Chapter 141: My Beloved 8

“Haah…”

With a heavy sigh, Estelle paced around her chamber.

Outside, the fruits of her persistent efforts – the goods from the Dragonian Empire – had arrived, and the people of Bohemia’s lord and those sent by the lords of the Heretical Alliance were busily attending to their tasks.

However…

Despite the manifestation of her long-awaited goals before her very eyes, Estelle’s heart was shrouded in gloomy clouds.

The reason was simple.

Regardless of this endeavor unfolding according to her intentions, she had ultimately failed to attain her ultimate desire – Santana’s love.

‘Or rather, put bluntly… my prospects may have worsened…’

For some time now, Estelle had sensed a distinct shift.

Since her attempted confession, leveraging this endeavor, Santana had begun displaying signs of deliberately avoiding her.

Previously, he had almost always accepted her dinner invitations and frequently engaged in conversation with her, though mostly confined to business matters.

Nevertheless, he had seldom outright refused her requests.

However, after her confession…

While not overtly rejecting her summons, Santana had grown increasingly evasive.

Even when present, he made minimal conversation and, perhaps due to her own perception, his gaze towards her had grown noticeably colder and more distant than before.

This series of events had inflicted profound anguish upon Estelle, who had journeyed thus far solely for the sake of his love.

‘I tried my utmost… I gave it my all to win that man’s heart…’

True, she had schemed regarding Polena along the way.

However, she had deemed it within her rights as his legitimate fiancée, even if the engagement was initially contractual.

While others might view it as arrogance, Estelle had chosen to believe so.

This was her first experience truly loving someone and feeling jealousy.

In such a situation, even she could be swayed into rash actions by her emotions.

But nonetheless…

There was a strong possibility that her actions had offended Santana, a fact Estelle deeply regretted alongside her premature confession.

‘I was too hasty… If I hadn’t been so impulsive, if I had only been more patient and approached him gradually… things would not have deteriorated to this point.’

As Estelle wracked her brain for a solution to this suffocating predicament, her vaunted intelligence failed to provide a clear answer.

Not only was the situation intricately tangled, but more crucially, she was unfamiliar with the emotion of love itself.

While she had fallen in love, she knew little about making the other person reciprocate her feelings.

The Dragonian Empire endeavor had been her attempt, but it now seemed to have failed as well.

‘In the end, was I merely a tool? A simple tool, incapable of gaining that man’s love?’

Given the nature of their contract engagement, such an interpretation was not entirely unfounded…

Thus, even as success loomed, Estelle’s heart was consumed by melancholy.

-“Knock, knock, knock”-

“…? Yes, come in.”

The sudden knocking prompted a mixture of curiosity and faint hope within Estelle.

While the possibility was slim, perhaps it was the very man she longed to see – Santana.

Then…

“…Pardon the intrusion.”

“Ah!…”

In the next moment, the sight of the man she had yearned for filled her vision – Santana himself.

Beholding him, a profound sense of joy welled up within Estelle’s heart.

“Ah… Welcome, Lord Santana.”

Estelle greeted me with a visibly delighted expression.

Witnessing her demeanor, I felt the burden I had already been acutely aware of grow heavier still.

‘Is her exuberant reaction due to my prolonged absence and sudden appearance?… It seems rather dramatic, in many ways.’

Estelle, who had maintained a poised, faint smile, now openly displayed her emotions.

However, my avoidance of her stemmed more from my own circumstances than any issue with her.

Although I had striven to keep my promise to Cazeros, I was no saint.

A beautiful woman expressing her affections for me – continuously facing such a situation would burden any man and potentially jeopardize my commitment to Cazeros.

Moreover, our engagement, though contractual, had created a psychological loophole within me.

‘After all, we are betrothed, so it should be fine…’ Such thoughts could easily arise.

It was only because Cazeros had returned in time, allowing me to uphold my promise to her, that catastrophe was averted.

Had our situation persisted for a few more months, who knows what might have transpired.

And in that regard… regardless of her affections, I could only be truly grateful to Estelle.

Had she not pursued this endeavor, delaying Cazeros’s return…

I might have committed an unforgivable act in Cazeros’s eyes.

However, the situation had essentially concluded.

Cazeros had returned, and I had consummated my relationship with her.

Soon, I intended to formally introduce her and, if possible, proceed directly to marriage.

All that remained was to provide Estelle, whose indirect assistance had enabled these circumstances, with a parting gift she found satisfactory – the best I could offer.

With my resolve thus strengthened, I carefully broached the subject with her.

As the initial joy of beholding Santana subsided, allowing Estelle to regain her composure, doubts and apprehensions began to surface.

Santana, who had consistently avoided her, now appeared before her of his own volition.

This implied he had something significant to convey to her – likely an extension of her previous confession.

‘Could this be… his intention to terminate our engagement, following that incident?… To end the contract and revert to being strangers once more…’

Given her limited understanding of Santana’s circumstances, such a development was certainly possible if certain conditions had been met.

Apprehensive about this prospect, Estelle cautiously inquired:

“Your unannounced arrival must mean you have something to discuss with me. What might that be?”

Estelle disliked beating around the bush.

Regardless of what lay ahead, she wished to hear the outcome as soon as possible.

And as if perceiving her intentions, Santana addressed her with a clear voice:

“Yes, that is correct. I have something to convey regarding… your previous confession.”

“…”

Although she had anticipated it, hearing those direct words inflicted a heightened sense of tension upon Estelle.

And Santana’s subsequent words were…