At first, Maria was completely stunned. Her mind spinning as if the ground itself had slipped away from beneath her.
"Y-Young Master…" She stammered, her voice faltering as the weight of the moment hit her. "I—This...This is absurd…"
Embarrassment hit her first, sharp and overwhelming.
How could she not be?
She had just met the man properly for the first time, and he was already proposing marriage.
Not to mention she was a sister, bound to the Church, and a mother of a daughter who was already in her twenties.
Any sane woman would be flustered.
But her? She was mortified.
It felt wrong, awkward, almost scandalous.
But then, as the seconds stretched on, that fluster began to shift.
The embarrassment turned into a confusing mix of curiosity and disbelief. Her heart was still racing, but now not entirely from shame from wonder.
Why would a man like him do something like this?
Was he teasing her?
Pulling a prank to see her reaction?
Or was this part of some elaborate game?
