I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 195

I buried my nose in Euseniel’s small head, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

I couldn’t believe the conversation we just had and I replayed them in my mind.

Engagement, engagement!

I knew we would get engaged someday, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

“Euseniel.”

“….ung.”

“Can we start living together now? We’re going to be engaged.”

Her little head moved side to side, but I wasn’t disappointed.

Just hearing Euseniel bring up the engagement first was satisfaction enough for me.

My lover is the kind of person who always keeps her word, so she would surely persuade Duke Hardland as well.

I suspected the cause.

It must have been the recent messy rumors swirling around Euseniel that had pushed her. She probably anticipated that I would be hurt by them.

I realized once again that pretending to be hurt by emotional wounds rather than physical ones worked better.

I was genuinely angry and knew who was behind it, but since Euseniel seemed to be investigating, I decided to let her handle it. If she brought them to me, then I would deliver the punishment.

“Tess, stroke my hair.”

Lately, Euseniel often asks for what she wants, and each time, it pleases me. It feels good to be needed by her.

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

Will I get to see Euseniel angry again soon? I dislike her being angry at me, but I enjoy watching her being passionately upset.

Seeing Euseniel express strong emotions is very precious.

Of course, whoever momentarily diverted Euseniel’s attention would face severe punishment.

Ah, thanks to them, I secured an engagement promise, so should I mercifully end them quickly?

“Should our outfits for the engagement match?”

“Is there enough time…?”

The Emperor’s New Year’s events just ended, and the dance is less than ten days away.

“Not at all.”

After reassuring her, Euseniel’s slightly relaxed eyes flickered. She seemed worried.

“You have to show me the outfit in advance. If it’s weird, I’m not wearing it. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

I had to promise her several times before she seemed reassured.

Reports of unusual signs along the border with the Southern Empire have been coming in frequently. I wasn’t surprised, given my suspicions, but it was still disheartening.

The Emperor of the Southern Empire, known for hating me so much, seemed to be quite impatient.

* * *

I started attending social gatherings again.

Official gatherings would commence with the New Year’s imperial ball, but Alin was a city that thrived with events all year round. Due to the cold, most gatherings were held indoors.

“Lady, it’s an honor to have you. But where is your partner?”

“Ah, I came alone. My partner is busy.”

Attending alone made me quite noticeable, and many found it inappropriate since it broke from tradition.

But I was engaged to Tess. It wouldn’t be right to go around with other men, would it? Besides, if I went around with him, my father would surely chase after us in tears.

Fortunately, there were no troubles from anyone about this matter.

Some found it quite amusing, and occasionally, a few looked on with admiration.

Carin Heights was one of those who viewed me favorably. She decided to adore me for comforting her openly.

Being part of the ‘few noble houses’ that could enter the Glory Eagle, the Heights family held significant influence. As a cherished daughter, she seemed blissfully unaware of the pressures of political marriages or social obligations due to her upbringing.

“Hello, Lady.”

“It’s been a while, Lady Heights.”

While I developed a friendship with Carin Heights, with whom I had attended Concium without much previous interaction, I kept a slight distance from Ethyl and Aurin.

To outsiders, it might seem like I was ‘keeping a distance.’

However, Gael still went to Bonart House for political science classes, and Ethyl’s youngest sibling, Pyce, was receiving swordsmanship training from me.

The rumors about me persisted, and Pyce, having come to the Hardland House, shared what he knew about the situation.

“I’ve heard about the stories involving Euel.”

“Oh? What about Ethyl?”

“Brother goes to the Glory Eagle too, but he doesn’t really talk about you in front of others.”

“Because we’re close?”

“Yes. In front of me, people just blabber without knowing anything.”

Like all children from Bonart, Pyce was polite and calm. Having just finished his training, he took a sip of water, seeming thirsty.

“I actually heard it not at Glory Eagle, but from the son of Viscount Viana. He’s a classmate.”

I asked Pyce for more details about the situation, and he sincerely answered.

“Thanks for telling me, Pyce. If you want, I’ll give you an extra training session besides the scheduled days.”

“An extra session every time I bring useful information?”

Pyce was quicker in calculations than Ethel.

“Sure.”

I felt less guilty dealing with Pyce than my younger sister, Gael. Pyce, with his sparkling brown eyes, completed the latter part of his training energetically.

“Pyce, you’re visibly improving, aren’t you?”

“Gael helps me a lot with that.”

He humbly said so and suggested discussing points for improvement with Gael after the training. His caring and stable tone naturally made the knights of the household nod in agreement.

Just like Ethyl welcomes Gael’s visits, Pyce’s visits to the Hardland House seemed to be for more than just training.

Standing side by side, Gael and Pyce looked quite compatible.

Leaving the people behind, I headed towards the main building.

“Viana….”

If I recall, that’s surely a vassal family.

Checking the noble directory confirmed my memory. The very clear circumstance didn’t even bring a smile to my face.

“Is the perpetrator a fool, or am I missing something?”

The culprit seemed so obvious that it actually made me suspicious, so I asked my friends for help. My own social circle might be small, but that wasn’t the case for my friends.