Chapter Text
It had been weeks since I, Gerald Stuart, had seen my beloved fiancée.
The work in the ministry of magic seemed heavy, and I was a little worried about whether Katarina was healthy, whether she was eating properly and regularly, and whether the intensity of the work was too much.
But I knew in my heart that Katarina was absolutely fine. She was a very energetic person. Although she wasn't particularly smart, she was always very serious about her work and was always able to do unexpected things.
But even so, I was worried that she hadn't been resting properly, that her work meals wouldn't be to her liking, and I used a little of my connections to get the chef in charge of catering in the ministry of magic to make a few more of her favorite desserts and sneak them into her lunch box.
Katarina, of course, had no idea that this was a small, unique privilege that I had secretly arranged, and that belonged to her.
With her innocent personality, she must have thought that the food in the ministry of magic was quite good, and then she ate the dessert without any doubt.
That made her happy, right?
Yesterday afternoon, I finally finished dealing with the business at hand.
As a prince of the Sorcier Kingdom, although I'm only the third prince, to put it rather in a less arrogant way, I seem to be highly regarded by officials and my father.
But for the throne, I had no interest at all.
In better words, before I met Katarina, I had no interest in anyone or anything.
Indeed, I am an extremely indifferent person, always have been. This may have something to do with my intelligence and excellence, though it would seem embarrassing to say so.
Whether it was coursework, fencing, etiquette, or magic, I always managed to be perfect with ease. People around me said I was a rare genius, with a handsome appearance and perfect manners, flawless.
But I know how cold I am.
Ever since I was a child, I could not feel joy, anger, or sorrow inside, and keeping a smile on my face was simply a matter of maintaining royal manners and perfection. Even so, with my ability to read people's minds, I was able to get by in the social world.
Although I found those things incredibly boring.
In this way, in the boring life day after day, time hurriedly passed, and the surroundings were getting darker and darker, and finally only black and white remained in my world.
Until I met Katarina.
I've always considered myself to be a man with a piercing eye, and anyone's heart is not complicated to understand. I've always been able to read people's minds and anticipate their actions.
But I could never have imagined that the daughter of a wealthy family, who annoyed me with her coquettish and self-willed one second, would trip over a stone slab and fall to the ground the next.
After waking up-
"No, no, the bruise on my forehead will be fine as long as I cover it with my bangs."
I thought it was going to be big issue, although I felt that she might have planned it, I had to visit and take responsibility for it because of my status.
But when she woke up, she apologized first, and to my surprise, she said such strange things in a carefree tone.
I looked at her serious and innocent pupils, aqua blue pupils filled with me. In the sunny morning, the birds stopped chirping in the branches outside the window, and the air was filled with the soft, warm, wind-blown scent of grass.
And just then, the gray world in front of me suddenly lit up because of this young girl's smile and bright pupils.
When I thought of this, I couldn't help but laugh softly, my lovely fiancée is really a magical lady.
When I returned to my bedroom at night, the maids had arranged the newly pajamas and folded it neatly and placed it on the pillow.
As the royal ball was to be held next week, Father and Brother Geoffrey were working on preparations, and Brother Ian was attending to diplomatic matters. I had been busy with the kingdom's business all day this week, and my rest had been short and I had not slept well.
I pulled off my exquisitely neatly tied tie, which I had to tie very tightly because of royal protocol. I took off my suit and casually set it on the back of the sheepskin chair, unbuttoned my waistcoat three more times, and tossed the waistcoat and shirt, along with the tie, onto the velvet couch.
Then changed into comfortable silk pajamas.
Aquamarine pajamas, the color of Katarina's pupils, had become my favorite color ten years ago.
Ah...it was a bit tiring. I took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed with my eyes closed, one hand on my face to hold my heavy forehead.
After dealing with the affairs of state for four days in a row, even if I were a prince, I would still feel physically and mentally exhausted.
"Now, finally, I can relax a little."
I pressed my temples and rubbed them slowly, my headache was strong, but instead of feeling irritated, I was somehow relieved.
"Finally, I don't have to squeeze time out of my busy schedule to secretly care about you."
Yes-
I miss Katarina so much I'm going crazy.
Katarina must be having a hard time too.
Hearing the news from the informant in the Ministry of Magic that she had been running between the office and the conference rooms all day, I asked specifically about the situation, and it seemed that she had to consult and check many bits and pieces of information.
She must have found it tedious, but she kept trying, and as I slowly opened my eyes, I couldn't help but see in my mind's eye how busy and frazzled she looked.
That must be very endearing.
I thought to myself, calling out to the servant at the door.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Your Highness Prince Gerald?"
I straightened up and kept a smile on my face.
"Everyone's been very tired lately, it's been hard work. Tell the Ministry of Magic to give my fiancée a little vacation for a few days starting tomorrow."
"But Prince Gerald, please forgive me for being rude, but the Ministry of Magic has been..."
"I know." I interrupted the servant.
"The Ministry of Magic has been reorganizing its files, hasn't it? Must be quite busy. I don't mean to delay the work of the Ministry of Magic, but it's just information, so there's no need to check everything. With the efficiency of the Ministry of Magic, I'm sure the important things are almost done, right?"
I was a little impatient when he tried to say something after hearing that, so I raised my head with patience, maintained my usual demeanor, smiled at him, and said.
"Just uses this reason to convey it, and they'll understand what I mean."
This time, the servant didn't say any more, only obediently bowed to me to accept the order, and then walked out of the room.
I breathed a sigh of relief and stretched my arms and waist, a strong soreness coming from my joints, well, after sitting squarely in the study for so long, my body pain was a bit hard to bear.
Katarina not only has to organize the information but also has to run back and forth to several places, she must be more tired than me.
Somewhere in my body, I felt distressed, thinking of my beloved Katarina, who was exhausted but trying to be strong and beat her spirits at this time, and I felt sad.
"Hold on just a little longer Katarina."
Hold on just a little longer, and soon you'll be able to rest.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, I rubbed my sore and tired neck, turned my already stiff wrists, and stretched hard.
I got up quickly, went to the bathroom for a quick shower, and patted my face down vigorously a few times to keep myself from looking so tired.
After that, I was in high spirits to get my grooming done and get ready to head to the Claes residence.
To see my long-missed fiancée.
I was so excited at the thought of seeing her soon that I didn't even have time for breakfast before I hurriedly entered the carriage.
I didn't want to waste any time.
I wanted to see her, and I was racing against time.
Katarina was still asleep, and the maid led me into the main hall, made me tea, and then spoke to me with a sigh.
That was to be expected. I took a sip from my cup of tea.
"There's no need to rush, I'm the one who paid an unexpected visit. Please let her sleep a little longer, and I will wait here until she wakes up."
The Claes residence was not as luxurious as the palace, but it was elegant and spacious. The main hall has two wall-mounted floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can enjoy the view of the courtyard and feel the different moods on rainy or sunny days.
I imagined that Katarina would be in this room on weekdays, sitting at the tea-table by the window, enjoying afternoon tea with her family and marveling at the delicious desserts, sitting down in front of the piano when she was in the mood and trying to play a nice, smooth piano piece, or sitting on the sofa when she had guests or one of our friends.
When I think of Katarina, the corners of my mouth turn up unconsciously, she is so different, yet so charming.
I often couldn't predict exactly what she would say or do, but I had long since grown accustomed to her strange mannerisms. No matter what unconventional things she did, no matter what unexpected things she said, it was all so new to me and made my boring world feel colorful and bright and warm and clear.
It seemed that her every action and word unconsciously tugged at my heart, making me confirm countless times how much I loved her.
As I sipped my sixth cup of tea, Katarina pushed open the intricately carved door to the main hall.
She wore a different light blue dress than usual today, with a pretty cyanotype bow tied at the waist, and her long hair hung behind her, with a few playful strands running down to her chest, making her beautiful and slender in the translucent sunlight.
Ah, my fiancée, I finally can meet you.
"Good morning, Katarina."
I greeted her with a smile, and she stared at my face for a little while, then smiled brightly.
"Good morning, Prince Gerald."
Seeing such a lovely smile, it was as if all the tiredness and aches and pains in my body had been swept away, and all my sleepiness had disappeared. I felt much more relaxed, so I reached out and invited her to sit down.
"Katarina is very energetic today, she looks like she had a good sleep."
Her face is glowing red, she must have had a good rest last night, right? I was worried about her health.
"Yes, it's been a long time since I had a good dream. I'm really sorry to keep you waiting, but I've been a bit busy with work in the ministry of magic lately, so I slept a bit longer today..."
Thinking back to the documents the servant brought back with the carriage last night, I nodded in agreement, the ministry of magic has indeed been very busy lately, and Katarina's cheeks have visibly lost a lot of weight.
The tedious documents, I had to deal with them all night before I could file them completely, thanks to my familiarity with public affairs and my experience with these processes, I was able to review them much faster. If it had been Katarina who had little experience, it would have taken a long time to check it.
I'm very glad that I helped the Ministry of Magic to solve Katarina's work last night, otherwise, my lovely fiancée would probably be tired for a long time before she could rest.
"Yeah, I heard that you've been busy with work lately, it's been really hard on you Katarina."
I handed her a cup of tea so that she could moisten her throat and relax. She took it with her skinny arm, her fingers slender, and touching my fingertips, which made my heart move.
"Well, it's fine, it's all small jobs like looking up files and delivering them, it's been a lot easier for me compared to Maria and Rafael. They have to deal with complicated documents, and I'm just doing some manual work."
She said in a relaxed tone.
Last night, when I was organizing the files, I saw the previous documents, and on each page, Katarina had highlighted them in beautiful, neat handwriting, and classified them according to rank and type of official position, making my subsequent work much easier.
My Katarina was really attentive and must have worked quite hard and must have worked very hard to do such a boring job with her feisty personality.
I looked at her and tried to keep my usual smile.
"No, Katarina's job is also very important. You are always full of energy, but you are working hard to do these boring and tedious things. My beloved fiancee is very good."
Next, I explained to her why I was here.
She was shocked to hear that she would be invited to the royal ball and double-checked to see if Father would be attending as well.
Then, she had a look of confusion and bewilderment.
Of course, I didn't give her any other choice but to come.
Before I came to the residence, I managed to mobilize the Duke of Claes, as Katarina's adopted brother, Keith, was always sticking to her side and was quite an obstacle to my approach. As such, he had to go out with the Duke as his assistant.
I had heard that the Duchess had recently become addicted to incense bags, so I asked someone to give the Marquise de Ferité the most fashionable spices.
That way, no one would be able to prevent me from having this talk with Katarina, so I can try to get her to agree to attend the ball.
She looked rather torn and not too pale, as if she was worried about something. I got up and walked over to her - she was still so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't notice.
I leaned down to be closer to her.
The sweet scent, emanating from her, was reassuring.
I looked at her, scrutinizing her face.
The face was bright and beautiful, and the long, soft hair hanging behind her head made me want to reach out and touch her. Yes, every time I touched her, it made me so happy, her skin soft and warm to the touch, it moved me.
"What's wrong with you, Katarina?"
Her eyebrows were long and thin, not dark or light in color, but they were slightly furrowed together. I felt a little uneasy, so I was slightly anxious when she tried to stay calm and continued to ask questions.
"Actually... I am a little worried."
Those pupils of Katarina's eyes were clear and pure, looking straight at my face was reflected in them.
My beloved fiancée's eyes met mine.
I gulped at the heat of the stare and blinked.
"Worried?"
Two red clouds gradually appeared on her cheeks and she looked away slightly nervously.
"Well..."
Ahhh, this reaction is really cute and tempting. Katarina was finally aware of my presence and reacted shyly to it, which made me feel happy and I couldn't help but approach her again.
"I've never been to a royal ball before, and I messed up the last one too, and..."
I saw her sneaking nervous glances at me and I thought it was really funny how nervous she looked with her red face, so I deliberately leaned in close to her ear, exhaled gently in her ear with a smile.
"And what?"
I was expecting her to just back away and shyly jump away from me, but instead, she threw out the following words with a look of brokenness and contempt for death.
"I've never officially met His Majesty before, so of course I'm a little nervous."
Haven't met him before? I blurted out.
"Of course I remember that meeting at the ministry of magic, but that was as a staff member working there. This time, I'm attending the ball as Gerald-sama's fiancée, right?"
Eh?
"-That means, I did not formally pay my respects to His Majesty the King as Katarina claes, the fiancée of Gerald-sama."
Thump, Thump
From inside my chest came a loud and powerful drumming sound, my heart beating fast, one by one, beating like a drum on my chest.
I felt like my heart was about to jump out, that I was having a little trouble breathing, and my mind was buzzing.
Was this real? Or was I too tired to fall asleep and dream? I quietly raised my eyelids and stole a glance at Katarina. She was still blushing, but she looked confident and like she wanted to laugh at me.
We were close enough to touch. I could even feel her sweet scent around me.
Is this throbbing? The feelings I received from my beloved made me want to giggle out of happiness uncontrollably.
I lowered my head and tried my best not to laugh out loud, I must look silly and out of place, right? Not at all the proper decorum for a royal.
But I can't control the expression on my face at all, and I'm suffocating with joy.
My Katarina, you always manage to keep my heart unquenched. It makes me, such a perfect prince with no flaws, want to giggle like a bashful boy in front of you.
I'm obviously not like that, I guess.
And you changed me.
Let me see the colorful colors and have the light of the land.
I couldn't calm down for a long time, I simply couldn't contain the giggle on my face. I knew my face must be red, and I couldn't let my beloved fiancée see me like this.
I breathed heavily for some time, my heart still beating strong.
I lowered my head to get closer and closer to her.
"Don't worry, Katarina."
I put my chin on her left shoulder, her face was red and her ears were dripping red.
"I'll stay with you."
I tried to keep my voice from trembling with emotion.
"I will accompany you to meet my father as my fiancée."
I will formally and ceremoniously introduce to him, this is my fiancée, Katarina Claes, whom I cherish and love dearly, and whom I truly desire to marry as the one and only wife I love in my life.
She seemed as overwhelmed as I was, and after a long while, she whispered softly in my ear.
"Yes, Gerald-sama."
I still couldn't get myself to stop this disorienting giggle, and couldn't get my face to stop blushing.
So I kept this close position and listened to Katarina whine quietly about not being able to eat her favorite dessert because of my sudden visit.
Even her occasional little daughterly gestures are so endearing, even if it's a small complaint, it's adorable as hell.
I couldn't resist gently kissing her earlobe and leaving a unique mark that belonged only to me.
Her earlobe was as hot as my lips.
The kiss was like her favorite strawberry mousse.
"It's my fault, my beloved fiancée."
I lifted my head from her softness and looked at her with a smile on my face.
Her aqua blue pupils are rippling, it's the sunlight of the seasons gathering in her sparkling eyes, isn't it? So gentle and warm, I'm melting.
"I'll do my best to make it up to you, so please be ready."
Yes, this is Katarina, my beloved fiancée.
I will not break off the engagement no matter what, no matter how much the enemy gets in my way, and I will always grab her with these hands.
Tonight, it seems that I will be able to sleep for a long time.