Chapter 26 - -26 : Let’s get married
The spring season came a little earlier in Ratz, the capital of the Berg Empire, which was located in the southernmost province of Carlsbar. Arvis estate was starting to bear buds as May came, but the whole city of Ratz was already awash with the sweet scent of roses.
Matthias had a sudden glimpse of thought over the changing of the season while passing through the gardens of the Crown Prince's Palace. He suddenly halted in his steps, and the other officers who were trailing from behind stopped as well.
"What's up?"
"No." Matthias answered short, "Nothing." He smiled a little, the tip of his lips lifting.
The brief silence broke after Matthias got his stride back. The young aristocratic guard officers continued to converse playfully. Their faces and voices glowed with excitement while discussing how to spend this fine spring weekend and roughly met with a very similar conclusion altogether.
Party. Horse racing. Alternatively, having a spring date with a lover.
"Our Captain will leave his fianceé and spend a lonely spring."
The horde of officers giggled in a bunch when one of their peers cracked a joke. Matthias just casually grinned and gave a faint chuckle in response to his men's jesting.
The engagement ceremony between Duke Herhardt and Lady Brandt, which was hosted at the end of last summer, took place successfully. Over several weeks, the couple who had been officially betrothed had become a hot topic of buzz within the society.
However, Matthias didn't feel much of a change from his everyday life. A week after his engagement, he was assigned to the Berg's army garrison and had to leave for the capital the day after. Meanwhile, Claudine, who had been staying in Arvis estate, returned to the Brandt's estate, which was situated in the center of Carlsbar, a metropolis that was a long distance away from the capital city of Ratz.
So, nothing had changed from their previous mode of living, except for the fact that their engagement had been made public. During the social season, Claudine stayed at the mansion the Brandt's had in Ratz for a while. It was nothing new for her, however, since she had been a regular visitor to the estate on a seasonal basis for quite some time before then. Aside from that, they also attended the social events together, as they always did in the past.