The Duke’s Fake First Love - Chapter 12 - [Illustration]

Chapter 6.2

But the unfortunate truth was that even if Diego were to get engaged to Marquis Branto’s daughter, he was never going to become Emperor.

Knowing that, the Emperor deliberately maneuvered things so Diego would choose her.

It all worked out like I planned, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Despite the fact that we both went through broken engagements, I was the only one getting treated this way. It was honestly pretty unfair.

‘Maybe it’s time I stirred up some trouble.’

I was planning to wait for the perfect moment, but with them constantly provoking me like this, it was getting hard to just sit quietly. Besides, if I wanted to get out of the marriage the Emperor arranged, I would have to reveal my relationship with Louis sooner or later.

However, since tonight’s banquet had already announced its main couple, causing a scene now would just get me criticized.

‘I need an escape route.’

I really should have talked this through with Lewis beforehand, I thought with some regret.

Just then, I noticed two children walking side by side across the hall, each carrying a basket of flowers. A clever plan popped into my head, and I lifted my champagne glass to my lips as I mulled it over.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

At Etrian Empire banquets, there was a special tradition called the public proposal segment.

All the unmarried young men and women danced together in the center of the hall, and when a specific melody played, everyone would stop and wait for five minutes. During those five minutes, if someone had feelings for another, they would take out a flower they had brought and give it to the person they liked as a public confession.

Usually, the young ladies and gentlemen from betrothed families exchange flowers as a formality, but every now and then, unexpected confessions occur.

‘If I give my flower to Louis then, all eyes will turn to us naturally.’

Because it was a regular part of the banquet, no one could accuse me of forcing a spectacle.

“Lady Alia Branto of House Branto and Lord Diego Regen of House Regen are now entering!”

Just then, the sound of the banquet’s main couple making their entrance echoed through the hall.

I turned my back without sparing them a glance. Right now, the important thing wasn’t those two, but it was finding out where Louis was. Ideally, I would give him a warning before handing him the flower. Though unfortunately, I never got the chance.

There were just too many people trying to talk to Louis Arvan, and even more were watching his every move.

‘There’s no point fighting my way through that crowd just to reach Louis now. I’ll just wait and make my move all at once later.’

In the end, my heart pounding, I made my way toward Louis with the rose I’d bought earlier clutched in my hand. I didn’t want to mess up the timing and mess up the whole moment.

But then I noticed Diego was close by as well.

He was surrounded by noble ladies, accepting flowers with that same smug look on his face.

‘Truly, he never changes.’

Though the segment was meant for confessions of love, sometimes people exchanged flowers to simply build connections. In such cases, they were expected to share a dance after receiving a flower, and it was usually treated as a casual invitation.

‘But in Diego’s case, he was always more focused on indulging his own vanity than any political gain.

That incorrigible playboy accepted flowers from almost every young lady at every imperial banquet.

Reminded yet again that some people never change, I lingered near Louis. He was just as surrounded, maybe even more, than Diego was. I snuck a look at Louis, who was politely turning people down with a smile, when I suddenly locked eyes with Diego.

“After all that acting like you’d never see me again, it looks like you still have some regrets, huh?”

I froze for a second.

Was he talking to me? Still, the remark seemed so out of context that I ignored him and fiddled with the rose in my hands. I needed to make sure I gave it to him without messing up.

“You know, ignoring me like that isn’t going to end well for you. What are you going to do if I don’t accept it?”

…Ah.

Only then did I realize that Diego had completely misunderstood the situation. But before I could correct his misunderstanding, the music changed.

‘…Well, I didn’t plan for it to go quite like this.’

Still, on a night when Diego was the star, openly wounding his pride was actually pretty satisfying.

“Duke Louis Arvan.”

I walked right up to Louis and offered him the rose I’d been holding.

“Will you marry me?”

My confession landed like a bomb, and silence swallowed the entire hall.

Everyone stared at us, their faces frozen in shock. But the real spectacle was Diego, trembling with betrayal, staring holes right through me.