I Thought I Had Married A Poor Knight, But…!

The Grand Plan to Get Married: Cermiane’s Point of View (4)

In the end, what decided the outcome was apparently the reputation that the knight commander and the crown prince liked me. These two knew that I was the illegitimate child of His Majesty the Emperor, and that was also taken into consideration as a compliment, so in the end, I used my birth to win Ralphine. Maybe.

When I received a medal from His Imperial Majesty for defeating the bandits, the Marquis and his wife were present at the award ceremony. After the Emperor placed the medal around my neck, he happily patted my shoulder. Then, at the banquet, the Knight Commander loudly praised my achievements and enthusiastically praised me as a knight looking forward to the future. The Crown Prince also attended the ceremony and encouraged me, albeit briefly. The Marquis of Caliente witnessed the whole event. Naturally, I behaved proudly, showing off. Then, I asked the Knight Commander to accompany me in greeting the Marquis of Caliente. The Knight Commander praised me so excessively that it seemed artificial. Later, I heard that the Knight Commander had helped me out of his belief that the Marquis’s daughter was suitable to become the wife of a prince. At this time, I had been asked several times by the Emperor about marriage proposals. They were introductions to upper-class noblewomen above the rank of a Countess, and I knew that they were for a future marriage to a prince. However, I refused them, stating that I had someone I loved. Therefore, the Emperor was worried that I would marry a low-class wife. He had given instructions to the Knight Commander to keep an eye on me, but he had secretly cooperated with me. At social occasions, the Marquis of Caliente, who never revealed his true feelings outside of social occasions, could be seen in the reception room the next day. Finally, I was able to meet with the Marquis himself after two years of being turned down when I first proposed. The Marquis, who did not try to hide his bitter expression, said,

“You have been persistent in visiting my mansion. You have even seduced my women.”

I interpreted his comment as acknowledging my passion. After staring at each other for a while, the Marquis reluctantly said,

“I will allow you to marry Ralphine. If the Knight Commander thinks so highly of you, you will advance quickly. Since you already have a mansion and assets, Ralphine will not have any problems.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, I stood up and kneeled at the Marquis’s feet, swearing, “I, Cermiane, pledge to protect and make Lady Ralphine, daughter of Marquis Caliente, happy as my wife for life!”

And he drew a circle on my forehead with his finger. The Marquis made a very displeased face and cut a sacred seal above my head, which meant that Ralphine and I had a temporary engagement. I was overwhelmed with happiness and joy. The Marquis said,

“In a little while, it will be time for tax season. Ralphine will return to the capital at that time. Let’s consider the marriage plans after that.”

But I said eagerly, “There is no need for that! I will go to the Caliente territory to pick up Lady Ralphine right away!”

“What? The territory is far away, and it will cost you. Are you sure?”

“I have a vacation and a reward for this honor, so it’s okay. Therefore, Your Excellency, could I have a document as proof of our engagement? It would be troublesome if our engagement is doubted in your territory.”

This also meant that he had to document the engagement so that he wouldn’t break it later.

“Also, this vacation is for a month. I plan to come back in about two weeks, so I want to have the wedding ceremony a week after I return.”

“So soon? Isn’t that too hasty?”

“I am a knight. I cannot afford to take that much time off to protect the Empire, and I also want to work hard for Lady Ralphine and achieve military merit and promotion. So please.”

“What are you going to do for the preparations?”

“My butler and maids will handle it. The wedding location and scale will be at the level of a lower noble, so it won’t take that long to prepare. Please take care of the reception preparations at the territory. Since I will bring Lady Ralphine here once, please take care of her preparations as well.”

I persuaded the Marquis with my enthusiasm, and once he agreed, it was settled.

After receiving the written approval of our engagement from the Duke, I left the reception room and asked the maid to take me to the Marchioness. She met me in the salon with a face that seemed about to burst into laughter.

“It’s all thanks to you, Marchioness. Thank you.”

“It’s a matter of obligation. You two looked good together on that day. Maybe I had a hunch that it would turn out this way. Take care of that girl. It won’t be easy.”

After leaving the Marquis mansion, I first went to the mansion my mother had left behind. There, an old couple named Hamus and Kehmela were guarding the mansion in my place. Hamus was surprised by my sudden visit and was even more surprised when I told him that I was getting married.

“Prepare the mansion for the bride to live in. Use my mother’s furniture if you can, and if you need anything else, please buy it. Also, please prepare a double bed in the bedroom…”