The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

While the format mirrored a typical outdoor tea party, the setting resembled a celebration tailored for children. This aligned perfectly with the gathering\'s stated purpose as a parenting meetup.

The Viscountess\'s efforts didn\'t go unnoticed, as praise flowed from all directions.

"You must have gone to great lengths, my lady. This setup allows the adults to chat comfortably while the children play to their hearts\' content."

"With so many servants around, we needn\'t worry about accidents either."

"I took a quick tour and noticed you\'ve decorated not just the garden, but the playroom in the mansion as well. Your experience really shines through, Viscountess."

Sensing success amidst the flood of compliments, Riona Peter softened her gaze and responded humbly.

"This gathering is for all of you. I couldn\'t in good conscience prepare anything less."

"Oh, how modest! My husband\'s eyes nearly popped out of his head, you know? Though now he\'s thoroughly engrossed in conversation with the other men."

This parenting gathering was a couples\' affair.

While a women-only event would have sufficed, this meetup was special. Their particular circumstances necessitated the couples\' attendance rule.

"It seems almost everyone has arrived, wouldn\'t you say?"

"Yes, well, everyone except for Duchess Luminel and her husband."

"The one from the temple..."

The reason for the couples\' attendance rule?

It stemmed from Harte and Elphisia\'s tendency to move as a pair.

This was only natural. Given Harte\'s inexperience in social settings, allowing him to venture out alone risked exposing him to potential insults or humiliation.

Elphisia served as a shield, protecting Harte from such unsavory incidents. Thus, inviting them separately was out of the question.

Meanwhile, the women\'s husbands were equally curious about Harte, making the couples\' rule an easy decision.

As everyone anxiously awaited the arrival of the main actors, glancing at the clock...

The estate\'s guards allowed passage to a carriage bearing the ducal crest.

---

---

"Welcome to the Viscount Peter\'s estate! Duchess Luminel, and Sir Harte."

The Viscountess greeted us with a warm smile. She then turned her gaze to Tina and Glen beside us, showering them with praise.

"Oh my, I caught a glimpse at the ball, but your children are truly adorable and handsome. Despite their youth, their future looks promising."

"Thank you for your warm welcome."

"We appreciate the invitation. Let\'s enjoy ourselves today."

Elphisia\'s formal speech caused the Viscountess\'s shoulders to rise slightly.

"Please, Duchess, feel free to speak casually."

"As my husband shows you respect, I cannot do otherwise."

"My goodness..."

She covered her mouth with both hands, seemingly deeply moved.

However, as the hostess, she couldn\'t remain idle. The Viscountess soon gestured for us to enter and began guiding us.

"Everyone\'s currently enjoying tea in the garden. The children seem a bit tired from listening to dull adult conversations... but introductions are still necessary."

"We\'re sorry for making the children wait due to our lateness."

Arriving early is a matter of etiquette, not just in noble circles.

If only we\'d spent less time fussing over Tina and Glen\'s outfits...

Our indecision while dressing them up had eaten away precious time.

The Viscountess, however, gracefully overlooked our mistake with a witty remark.

"There\'s no need for apologies. Isn\'t it customary for the stars of the show to make a fashionably late entrance?"

"Haha... If you see it that way, we couldn\'t ask for more."

The Viscount\'s estate was vast.

Though Elphisia had previously explained the extent of Viscount Peter\'s wealth, experiencing it firsthand was a different matter entirely. I couldn\'t fathom the level of influence required to maintain such a sprawling mansion in the capital.

After a few minutes of pleasant conversation and walking...

We finally set foot in the garden, the heart of the parenting gathering.

"Haa!"

At that moment, a muffled exclamation escaped from somewhere. Tracing the sound with my eyes, I found its source: children frozen in place.

To be more precise, young ladies around Glen\'s age stood with their eyes wide in astonishment.

I easily guessed the reason.

\'Glen is exceptionally handsome, after all.\'

This boy, though not yet old enough to grow facial hair, is quite the charmer. Even in the original story, descriptions of his decadent beauty were never lacking.

If I had to find a comparable example, it would be Yulian...

But Yulian\'s image in my mind is so thoroughly ruined that I no longer see him as handsome. The moment he started calling me "Daddy," Yulian\'s impression was already beyond salvaging.

"Ahem, *cough*!"

Just then, the Viscountess cleared her throat to redirect attention. She then announced the start of the gathering with a smile that seemed skillfully practiced.

"Now that our final two guests have arrived... let\'s begin the gathering!"

With this opening declaration, numerous eyes sparkled with curiosity. The family at the center of so many rumors was already the focus of attention.

"It\'s a pleasure to meet you. I\'m from the Baroness Horhe family..."

"This is Countess Greta, and..."

For a while, we exchanged introductions with those seated near us. During this time, Elphisia adeptly mediated, receiving introductions while also knowing when to politely cut them short.

Some expressed surprise at Elphisia\'s social prowess.

"Was Duchess Luminel always this good at socializing?"

"I had no idea. She always sat quietly at banquets and left without a word."

"Indeed... who could have guessed she\'d be bold enough to argue with Her Majesty the Empress?"

Comments flew back and forth, wondering how Elphisia had managed to conceal her true nature all this time. Though we had only just begun, the flow of conversation was already branching out endlessly.

Riding this current, the time for introductions finally reached us.

While Elphisia and I breezed through our introductions, it was a different story for Tina and Glen.

With all eyes focused on them, Tina was the first to speak up.

"Hello, I\'m Tina. I\'m ten years old, and my favorite game is hide-and-seek!"

"... I\'m Glen. Also ten, and I\'m learning swordsmanship from the Duke."

One was lively, the other composed. Fortunately, both received overwhelmingly positive responses.

Some adored Tina\'s cute personality, while others highly praised Glen\'s unusual composure for his age.

With introductions complete, it was time to separate the adults\' and children\'s spaces.

"Children, you\'re free to play now. Feel free to explore most areas near the mansion and make plenty of friends."

"Okay! Dad!"

"I\'ll do my best, Director."

As the children turned to leave with these reassuring responses, Elphisia called out to Glen in a stern voice.

"... Wait a moment, you. Stop right there."

"Yes...?"

Glen stopped, bewildered, and turned back towards us. Elphisia approached him directly and smoothed out his shirt collar.

"Your appearance is unkempt."

"Ah! I\'m sorry, Vice Director."

"... There\'s no need to apologize for such a trivial matter."

Elphisia dusted off even the faintest traces of dirt before sending Glen off. Seeing this, Tina looked up at her with eager eyes.

"Mom, is my dress okay? It\'s not wrinkled, is it?"

"It\'s fine."

"Oh..."

I chuckled softly as I watched.

\'Tina must have wanted to be fussed over too...\'

Even if her outfit was impeccable, she likely craved at least a pretense of attention. Elphisia, in her awkwardness, seemed to have overlooked this desire.

Just as I thought this...

Elphisia reached out to Tina.

"... What\'s happened to your hair?"

Elphisia began tidying Tina\'s hair.

However, Tina\'s hairstyle remained unchanged from when we left the ducal mansion. In other words, Elphisia had seen through Tina\'s wish and was now putting on an act.

"Hehe... Sorry, Mom."

"I told you, there\'s nothing to be sorry about."

Immediately after, she bid farewell with a prim expression.

"Now, off you go and play."

"Okay!"

Tina scampered off excitedly, with Glen hurrying to catch up.

From this point on, it was truly time for the children.

---

---

Glen found the situation far from fun.

While Tina bounced around like an excited puppy, striking up conversations left and right, Glen was the type who found excessive attention uncomfortable.

The contrasting reactions from two distinct groups made Glen particularly uneasy.

"So you dream of becoming a knight? Not bad. Should I gift you a sword?"

"Wow, your calluses are so hard. Can I touch your arm too?"

"Can I visit the ducal mansion? Not that I\'m particularly interested in seeing you or anything..."

"What\'s your ideal type?"

The girls seemed determined to flirt with Glen at every opportunity.

Though uncomfortable, Glen refrained from pushing them away. He feared that his actions might put Harte and Elphisia in a difficult position.

Meanwhile, the boys found this behavior utterly irritating.

Their eyes filled with envy, the boys subtly excluded Glen.

"Haah..."

As a result, Glen now found himself alone.

While the other children were engrossed in snacks, he had escaped to wander the mansion by himself.

Though not as expansive as the Luminel ducal residence, the Peter viscounty mansion was still large enough to make exploration enticing. With servants stationed at restricted areas, there was no worry of committing any faux pas.

Thus, Glen climbed to the top floor of the mansion to gaze outside through the windows.

\'There\'s the Director and Vice Director...\'

They were skillfully talking with various people.

Despite likely meeting most of these individuals for the first time, their ability to chat comfortably with smiling faces amazed Glen. At the same time, he felt somewhat inadequate, given his own lack of social grace.

\'Tina\'s playing so energetically... while I...\'

Even here, she was engaged in a game of hide-and-seek.

She was even deliberately acting like an ordinary person, knowing full well that no one could catch her if she tried her best. Tina\'s knack for accommodating others in play had developed to an astonishing degree.

\'I... ran for my life for 30 minutes...\'

The memory still left him breathless. It could rightfully be called a form of psychological trauma.

Soon, Glen gave up his people-watching and wandered down the long corridor. As he reached the end of one hallway, he discovered a very narrow staircase.

\'Wasn\'t this already the top floor?\'

Unable to resist his curiosity, he ascended the cramped stairs.

It wasn\'t a tall staircase. Less than ten steps in total.

Upon reaching the top and glancing to the side, Glen spotted a small door. He guessed it likely led to an attic space.

\'If it were off-limits... someone would be guarding it, like the other rooms, right?\'

Following this logical reasoning, Glen pushed open the attic door.

Whoosh!

Air rushed out from inside. Simultaneously, the scent of grass tickled Glen\'s nose.

It was an unusual smell for an attic, piquing his interest further.

As Glen ducked to pass through the small doorway, he heard:

"Who\'s there?"

"Whoa!"

The sudden sound of a girl\'s voice.

Startled by the unexpected presence, Glen lost his balance and fell backwards.

Thud!

The sound of his rear hitting the floor echoed loudly. He struggled to hide his embarrassment.

Regaining his composure, he focused his gaze ahead.

In the dim light, he saw a girl about his age.

The girl\'s eyes were closed. She kept them shut as if it were perfectly normal, even with light streaming in from the doorway.

Moreover, hay was piled high around her, as if in a stable.

This clearly explained the grassy scent that had greeted Glen upon opening the attic door.

As Glen tried to assess the situation, the girl asked once more:

"Um... who are you?"