After hearing Agnes's account of her first meeting with Prince Antonio, I could somewhat understand his sudden obsession with her. From Antonio’s perspective, it probably felt like a fairy tale—a prince on a white horse, or perhaps more accurately, a miraculous savior appearing out of nowhere during a crisis only to vanish without leaving her name.

Agnes's intentions didn’t matter much in this context. In Antonio’s mind, she remained as the mysterious woman who saved him and then disappeared without a trace. Even though Agnes herself didn’t think much of the event, it was clear that, from Antonio’s point of view, the memory had likely been exaggerated and idealized over time.

"Antonio isn't a bad person," I mused.

He didn’t particularly desire more power, but that was largely because his circumstances had shaped him that way. He had a gentle nature, always smiling mysteriously, which was more a defense mechanism than anything else—a way to navigate the complex world of royalty. He never betrayed anyone in the original story, and aside from his lower capabilities in the context of the Demon King’s raid, he was a good character.

His lack of combat prowess wasn’t a reflection of his humanity. Judging people solely based on their fighting abilities was hardly an objective measure to begin with.

"But then again, my evaluation of Antonio doesn’t really matter at this point."

Even though this situation arose from the chain of events that Ethan and I inadvertently set in motion by attending the masquerade ball, ultimately, the future decisions rested with Antonio and Agnes. Their relationship would unfold according to their own choices, not mine.

No matter how much I highlighted Antonio’s virtues, it wouldn’t matter if Agnes wasn’t interested. Conversely, if she was inclined towards him, there wasn’t much anyone could say to change that.

My role was simply to listen to Agnes's concerns and offer her a bit of advice.

"What do you want to do, Miss Agnes?" I asked.

"...What?" she replied, seemingly caught off guard.

"It was a sudden confession, but it was still a confession. Running away doesn’t make it disappear, Miss Agnes."

"...I know," she admitted, leaning against the railing and staring out at the palace grounds. Despite the late hour, the lights from the capital illuminated the streets below, a view she would see every day if she became a princess. No wonder she was troubled.

If I were in Agnes's position, I’d be just as conflicted.

"First, I need to figure out if he’s serious," she said.

"And if he is?" I probed.

"...If he’s serious, then I guess I’ll do it," she said, though her tone lacked enthusiasm.

"Really?" I asked, somewhat surprised.

"It would give me an advantage in the succession struggle. If I get engaged to a prince, it would meet most of the qualifications the family elders are always harping on about," she explained.

I couldn’t help but notice how she immediately factored her succession into such an important decision. I wasn’t trying to undermine Antonio, but I hoped Agnes would approach this with more caution.

If she accepted the engagement with Antonio purely out of necessity, they might miss the chance to truly understand each other.

"I understand where you’re coming from, Miss Agnes, but don’t you think it’s a bit early to decide?" I suggested.

"...What?" she responded, a bit confused.

"I mean, engagement is the step before choosing a lifelong partner. Isn’t it too hasty to decide after only meeting him twice?"

She remained silent, considering my words.

"Even if you’re thinking of getting engaged to Prince Antonio, wouldn’t it be better to take some time to get to know each other first? He’ll be enrolling in the academy next year, so you’ll naturally have more opportunities to meet and spend time together."

Initially, Agnes seemed doubtful, but as she listened, I could tell she was seriously contemplating my suggestion. After all, she had previously benefited from my advice, and as one of her few friends, my words likely carried some weight.

I could sense her genuine hesitation about missing out on this opportunity.

"But what if I say that and Antonio gets offended and calls off the engagement?" she asked.

"Then that just means he wasn’t the right person for you. An engagement with someone like that would’ve only led to unhappiness, so there’s no need to feel regret."

"...You’re not just saying that because it’s not your situation, right? It’s not like opportunities to get engaged to a prince come around every day."

"The same goes for you, Miss Agnes. How often do you think the chance to marry the future head of the Elizabeth family and the Red Tower’s master comes around?"

"The future head of the Elizabeth family... and the future master of the Red Tower... Yeah, I guess you’re right," she said, her pride clearly evident.

As I mentioned before, in the original game, Agnes ended up with the hero in most cases, but if not, she usually had a solo ending. In other words, only someone like the hero was deemed worthy of being with Agnes.

So, from an objective standpoint, it was almost as if Antonio was the one getting a chance with Agnes.

At this point, when Agnes hadn’t yet participated in the Demon King raid or been acknowledged as the next head of the Elizabeth family, this was the only time they were on somewhat equal footing.

"In a relationship, the one who’s more invested usually has the upper hand. If you accept a public confession like this without setting any boundaries, how do you think Prince Antonio will perceive you in the future?"

"...How would he perceive me?"

"He might think, ‘This woman doesn’t mind if I act rudely towards her,’ and that could lead to him taking liberties—trying to rush intimacy before marriage, ignoring what you enjoy during dates, or even taking other wives or mistresses without caring about your feelings."

"...Could that really happen?"

"Yes. That’s why it’s important to be clear from the start. You need to let Prince Antonio know that this public confession was inappropriate and that it’s too soon for an engagement. Suggest getting to know each other first. That way, he’ll realize that you’re serious and not someone to be trifled with just because he’s a prince."

"..."

"But this is just my opinion. The final decision is yours. If you choose to accept the engagement simply because he’s a prince, I won’t stop you."

I might have exaggerated a bit to make my point. Given the Antonio I knew from the game, it was unlikely he would demand physical intimacy before marriage or take multiple mistresses. But it didn’t hurt to be cautious. People’s personalities can change, and I had no way of knowing how meeting Agnes had affected Antonio over the past two years.

Just look at Ethan—he’s completely different from the character he was in the game.

...Though in Ethan’s case, the changes were for the better, there’s no guarantee that would always be the case.

-Bam!

"Found you! There you are!"

"Miss Agnes! I mean, Lady Princess! Please, you must return to the Sunflower Hall..."

At that moment, the palace guards burst into the outdoor garden, looking relieved to have finally found us. Judging by their exhausted expressions, they must have searched each floor one by one before reaching us.

...Well, their timing wasn’t too bad. I had already said everything I needed to.

"Stop calling me princess. It hasn’t been decided yet."

"...Pardon?"

"And don’t stand so close to me. I’m not running away. I just needed some time to think."

"Yes, my lady!"

At Agnes’s firm tone, the guards immediately straightened up and stepped back, showing her the respect she commanded. Though she wasn’t yet engaged to Antonio, she was already recognized as someone who had caught his eye.

I followed her as we headed back to the Sunflower Hall. Walking beside me, Agnes brought up the conversation we had just had in the garden.

"You said in love, the one who cares more loses, right?"

"Yes, Miss Agnes."

"I’ll keep that in mind. Because it was you who said it, Lillis."

"Thank you, Miss Agnes."

"After all, watching you and Ethan, it seems you weren’t wrong."

"...What?"

Before I could fully grasp the implication of her last comment, Agnes pushed open the door to the Sunflower Hall and re-entered the banquet. Now, all I could do was quietly observe and see what decision she would ultimately make.