rather, what motivation—do you have to actively choose me, even at the cost of defying the Archduke’s decision?”

“A letter from my mother arrived earlier, informing me of my task as an archduke candidate.”

I explained to Kenntrips about the task, the path for my future, and everything my retainers and I had discussed in the conference room since my mother’s wooden board arrived.

“Also, my retainers informed me that an archduke candidate does not need to consider romantic feelings that have not yet even begun to develop when choosing a spouse. They also said that the ability to make instantaneous decisions is an essential skill to possess… So, when I eliminated all the factors I had been worrying about—such as how the one not chosen would feel, the future distance between us, what the nobles might gossip about, and even my own emotions—and focused solely on the path ahead, I concluded that I needed your abilities, Kenntrips.”

“Not only did they not stop you, but your attendants took the lead in this? Engaging in an act that defies the Aub’s decision…?”

Kenntrips turned his head to the side and glared sharply at my retainers. Determined to avoid the role of the ditter treasurer at all costs, they simply maintained their forced smiles without offering any response.

“Lady Hannelore, seeking the conditions for a proposal is an act of defiance against your father’s decision. If the conditions are met, the marriage itself will be permitted, but do you understand that this could lead to your father resenting you afterward? It is highly likely that you will lose his backing as well.”

“Yes, of course, I understand. That is why a gentleman sets a condition that, if fulfilled, would make him willing to marry, correct?”

“I am a retainer to Lord Lestilaut, the future Aub. I have no intention of committing the same folly as Lord Raufereg, who attempted to wed you against the wishes of Aub Dunkelfelger. I cannot take any actions that would hinder my lord.”

I tilted my head slightly. I already understood that.

“If you set a condition that would satisfy my father or make him reconsider treating you as an equal candidate to Rasantark, then there would be no problem, correct?”

“Lady Hannelore, that may be true, but… are you telling me to come up with a condition that would convince the Aub…?”

Seeing his pained expression, I nodded with a smile.

“Yes. After all, you like me, don’t you?”

At that moment, Kenntrips gasped sharply and strained against the glowing bands that bound his arms. I panicked for a moment at his sudden resistance, but then I noticed something unexpected—his face, partially hidden by his arm, had turned red as he looked away. My eyes widened in surprise.

…W-What should I do?

I couldn’t immediately decide whether I should return his arm to its original position or let him keep hiding his blushing face.

…Q-Quick decision-making… As an archduke candidate, I should…

“I do like you.”

…Whaa!?

My mind went completely blank in an instant.

Previously, when he had said, “I admire you,” he had done so with a calm expression, and the words “I cannot trust you” had followed immediately, so I hadn’t been particularly shaken.

But now, at this close a distance, with his face flushed red, and hearing it directly—this impact was far too overwhelming.

…Someone, help… Cordula!

Just as I was about to call out for help in my mind and lift my head, he lowered his voice and said, “I do like you, but…”

When I looked down at him, the flush on his face and the desperate attempt to hide it with his arm had disappeared. His expression and demeanor had regained their usual calm.

…Ah, is this where “I cannot trust you” is going to follow?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my racing heartbeat suddenly calmed.

Kenntrips shifted his attention away from me and toward my retainers, who were watching from a short distance.

“Saying that you are obtaining the conditions for a proposal may sound good, but it feels more like I am cleaning up after Lady Hannelore’s delayed realization and decisions. Moreover, something that should have been discussed between Lady Hannelore and you, her retainers, is now being completely left to me.”

Kenntrips glared at my retainers. In our discussions, we had unanimously agreed that I should obtain the conditions for a proposal from him. However, now that he accused us of simply pushing the responsibility onto him, I couldn’t find any words to refute him.

…Perhaps we should reconsider this among just myself and my retainers. Even if I obtained the conditions and fulfilled them, my father might not acknowledge it.

I loosened my hold on Kenntrips slightly and shifted my gaze to Cordula. Sensing my wavering resolve, she raised one eyebrow and clenched her open hand tightly. The silent instruction—Do not weaken your grip—made me snap back to attention, and I turned to face him once more.

“Kenntrips, it is true that her retainers pressured Lady Hannelore to make a choice. However, the decision to propose to you this time was entirely her own.”

At Cordula’s words, Kenntrips looked doubtful, so I nodded and reassured him, “It is the truth.” If Cordula was backing me up, the best course of action was to take full advantage of it.

“Besides, I believed that if it were you, Kenntrips, you would naturally take the lead in cleaning up after Lady Hannelore’s decisions, so this is the perfect opportunity…”

…Cordula, isn’t calling it “cleaning up after” a bit harsh? I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back…

“Of course, if that offends you, you’re free to refuse without giving any conditions. However, the divine protection of Glückritate is only granted to those who overcome trials. And before being a marriage candidate, Kenntrips, you are Lord Lestilaut’s retainer, after all.”

When Cordula gave a provocative smile, Kenntrips let out a groan, “Ugh…” He seemed utterly frustrated at being cornered, but there was no way he could win against Cordula.

“Ahh… Lady Hannelore truly has terrible timing. No matter how you look at it, this is far too late. Why now? If only it had been sooner… at the very least, before the Zent’s conditions were set…”

Kenntrips looked at me with a resentful gaze, but there was nothing I could do about it. I simply wasn’t the type to make quick decisions. Now, I understood that I was the one who had involved the Zent in the bride-stealing ditter, which led to conditions being set. Even though I knew there was a difference in common sense regarding the bride-stealing ditter, I had left the detailed conditions to my father and failed to realize the implications when restrictions were placed on the participants.

“But, it hasn’t been publicly announced that it will be Rasantark yet. If I publicly declare that I have chosen you first, I believe we can still just barely turn the situation around.”

It was thanks to my mother informing me about the assignment and discussing my future path with my retinue—who strongly voiced their desire to avoid me becoming the treasurer for ditter—that things had not been completely decided yet.

“Indeed, as of now, I am still one of the fiancé candidates designated by the Aub, so it may be possible to make a public declaration first. However, pretending not to know when Lord Lestilaut has already informed me would not leave a good impression on him or the Aub. More importantly, in Dunkelfelger, someone who cannot participate in bride-stealing ditter would never be recognized as Lady Hannelore’s husband.”

…That was exactly the issue.

If the Zent’s imposed conditions had not stripped Kenntrips of his eligibility to participate in the bride-stealing ditter due to him not being a guard knight of the archducal family, my attendants would not have pressed me to make such a hasty decision.

“In other words, if I am able to participate in the bride-stealing ditter, then Lady Hannelore’s choice can overturn the predetermined engagement. Ensure that I can enter the bride-stealing ditter, that I can stand on equal footing with Rasantark—carve out that path for me. That shall be my condition for a proposal.”

“I understand. I will do my utmost to fulfill that condition.”

…Since Lady Eglantine’s imposed condition is the cause, would negotiating with her resolve this matter somehow?

As I pondered how to achieve the proposal condition, Kenntrips addressed me. “Before you continue to get lost in thought, please kindly release me.”

“Ah… of course.”

I immediately dispelled the band of light that had been restraining Kenntrips’ arms and pressed down on his chest to push myself up.

“Whoa!”

The next moment, he hurriedly sat up with a sudden quick movement. Since the place I had been leaning on shifted so abruptly, I couldn’t stand up properly. Letting out a startled “Kyaa!” I ended up falling backwards, rather clumsily landing on his thighs.

“T-That was dangerous!”

As I lifted my face to complain, I was startled by how close his face was—far closer than when I had been restraining him earlier. Instinctively, I turned my face away.

“Please don’t move so suddenly.”

”…Lady Hannelore, as I’ve told you many times before, you should carefully check your surroundings before making any sudden movements.”

There was a clear tone of reproach in Kenntrips’ voice, and I tilted my head in confusion.

…Was there something I did to warrant being scolded?

When I glanced at him, he too, looked somewhat flustered and uncomfortable. After hesitating for a moment, as if struggling to put his thoughts into words, he fumbled around before handing me an anti-eavesdropping magic tool.

“What is it?”

“You didn’t seem to notice, but if you had stood up like that, your skirt would have raised upwards.”

Even with the anti-eavesdropping magic tool in use, Kenntrips still lowered his voice to a mutter. His words didn’t immediately register, and I blinked several times in confusion.

Then, I slowly traced my gaze over the position I had been in, the length and spread of my skirt, and the height at which his face had been. Finally, my eyes landed on him, his hand now covering his face. At that moment, I felt a surge of heat rise to my cheeks.

“A-Ah…! M-My deepest apologies for my thoughtlessness.”

…Nothing had been visible, right? Everything was still safe?

I quickly pressed down on my skirt, checking to make sure that nothing inappropriate had been exposed. Though I had landed on my backside, the fabric was still covering me properly. Everything was fine.

“You haven’t changed at all, Lady Hannelore,” Kenntrips sighed. “I’ve taught you before—after climbing onto someone’s lap, you should think about how to get down properly. And when standing up, you must be mindful of your surroundings.”

“I do remember, but please don’t bring up things from before my baptism,” I huffed.

…They shouldn’t be able to hear us, and yet, their eyes! Their eyes! This is unbearable!

Even though I was clutching the anti-eavesdropping magic tool tightly, ensuring our conversation remained private, my retainers were all looking at me with an indescribable, lukewarm expression. Some of them were even struggling to hold back laughter.

…Only Cordula looked exasperated.

“Well then, Lady Hannelore,” Kenntrips said with a teasing smirk. “Since you remember so clearly, surely you can stand up with grace, can’t you?”

He chuckled teasingly, and I, overwhelmed with embarrassment, glared at Kenntrips with teary eyes. Following the lesson he had taught me in childhood, I carefully moved off his lap by shifting into a kneeling position first. Then, lowering my hips slightly, I adjusted my footing within the folds of my skirt to make standing easier. As I smoothed the hem of my dress, I waited for him to stand.

“Go ahead, lady crybaby,” he said with a smirk.

I placed my hand atop the one offered to me. As he gave a slight tug, I smoothly rose to my feet. Then, after ensuring that the hem of my skirt was in order, I turned to him and offered a polite, “Thank you.”

…Back then, when I stood up and thanked him, Kenntrips’ face had been much closer.

Now, all I could see before me was his chest. I had to take a step back and look up just to see his face. Just as I thought that, he leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer.

…Ah, just like before.

Thinking about it now, there had always been a considerable height difference between us, even when we were children. Kenntrips had always done that—leaning down to meet my gaze. It had simply been a long time since we had been this close, and I had forgotten.

“Thank you, Kenntrips.”

As I was overcome with nostalgia, I offered my thanks and held out the anti-eavesdropping magic tool. “Here, I’ll return this to you.” Kenntrips gave a small nod before momentarily raising his gaze, as if lost in thought.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

At the sound of my voice, he gave a faint, somewhat wistful smile. Instead of taking back the magic tool, he gently took my hand.

“I suppose, in a way, the promise has been fulfilled,” he said, “but if possible, I would have liked to be chosen for the same reason as back then.”

”…Huh?”

As Kenntrips took the anti-eavesdropping magic tool from my hand, he leaned in close and whispered into my ear.

“Have you already forgotten? You once said, ‘Because I love Kenntrips…’”

Cries and cheers erupted from my surrounding retainers—“You’re too close!” “Step away, please!” “Did Lady Hannelore really say she loves him!?”—but none of their voices registered in my mind.

The voice of my younger self echoed in my mind.

“If I could choose, I would absolutely choose Kenntrips! It’s a promise! Because I love Kenntrips!”

A promise made through tearful frustration in a moment of injustice…

…I had just remembered it.