After the scene where Clara and Mathilda shared their feelings and resolved to live together with Noein, Clara returned to Retvik, saying, “Once I’m home, I plan to ask my father for permission to marry Lord Noein as soon as possible.”
A few days later, Noein also made his way to Retvik to formally ask Arnold for Clara’s hand in marriage.
This time, since it wasn’t a business discussion, he was invited not to the reception room but to the mansion’s courtyard.
“…I’ve heard from Clara. Personally, I have no reason to oppose the two of you marrying. After all, I was the one who encouraged the engagement,” Arnold said, though his expression was somewhat unsettled.
“But, what method did you use this time? Until recently, my daughter was struggling with the idea of marriage, but she returned the other day with a remarkably refreshed expression… When I asked her about it, all she said was, ‘I found a hope to live and made up my mind.’”
“That would be thanks to Mathilda rather than myself,” Noein replied with a wry smile, glancing to his side. A little distance away, Mathilda and Clara were chatting warmly with each other.
“Even though I tried to show her every consideration, I couldn’t draw out her worries. But Mathilda managed to bring them to light with just a little conversation and even offered solutions. It seems that she’s the true hero this time,” Noein said, acknowledging Mathilda’s achievement. She had managed to cross a barrier Noein couldn’t, finding a path to happiness for Clara, herself, and Noein.
“I see… So, ‘a woman is stronger than a man when it comes to carving out her life,’ is that it?”
“Yes, I feel that anew,” Noein nodded, agreeing with Arnold’s murmuring of a common saying in their world.
In this world, full of challenges, women often possess a remarkable strength to accept reality and find hope within it. While men may waver, women make up their minds, look forward, and forge a path for themselves. Both Noein and Arnold deeply felt the truth of this wisdom passed down by their predecessors.
“In two months, the two of you will be getting married. That seems rather sudden,” Arnold said. Clara had apparently insisted on having the wedding as soon as possible, though sending invitations to other nobles and arranging wedding gifts meant the ceremony was scheduled for mid-July.
The Earlkvist and Keinitz families would have ample time to prepare as the hosts, though even by noble standards, it was quite a rush.
“…You don’t seem particularly enthusiastic. Am I imposing?” Noein asked, noticing Arnold’s subtle discomfort.
“No, it’s not a burden… It’s just that, judging by her demeanor up until now, I thought my daughter would take several more months before deciding on marriage. And now, in two months, she’ll be married and moving out… As a father, it’s… a little lonely,” Arnold replied, his discontented expression revealing his struggle to let go.
“So, Father-in-law feels sad about not being able to see his daughter often,” Noein teased.
“…When you call me ‘Father-in-law,’ it gives me goosebumps,” Arnold grumbled, looking even more annoyed by Noein’s playful tone.
…
The days passed, and summer arrived. Noein and Clara’s wedding preparations went smoothly, and soon, the night before the wedding came.
While Noein, the head of the Earlkvist family, was the wedding’s nominal main figure, the Keinitz family’s higher status and the logistics of hosting guests in Retvik made the Keinitz family mansion the most convenient venue.
That night, Noein was staying as a guest in a room at the Keinitz mansion. Although he was the groom, Arnold had arranged for him to share a room with Mathilda.
Now, all that was left was to rest up for the big day. Since his relationship with Mathilda wouldn’t change after marrying Clara, there was no sense of melancholy between them. In fact, an atmosphere of excitement filled the air, as they looked forward to a happy future as a trio.
However, there was something Noein was determined to do, something he wanted to convey to Mathilda.
“Mathilda, may I speak with you for a moment?”
Just as they were about to settle into bed, Noein called out.
“Yes, Lord Noein?” Mathilda turned to face him, and in his hand was a small box. It looked like a ring box.
Holding it, Noein approached Mathilda and knelt down on one knee in front of her.
Noein opened the box.
“This… Isn’t this the wedding ring meant for Lady Clara?”
Inside the box was a ring adorned with lapis lazuli, mined in Earlkvist territory. Crafted from the purest stone, it had been fashioned by the most renowned jeweler in the kingdom’s northwest, and Mathilda had seen it before, knowing it was the ring intended for Clara.
“No, it’s not. It’s the same design, but this one isn’t for Clara… It’s for you, Mathilda. I secretly had it made especially for you.”
Mathilda gasped, her gaze fixed on the ring he offered.
“Mathilda, you’ve been by my side since I was nine years old, supporting me more closely and for longer than anyone else. So if I were to give a ring as a symbol of eternal love, the first person I wanted to give it to had to be you. Will you accept it?”
When he asked, Mathilda’s eyes welled up, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
“M-Mathilda?”
“Forgive me, it’s just… I’m so happy, and yet, the tears won’t stop,” she said, her tears flowing freely. Noein stood and embraced her, gently wiping away her tears with his fingers, chuckling softly.
“Thank you, Lord Noein. I love you with all my heart. I am blessed to be yours. I am the happiest servant in the world.”
“And I love you deeply too, Mathilda. I’ll always make you happy. This ring is my pledge.”
As they held each other close, Mathilda felt an overwhelming sense of peace.
Noein kept holding her tightly, waiting until Mathilda had regained her composure.
