Erika burst into laughter again, finding Ion adorable as he seemed genuinely nervous and unable to hold a conversation.

Ion had to close his eyes momentarily, dazzled by Erika’s bright smile.

Though they hadn’t completely matched their dress code, they coordinated enough that people would say they looked really good together when standing side by side.

As if it wasn’t prearranged, but coincidence appearing as destiny.

After recovering from Erika’s beauty attack, Ion returned the compliment with a gentle smile.

“You too. You’re also beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Beautiful…

Erika tilted her head slightly at the unfamiliar compliment and gave an ambiguous response.

“Thanks?”

Ion laughed softly and carefully extended his arm.

“Shall we go now?”

“No. I need to go with my father and brother. I’ll sit in the front row, where I can see the bride and groom clearly.”

“……”

“You should sit near His Majesty the Emperor and watch the ceremony, then come to the reception hall. The protagonist makes a late entrance, you know?”

Ion felt disappointed at Erika’s explanation but quietly nodded.

Erika patted his shoulder encouragingly, knowing he would have to face many stares when entering the banquet hall alone.

With everyone having gone down to their territories, the gazes Ion would have to endure when entering the hall would be considerable.

“……Let’s make a splash today.”

Ion’s face brightened at Erika’s words.

Erika thought he was turning out to be quite a decent partner.

***

When the carriages that had paraded from the imperial palace to the Grand Temple arrived at the front of the Grand Temple, bells rang announcing the start of the wedding.

The Duke deliberately sat in the front row with his arms crossed over his chest to show that his family was still strong, watching the ceremony from beginning to end.

After the ceremony, when the bride and groom began their return procession down the virgin road, the Duke of Sparta, Hermes, and Erika headed to the reception hall through the back door of the platform where the priests entered and exited.

The three, arriving before anyone else, looked around the reception hall and assessed how much effort the Emperor had put into this wedding.

The Duke of Sparta felt his blood boiling at the thought that a significant portion of the costs here would have come from the reparations they had received for their victories in war.

The Duke of Sparta suppressed his desire to destroy everything immediately, restraining himself for Erika’s sake.

“I’ll go out and get ready.”

“Yes. Also check where His Grace the Grand Duke is.”

“Yes.”

Just as Erika left the reception hall, nobles began to arrive one by one.

It was quite entertaining to see them flinch upon discovering the Duke of Sparta and Hermes as they entered.

Hermes was already eating food despite the banquet not having started yet.

His instinct for being unable to resist hunger had signaled that they wouldn’t be able to eat properly today.

He needed to eat when he had the chance so he could stop his father if he went berserk.

“His Grace Grand Duke Ion Kaiser has arrived.”

All eyes turned to Ion as he entered.

“His Grace Grand Duke Ion Kaiser!”

“I see he hasn’t gone to his territory yet.”

“I heard he received the most desolate place as his territory?”

“They chose good territories in the order they gave up.”

“The Sixth Prince, who gave up first, secured the best territory, right?”

“He was the first to forfeit. It’s a granary region, so naturally it’s a wealthy and comfortable place.”

“In a way, he made the most practical choice.”

During the imperial succession competition, the Emperor had already given titles and territories to princes who were eliminated or gave up, sending them away from the capital.

Six princes had started competing, and eventually only Third Prince Gerick and Fourth Prince Ion remained.

In the final mock battle, when Ion’s left arm was broken by Gerick’s personal guard captain Erika, the Third Prince’s side gained the upper hand and drove the Fourth Prince’s army with terrifying momentum to plant the flag of victory.

The nobles couldn’t take their eyes off the Fourth Prince, now Grand Duke Ion, as he strode into the banquet hall. They were dying of curiosity about why he had come here.

And on the other hand…

‘Was the Grand Duke always this tall and handsome?’

Similar impressions flashed through the nobles’ minds.

Until now, Ion had been a pitiful prince to the nobles.

A dropout who had entered the succession competition without any backing, struggled to climb up, and ultimately failed.

With nothing impressive to show for himself, he had stubbornly clung to the throne until his arm was broken by Erika and he was exiled to the most barren land—what was there to see in him?

But today, Ion was different.

Drastically different.

He had shed his usually shabby attire and wore formal attire appropriate for the occasion, with his hair neatly combed back.

His unexpectedly fair skin, well-proportioned features, straight back, broad shoulders, and well-placed muscles all spoke to how noble he truly was.

The Duke of Sparta and Hermes exchanged satisfied smiles, noticing the unusual gleam in the nobles’ eyes as they scrutinized Ion.

It was a good start.

“I greet Your Grace, the Duke of Sparta.”

When Ion approached the Duke of Sparta and greeted him respectfully, surprise was felt from all directions.

It was unprecedented for a member of the imperial family to greet a duke with such formality.

The Duke of Sparta patted Ion’s shoulder and accepted his greeting with a satisfied expression.

“Yes. You’ve come.”

“You’ve come?”

The Duke of Sparta had used informal speech to flaunt their new relationship rather than respecting Ion’s title, but the nobles didn’t understand yet.

They could only gape with their mouths open.

They seemed to forget even to breathe as they racked their brains trying to figure out what was happening.

Their frantically rolling eyes caught sight of the pendant gleaming on Ion’s chest.

‘How did he get that……’

Until now, Ion and the Duke of Sparta’s daughter, Lady Erika, had been worse than mortal enemies.

It was incomprehensible when Ion had built such a friendship with the Duke of Sparta.

As recently as three months ago, he would growl whenever he met Lady Erika, and after being defeated by her, their relationship was believed to have worsened…

How had he obtained that glorious pendant…

“His Highness Crown Prince Gerick Kaiser and Her Highness Crown Princess Evelyn Kaiser have arrived.”

Gerick and Evelyn appeared, with Erika entering behind them.

Erika following behind the couple seemed to demonstrate the order of precedence when imperial family members appeared, but she didn’t remain behind them for long.

She walked past them to approach Ion,

Smooch.

She kissed him on the cheek as one would greet a fiancé.

Gasp.

The nobles who couldn’t take their eyes off Erika gasped and panted for breath.

It was enough to make them fall backward seeing Erika give a fiancée’s greeting to Ion, with whom she had been enemies until recently.

“W-what’s going on here?”

“Wasn’t she engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Since His Highness the Crown Prince married the Saintess, isn’t that engagement void?”

“But didn’t he say he would take her as imperial consort later, so it’s not void?”

Confused by the sudden turn of events, the nobles forgot where they were and poured out their thoughts.

The Duke of Sparta extended his Sword Master’s perception, missing not a single action or whisper from the people. Especially, Gerick’s heartbeat was prioritized above any other reaction.

So it was the Duke of Sparta who first became sensitive to Gerick’s angry approach, though he didn’t show it.

Despite the Duke’s cold gaze, Gerick growled at Erika.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Your Highness, what will happen if the protagonist of the banquet leaves the bride alone and comes here?”

“Why are you with this b*stard?”

“Because he’s my fiancé?”

“Fiancé?”

“……Erika, what are you saying?”

“What am I saying? I’m getting married too. He’s my fiancé, you see?”

“I said it was a political marriage! That I would welcome you as imperial consort until then. I asked you to wait!”

Erika didn’t even blink at Gerick’s fierce demeanor as he ground his teeth and spat out his words.

“Imperial consort? Why should I do that? Who are you to make me a concubine?”

“I told you it was unavoidable because of the important relationship with the Temple!”

“Yes, you did. Right before our wedding announcement, you said it was His Majesty the Emperor’s order…… But you know, while people can lie with their mouths, they can’t with their eyes.”

“It’s not true! How many times do I have to say it’s not true!”

“Hmph. That’s why I wanted to give you one chance. I only believe what I see and feel. So I decided to try this political marriage thing too.”

“What?”

“I’m dying to know whether your words or my instincts are right. If your words are true, I’ll forgive you. But if your words are lies and you betrayed me, you’d better be prepared.”

Gerick’s face turned pale at Erika’s cold rebuke.

His mind was in chaos from Erika’s unexpected words, and it seemed like his blood wasn’t flowing either.

Just as Gerick was about to open his mouth, Erika was a beat faster.

“Evelyn will cry. Go quickly. What are you doing at a wedding reception? The groom should stay by the bride’s side.”

Gerick turned his head toward Evelyn at Erika’s chin gesture.

Evelyn’s face had turned pale, with tears pooling in her eyes. It looked like they would roll down at the slightest touch.

As Gerick turned toward Evelyn, his eyes caught the pendant shining on Ion’s chest.

The Sparta pendant.

Gerick bit the inside of his lip until it bled.

‘That’s what I wanted so badly……’

Gerick gave Ion one more cold glare before moving toward Evelyn.

Erika’s shout struck his back as he headed toward Evelyn.

“Oh, since you were busy playing with Evelyn for the past three months and couldn’t be contacted or met, I submitted my resignation to the Imperial Knight Commander. I’m no longer your personal guard captain.”

You know what that means? My father, the Imperial Knight Commander, gladly accepted it.

At Erika’s final words, the Duke of Sparta nodded with a bright smile.

Because he had approved Erika’s resignation.

And there would be no occasion to reinstate her.

Whether as the Crown Prince’s personal guard or in the Imperial Knight Order.

His proud daughter, who was precise in forming and ending relationships, would not be dragged around.

The nobles, who had been watching the situation by moving their heads from side to side, were so shocked that they didn’t even notice Erika was speaking informally to the Crown Prince.

Their minds were busy with new calculations.

Could Gerick maintain his position as Crown Prince without his personal guard captain, Lady Erika?

Gerick, who had been heading toward Evelyn, faltered.

When he turned around with an expression of disbelief, Erika was waving her hand slightly.

Indicating it was over between them.

His heart pounded anxiously.