Icarus tucked the prophecy deep into his heart.

Then, he focused on finding Ertel with his search team.

A week passed.

However, finding Ertel was no easy task.

Unbeknownst to him, Ertel was under the king’s protection.

Who would have thought that she was hidden and concealed within the royal palace itself?

The idea that she might be hiding in the palace never even crossed his mind.

As time went on, Icarus grew more anxious, but he maintained his composure.

Once he set his sights on a goal, he was like a viper, biting down relentlessly.

‘This is just another trial.’

The wedding may have been ruined, but what needed to be done still had to be done.

He had to return to the palace to handle the work that had been delayed, as well as other important matters.

“Ah, Duke Juan.”

When Icarus returned to the palace after a long absence, other nobles eagerly approached him with words of consolation.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs, I believe this is the first time we’ve seen you since the wedding. Have you been able to collect yourself? It must have been devastating to have your bride run away on the day of the ceremony.”

“Duke Juan, life is full of all sorts of events. This is just one of them. Of course, for us who witnessed it, it was shocking as well. But you must let bygones be bygones.”

“By the way, what exactly happened to your bride-to-be? What kind of change of heart could have led her to ruin such a grand event held in the royal palace? To disappear during the procession, no less.”

“It must be unbearable for you, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Tsk, tsk.”

Words of consolation, thinly veiled as mockery, were hurled at him like bombs.

Yet, they all wore smiles on their faces.

Everyone was delighting in Icarus’s misfortune.

Amar, who walked silently behind Icarus, wished he could sew their mouths shut.

“…….”

Icarus didn’t respond to a single word and strode across the grand hall.

His clenched fists betrayed his anger.

The nobles clicked their tongues as they watched Duke Juan’s expressionless figure disappear.

“Look at him gritting his teeth. Imagine how furious and humiliated he must feel. For a woman to ruin the wedding of none other than the great Icarus… She must be a spy.”

“Hahaha! This is too amusing. To have his honor tarnished in front of the entire world… He must be seething inside.”

“Let’s just enjoy the situation. He always walked around with his head held high, but now I feel relieved.”

With large strides, Icarus arrived at the reception room.

It was his first audience with the king since the wedding.

“Amar, head to the gallery and bring her here.”

“Yes, understood.”

After giving a simple instruction, Icarus entered the room first.

“Your Majesty. This is Icarus. It has been a while since I’ve had the honor of greeting you.”

“Come in. It’s been a week since the wedding. How is your injured hand?”

The king immediately inquired about his hand.

Icarus’s hand was still wrapped in bandages.

He didn’t appreciate Pedro’s concern for his injury.

“It’s fine. There’s no need to worry about it.”

“I’ve been concerned for you all this time.”

“…….”

“The wedding of my most cherished vassal was ruined. It must have been exhausting to prepare, only for such a disheartening event to occur. I can’t imagine the emotional turmoil between you and your bride, but I hope everything is resolved amicably.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty.”

“If you ever need my help…”

“But regarding that matter, there’s no need for you to concern yourself further. It’s my responsibility to handle it.”

“Hmm…”

“However, I must inform Your Majesty of one thing. I will bring back my lost bride.”

“……!”

“Afterward, I will report every detail of the incident to you.”

Pedro was overwhelmed by Icarus’s terrifyingly calm and composed demeanor.

On the surface, it seemed like he was deeply in love with her, but Pedro found it unnerving.

‘He says he’ll bring her back… Why is he so obsessed with Ertel?’

There must be a clear reason.

Though Pedro couldn’t yet discern what it was.

“In any case, I hope Duke Juan finds stability soon.”

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you start looking after yourself instead of worrying about me?”

“……?”

“Surely, you haven’t forgotten your promise to take my younger sister, Cogette, as your concubine.”

Pedro had completely forgotten.

He had little interest in matters of concubinage, which explained his lapse.

At that moment, Amar, who had reached the door, announced, “Lady Cogette has arrived. Shall I escort her in?”

The door opened, and a woman entered, escorted by the aide.

She had short, chin-length red hair and a playful glint in her eyes.

Her name was Cogette de Juan.

Despite looking younger than her age, her lively demeanor was unmistakable.

Though she was Icarus’s sister, their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

“Your Majesty, this is my younger sister, Cogette, who will become your concubine.”

Neither the king nor the knight captain had been prepared for this, and they exchanged startled glances.

For the past few days, Pedro’s attention had been entirely on Ertel.

He had no mental space to consider another woman’s existence.

As a result, Pedro couldn’t muster a genuine smile.

“So… this is Cogette.”

Dressed in a frilly gown, Cogette smiled shyly.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Cogette de Juan. The thought of living in the royal palace as your concubine fills me with excitement and nervousness. I will strive to learn various courtesies and serve you well.”

“I didn’t expect your sudden appearance today, nor have I arranged accommodations for a concubine. But I look forward to your presence. Since you are of Icarus’s bloodline, you must possess exceptional intellect.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty. There is no need to rush in preparing accommodations. Everything can proceed at its own pace. I am simply grateful for your warm welcome.”

“I feel as though we will get along well.”

Get along well? That was nonsense—just a polite remark.

Pedro was inwardly annoyed.

Visits like this were usually preceded by notice, but Icarus had sprung it on him.

It was clearly deliberate.

Far from being humbled by the wedding fiasco, Icarus was pushing forward with bold moves to prove his resilience.

‘Hah, as expected, Icarus is no easy man.’

Watching him calmly execute his plans for a concubine despite the massive scandal of his missing bride, the king broke into a cold sweat.

What would happen if he found out that the king had hidden Ertel?

‘He wouldn’t forgive even me.’

Before leaving, Icarus flashed a chilling smile.

“Your Majesty. Now that I’ve introduced Cogette, I will take my leave. I hope the two of you have time to get acquainted.”

>><<

The royal bathing chamber.

Ertel soaked her body in the steaming bath.

The rising steam enveloped her face, her mind still groggy and not entirely clear.

‘It’s warm.’

The soothing warmth of the water enveloped her body, bringing a strange sense of comfort.

This was the king’s private bath.

A large, luxurious square bath capable of accommodating at least a dozen people.

Only the king was permitted to use it, but out of consideration, he had allowed Ertel to use it.

Submerged in the water, Ertel fell into deep thought.

She recalled Pedro’s proposal from three days ago.

[Become my ally.]

Today, she was supposed to give him her answer.

Ertel placed her hand gently over her heart.

Each time she did, the Kaiya Stone seemed to respond, its pulse growing stronger.

If not for this gemstone…

‘I would have accepted his proposal immediately.’

If the king learned that she carried the Kaiya Stone within her, his attitude might change.

The gemstone possessed a power capable of consuming even a king.

Just like Icarus, Pedro might also come to see her as an enemy.

“Ertel.”

Lost in thought, she was startled by the voice of a maid approaching with a towel.

“It’s time to finish your bath. His Majesty has invited you to dinner.”

The king had arranged it to coincide with the end of her bath.

“Alright, I understand.”

After washing herself thoroughly, she dressed in the new gown that had been brought to her.

Pedro was already seated at the dining table, waiting for her.

“Your Majesty, may I dare to share a meal with you?”