Chapter 180: The Loose Leash
“Sigren, you didn’t prepare something grand like Abel said, did you?”
Sigren smiled leisurely while leaning against the window. “Well…”
“….”
Seeing his expression, I wondered how far Sigren could go, especially with the Heilon merchants under his control and now even having a diamond mine. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Please don’t freak me out.”
“That is very unlikely.”
With how things were going lately, it did seem possible.
Sigren tilted his head. “Is there any jewel you particularly like?”
“No, not really.” I’d heard about the kind of jewelry people received when getting engaged, but there didn’t seem to be any specific customs.
“Then let’s match it with those earrings you always wear.”
I fiddled with the earrings Sigren mentioned. They were made from the red diamonds that Clemente had given me.
“Well, that is convenient…”
As we spent our days discussing the engagement, the dress was completed. I felt guilty that Carl was the first to see it.
“It’s beautiful.”
Well, it was inevitable. We lived under the same roof.
“Please keep it a secret from the Prince that you saw this. He won’t leave me alone if he knows.”
“I will…”
I touched the flower-shaped lace on the thigh-knits and the slightly puffy sleeves. Were all of these handmade?
“I must be careful while wearing this. The lace could easily get caught on my fingernails.”
“It’s such a romantic style.”
“It’s too much.”
Carl and I shared a brief laugh. After Carl left, I took off the dress with the help of a couple of maids and Celine. There was nothing to modify except for slightly reducing the waist size.
“Will you not show it to the Prince?”
“I’m not going to show it until the day.”
It would be much more fun this way.
Honestly, it still didn’t feel very real that I was engaged. Would I have to wait until the party to feel it? It had been agreed that the engagement party would be held at Heilon Mansion. Well, that wasn’t a difficult decision since the palace wasn’t a comfortable place for either of us. Celine was leading the party preparations and told me to relax.
“But Celine, why did you only ask Carl to do this and that?!”
Celine chuckled. “Carl has been to many noble balls, so he knows a lot.”
I couldn’t help but agree. I didn’t know much about balls. All this time, the education I received from Abel was focused on being a successor, not on being a noble lady.
“But Carl is having a hard time.”
Carl responded politely, “If it’s for the happiness of His Highness the Prince and Miss, it’s all worth it.”
“Carl, I thought you only handled intelligence gathering. You’re very versatile.”
“Not to that extent.”
I couldn’t help but still worry about him. Read the translation on ladygrey.com.
“Do you still want to get rid of the Erez family?”
“I won’t deny it.”
“It’s a difficult matter. Does Sigren feel the same way?”
“No, His Highness is not as bad as I am.”
“Okay.”
That night, I had a dream. The pitch-black Fiona appeared and whispered, “It’s all because of you.”
I could barely respond to what she said. If you want to take out your anger, take it out on me. When I finally managed to wake up from that dream, my whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
Maybe it was because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I let out a distressed sigh.
The engagement ceremony was just around the corner. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
I finally saw the gifts Sigren had prepared for the engagement ceremony.
Celine and the maids admired them.
“I’ve never seen a diamond like this before.”
“Even Her Majesty has never seen anything like this.”
The reactions around me made me feel a bit calmer.
“Sigren, what on earth have you done?”
“I’ve just prepared a diamond for my beloved fiancée.”
“The reactions of the people around us are not normal at all.”
“It’s really just a diamond, Fiona.”
“….”
They said that the value of diamonds changed depending on their color and size. I looked at the red diamond in front of me. I’d heard that red ones are particularly expensive. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Why is it red?”
“Because it matches your eyes.”
“It was found in the mine?”
“It’s the best quality found in the mine. I heard it would be hard to find anything better in the future.”
This was really… I gazed at the elegantly crafted red diamond necklace. Even though I wasn’t versed in jewelry, I could see that it was exquisite and extremely precious.
“There’s a ring too.”
The surface of the ring had a pattern similar to the veins of a leaf. The design was very subtle, not flashy at all. It was truly to my taste. Sigh, the jewelry craftsman must be very skilled to create such a polished design.
“I thought you might not want to wear the ring if the design was too distracting.”
“So it means I have to always wear it.”
“Of course.”
That’s right. If the ring were too fancy, it would be excessive to wear in daily life, and I would definitely take it off. However, with this design, there was no reason to remove it. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren, you’re quite cunning.
He kissed the back of my hand, as if he sensed my thoughts. My ring finger, to be exact.
“Now you know how I feel about giving you this ring. So, Fiona, please always wear it.”
Haha. I laughed. This guy… I remembered trying so hard to cultivate a more innocent way of thinking in him. Why did he grow up like this?
Sigh. I was usually not the type of person who had difficulty refusing requests from men. But it was clear I couldn’t refuse this man’s request. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
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