Chapter 180: Side Story 36 

…It’s not such a bad idea, right?

There was no real reason she had to be the one receiving the proposal.

Alexa was certain of her relationship with Ysildus. She didn’t know where that conviction came from, but whenever she was with him, she felt at ease, happy. Her heart would flutter, her cheeks would flush without her even realizing it, and that was enough, wasn’t it?

Of course, she knew things could change. She understood that this excitement might eventually fade. But when she looked at Carlisle and Essellia, it seemed possible to live a whole life together as if still in love, even after marriage. And since Ysildus was their son, wouldn’t that mean he could do the same?

“I should get going now. Ah! Jeremiah… uh, anyway. I think you should meet with Her Highness. You’re the only one who can solve this problem!”

Jeremiah nodded.

As Alexa turned to leave, Jeremiah gave a small wave at her back. It felt like a whirlwind had just swept through. His heart was in turmoil, and his head felt just as tangled.

He lowered the hand he’d been waving with.

Still, there was one thing that had improved – he had grown. Watching Alexa’s retreating figure didn’t hurt anymore. Even speaking of her marriage to Ysildus didn’t bother him.

Jeremiah let out a faint laugh. It was true what they said, that time heals all wounds. The scars closed, and new skin grew over them. He had finally reached a point where he could truly remain just a friend to Alexa.

Jeremiah genuinely liked where he was now. There was no more space for his mother to interfere.

* * *

Alexa, breathing hard, grabbed the maid’s hand.

“Can you help me?”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s something I want to do, but I can’t pull it off alone. I think I can do it if you help!”

“Lady Alexa?”

The maid blinked, confused.

“What would you like me to help with?”

“I want to propose.”

“…What?”

The maid’s eyes widened in disbelief. She was just an ordinary maid, one who worked in the imperial capital at that. She lived with a somewhat conservative mindset and rigid expectations. To her knowledge, proposals were something a woman received from a man.

And now Alexa wanted to do it herself?

Even though times were changing, it was still traditional for the man to bring up marriage first. Sometimes a woman might send a formal proposal, but that was typically only in cases of family arrangements.

And yet Alexa wanted to propose?

“Um… did I hear you correctly?”

“Yup! The maids who came with me from Thersion don’t really know much about the customs here, so I was hoping you could help.”

The maid stared at Alexa. 

She was a remarkably pure and bright person. Just seeing her radiant smile seemed to lift one’s mood. With that kind of warmth, Alexa treated everyone with kindness. If there was one thing that had changed the most since her arrival, it was the atmosphere of the palace.

At first, her presence stirred tension with the competition going on. But now, she walked around with her signature smile, spreading joy wherever she went. Some of the visitors to Alexa’s clinic weren’t even sick. Many just came to share coffee or dessert and chat with her.

The place had become so warm and welcoming that it was always full of people, and always, at the center of it all, was Alexa, smiling brightly. It was a small change she had brought, but it was steadily spreading throughout the imperial capital. A new energy pulsed among the people.

The death of the Emperor had cast a shadow of unease, but the capital had begun to wake up again. Even with a change in leadership, the empire continued to function. Moreover, Thersion had remained silent about the Emperor’s death. It passed without even a grand funeral, buried quietly.

And the Temple’s silence seemed to imply that the Emperor’s death had been justified. With no fear of a bloody purge, spring had returned. Footsteps and laughter began to fill the streets again.

At the heart of it all was Alexa.

Those who had come from Thersion had clung to her at first, making others wary. But now, people had come to genuinely like her.

So whatever Alexa chose to do, it must be the right thing. Even if it didn’t quite match society’s expectations.

“What would you like me to help with first?”

“Well, a ring seems pretty essential for a proposal, right?”

“Of course!”

“And I think flowers would be nice, too.”

Alexa’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh my. That’s quite romantic.”

“And… what else? These days, brooches are popular among men, right?”

“Hmm.”

But that felt a bit too cliché. Alexa wanted to give Ysildus something more beautiful, something special. Ysildus already had everything. She needed to give him something that only she could offer.

“I’ll think about it some more. Anyway, where can I get a ring? I’m kind of in a rush. The wedding’s not far off.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean the wedding. It’s coming up. Next weekend, actually.”

“WHAT?!”

The maid’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She let out a small shriek and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

“W-What did you just say?!”

“I know, right? Even I was shocked. Seems like Yuna and I were the only ones left out of the loop here in the palace.”

The maid clicked her tongue, picturing the adorable co-conspirators who had managed to keep this all under wraps.

* * *

Click.

Ysildus opened the ring case.

It had taken a bit of time to get this ring. He’d had Essellia’s ring reworked just for Alexa. It had always been splendid, but now it shone even more brilliantly with a large diamond added. The delicate craftsmanship had taken extra time to complete.

“…I hope I’m not too late.”

There was a limit to how long Alexa could remain unaware. One way or another, she must have found out by now. Ysildus smiled smoothly as he looked at the ring.

He wanted to give her the very best, though maybe he’d gone a bit overboard. He just hoped she’d like it.

He’d considered several romantic proposal ideas. But in the end, perhaps the best one was…

“Keeping it simple might be best.”

Tradition always had its charm. Ysildus checked the calendar and nodded. Three days from now. On the night of the full moon, when it would shine the brightest, he would propose to Alexa and confess about the soul-mark. He’d ask her to marry him while emphasizing that their bond could never be broken.

That should do it… right?

With a snap, he closed the ring case.

If it’s sincere, it will reach her. After all, Alexa already loved him.

* * *

Alexa let out panting breaths as she leaned back against the carriage wall. She’d rushed out with Yuna and scoured the city until she found exactly what she was looking for. There were so many jewelry shops, it had been nearly impossible to choose. But in the end, she’d picked the ring she liked best out of all the glittering options.

A wedding band.

Alexa chuckled to herself and toyed with the ring case. Beside her sat a bouquet of flowers.

Strike while the iron is hot. Alexa was ready to go through with it today. She couldn’t let Ysildus beat her to the punch. With Yuna’s help, she’d done her best to prepare even if it wasn’t perfect. She had wanted to give him an even better gift, but that could wait.

The proposal came first.

“What should I say?”

“Hm… I’m not sure. This is my first time, too.”

“I want it to be special. Like, ‘Let’s spend forever together’? ‘I’ll make sure you never lift a finger’? ‘I’ll make you smile every day’?”

“Oooh… that’s actually pretty compelling.”

Yuna gave her a thumbs-up. But thinking about it more, Ysildus already lived without lifting a finger and smiled all the time.

Alexa shook her head. There had to be something better, words that would stick in Ysildus’s memory forever.

“I’ll think about it more.”

“Sorry I wasn’t much help.”

“No! You were more than enough.”

Alexa beamed brightly.

“Thank you, Yuna.”

Where did girls like her even come from? Saying thank you to a maid so naturally… Yet again, it struck Yuna how truly kind Alexa was.

* * *

Jena and Sylvia also spotted Alexa in the city. They were on their way back from a dress fitting when they saw her browsing a jewelry store.

“What’s that country bumpkin doing here?”

“No idea. But just thinking about the embarrassment she caused us in front of His Highness today makes my blood boil. And you! Why did you speak up for her?”

“Sylvia, don’t be like that! I’ve helped you so much. You got invited today because of me, remember?”

“I mean, yes, I’m grateful for that… but hmph.”

“Is now really the time to fight each other? Our real enemy isn’t each other, it’s Alexa. What do we do about her? Isn’t there a way to humiliate her in front of everyone?”

“…We throw a social gathering. Invite Alexa to it. And then… sabotage her dress.”

Jena’s lips curled into a vicious smile.

She was already a pro at humiliating other noblewomen. It wasn’t the first time she’d made someone burst into tears and run away, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.