“Why would my girlfriend need my hand?”
“Don’t joke around, I mean your hand, Herace. It’s important.”
When I spoke firmly, Herace placed his hand over mine. Meanwhile, I took out some thread and a catalog from my handbag.
After handing the catalog to Herace, I wrapped the thread around his ring finger. Using the practiced motion, I intertwined the two strands and pulled them tight, securing that point.
“Looks like I need to observe your hand,” I said.
Since I had been looking down, it didn’t seem to Herace like I was measuring his finger size. I decisively gestured toward the catalog in his hands.
“This isn’t the time to look at me, Herace. Open that catalog.”
Herace obeyed quietly. His smile shrank slightly as he skimmed through the catalog.
“Philena, this isn’t right. As you always say, it’s really not. Okay? Just so you know, even if we get an engagement ring, that doesn’t mean it’s a wedding ring.”
I wasn’t swayed by Herace’s charming smile. I was grateful to have developed immunity.
“We’re going to have three discussions. The last one was the first, and today’s is the second.”
Herace glanced silently toward the door and then nodded.
“Then tell me, Philena. I’m still against marriage. The reason is the same—I think this mess can be solved through engagement.”
“How?”
Herace glared toward the door and added, “I’ll explain in detail after today. That’s when the plan will become clear.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Now it’s your turn.”
“Herace, I’ve met countless people in my life. I’ve interacted with many with the shared goal of marriage in mind.”
I had even tried matchmaking services. I’d even used a professional marriage agency. But it had never worked out.
“There are many important conditions in marriage. Among them, I focus on personality and values. That doesn’t mean I ignore financial stability or appearance, of course.”
As I spoke, Herace’s expression grew curious. He put on a conciliatory smile, as if I had already won him over.
“I’ve met people who understood and followed my values, but they were few. And I’ve never met anyone whose personality really matched mine.”
I had never thought myself unusual. But I had long known my personality was far from socially average.
“Like a robot. Overly rational. Sometimes my words and actions seem almost non-human.”
I had heard these judgments repeatedly. Yet, I never wanted to force myself to conform to others’ expectations.
I had always thought: I could endure life as I am, and I could enjoy it in my own way.
“But Herace was different.”
When I had given up on finding a soulmate, Herace appeared. I never wanted to lose him. Even as an old woman, I wanted to stand by his side.
“I have accepted Herace as he is. As contractual partners, we’re just entering a new form of agreement. I won’t try to change him, just as I never have. We just need to live together in our true selves.”
“……”
“Herace, you said we’d choose engagement because there’s no love. Think again.”
I extended my hands forward. Underneath them, unlike the first proposal, the long thread adjusted to Herace’s finger size dangled.
“I plan to love Herace. So—”
I smiled brightly, looking Herace in the eye with confidence.
“You just need to add that I will love you to your life plan.”
I had spent days thinking about how to address Herace’s previous concerns. This was my solution.
“By the way, the ring will still be delivered after final payment. The design will be Number Three from the catalog you just received, Long Lasting Vacation.”
This was the end of our second discussion and my second proposal. Definitely more successful than the first.
“If you don’t like the design, I’m ready to take feedback.”
I was someone who could grow.
After Philena left, Herace collapsed onto the sofa in his office. He brushed away his dark expression, and as if nothing had happened, lifted a smile.
“Did you see that?”
Still covering his eyes with his hand, Herace continued leisurely, “I was the one who proposed engagement. Philena wants marriage, not just engagement.”
“Sit properly, Herace.”
“Wow, you’re still so stiff even after getting such good information. That’s like my little sister. Still, I feel unusually tired today.”
“You seem to have forgotten who made the proposal. It wasn’t me, it was you. If you don’t straighten up and show proper manners, I’ll leave.”
“Scary threat, huh? Seems my little sister’s grown up.”
Herace grinned, bending his outstretched legs to sit upright on the sofa. Whistler, who was on the single sofa across from him, crossed her legs.
Herace recalled a recent conversation with Whistler.
It started bluntly. Herace had confessed that he knew Whistler took the contract. Whistler pretended not to know—but Herace didn’t fall for that act.
He dropped a bomb on Whistler, who had no reaction:
“Do you know that Philena rejected my engagement proposal because the contract disappeared, and proposed marriage instead?”
Only then did Whistler arrogantly admit the truth. He confessed to ransacking Herace’s villa and taking the contract.
After that, Whistler only sneered and didn’t believe him. The evidence? The contract they all knew about.
So.
Herace called Philena back to the Grey estate to make sure Whistler would see the scene.
“Marriage couldn’t happen, and I wanted this mess to end at engagement. Ideally, not even that.”
Herace wouldn’t remain in the social scene for long. Soon, he had to leave entirely.
Marriage wasn’t an option; engagement alone was the limit. Even proposing engagement felt guilty—marriage was unthinkable.
“I thought if I told Whistler the truth, he could stop them.”
There was nothing to lose. Whistler already knew about Philena and Herace’s contractual relationship. Above all, he would despise their engagement more than anyone else.
At first, he hadn’t realized anything.
Honestly, he hadn’t believed it when they said they were dating. He thought it was casual and expected them to break up soon. But having observed Whistler for so long, Herace became certain of one remarkable truth:
Whistler liked Philena.
It wasn’t a fleeting feeling. He genuinely cared for her.
In the end, Herace decided to use this fact. Even if engagement—or marriage—didn’t happen, he had to find a way to resolve the issue.
“Look, little sister,”
Seeing Whistler’s bright face, Herace began,
“As you heard, Philena will even marry me to resolve this problem.
