I just sat on the bed, staring blankly ahead. I couldn’t even find the strength to move ever since I heard Billy’s words.

He said that Carl got engaged to none other than Lady Marghetta—who was now officially his fiancée and my soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

Despite the unexpected appearance of a rival, that girl insisted on walking the path of the first wife. Carl also spent over twenty years alone, but he had finally found his match.

Both were people who deserved congratulations more than anyone else. They deserved all the well-wishes they were receiving.

But not from me.

I had no place among those who should celebrate them. Even if the world congratulated them, I wasn’t worthy of doing that.

Of course. What right do I have to—

No.

I shook my head frantically, trying to dispel the dark thoughts that kept flooding in.

Carl must have had his reasons for not contacting me. Even Billy said it himself—it was a sudden engagement, and they had only just finalized it. He probably didn’t even have the time to send a message.

Yes, Carl was busy. He simply hasn’t had the time to tell me yet.

— I’m sorry to call you suddenly, but what would be a good gift for a lady?

Remembering that conversation with Carl brought a smile to my face.

I believe in him. Even though I did something unforgivable to him and even though he had every right to resent me, I felt that we were growing closer little by little.

That child, who was more mature than I was, was reaching out to someone like me.

Don’t worry about it.

Like Billy said, it was a rumor that would spread no matter how hard they tried to hide. If they wanted to keep it a secret, they would have handled the engagement differently.

That was why I shouldn’t worry about it. I should trust him. If I couldn’t even trust him, then what right did I have to call myself his mother?

— Mother.

And soon enough, that trust turned into happiness.

He really was just busy.

I almost laughed at the sight of Carl’s confused face. I shouldn’t, but seeing him so flustered was both surprising and endearing.

This child, who rarely showed his emotions, was now expressing them in front of me. He was in such a rush to tell me about his engagement.

In a way, it was the kind of normal family interaction we never had. A child showing emotions to their parents and sharing news of their engagement—something that was only natural.

But not for us.

We had spent more than twenty years without knowing what ‘normal’ was.

But now, that ‘normal’ had come to me like a miracle.

"Yes, Carl. What is it?"

So, I could smile. The road ahead was still long, but at least we were walking it together.

***Luckily, it didn't take long to find out what the nagging feeling I had before was.

"Let’s visit Tailglehen after the New Year’s Ball. I want to pay my respects to your parents again."

Marghetta spoke, her face slightly flushed. I nodded before patting her head.

"Yes, let’s do that. Now that their eldest son is finally engaged, they should know about it…"

I realized the reason for my unease as I spoke.

The eldest son, the heir to the family, and the engagement of such an heir. Add to this that noble marriages were an extension of politics. Even if people weren’t nobility, anyone would inform their family of an engagement. After all, an engagement was a promise of marriage, and that was something you would share with your family.

But... did I tell anyone about this engagement?

Damn it.

I hadn’t. Not to the Patriarch, not to Mother, and not even to Erich.

Honestly, everyone pretty much knew that I was going to marry Margaretha eventually, but keeping quiet about the engagement itself was an entirely different issue, wasn’t it?

"Carl?"

Marghetta tilted her head, puzzled when I suddenly froze while still patting her head. Louise and Irina, who were walking with us, also looked confused.

"Marghetta."

"Yes, what is it?"

"How do you think a parent would feel if their child didn't mention their engagement?"

Margaretha stiffened at my words, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"...You haven't told them yet?"

"No..."

"Not even once during the days you stayed in Wulken?"

"...No..."

My gaze drifted downward bit by bit.

Even though the engagement was only finalized today, the whole reason I went to Wulken was for this engagement. I had plenty of time to tell them.

However, I didn’t. There was no excuse. I simply forgot.

"I was just so busy while I was in Wulken..."

"You know that’s just an excuse, right?"

Marghetta’s firm response left me speechless. Even I knew that it was a weak excuse.

My eyes remained fixed on the ground, weighed down by guilt. Marghetta, who was always warm and gentle, now had a look of disappointment in her eyes.

Valenti was a family that valued kinship above all else. For someone like Marghetta, who was raised in such a household, the idea of a son keeping his engagement a secret must have been a shock.

"Tell them now. This isn’t something you can put off."

Of course she was right, so I quickly pulled out my communication crystal. If I postponed it again, I’d go down in history as the most ungrateful son in the empire.

No, this wasn’t just being ungrateful; it was utterly disgraceful. Carl Krasius, the Disgraceful Son. My heart sank at the thought.

***I called Mother under the watchful eyes of the three women. I should be telling the Patriarch, but as a fellow civil servant, I knew all too well how annoying the year-end work could be. I shouldn’t be bothering people during the end of the year.

That left only my mother.

— Yes, Carl. What is it?

Seeing Mother’s gentle smile on the screen made me feel a pang of guilt.

This was it... The disgraceful son was about to cry...

"Well, Mother, the thing is—"

However, I couldn’t bring myself to speak despite the turmoil I was feeling inside.

I mean, how many people could confidently say, ‘I just got engaged today but I forgot to tell you, so I just wanted to let you know now,’ and not feel like the worst bastard ever?

— I already heard. You got engaged to Lady Marghetta, right?

"...Yes."

How could I possibly look Mother in the eye if she found out about my engagement through someone else before I could even tell her?

— That’s wonderful news. Finally, the future of the Krasius family looks bright.

Even then, Mother didn’t scold me. I had been fully prepared to be reprimanded for making a mockery of the family, but she simply smiled and spoke kindly.

Her gentleness only made me feel worse. If she had gotten angry, then at least I would have accepted it wholeheartedly.

Perhaps sensing my distress, Mother continued in a calm voice.

— Don’t be too hard on yourself. It was a sudden engagement, so you probably didn’t have the chance to tell us. Even Erich thought you were heading to the capital.

I almost nodded at the warm words but held back, feeling Marghetta’s gaze on me.

If I let this slide, Marghetta might end up scolding me in Mother’s place.

“No, I should have told you right after the engagement was finalized. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

At my words, Mother let out a small laugh.

—Alright. Just make sure you tell me before the wedding.

“...Yes.”

I replied belatedly. She was talking about the wedding, but I was thinking about the multiple engagements that might still happen before then.

Of course, I couldn’t say anything like that at this moment. Even I had some sense.

—Will you be able to visit the territory when you have time?

“Of course. Marghetta and I were just discussing that.”

— Ah, so your fiancée is already thinking about her future mother-in-law.

There was a subtle bite in her words, and I responded with an awkward laugh.

***I quietly put away the communication crystal and turned my attention back to Marghetta, who nodded solemnly as if passing judgment.

“You did well.”

She looked like a judge delivering a not-guilty verdict, and I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“But as you said, let’s make sure this doesn’t happen again. Alright?”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

I made a deliberately exaggerated promise, but Marghetta’s expression remained complex.

She was probably thinking that someone who had made one mistake was capable of making another. It wasn’t an unreasonable judgment, but it made my heart ache a little.

“So even oppa makes mistakes.”

“I’m only human.”

Thanks to Louise’s timely interruption, the discomfort in my chest quickly faded. If I had been left to endure the silent, judgmental stares, I wouldn’t have lasted long. I felt grateful for the distraction.

“Hehe, I always thought you did everything perfectly from the start.”

Her innocent remark made me laugh again. If she had seen how I was when I first started as a civil servant, then she wouldn’t have said that.

My track record was nothing short of chaotic during my early days as a civil servant and later as an Executive Manager. Looking back now, it was amazing that I even survived.

“No one gets everything right from the beginning. We all grow through experience.”

Yes, we grow through experience. This whole situation happened because it was my first time dealing with both family and an engagement. But I was engaged now. I even reported it to my family.

So, I’d be able to do it properly when the time for my engagements with Lady Marghetta, Louise, Irina, and the 1st Manager came. Making the same mistake twice wouldn’t just be a mistake—it would be a sign of stupidity.

I might be a little clueless, but I’m not entirely brainless, either.

This time was due to a temporary lapse in judgment, but I wouldn’t let it happen again. I was going to become the Engagement Specialist—Carl Krasius.

As I made this resolution, I noticed the mansion coming into view.

“You all go ahead. I’ve informed the butler that you’re coming, so he’ll guide you inside.”

They should be able to find their way just fine without me, so I discreetly stepped back.

“...You’re not going to kneel again this time, are you?”

Marghetta asked with a nervous voice, flinching at my words.

I understood why she was concerned. This was exactly the pattern back in the Duchy of Wulken—I told her to go ahead when we were near the front gate, then suddenly dropped to my knees. No wonder it gave her PSTD.

“There’s no need to do that at my own house, is there?”

However, her worry was unfounded. That was in the Iron-blooded Duke’s fortress, where he lived. This mansion, however, was my own property. Who would kneel at the doorstep of their own home?

“I just have a quick errand to run. It’s not far, so I’ll be back soon.”

“Really soon, right?”

“Of course. I’ll let you know if I’ll be delayed.”

It was only then that Marghetta’s tense posture relaxed. My confident words seemed to reassure her that it wasn’t a big deal.

Unfortunately, it was indeed a bit of a big deal. Though I wasn’t planning to kneel or bow as Marghetta feared, it was still no ordinary task.

— Well, wherever you buy the ring should be fine. The stores in the capital are pretty much all top-notch these days.

“But there must be a ranking among them, right?”

— That’s true, but...

I remembered asking the 2nd Manager about a suitable jewelry store the other day.

—It just so happens that there’s one near your house. Seems like fate, doesn’t it?

I was planning to buy four rings as gifts to accompany my proposal.

—Walk straight down Akala Street, and you’ll find a three-story building. The entire place is a jewelry store.

It was now time to go and purchase them.