Chapter 128
After Fabio left, Erica gently placed both hands on her chest.
It was because of her heart beating abnormally fast.
Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt, but at the same time she felt comfortable and happy.
She carefully called out the name of the person who made her feel this way.
"Baron Rothschild, no, Fabio..."
Just calling his name made her heart beat faster.
'What if he had kissed my lips when proposing? I probably would have been too embarrassed.'
For Erica, who had never even held a man's hand except when ceremonially dancing at balls, thinking beyond that was too stimulating.
"As we get closer like this and have a wedding to become husband and wife, will I become Baron Rothschild's woman?"
Until just a few hours ago, Erica didn't have particularly special feelings for Fabio.
She just thought he was a special person different from young masters of other noble families, and easy to deal with because he didn't flirt unnecessarily.
Now just thinking of him made her yearn, want to meet him, and want to be loved more.
"Is this why troubadours said love is a disease?"
While Erica was at a loss by herself, her nanny entered.
The nanny could guess roughly what had happened looking at Erica.
The ring on her finger, her face flushed red like an apple, not knowing what to do.
'Our young lady has fallen in love.'
"Young lady, how was your meeting with Baron Rothschild today?"
Erica was so out of it she didn't even hear those words.
Her first love, experienced for the first time in her life, was more powerful than drugs.
The nanny clicked her tongue inwardly.
It wasn't because Erica looked pathetic, but because of Baron Rothschild who instantly bewitched women.
Still, reporting to Duke Visconti about the relationship with Baron Rothschild was a very important duty as a nanny...
"Young. Lady."
When the nanny called in a serious voice, Erica came to her senses.
"Ah, sorry nanny."
"It's alright, young lady. Anyway, how was your meeting with Baron Rothschild?"
Erica answered while carefully fiddling with the ring on her left ring finger as if it was more precious than anything:
"I felt good because I could feel he cherishes me very much."
"In what specific ways?"
"There's so much I want to say... First, I like that Baron Rothschild isn't too arrogant or too servile like other young masters."
Living as a duke's young lady, Erica had met over hundreds of noble young masters so far.
Their behavior patterns could be largely divided into two types.
Men of higher or similar status to her spoke flattering words to Erica while treating her with an attitude of looking down on her.
With a bit of prejudice, it could be summed up as "How dare you refuse when I ask you to dance?"
Depending on the person, the desire to somehow have her was also revealed.
On the other hand, those of lower status were busy flattering her and elevating themselves too much with honeyed words.
Desire to somehow capture Erica's heart to raise their social status, instinctive sexual desire to embrace a beauty, etc.
'Honestly, both are a bit disgusting.'
But Baron Rothschild was different.
"Even though his status is much lower than mine, he's always dignified, and doesn't harbor any ulterior motives towards me. He doesn't seem to have any thoughts of raising his family's status by marrying me, or obtaining the ducal family's vast wealth."
"Unlike other noble families, Baron Rothschild has ample financial means. That's probably a big reason he doesn't need to be greedy for money."
Even Duke Visconti and the Emperor don't know exactly how much income Fabio is earning.
But just with his publicly known income, Fabio is already earning too much money for a 'mere baron'.
A huge sum that even Libra, wife of a viscount family and nanny of the ducal family, finds enviable.
"Moreover, this time he gave me an engagement ring and said this."
"What did he say?"
"Even though we're a couple formed by political strategy, let's live honestly without hiding anything from each other. He said he'll love me sincerely too."
In political marriages, love is something that's nice to have but doesn't matter if it's not there.
In any noble family, there's a strong tendency to view the official wife as just a tool for giving birth, finished once she gives birth to an 'heir'.
Erica herself had lived accepting this as her duty and thinking this was how she should live.
'He kept pondering after hearing my trivial request and even created a completely new cuisine...'
So he could have mixed in a little lie and said he made it for her.
His sincerity in saying without hiding anything that he thought of her while making it moved her heart.
"As you know nanny, living as a noble means living without being able to trust anyone."
"Yes, that's right."
"But Baron Rothschild said he trusts me completely. And he said let's live for each other for life."
Erica has only lived for 15 years.
But she has experienced too many betrayals in her life.
Like a young lady who was close to her when young, completely ignoring her and pretending not to see her when they met next, just because her father's faction changed.
Or trusted coachmen and gardeners trying to sell her secrets.
Once she was almost assassinated by a cook.
'Father often said, don't even trust him.'
"A man who says let's love each other without any conditions, who may not be able to give me the stars from the sky but creates cuisine that changes the world's common sense to make me believe him. A prince who doesn't just look at me, but unlike other men, properly thinks of my happiness."
It hasn't even been an hour since Erica parted from Fabio.
But she wanted to meet him again.
This time when they met, she wanted to do more than just drink tea, she wanted to act spoiled.
Like when Alfred the Viscount, her father, very occasionally sat her on his knee when she was young.
Like sitting on Fabio's knee, or telling him everything that happened to her today and receiving empathy.
The nanny grinned.
"His Highness the Viscount will be pleased to hear this news too. I sincerely congratulate you on finding happiness."
"Thank you, nanny."
After saying that, the nanny became slightly playful.
You might wonder if a mere nanny can play jokes on a ducal family's young lady...
But noble family young ladies and young masters originally spend more time with their nannies than with their parents.
They're essentially like family.
'It would be good for Lady Erica to see directly what expression she's making now.'
"Young lady, let's look in the mirror."
Receiving a hand mirror, Erica was inwardly shocked seeing her face.
Her face flushed red like a ripe apple, biting her lips.
Meanwhile, the corners of her mouth kept smiling broadly.
"Was I really making this expression?"
"Yes, other maids could see too. Let's calm your excitement a bit."
"...... Alright."
As the nanny was about to leave, Erica asked one last thing.
"Nanny, but what do men like? Is it sexy things after all?"
"From what I've heard, men like it just if a woman prepares something diligently for them."
Hearing those words, Erica smiled brightly.
"Then I should bake some cookies for the Baron."
And from this day on, Erica started baking cookies occasionally whenever she had free time.
**
"Your Highness Viscount, I've brought a snack. This is..."
Hearing those words, Viscount Alfred put down his work for a moment.
"No need for long words, just bring it quickly."
And checking the snack, the Viscount frowned and got angry.
"Who made these cookies in such a terrible shape?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness."
"Why are the cookies so crooked? I asked who made them!"
Hearing that, the butler confessed the truth.
"Lady Erica baked them herself."
The Viscount suddenly became embarrassed.
His cute daughter baked cookies in her spare time for her dad who's tired from working. What does it matter if the shape is crooked?
No, it's fine even if they taste burnt from the dough.
Because they contain his daughter's love.
The Viscount immediately changed his attitude and made excuses.
"Ahem, ahem. Pretend you didn't hear that."
The Viscount knew well the principle that such cover-ups are never asked for empty-handed.
Alfred very naturally handed the butler some silver coins.
"I didn't hear anything. These are cookies baked by the young lady herself."
"Cookies baked by Erica herself."
Perhaps thanks to the patissiers properly teaching her on the side?
The taste itself wasn't bad.
It wasn't too sweet, and the slightly bitter taste was nice.
"Though the shape is a bit rough, they're really delicious. It seems like just yesterday Erica was toddling around..."
Just because nobles are too busy to pay much attention to their children doesn't mean they don't love them.
They're just clumsy at expressing it so they can't show it properly.
"Baking cookies thinking of this father."
Hearing those words, the butler broke out in a cold sweat.
He heard these were made for Baron Rothschild, and among them the good ones were to be given to her father to taste.
"Your Highness, the young lady baked these cookies for Baron Rothschild."
Hearing those words, Viscount Alfred froze for a moment.
"She said she wanted Your Highness the Viscount to taste the best ones while baking cookies for the Baron..."
Alfred was still happy.
He could eat cookies baked by his daughter anyway.
But separately from that, the shock of learning they weren't 'cookies baked by daughter for dad' soon...
Turned into a desire to properly educate the thief who stole his daughter's heart.
'Fabio seemed a bit weak physically because he didn't receive knight training.'
Shouldn't he be put in the knight order now for education?
So he can live long and healthy with Erica.
The Viscount himself was mistaking this entire train of thought as an adult's warm heart for his daughter and son-in-law.
"...... Our son-in-law seemed quite weak, for physical training in the knight order once..."
But Alfred soon had to give up that thought too.
It would be good to put Baron Rothschild in the knight order for training, but then that child Erica would be sad.
Moreover, he and his father initiated the political marriage, and it seemed like interfering with his daughter's happiness.
"Butler, tell them to prepare some good alcohol and snacks for tonight. I'll be drinking alone."
"Yes, Your Highness."
That night, the Viscount emptied a whole bottle of wine by himself.
Fabio had a nightmare that day.