I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!

Chapter 45: Engagement Ceremony

My room inside the mansion.

I was lying on the bed sprawled out as I enjoyed Amagis lap pillow.

It really felt like I was back home.

Amagi, hows Rosetta doing?

After finishing her tour of the mansion, shes currently taking a break to catch up with her family.

boring.

I wanted her to either break down in despair or act more rebelliously.

But right now she just seems to be happy to reunite with her family.

Or should I just be a more patient?

I see try to keep an eye on her. I took everything from her, afterall.

Everything? Does that mean youve already embraced her?

Eh? What?

Amagi made a troubled expression.

Isnt she cute?

Master, shes going to be your wife in the future, if you continue to spend time with me like this, then friction might build between the two of you.

If that ever happens, Ill just throw her away. Problem solved.

If you abandon Lady Rosetta, youll lose the trust of the noble society, Master.

Then, should I just put her under house arrest? I hate petty women.

My previous lifes wife she was one of them.

She always found some way to find fault with me.

I could still remember her taking the presents I gave her and throwing them in the trash.

My chest hurt just thinking about it.

If I ever saw her again, I swore Id kill her with my own hands.

Maybe if I asked the guide, hed bring her to me?

But now that I think about it, I dont really want to see her, so wouldnt it be better to keep the status quo?

Lets just vent all my built up depressing feelings on Rosetta.

Shell surely resist me.

And in return Ill

Master.

Yes?

Amagis words brought me pulled me back from my delusions.

Lady Rosetta is going to become your wife. Please treat her gently.

Unfortunately, I couldnt answer that request, so I stayed silent.

After all, I only took Rosetta as my wife so I could break her.

Well, with Amagi and Brian always saying, Take a bride already-!, I cant really deny that I was feeling a little pressured to.

Amagi was stroking my head,

Were planning to have your engagement ceremony after you graduate from elementary school.

okay. No, wait.

I sat up and turned to Amagi.

Is there something wrong?

Lets have the engagement ceremony as soon as possible. I want to do it during our vacation time.

Thats not enough time to prepare.

Dont worry about it. Were you planning to have a luxurious engagement ceremony for Rosetta? Its okay to be modest, just set it up quickly.

Theres also Lady Rossetas education to consider. She needs to spend at least three months inside an education capsule first.

Rosetta has only gone through the minimum of physical enhancements and education through the capsules.

This was the main reason for her results in school.

Therefore, in order to improve her grades as soon as possible, were having her use an education capsule during the vacation.

Quickly send her into the capsule and prepare for the ceremony.

as you wish.

No matter how strong Rosettas steel spirit was, once we had our engagement ceremony, she be forced to accept reality no matter how much she hates it.

Id also be able to take the Claudia houses Ducal status.

But we wouldnt be officially married yet, so my position would be more like a future-duke though.

Ah~ Im looking forward to this.

Rosetta I will definitely break your spirit.

The education capsule room in the Banfield estate.

Doctors, escorts, and maid androids were all present there.

Rosetta had covered her body with a thin cloth.

Its different from the basic capsule we have at home.

The contrast couldnt have been more distinct a specialised female staff was currently preparing the high-end capsule for use.

A female doctor explained,

This will be a short-term adjustment. Considering the rehabilitation period that comes afterwards, you should be done in about four months.

Most of the long vacation will be over.

Looking at Rosetta, the female doctor began to comfort her,

I heard about your grandmother. Id like for you two to have more time together, but this is Lord Liams order.

Yes, I know. My grandmother wants this as well.

She wiped her tears.

Rosetta was crying, but it was because her grandmother wasnt feeling well recently.

Even if they used elixirs, they couldnt fix her broken spirit.

Elixirs could cure any injury or illness.

However, all life had a limit.

It was possible to extend her life a little, but Rosettas grandmother was quite old.

Aside from her body, her mind and soul were at their ends.

She was running out of time.

Lady Rosetta, well do everything we can in as little time as possible, but please dont forget that this wont be enough. Your full use of education capsule will start after you graduate from elementary school.

Rosetta raised her face,

Ill leave it to you.

She then removed the cloth before entering the liquid inside the capsule naked.

Within the capsule, Rosetta was curled up like a fetus.

(Grandmother, I hope youll be able to participate in the engagement ceremony)

Falling unconscious, her body strengthening and studies in the capsule had begun.

Liams merchant Thomas was in a frenzy.

Hurry it up! We need to get everything ready before the engagement ceremony!

Count Banfields engagement had been announced.

Moreover, there was less than half a year before the actual ceremony happened.

The subordinates were rushing to load the containers onto the ship.

Is there a reason why theyre in such a rush? Couldnt they have just held the engagement ceremony after they graduated from elementary school?

Thomas explained to his complaining subordinates,

The daughter of the Ducal house Lady Rosettas grandmother doesnt have much longer to live.

The subordinates fell into thought,

In other words, Liam was rushing the engagement that Rosettas grandmother could see her granddaughters proud moment before it was too late.

Thomas was trying to answer those feelings,

Apparently theyve been living quite the difficult life until now. If we dont do our best here, we cant call ourselves merchants of the Banfield house.

The subordinates silently returned to their work.

Somethings weird.

The territory has been strange recently.

Usually, around this time some kind of wacky fashion would be trending, but what was popular right now was my story.

For some reason, the motive behind me rushing the engagement ceremony was suddenly because of Rosettas grandmother.

Watching the news on the monitor, the newscaster was explaining the event,

Lady Rosetta, who Lord Liam had decided to make his fiance, seems to have lived quite the harsh life until now.

The report then starts to tell Rosettas circumstances, and explains in detail how the Claudia Ducal house has been treated.

They overdid it.

The things they were telling were way worse than what Wallace told me.

And to save such a Rosetta, Lord Liam decided to marry her! and so forth.

The mass media in the territory was under my control, but it was kind of unpleasant when they made the lies so obvious.

Itll have the opposite effect and make me look more like a joke.

And the previous Duchess Lady Rosettas grandmother, isnt feeling well.

Ive been told that we were using elixirs to prolong her life.

But this is the first time Ive heard that this was the reason behind the rushed engagement ceremony.

I looked towards Amagi, who was currently attending to me,

Whats the meaning of all this?

Because Masters and Lady Rosettas story makes good gossip, isnt only natural for it to become popular amongst your people? By the way, it looks like talks of turning it into a drama or a movie are in the works.

youre kidding me.

They were making it sound like my meeting with Rosetta was fate.

Despite there being no such elements, it suddenly transformed into some kind of emotional story.

Are the people of my territory okay? Are they acting like this because theyre at the breaking point?

Did I tax them too harshly? Lets take a break, and squeeze them again after a while.

Amagi, lets lower the taxes, but only a little bit.

Thats surprising. You want to lower the taxes during the engagement ceremony?

Precisely! Lets make things a little cheaper so that my people can have a break.

In that case, Ill arrange for it right away.

I wiped my sweat.

My people were making me uneasy.

Although they were making things convenient, they were scaring me.

No, wait I can use this situation.

To have made a good story out of Rosettas humiliating meeting with me, she would surely be mortified.

Im looking forward to that.

It looks like this engagement ceremony is going to be fun.

As I grinned, Amagi silently watched over me with a smile.

When the long vacation was almost over.

A large number of visitors had rushed over to the Banfield mansion.

Wallace was dressed in formal wear, and was currently enjoying a drink,

I was expecting a more extravagant part, but this really gives off a calming feeling.

Kurt was also invited, and attending the ceremony in his own formal wear.

But isnt it beautiful?

For a Counts ceremony, it gives off an amazingly calming atmosphere. Im not saying he skimped out or anything. Its just happy to see that he didnt do anything weird.

Sometimes, nobility made their parties too elaborate often creating events that cant be understood.

The only kind of weird events that I know to have succeeded would be bucket parties.

Oh, but arent bucket parties classics?

Yeah, Ive only participated in them a few times, but theyre amazing. Definitely classics. The person who thought of them must be a genius.

The participants were enjoying the food and drinks that were set up in a buffet-style.

Kurt looked around,

There sure are a lot of aristocrats in attendance. My father seems to be making a lot of greetings.

There were a lot more nobility attending than in the last ceremony.

And Wallace knew why.

(Liam were you aiming for this?)

Liam had declared himself as hostile to the Berkley family.

With them having a common enemy, the sensible nobles were gathering around Liam.

Although they were still in a phase of wait-and-see, Wallace was still surprised.

(This doesnt bode well the war between the Banfield and the Berkley houses, this will no doubt become a proxy war thatll involve the other nobles of the Empire.)

This will become a war between the virtuous nobility and the unscrupulous ones.

The representative of the virtuous ones being Liam.

Ah, Liams here.

Liam had appeared in the video projected into the sky.

Both him and Rosetta were dressed in clothes of pure white.

The engagement ceremony.

Apparently, both Earth and the Intergalactic Empire had the tradition of taking kisses and vows in front of a great number of people.

They were quite similar in that aspect as I thought so, I felt the desire to see Rosettas face, which was currently hidden behind a veil, grow within me.

A man who had taken the role of priest told us to say our vows and face each other.

Rosetta, how are you feeling?

When I called out to her, she didnt answer back.

Surely, that was because she must be making an amazing face full of regret right now.

Everything of yours will become mine. Both your family and the status you were supposed to inherit all of it was taken by me.

As I slowly lifted the veil, Rosettas face was visible from the jaw.

Just from that, I could see that her makeup and skin was clear and beautiful.

Her fresh lips were brightened with lipstick.

huh? Isnt something wrong here? I thought shed be clenching her teeth right now, but that didnt seem to be the case.

Or was this a state of lethargy?

Well, as long as her spirit was broken, itd still be worth seeing.

As I slowly lifted the veil and revealed Rosettas face her cheeks were flushed.

Her moist eyes were shining as she looked straight into mine.

hey, wait a second! Somethings wrong!

Did she already give up?! I thought she was a woman with a spirit of steel!

And when I looked a Rosettas face

Thank you for accepting me as I am! Darling, I I! I promise to always be by your side!

Darling?! Did she eat something strange?!

This change was at a level where I suspected the doctor mightve brainwashed her in the education capsule.

However, the maid androids told me, We did the usual treatment.

So thats proof that they didnt do anything.

They cant lie to me, so I know that what they told me is correct.

Rosetta closed her eyes and leaned in close.

I thought shed be disgusted by this, I was completely caught off guard.

In anycase looking at her up close, rather than cute, wasnt she like insanely beautiful?

No matter how I looked at her, she was gorgeous.

And so, I kissed her to advance the ceremony.

A tear fell from her eye.

Dont tell me, was she was doing all this to trick me?

E-even that would still be okay.

Thatd be proof that her spirit hadnt broken and she was looking to stab me in the back.

Our lips parted.

Rosetta, Im looking forward to our future together.

It was a phrase said with all my feelings of making her surrender to me.

As I smiled while saying that, Rosetta wiped her tears with her finger and sent her own glowing smile right back at me.

Yes, darling.

wait a second! D-did she actually fall for me?!

At the venue, there was laughter at the sight of Liam getting flustered.

It wasnt a laugh made to make fun of someone, but more of one made when watching over another with a smile.

Meanwhile, Wallace was observing Liams knights.

The head knight was Christiana.

Marie was her deputy.

Both were talented female knights that just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Where does Liam find such people? Two knights at that level are rarely seen even in the palace.

Then, at the engagement ceremony, congratulatory messages were being read out.

Some of them came from ministers.

Wallace silently continued to drink,

(Does this mean the prime minister also has expectations for Liam? No, that old fox isnt that nice of a guy. Im sure hes trying to keep the balance with the Berkley family.)

However, if the prime minister did have expectations for Liam

Wallace smiled,

Well, as long as my patron is competent and happy, Ill cooperate a little. Id be troubled if he suddenly disappeared on me afterall.