Edwin struggled to keep up with his superior’s brisk pace.

The fire had already thrown everything into chaos, and now his head was spinning, too.

Hadn’t this same man said at the banquet just a few moments earlier that he never wanted to get married?

“Did the fire somehow reach your brain, Your Grace?! Our business is perfectly fine, so why is your head the one that’s gone up in flames—ugh!”

Lesrexion promptly drove a fist into Edwin’s skull.

Even after they climbed into the carriage, Edwin continued whining.

“My head… my precious brain…”

“Stop exaggerating. A little hit like that won’t k*ll you.”

“Maybe not you! You’re built like some kind of monster!”

“Enough. And assign a Sotis to Lady Rochester.”

“…!”

Edwin’s eyes widened instantly.

The frivolous look vanished from his face as though it had never been there.

The Sotis were covert operatives, trained in everything from personal protection to assassination.

With a serious expression, Edwin turned to Lesrexion.

“I thought you said you were marrying her.”

“She’s far too suspicious. I’m tying her to me through marriage.”

Dolores probably believed she had gained the upper hand.

Not a chance.

Lesrexion let out an exasperated sigh.

‘She explained everything so confidently, yet there are holes in her story.’

She claimed that she had questioned government officials about the owner of Number 483.

Yet she also insisted that the Rochester Marquisate was monitoring her every move.

If that were true, how had she managed to conduct such an investigation?

Lady Dolly had become extremely suspicious.

‘Still, if I hadn’t agreed to the contract, who knows what kind of trouble she would have caused.’

The memory of her trying to throw herself to her death without a moment’s hesitation left an even worse taste in his mouth.

Coldly, he gave Edwin another order.

“If she does anything suspicious, report it to me immediately. Don’t trust her. Not even a little.”

“Yes, Your Grace. But… are you sure about this?”

“Now what?”

Edwin let out a long sigh, as if speaking to someone completely oblivious.

“Lady Rochester is supposed to become His Highness the Crown Prince’s wife, isn’t she…?”

The noble families involved were already closely connected.

Would things really go smoothly just because Lesrexion had decided to intervene?

The man in question merely shrugged.

“Isn’t the Emperor’s approval all that matters?”

“And you’re confident you’ll get it…?”

“Hmph.”

A faintly mocking smile crossed Lesrexion’s lips.

“That old man will approve it without question.”

***

Crown Prince Adrian Lancaster was the kind of person who grew bored easily.

From childhood onwards, he had always got whatever he wanted, and immediately.

The world’s finest jewels.

Vast estates.

Toys.

Priceless horses.

Even the most beautiful girl in the empire was at his beck and call.

Life was like sailing across a perfectly calm sea in the most luxurious ship imaginable.

‘Ah… I need something more exciting.’

By the time he came of age, Adrian had become restless.

Having always got everything he wanted, he started looking for excitement elsewhere, secretly pursuing other women behind his beautiful fiancée’s back.

One woman captivated him with her fiery red hair.

Another drew his attention with her slender waist and alluring figure.

There was also a married woman who presented a perfectly proper façade by day but was far more passionate in private.

But of all the women, Angelica Rochester held a special place in his heart.

She had a delicate, innocent beauty and an irresistible charm. With her sweet smiles and playful affection, she knew exactly how to make him feel admired and desired.

“…Haah. I wanted to enjoy myself a little longer.”

This thought crossed Adrian’s mind as he made his way to a luncheon with the imperial family.

It had taken nearly two days to bring the Howard Street fire under control.

To him, however, it was nothing more than an irritating interruption to his enjoyable time with Angelica.

‘The fire’s been handled by the commoners. There’s no reason for me to concern myself with it anymore.’

Even so, Adrian admitted one thing to himself.

‘Still, when it comes to beauty, Dolores is in a league of her own.’

He enjoyed the way Angelica looked at him, as though he were the greatest man in the world.

But Dolores — the Empire’s Diamond — was the epitome of perfection.

Her skin was so pale and flawless that it seemed almost cold.

Her gracefully lowered eyelashes…

Her figure was sculpted into irresistible curves beneath her silk gowns.

Not to mention her family’s status as one of the Empire’s most prestigious noble families.

“Heh-heh-hmm.”

The thought alone put him in a good mood, and he found himself humming softly as he entered the dining hall.

‘And Dolores is jealous of her own cousin?’

For a brief moment, he wondered whether she had discovered his relationship with Angelica.

But somehow, that only made it more thrilling.

‘Two of the Empire’s greatest beauties fighting over me.’

Truly, Adrian’s life was perfect.

Just then, Madame Loire addressed him in a slightly sharp tone.

“You seem unusually cheerful today, Your Highness. Has something good happened?”

“Haha. Nothing worth mentioning, Madame Loire.”

Oops.

Adrian let out an awkward laugh and shrank back instinctively.

Madame Loire had been in a particularly bad mood lately.

The meticulously organized grand banquet had been completely overshadowed by the massive fire, and her frustration was impossible to hide.

The Emperor cleared his throat.

Although he was showing his age, he still had the striking features that he had passed down to his sons, which gave him an air of authority and dignity.

Unfortunately, the wisdom one might have expected from such a commanding presence was noticeably absent.

“If we’re speaking of good news, isn’t there something you should be preparing for soon, Adrian?”

“Ah… yes, of course.”

“There may have been an unfortunate incident, but this is still a royal wedding. Give it the attention it deserves.”

“Yes, Father.”

“After all, this is the first major Imperial event in quite some time. You need to oversee it properly if you want to uphold the dignity of the Imperial Family. And, naturally, producing an heir as well.”

“…”

Adrian groaned inwardly.

Although he was marrying the most beautiful woman in the Empire, the idea of settling down irritated him.

However, unexpectedly, Madame Loire turned her tearful gaze towards the Emperor.

“Your Majesty. This may be presumptuous of me… but may I offer a suggestion?”

“Hmm? Agnes, what is it?”

“What if the royal wedding were postponed?”

“…You know that would make people uneasy, don’t you?”

The wedding date had already been set.

Although the Empire worshipped a single god, many superstitions still lingered among the people.

One such superstition was the belief that changing the date of a wedding would bring misfortune.

“But wasn’t there recently a fire on Howard Street?”

“Hmm…”

“And isn’t the Cathedral of Saint Katarina, where the ceremony is to be held, rather close to the site? I’m worried people may have something to say about it.”

Madame Loire was carefully implying that the wedding should be scaled down.

Under normal circumstances, she would have preferred to cancel the grand parade and hold a smaller ceremony instead.

However, she was wary of going too far in front of the emperor.

Adrian was slightly annoyed and was about to interject.

“Madame. This is a royal wedding, after all—”

“Your Highness Adrian, do you know how many people have died in the capital recently?”

Adrian shifted uncomfortably and crossed his legs when the question was asked.

His secretary had given him the number.

Unfortunately, he could no longer remember it.

To be fair, Madame Loire did not actually care either way.

However, if it helped diminish Dolores Rochester’s standing, she would take any excuse.

“People are injured. People are dead. At a time like this, how can we justify such a grand celebration? Of course, a royal wedding must observe proper protocol, but…”

“Hmm.”

“I’m only afraid others might misunderstand the compassion and consideration Your Highness has always shown.”

Having watched Adrian for years, she knew exactly what kind of person he was.

‘If he thinks he’s losing the chance to play the role of the perfect Crown Prince, he’ll regret it.’

Adrian nodded as though he agreed.

Outwardly, he appeared calm.

Inwardly, however, his mind was racing.

‘As expected.’

The wedding should be as brief and simple as possible.

He had already been leaning towards that conclusion himself.

Fortunately, Madame Loire had come to the same conclusion.

“Hmm. I believe Madame Loire… may have a point.”

“But Adrian, do you think you can persuade the Marquis of Rochester?”

“Of course, Father.”

Madame Loire smiled in satisfaction as she listened to the conversation between the father and his son.

Throughout the entire discussion, not once had anyone considered Dolores’s opinion, even though she was actually going to be the bride.

‘Hehe. Lady Rochester is about to have the most pitiful royal wedding in Imperial history.’

She had ruled as Lady of the Imperial Palace throughout the reigns of the First and Second Empresses.

And now they expected her to hand over that position to a girl whose only merit was her lineage?

The mere thought of that beautiful young face twisted her stomach with resentment.

Then a lazy voice drifted in from the doorway.

“Ah. So everyone’s gathered here.”

“Lesrexion.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow in disapproval.

His dark-skinned son arrived later than everyone else, but strode into the room with the confidence of someone unconcerned with what others thought of him.

Both Madame Loire and Adrian greeted him with cold expressions.

Neither of them had ever been particularly fond of the Grand Duke.

Madame Loire resented him because his mother, the Second Empress, had once overshadowed her position and influence within the Imperial Palace.

As for Adrian…

Everything about his half-brother irritated him.

His broad frame, the military honors he had earned, and his commanding presence — which seemed to fill any room he entered — all grated on Adrian’s nerves.

‘As if someone with foreign blood mixed into him has any right.’

Lesrexion swept his gaze across the room and smirked.

“What interesting discussion has the three of you so engrossed?”

“We were discussing my wedding to Dolores.”

“Ah…”

“We’ve been giving considerable thought to how best to handle such an important royal marriage, Lesrexion.”

“Really? Then how about I save you all the trouble, Brother?”

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

Three pairs of puzzled eyes turned toward him.

Without the slightest concern, Lesrexion took a bite of meat and answered casually.

“I’m going to marry Dolores Rochester.”

…

In that instant, the dining hall fell completely silent.

Even the impeccably trained attendants stared at the Grand Duke, their mouths agape.

Lesrexion raised his glass calmly and gave it a slight shake.

“Wine.”