The Butterfly and the Lamb

The moment he realized what item she intended to leave in his care, Ensi bolted upright. With a sharp clack, he slammed the box shut and pushed it back toward Lady Natalia as if it contained something he should never have seen.

“Why should I be the one to take this?”

“I’m only asking until the Crown Prince’s appointment ceremony.”

“That is why I am asking—why do I have to keep this until then?”

“There are far too many people who do not know their place, you see. I needed a safe place to store it, far away from noisy environments.”

“It seems you view me as a mere vault, Lady Natalia.”

“But the Eclipse Merchant Group actually accepts valuables for safekeeping, don’t they?”

“Do not equate the guild with me personally.”

The entire exchange took less than a minute. Faced with his repeated, firm refusals, Lady Natalia’s eyelids fluttered like the wings of a butterfly.

She stared silently at Ensi, who was desperately rejecting the jewelry, before letting out a soft laugh. Ensi’s brow furrowed at the artificial sound.

“Count Alemier is strangely persistent in the oddest places. Was it about two months ago? Believe it or not, the Count suddenly tried to submit a marriage registration between you and Baron Drain.”

“……Is that so.”

This was a world where much could be done under the pretext of being a parent. A world where a father could finalize an engagement or marriage without even considering the child’s will.

At first, he had at least been conscious of public perception. This meant he hadn’t reached the point of abruptly submitting registration papers to the Imperial family. However, after suffering several failures, the Count’s temper seemed to have flared, prompting a change in tactics.

The attempts to proceed step-by-step through a formal engagement only lasted until the second try. After that, he had simply begun submitting marriage registrations to the Imperial palace first.

If Ensi’s memory served him correctly, there had been five individuals the Count had pushed forward as his marriage partners, including the one Lady Natalia just mentioned.

He had managed to nullify each one without much difficulty, but honestly, shouldn’t it be getting hard to find suitable candidates by now?

Of course, since any rumors would likely lead to unfavorable talk, both Ensi and the Count had been careful to prevent word from leaking out.

Yet, it had happened five times already. After so many cancellations, one would think no one else would fall for the Count’s bait. Perhaps there was some hidden connection; the Count was remarkably adept at finding candidates who were lacking in some way every single time.

As the party involved, it was truly lamentable. Ensi suppressed a sigh and simply watched as the Lady pushed the jewelry box back toward him.

“I respected your wishes and rejected it—was it a wasted effort?”

In truth, even the rejection would have been impossible if Ensi were not a noble registered on the rolls. The empty formality that a noble’s engagement and marriage require Imperial authorization still existed, and that was where Lady Natalia’s influence had reached.

And Ensi still needed the help of those who could wield those formalities.

“……How could it be a wasted effort?”

If the Count had possessed even a shred of sanity in the first place, Ensi would never have had to dip his toes into politics. Then he wouldn’t have had to take on such bothersome tasks.

Unable to resist the urge to end this stagnant conversation, Ensi rubbed his temples. To avoid hearing news of a sudden marriage to some strange person as the Count wished, he had to yield here.

“You said it is only until the appointment ceremony.”

“Of course. As you know, it is a jewel that must be present on that day. The Crown Prince will summon you on the day of the ceremony.”

“Summon me?”

He had expected the return of the item to be handled secretly, much like the Lady’s visit today. He hadn’t expected to be summoned officially on a day as significant as the appointment ceremony.

Unable to discern her true intentions, Ensi’s gaze hardened. In response, Lady Natalia tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“If you want to form a bond with Lacius, shouldn’t you stop hiding behind others?”

Though it was known in the shadows who the true master of the Eclipse Merchant Group was, until it was officially proclaimed, it remained nothing more than a story told in dark corners. If he truly wanted to be united with a family of Lacius’s stature, it was time to step forward boldly.

“Even so, I am merely a merchant leader.”

He understood what she was trying to say, but did it have to be on the day of the ceremony?

Above all, there should be only one protagonist on that day. Did she have something else planned? Ensi’s mind raced even as he provided a steady answer.

“At the same time, you are a noble whose name is on the rolls. Don’t worry so much; I know well enough that you have no desire to be entangled with Alemier, so I will send an invitation just for my Snow White.”

Natalia added that he should set aside his worries, fluttering her fan which she had opened at some point. Her hand movements were light, like a butterfly’s wings.

“I am overwhelmed by such excessive interest.”

“Don’t think too deeply about it. I find you so cute that the Crown Prince has become curious as well. It’s not a bad story for you either, is it?”

A level where Count Alemier could no longer push his marriage plans at will—that was more than enough for Ensi. It wasn’t a bad deal, but looking at the atmosphere, it seemed his objections wouldn’t be heard anyway.

“My cute one, stop scowling. Once the appointment ceremony is over, there won’t be anything else that might tire you out.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Hm, your face doesn’t look thankful at all…… well, whatever. I’ve said what I needed to say, so I’ll be going now.”

Natalia gave Ensi a look that wasn’t entirely unkind, straightened her dress, and stood up. Ensi inwardly welcomed her departure now that her business was finished.

As Ensi rose from the sofa to see her off, Lady Natalia grumbled softly.

“You don’t even try to make me stay—such a boring person.”

“And you, my Lady, play such dull pranks despite having a lover.”

“Only Snow White treats me so coldly.”

With a practiced motion, she snapped her fan shut and pulled her robe back over her head. Despite their long separation and the gap in time, she had acted as friendly as ever. One might have expected her to ask for a favor.

Yet, she asked for nothing. Since their first meeting, she had been fascinated and satisfied by the fact that he consistently found her a nuisance. Should he call this integrity, or was he just being a fool?

“Ah, I’ve made sure the rumors of your one and only father’s eccentricities won’t spread.”

“I am grateful for that as well, but I trust you know that is not enough compensation for leaving me with such a headache.”

“Of course. When the time comes, I will grant you one thing you desire.”

Natalia responded with a laugh to Ensi’s grumbled, cute request. She had come to put him in her debt, assuming his desire would be marriage to Lacius, but perhaps that had been too hasty an assumption.

While the price she would have to pay in the future became uncertain, she wasn’t particularly worried, as he wasn’t the type to make unreasonable demands.

“There is one month left until the appointment ceremony. I’ll leave it in your hands until then, dear. Oh, and the invitations will start arriving sequentially from tomorrow, so make sure you don’t throw them away by mistake.”

“Do not worry, and have a safe journey.”

Ensi saw the Lady off with a polite bow, ignoring her words that subtly forced his attendance at the ceremony.

After successfully sending off Natalia, who pouted until the end about his coldness, Ensi sat back down on the sofa. Rolling the box containing the priceless stone in his hand, he muttered to himself.

“Receiving Lady Natalia’s help isn’t bad, but…….”

There was no need to reach out to the Imperial family regarding his marriage just yet. The time limit set by the Duchy still remained, and weren’t his friends working hard to find a way to cure his illness?

Moreover, if he acted too recklessly, he might be hated by the other party. Even if Agniele himself was fine with it, the Lacius family might not appreciate having someone forced into their home through something akin to an Imperial decree.

If he was going to be with Agniele, he wanted to exclude as many problematic elements as possible. He didn’t want to do anything that would make him look bad to the family, let alone Agniele.

So for now, it was a time to wait rather than judge hastily. It was a time to merely keep the possibility open while soothing his tempted heart regarding Lady Natalia’s offer.

He had to be cautious since he couldn’t afford to lose a single opportunity. Of course, in this situation, putting the Imperial family in his debt was something that should be welcomed.

I wonder if that man knows I’m enduring such a bothersome request for our future.

Ensi grumbled, thinking that the nights ahead would not be easy.

“Master.”

“……Anje.”

Ensi, who had been organizing his thoughts while tossing and catching the priceless gem in the air, recalled the matter he had tried to erase from his mind at the sound of a voice filled with anger.

“Who was Baron Drain again?”

Vividly, he remembered the Count shouting at him, asking if he thought a union between families was that easy. And yet, the Count himself was trying to finish it as quickly as possible. And someone else’s marriage at that.

Then again, where else would Ensi have learned the habit of treating marriage so lightly?

“I assume it’s a fallen noble again.”

“Really? —Well, I suppose so.”

If they weren’t a fallen noble, the Count wouldn’t be able to keep them under his thumb. Every candidate the Count had presented since Viscount Witgen had been from a ruined family.

Someone he could cover up cleanly even if trouble arose later. Having easily guessed the Count’s intentions, Ensi wore a smile as beautiful as a painting.

Since he showed his hand so transparently, shouldn’t he, as a devoted son, gladly follow his father’s wishes?

“Don’t kill them. They’re just a lamb who fell for sweet bait.”

“There is no way we would do something so cruel.”

Anje responded to Ensi’s playful request with a light quip and left the room without delay.