Saving The Villainous Monster From The Male Lead-Chapter 124 - 123: The Engagement Ceremony

Stella had arrived at the garden minutes before Hael and Eleanore appeared. The butler and the head maid were there, along with other servants, to congratulate their duke.

As if she was giving away her brother to Stella, Eleanore walked the pathway, as if it were an aisle, until they reached the stage where Stella stood. She let go off his arm and then moved to the side.

The small crowd of staff cheered, as he pulled out a new ring and replaced it with the previous one. Soon they kissed and the engagement ended with a small party.

The entrance hall of the mansion was filled with Stella’s luggage. She was busy guiding the staff on where to place them. Eleanore scanned through that luggage and found an old tailoring machine.

"Why is this so old?" She asked. "I’m pretty sure you have one much larger with better features than this one." Eleanore remarks.

Stella smiles, as she walks closer to her soon to be sister-in-law. "That is my first tailoring machine." She bends her neck, taking in the beautiful structure of the chandelier above them. "I worked day and night to earn money for this machine. Though times!" She exhales.

"You are truly amazing Stella. I could never imagine walking on your path." Eleanore praises her.

"Nonsense." Stella denies the way Eleanore tried to put herself down. "Our situations were different. I think I could never survive the things you did. We can never be compared."

Hael comes out of study and finds the two chatting. Somehow that gives him a homely feeling, like her family was complete and he needed nothing more. Just his sister and his dear wife, that’s all.

He sends Dean away and walks up to them. "What are you two discussing about?" He asks, popping his face between them.

"Nothing." Stella answers, turning away, feeling shy on seeing his handsome face.

"Stella? What’s wrong? Why are you looking away?" He asks, as he slips his hand around her waist and pulls her close to him.

"What the hell are you doing? Elle is still here." She reminds him, but he doesn’t care.

"So what?" He brushes his thumb on her chin. "She knows we are so in love."

Eleanore chuckles on hearing that, as she turns away from them.

Stella feels embarrassed and hits hard on his firm chest. Hael lets go, acting as if he was hurt badly. "Ouch! My heart."

"Stop it! I know you are acting." She shouts, her cheeks turning red.

Hael gives a high-five to his sister, and they start laughing, angering Stella.

"You two seriously. I am unsure what is going to come of me, with you two around." With that, he turns to the stair guiding a maid with the luggage. Her nose flared high in the air as she left.

The siblings laugh again. It was all just too fun and the way Stella reacts to their teasing makes them want to do it over and over again.

"So, what were you two talking about?" He envelopes his arm over Eleanore’s shoulder.

"Nothing just here and there."

"Really?"

Her eyes fall on the tailoring machine and a thought pass through her mind. "What will happen after the marriage?" She utters.

"What?" Hael couldn’t quite understand her words.

"I mean what will happen to Stella’s business, brother?" She turns to him.

Hael removes his hand from over her shoulder and falls into a deep thought. He could understand why Eleanore had asked that question.

After the marriage, Stella will become the duchess of the kingdome. She will have some responsibilities and while she can take care of both together, there is still a custom restricting her from doing that.

A noble lady cannot have a business of her own. She must take care of the household after marriage. It is a propaganda, to weaken the women of the kingdom, not giving them equal rights to have a career of their own.

"Do not take away this dream from her, brother." She requests. "She has worked too hard for it."

"I know." He answers, somewhat feeling exhausted.

"She must continue her business." Eleanore turns to him, with a firm voice. "I won’t allow you to stop her."

Hael walks to her and pulls her cheeks. "Who is her soon to be husband? Me or you?"

Eleanore covers her throbbing cheeks, when he lets go.

"I love her and I will let her do whatever she wants. Those are old ideologies, I do not follow them." He scrubs his hand over her head, messing away her hair. "Don’t worry."

"You completely ruined my hair." She yells and he laughs.

"We have a lot of work to do. I think I should keep the marriage at the end of this year. What do you think?" They turn to his study.

"End of the year? Isn’t that too late?" She wondered, what if caelestis pulls off something before that.

"How about after six months?"

"Still too late." She thinks about the quest. The sooner they marry the better it would be. That way she won’t have to comply with that ridiculous task. "Let’s arrange it at the end of this week." She suggests.

Hael is shocked on hearing that. He stops his forwarding feet and turns to her. "That’s too soon."

"No, it isn’t. The sooner, the better."

"But—" Eleanore cuts him off.

"I am scared the Grand duke might pull something off." She shares her worries.

Hael’s mouth opens and closes almost as instantly as it opened. "You are not wrong. But how will we prepare for it so soon?"

Eleanore smiles. "That’s my look out, don’t worry about preparations. Just worry about being the groom." She suggests, before quickly leaving to the stairs and disappearing.

Leaving Hael with a new tension. Caelestis Lancaster. He could only pray that he doesn’t take any stupid step and realises that Stella does not love him at all.

Dean appeared and pulled Hael back to the study. They had a lot of work to do anyways and now more had piled up over it.