Chapter 117

How far had the rumor spread that even the word ‘engaged’ was floating around? It has only been a week since the tea party. Wait, was one week enough for it to spread?

‘Still, how could they be engaged?’

From a dating couple to now engaged. It was a bit of a sudden and rapid development. Rael and Angelica’s relationship had wandered off like that? Someone else had to have seen it.

Studying Tiana’s shocked reaction, Viscountess Garnett asked,

“Where did that rumor come from? I heard before that they’re just boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“I don’t know neither, but I think it started on the neutralists’ side.”

“Still, who made such a rumor…”

“Emperor Rael even gave her a necklace, I heard. Someone witnessed him putting it around her neck.”

“Say what?”

It had gone that far? All within just a week? That wasn’t possible.

No matter how much Rael said that he knows Angelica, they had met for the first time one week ago. But what on earth happened within that short period that they were exchanging gifts now?

Rael and Angelica. Though it was said that he has his heart set on her, he wasn’t the type to directly confess his feelings, and Angelica normally had to take some time before opening her heart to someone. They didn’t even confirm each other’s feelings in the original story until around the middle part.

Even if the rumor was true, wouldn’t it be confusing that they exchanged gifts?

“They said that Emperor Rael clearly gifted a necklace to Angelica? Doesn’t that sound like someone mistook that or made the wrong assumption?”

“From what I heard, someone definitely witnessed Angelica receiving a necklace. Wouldn’t it be right for Emperor Rael to put it around her neck?”

“Hmmm… Maybe?”

If Angelica had only received a gift box, all this would end with them exchanging gifts as a couple. Rael giving someone a gift was surprising in its own, but if it was just a gift exchange, the rumor wouldn’t have spread again just because their relationship had turned into an ‘engagement.’

The dilemma was that Rael had put the necklace around Angelica’s neck. If that were the truth, such a rumor definitely would have no choice but to spread.

About who witnessed what somewhere. Tiana was also curious about the one who spread the rumor. If it’s gotten out this far, there was no way of blocking it now. This is exactly what the two would have wanted.

As she quietly sighed to herself while trying her best to fix the troubled look on her face, Evett, who was calmly thinking still, spoke out.

“Wouldn’t it be shocking if that were true? Emperor Rael and Angelica del Verne getting engaged? I don’t know much about her, but it is a shock to hear that Emperor Rael has a girlfriend, uh, fiancée.”

“This rumor about their relationship has been around for a while, but the part about the engagement is recent.”

“Oh, really? I guess it is a fairly credible rumor. If it has spread to this degree.”

Viscountess Garnett nodded at his words.

“Because there is a new rumor from the neutralist side, to which the Verne family belongs. Sounds like solid information.”

“But still, Emperor Rael is getting engaged. If so, then marriage is…”

“Well… The Verne family is a prestigious family with a long history, but isn’t that difficult given their current situation?”

“Oh, well I did hear that their business isn’t going well these days.”

“The rumor has inevitably spread, but I think it’s a bit… too early to say that the two are getting married.”

“That certainly is true.”

Tiana nodded quietly at her words. Though the rumor about them getting married had spread, it was highly unlikely that that would come to fruition. Even if there were a real development in Rael and Angelica’s relationship, they couldn’t get married easily because Vernes’ current situation was different from that in the original story.

“I’m not sure if Angelica knows this rumor.”

“Wouldn’t she know? Since it started on the neutralist side, I think she may know enough.”

“When I was invited to the tea party last time, I didn’t even know that they were in a relationship.”

“Huh? Really? Oh, then is the rumor about them being boyfriend and girlfriend a lie? And the one about their engagement…”

“From what I confirmed, they are not in a relationship, so that must be a lie. But… I am not sure about their engagement. Because they can still get engaged even if they aren’t in a relationship…”

“That makes sense. If so, however, then the necklace Emperor Rael gave her…”

“It could be something to get the engagement ready. Isn’t it just a gift?”

If the two were getting engaged in this situation, it could be a sort of contract or something. Like when Rael found out Angelica’s weakness in the original story. It was possible since their first interaction had been so fast.

But it’s a little weak to sign a contract just because your weakness has been revealed. Rael wasn’t being pressured about marriage like he was at the beginning of the original story, and also, Angelica had a worse family situation than then.

Still though, what was his reason for pushing ahead with it?