Chapter 31

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, Heath approached urgently. Rohana flinched, seeing Heath’s face harden more menacingly than she’d ever seen before.

“Heath.”

“Your Grace, I need to speak with you for a moment…”

“Do it later. Tonight, perhaps.”

Kaiden dismissed him with a cold voice. Heath seemed like he had more to say, but perhaps finding Kaiden’s words reasonable, he stepped back.

However, before leaving, his pale gray eyes lingered on Rohana for an unusually long time.

“Sir Heath?”

Rohana opened her mouth, thinking he might have something to say to her, but Heath shook his head with a face frozen in coldness.

“No, nothing.”

Heath quickly moved away from the crowd. What on earth was that about? she wondered.

“Shall we fulfill people’s expectations a bit more?”

Kaiden extended his hand to Rohana.

Despite all the attention focused on the birth of the new Emperor and Empress, as soon as the two rose and moved to the center of the stage, everyone couldn’t help but gaze at them.

A strong arm effortlessly wrapped around her waist. With a calm and confident smile and eyes aware of all the attention, Rohana smiled back at him.

“Should our ceremony be this extravagant as well?”

At Kaiden’s rather relaxed joke, Rohana also let out a small laugh.

“Sounds good.”

As she naturally linked her arm with his, now much more at ease, Kaiden gave a smile that no one else could notice.

***

“I, Kaiden Delcliff, vow to love and cherish Rohana Hanover as my wife for the rest of my life.”

The long veil and white dress were neatly spread out behind Rohana, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

The lace dress caught the sunlight, creating delicate patterns, and the ring on her left ring finger sparkled brilliantly.

Rohana turned her gaze toward the Emperor and Empress, who were seated at the highest place, looking down at them.

By custom, the two should have gone to greet them first, but Kaiden didn’t seem inclined to rise from his seat.

“Your Grace.”

When Rohana bent her body, Kaiden turned his chin and looked down at her. His sharp nose and deep-set eyes suited the ornate ceremonial attire exceptionally well.

“Shall we go greet Their Majesties?”

Aurelia, sitting as upright as possible, indeed looked the part of an empress. Kaiden, after briefly shifting his gaze away, tilted his head and whispered to Rohana.

“Do we really have to? I’m not well-versed in formalities.”

Rohana looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering if he was the type to make such silly jokes.

“You’re quite good at jokes.”

It wasn’t a joke, though… As Kaiden muttered to himself, Rohana carefully rose from her seat.

With the long train of the dress, it was not easy to move.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress, thank you so much for being here.”

“Our wedding was just a short while ago, yet how did they manage to hold this ceremony so quickly?”

It was the first time seeing the two of them since the wedding.

“Yes, I insisted on it.”

Kaiden said politely. Bardi leaned back in his chair and, looking at Rohana, spoke up.

“Then, are the two of you leaving for Nopthal tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“I had hoped both of you would stay here. You’re really going to take Rohana to that cold and harsh place?”

Rohana internally scoffed. It was surprising that he still had the energy and reason to say such things.

“Yes, it’s time for us to return. We’ve been away from Nopthal for too long.”

Kaiden replied coolly.

“Could Rohana at least… stay a little longer?”

Bardi, with a casual and familiar gesture, lifted Rohana’s left hand as if it were nothing. The large diamond fixed in the wedding ring sparkled under the chandelier’s light.

Rohana slowly withdrew her hand from his grasp, smiling sweetly.

“I must follow my husband immediately to Nopthal as well.”

Bardi looked at Rohana for a long time before stepping back, as if to suggest they continue their conversation another time with a knowing smile.

***

Across the way, Aurelia, seated in the VIP section, gazed at Rohana.

The veil that fell cleanly to the floor was elegant.

What caught her eye the most, however, was the wedding ring that sparkled with every movement.

“So, he really gave her that ring…”

Aurelia’s pretty brow furrowed deeply. She took another sip of her wine, her face hardening, when a person reeking of oil approached her.

“Lady Aurelia… no, Your Majesty the Empress, it has been a long time.”

Seeing Marquis Jordic, Aurelia raised one corner of her mouth.

“Yes, it has been a while.”

Her amber eyes flashed sharply.

“And I hope you won’t get the titles confused again in the future.”

Aurelia spoke with a sharp edge to her words, even as she smiled sweetly with her eyes.

“My apologies. How have you been?”

“That matter with the sky,” Aurelia spoke, closely watching her him, recalling the mysterious air raids that had occurred in the capital and along the coast.

“It was quite the operation.”

“Your Majesty the Empress, it wasn’t us who did it, truly.”

Jordic, wiping away his usual sly expression, spoke with a surprisingly serious face. His urgent voice and wide-eyed look were not lying. For a moment, Aurelia’s face stiffened.

“There’s no need to hide it from me.”

She probed once more, just in case.

“Even if I had the ability, why would I launch such a meaningless attack on the empire?”

“I thought you might have gone against my word and carried out such an impressive operation.”

In response to her sarcastic tone, Jordic shook his head vigorously, once again emphasizing that it wasn’t true. Aurelia gritted her teeth and cleared her throat.

“By the way, it seems you’ve really become the Empress.”

Jordic whispered in a very low voice as he approached. Aurelia glanced up at him.

“Of course.”

Her jewel-like golden eyes sparkled.

“I recall telling you several times that this would happen.”

When she nodded, Jordic chuckled softly.

“The proposal from Your Majesty the Empress was not bad for us either…”

Her gaze, which had been following Rohana with little interest, returned to Jordic and fixed on him.

“We’ll proceed, using that person.”

Aurelia’s red lips curved into a beautiful arc.

***

At the forefront were Kaiden and Heath’s large, shining northern black horses, followed by a seemingly endless line of carriages and wagons.

In preparation for the long journey, Rohana’s hair was tightly braided and pinned up.

Rohana lifted her head and looked back at the Hanover Ducal Residence. The white marble and the jewel-adorned tall, narrow windows sparkled in an unbroken line.

“My Lady, are you feeling tired?”

Heath, who had approached without a sound, greeted her brightly. The strange hostility from the previous night was gone, and he greeted her kindly and gently, as he would with Vivian or any other lady.

His blue hair, freshly washed, shimmered calmly, and his fully armored appearance reminded Rohana of the day they first met.

“No, how about you, Sir Heath?”

“Come to think of it, the title is wrong. From today, you’re the Duchess…”

“That’s right.”

When Rohana smiled brightly, Heath smiled back.

“What are you two talking about?”

Kaiden passed by, giving Heath a light tap. In black armor and a black cloak, he looked just as he did when they first met, making Rohana’s heart race once again.

As if the chandelier incident had been imprinted on her like Pavlov’s dog, Rohana tried to calm her pounding heart.

Kaiden expertly fastened the shield beside his horse. His silver hair shone in the morning sunlight.

“The title was wrong,” Heath answered slyly.

“The weather is nice,” Rohana said, trying to make conversation. Kaiden looked down at her. There was something in his gaze that tickled the inside of her heart.

Then the trumpet sounded.

When they turned around, they saw Aurelia’s blonde hair and Bardi’s blue eyes. They walked past, escorted by the guards.

“Your Majesty the Emperor,” Rohana bent her knee and offered her greeting. Bardi spoke in his usual innocent tone.

“Rohana.”

Kaiden, as always, reluctantly but courteously offered his greeting, careful not to cross any lines. But Bardi ignored Kaiden’s words and continued speaking to Rohana.

“I’ll miss you.”

At Bardi’s words, Rohana looked at the current Emperor, reflecting on the past 15 years.

The affectionate boy who once clung to her was gone; his face now changed drastically. But now he had returned to the boy he once was.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

When she responded out of courtesy, Kaiden cast a sharp side-glance down at Rohana.

“You must visit often. You too, Duke.”

Kaiden nodded without a word.

“Duke Delcliff, I mean Duke, please be careful on your journey,” Aurelia said.

“And Duchess, it must be tiring for you on such a long journey. Please rest well when you arrive.”

Unlike at the wedding, her formal speech was awkward once more, and Rohana narrowed her eyes.

“Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

As Aurelia smiled softly, she spoke in a quiet voice.

“Um, could I speak with Duke Delcliff for a moment?”

Her voice was playful yet assertive.

As the other three stood there momentarily stunned, Aurelia clasped her hands together and then quickly trotted away.

Kaiden glanced at Rohana and then, with a resigned look, swiftly followed her.

Bardi watched them intently as they moved farther away. He could see Aurelia’s back and Kaiden frowning.