From the bed that enveloped my body, to the gentle breeze drifting in from the bedside window, and the soothing scent of calm air from the scented candles—in many ways, it was the perfect setting for sleep. And yet...
"I'm going crazy."
I sprang up, leaning my back against the headboard. My mind was racing. "I can't sleep at all..."
In a way, it was natural. Tomorrow was my wedding day.
"It's ridiculous."
I still felt like a mental elementary school student, so how was I already an adult? No, why had I even been proposed to? Why on earth was I getting married? Was this a dream?
"Yes, it must be a dream. Does this even make sense? I'm getting married?"
There was a surefire way to tell if it was a dream. I took a deep breath and pinched my cheek with all my might. And then...
"Ow!"
...I regretted it instantly. It hurt so much I worried if I'd leave a bruise on my cheek. Since it hurt this much, it seemed my marriage was, unfortunately, a very real impending reality.
'Am I really getting married?'
Against all odds, I was indeed getting married. Isaac, Danny, Dominic, and I had all worked together to prepare for this wedding...
"Oh, it's a problem if getting a proposal is a dream..." If I stayed up all night, my face would be swollen, so I needed to get to sleep quickly!
But sleep wouldn't come. My mind kept replaying the day I was proposed to, that unforgettable feeling. I rubbed my tingling cheek as if to soothe it, then buried myself back under the blanket. If I thought about that day, maybe I could finally sleep.
So, what season was it when I was officially proposed to? What was that day like?
After the children graduated from the academy, and all the Solet New Town development projects were finally completed, it was time to take a breather. For a long time, to be precise, even the butler—who had been single since birth—noticed a "pink aura" forming in my mansion.
"Hmm."
"Oh, aren't you a true genius?"
"This body is a genius."
"As expected...!"
...I hadn't meant that the pink aura surrounded me. To clarify, it meant a romantic atmosphere had formed between Dominic and the Kinnoa blood relatives. They weren't even in the room; they were causing a ruckus in the hallway on the second floor.
'The atmosphere is quite heated from one end of the hallway to the other.'
It was still chilly early spring, but I felt like it was already summer in our mansion. Of course, I had no intention of stopping them. I looked at Dominic and the Kinnoa blood relatives—numbers 1, 2, and 3—who surrounded him, with a curious gaze.
'Anyway, the Dominics he boasts about are amazing, and his blood relatives are amazing too.'
Not long ago, the Kinnoa family's blood relatives gathered and held a small party at the mansion to commemorate the success of the new city. At that time, Dominic said he would "warm up" and performed his sword dance vigorously. The problem was that Dominic danced so hard that an aura even flashed around his sword.
The blood relatives who saw the aura almost went crazy. They shuddered as they watched Dominic, with a single finger, even subdue the powerful Four Seasons Demon...
"Come on, come on, you've seen my fantastic show, so now give me gold!"
"Yes!"
"I-I'll give it to you!"
...In the end, they were reduced to giving gold to Dominic, who was blinded by money. I looked at my blood relatives with a sympathetic gaze, thinking they must all be feeling humiliated. You don't have to save me, I thought and turned around. I was going to head to the garden.
It was a beautiful day, so why not arrange some flowers and plant the flower seeds Isaac gave me in a vase?
'Isaac will be here soon. What should we do today?'
These days, as Axion, Mirissa, Carat, and Henry were diligently focusing on their advanced studies, their visits to the mansion and stationery store had decreased. For me, who was feeling a bit lonely, Isaac would stop by my mansion at the same time every day, as if he knew exactly where I was, even if he didn't know where other people were. It was his thoughtful consideration for me.
I was accustomed to walking while making small but pleasant plans for our time together today, when a familiar voice stopped me.
"Meldenik."
I looked at him in surprise. "Isaac!"
It was just like the saying, "Speak of the tiger, and he appears." How did he show up just when I was thinking about him?
"Hey, are you a tiger?" I teased.
"Perhaps," he replied, taking my outlandish question seriously.
'I think Isaac just played a trick on me...' I eyed him suspiciously, but he changed the subject first. He casually waved his chin toward where his blood relatives and Dominic were chattering. "Why is the atmosphere so good today?"
"Oh, that. Dominic is showing off his strength again."
"Ah..." He nodded as if he understood and held out a bouquet of flowers to me.
Isaac had recently started buying a single flower each day. It would be the flower of the day, like irises, lilies, or lycians. Today, it was a rose. I smiled as I accepted the roses. In a way, it wasn't a grand gesture, but it was amazing how much my mood could improve depending on the person who gave the gift.
"Then, shall we go to the garden?" I asked.
"Yes."
My heart suddenly warmed, and words I had tried to keep to myself burst out. "Today's rose is beautiful."
After Rasmus secretly told me that Isaac bought flowers according to my mood, I started to wonder what kind of flower it would be each day. I wondered what roses meant, but he quietly replied as we walked, matching my stride.
"Because today is a special day."
A special day? I didn't think so. I asked, puzzled, "Is today Empire Day?"
Isaac shook his head and replied firmly, though vaguely unfamiliar, "It's not, but it's more important than Empire Day."
What could be more important than Empire Day? But even if I asked now, I didn't think he would tell me. My intuition, honed over years of interacting with him, told me so.
We had just entered the mansion's garden. Even the atmosphere of the garden was strange. The small larks that always chirped were silent, and the dew-covered flowers were unusually fresh.
'What is this atmosphere?'
So, I thought, it really is a romantic atmosphere... Am I mistaken? I rolled my eyes and glanced at Isaac.
'What on earth is going on?'
Fortunately, my curiosity seemed to be resolved quickly. A few minutes later, in the center of the garden, we reached the beautiful tree where the swing we always met at was tied. Isaac slowly let go of my hand.
"Do you remember what I said before?"
I stared intently at his face in the shade of the trees and tilted my head. There was a rare tension on his face. I had never seen him look so impatient.
'Is it a very serious problem?' I was so nervous that I spoke carefully. "Hmm... What do you mean?"
Isaac took a deep breath and gently held my hand, as if it were a feather. "I told you we would get married when everything was over."
"...Oh." I still remembered those words.
I looked at him, blinking my long eyelashes. I knew that what he was about to say next could be a major turning point in my life.
"I'm good at helping my family and helping you outside."
"..."
"I'm good even during the day..."
I closed my eyes tightly. Even in this moment, Isaac was completely serious.
"...I'll do well at night."
My face turned red, but over time, I had grown accustomed to such bold words. I asked quite shamelessly, raising my chin, "Well, how are you going to do well?"
As if waiting for those words, the corners of Isaac's mouth curved upward. He continued to kiss me lightly, from my forehead to my cheek. Just as his lips were about to touch mine, Isaac quietly asked, "Do you want more?"
My eyes darted around. This was an outdoor place where anyone could come. 'If we go any further here, won't we be arrested for public indecency?'
But instead of saying that, I solemnly and formally kissed him on the lips, then pulled away. "Next."
My earlobes felt a little hot, but it was my turn to be bold with my next words, so I had to endure it. I glanced at Isaac with a heated gaze, and before I knew it, I looked at the ring case in his hand and grinned playfully.
"I'm getting married."
It meant: I will marry you.