Lalatina's Engagement — Part 2

The cultivation of medicinal herbs became a specialty of the count's domain due to the influence of magical energy, but fertilizers spread rapidly throughout the kingdom. Had we monopolized the fertilizers, we would have drawn the attention of other territories. However, I was satisfied knowing that increased production across the kingdom would lead to fewer people starving, not just in our own lands, but elsewhere as well.

The previous life I lived during wartime was miserable.

While the nobility indulged in luxury, many commoners suffered from hunger. I didn't want anyone to experience the kind of starvation I had endured.

For a while, the count's domain garnered attention, but being a rural territory, it was quickly forgotten—especially with the announcement of the Crown Prince’s engagement.

As I continued to improve the domain bit by bit, building bridges and regulating rivers, the lives of the people gradually improved, and I turned 15.

The clear, flute-like call of a bird echoed.

Above me, the sky stretched endlessly, a deep blue, with mountains rising sharply as if cutting through it. At the foot of the mountains, wildflowers in delicate bloom swayed in the wind, forming a green carpet that looked as if a lush, verdant cushion had been spread out across the land.

As always, I prayed to the distant mountains.

May the knight rest peacefully.

And if he has been reborn like I was, may he find happiness.

“The carriage is ready, Lady Lalatina.”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

I had reached the age of debut in the kingdom’s society.

"A person with a talent for managing estates."

"A person with a substantial dowry."

"A person with the strength to defeat magical beasts."

"There are several magicians in the royal capital. Surely Lady Lalatina’s charm can reel one in as a husband."

"But our top priority is finding someone who will cherish Lady Lalatina!"

Encouraged by the servants’ well-wishes, I set off for the royal capital with my parents.

We were headed to the royal palace for my debut and to search for a suitable husband.

Many noble daughters are betrothed during childhood, but in my case, my parents had declined marriage proposals, believing that I would be happier if I waited until adulthood to marry someone compatible.

To be honest, I am quite a desirable match.

Though our domain is in the countryside, it is stable, and our rank is that of a count, with a decent amount of wealth. For younger sons who cannot inherit titles, marriage to me offers significant advantages. Unless I were to reach beyond my means and aim for a magician, of whom there are fewer than a hundred in the kingdom, the competition for the position of the count’s husband is fierce.

On the way from the count's domain to the royal capital, we passed through the vast, fertile lands of a marquisate.

The marquis, a friend of my father, had always been fond of me.

In fact, the smooth distribution of fertilizers was largely thanks to the marquis’ help.

My father had asked the powerful marquis to take the lead in managing the distribution. As a result, enormous wealth flowed into the marquis' family from across the kingdom, but my father, the count, chose to remain inconspicuous rather than wealthy. He understood the danger of a rural count’s family holding the rights to fertilizers.

And so...

"I'm so glad you could come!"

The marquis greeted us with an exceptionally pleased expression. The marchioness's eyes were gleaming with excitement. After all, the marquis had four sons.

As a small gesture of resistance, my father placed a small white flower in my hair. This flower, widely used in the count's domain, was known for its insect-repelling properties.

What could he be thinking, coming here to find me a husband? It seems my father wants me to marry, but he has mixed feelings and inner turmoil about the whole situation. It’s like he’s trying to balance conflicting emotions—one thing versus another.

My mother looked at my father’s complicated expression with an exasperated face, while I hid a small sigh. I’ll keep the fact that I smiled just a little to myself.

“Lady Lalatina, these are my sons,” the marquis said, proudly introducing his four sons. They were famous for their good looks and talents. Among them, the youngest, who was my age, had already made a name for himself as a magician. It was said that he had been born deaf, but at the age of eight, he awakened to magical powers, using magic to compensate for his hearing.

All living beings are born with some amount of magical power, though it’s usually quite small. Those with enough magical power to use spells are called magicians if they’re human, and magical beasts if they’re animals.

Magicians are rare and their abilities vary widely. The marquis’s youngest son was expected to have a brilliant future as a skilled magician.

“My name is Lalatina,” I said, performing a lady’s courtesy toward the four sons.

In that instant, the youngest son’s eyes widened.

He stared at me as if he had forgotten to blink, his pupils slowly dilating as he gazed at me.

He suddenly moved forward, coming to stand in front of me, and clasped my right hand with both of his, gripping it tightly, almost like a chain.

“It’s you…!”

Our eyes met. His blue eyes reflected only me as he spoke.

“It’s your voice! It’s your voice that I’ve been hearing!”

“I couldn’t hear anything since I was born, but when I turned eight, I heard your voice, your voice, and that’s when I awakened to magic! Ever since then, I’ve been able to hear your voice, praying for my happiness!”

I was struck speechless by shock, as were those around me.

My breath caught in my throat, and my heart seemed to stop beating.

Because the person I had prayed for was…

“...The knight...?”

The youngest son nodded vigorously, tears welling in his eyes. A clear droplet fell from his blue eyes, tracing a path down his cheek.

Those eyes were the same color, the same blue as the ones from my past life.

I placed my left hand over the hand he was holding, stroking his much larger hand repeatedly, as if to confirm his existence, to feel his warmth.

“Knight…!”

My voice trembled, and tears overflowed.

“My name is Vadcliff.”

“And I am Lalatina.”

We exchanged our names of this life.

Not in the dark forest of our past lives, facing a death as swift as a miracle cure.

But here, surrounded by our loving families, in a bright reception room adorned with elegant decorations.

Vadcliff and I, a fifteen-year-old boy and girl, exchanged innocent, tearful, and joyful gazes. Without any pretense, purely and childishly, our eyes spoke of how happy we were to have met.

Vadcliff began to speak, as if turning back time with his words. I followed his lead, as if tracing a hidden stream.

“Lalatina, what is spring?”

“It’s the haze, Vadcliff.”

“Lalatina, what is summer?”

“It’s the wind. The night sky, sprinkled with silver sand, the shooting stars are so beautiful.”

“Lalatina, what is autumn?”

“It’s the mist. The spider webs adorned with morning dew sparkle beautifully.”

“Lalatina, what is winter? Tell me about winter.”

"Winter… Winter is snow. The crystalline hoarfrost on tree branches sparkles in the sunlight, making them look like flowers. The waxy, translucent petals of the wintersweet bloom, the modest camellia with its beautiful red flowers but no scent, and the frosty morning ground that seems to carry the scent of the moon—all of these are beautiful in winter."

"I can hear it," Vadcliff said, pressing his fingertips to his ears.

"Oh, I see. I wanted to hear about winter. Now, I can hear it without using magic. My hearing is functioning normally."

Just as we had held onto each other tightly before leaping off the cliff on that final night, Vadcliff and I embraced each other firmly.

The marquis’s family, who had been watching us, seemed to think this was a touching scene of reunited lovers, and they were overjoyed, ready to start preparing for the engagement and raise a celebratory toast.

My father, however, was clinging to my mother, crying so hard that it was unclear whether his tears were of joy or regret.

Seeing this, Vadcliff knelt on one knee, like a knight pledging his loyalty to a princess. He gently took my hand and kissed it.

"You might think this is sudden, but to me, Lalatina’s voice was my only connection to the world. It was everything. I’ve always, always thought of the person behind that voice—Lalatina. So, will you become my wife? I love you more than words can express."

In response to Vadcliff’s sincere proposal, I answered with the voice he had longed for.

"I’ve always thought of you, my knight. I would be honored to become your wife, Vadcliff."

"Excellent! Now, please sign this document. In fact, I’ve already arranged for the engagement ceremony’s priest to wait in another room, so we can complete the process right away," the marquis said in an excited tone as he handed over the documents—a marriage contract. It seems the marquis had prepared in advance, determined to secure an engagement between me and one of his four sons.

And so, just ten minutes after the proposal, I became Vadcliff’s official fiancée.

It goes without saying that my father, crying even harder, shouted that the insect-repellent flower had been completely useless. 

[The End]

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