Chapter 75

Anella soon gave up searching for Orgon and redirected her gaze toward Shaterian.

Her once bright, earth-toned eyes had dimmed to the shade of soil after rain.

Seeing Anella visibly disappointed, Shaterian turned her gaze away, pretending not to notice.

Though her expression tugged at the conscience, there was nothing Shaterian could do.

Even if she was the root cause of all this.

One person feigned ignorance, while the other forced a smile that didn’t quite reach their eyes.

At this point, it would have been more entertaining to read scripture to Eched’s ears.

Turning her head absentmindedly, Shaterian’s eyes landed on Eched, who was speaking with a lady.

Normally, he would have either ignored such interactions or offered curt responses before leaving. But today, he seemed to be engaged in a rather lengthy conversation.

Wondering if he might have been drunk, she scrutinized his face, but it appeared no different from usual.

While worrying about Eched was unnecessary, it left Shaterian pondering why he was maintaining a conversation with a woman if not under the influence.

As the sound of a horn echoed, a waltz began to play throughout the banquet hall.

People flocked to the dance floor, and the woman speaking with Eched was swept away by the crowd, causing her to stumble.

“Ah…”

The sound Shaterian made wasn’t because the woman ended up in Eched’s arms. It was because Eched, who caught her, placed his hand on her arm to steady her.

The sight of Eched, who normally wouldn’t care if someone tripped in front of him, displaying such kindness, widened Shaterian’s eyes.

‘Is that really Eched?’

It was such an unfamiliar scene that she began to doubt whether he was the same person.

The woman awkwardly laughed and apologized, while Eched, unbothered, released her arm and approached Shaterian.

Her eyes caught a faint but distinct red mark on Eched’s chest. It was undoubtedly the lipstick that had been on the woman’s lips.

“…”

Next to her, Anella rolled her eyes dramatically as she noticed the mark. Oblivious, Eched maintained his usual bright demeanor.

Of course, Shaterian knew it wasn’t intentional. It was, after all, just a trivial accident.

Yet, for some reason, the incident continued to bother her.

What’s more, the faint scent of sweet wine emanating from Eched made her feel even more annoyed.

That impenetrable wall of his had been breached by something as trivial as alcohol.

“Shaterian?”

When Eched called out to her, she forcibly tore her gaze away from the lipstick mark.

As she continued to stare without responding, Eched gave her a curious look.

Then, suddenly, he drew closer. It happened so quickly that she had no time to react.

He stopped just shy of touching her, leaving only a small gap between them. The proximity was enough to make her breath hitch, as though their lips might meet at any moment.

Her gaze was captivated by the silver-gray eyes right in front of her.

Her heart pounded loudly. Judging by the rhythmic thudding in her eardrums, it felt as though she had a second heart in her ears.

‘Oh no…!’

The gasps of astonishment from nearby nobles sounded distant.

“D-Duke…?”

Even Anella’s flustered voice, calling out to Eched from beside her, felt far away.

“What’s wrong?”

As he spoke, the movement of his lips sent a ticklish sensation through her, stirring the fine hairs on her skin.

She didn’t know why Eched had been getting so close lately, but one thing was clear.

To onlookers, they must appear like a pair of love-struck fools openly displaying affection in a public setting.

Eched, who must have heard the murmurs around them, remained completely unfazed.

He simply gazed at her with a subtle intensity, as if urging her to respond.

“Shaterian.”

His lips, tinged with a faint red, moved gracefully as he called her name. The low, resonant sound of his voice felt as sweet as the wine he had drunk.

Was my heart racing because of his face? Or was it because I liked him?

‘Or maybe it’s his gaze?’

Eched had been looking at her with such warmth lately.

Tracing the smooth curve of his jawline beneath his clean-shaven cheek with her eyes, she instinctively reached out to cover his gaze.

His eyebrows lifted slightly above her palm, as though asking what she was doing.

The face framed by her hand was only a fragment of Eched.

It was clear that merely covering part of his face wouldn’t calm her racing heart.

Though she had initially been drawn to his appearance, her feelings weren’t solely based on his looks.

Who would have thought that such a situation would confirm she wasn’t entirely superficial?

“Shaterian?”

This time, his voice was filled with curiosity. Between her racing heartbeat and Eched’s voice, her ears were having a particularly rough day.

“Just… step back a little.”

She lowered her hand slowly as she spoke. Talking could come afterward.

She had already backed up against the wall, leaving her with nowhere else to retreat.

But instead of stepping back, Eched tilted his head and asked calmly.

“Why should I?”

Why, he asked? The audacity of this man…

Frustrated, she rolled her eyes and was about to retort, only to stop herself. There was no point in arguing with someone who was fully aware of the murmurs and stares but chose to ignore them.

Deciding it was futile, she gave his shoulder a light push. Surprisingly, Eched stepped back without resistance.

‘If he was going to give in this easily, why be so stubborn in the first place…?’

As she glared at him in annoyance, she caught sight of the Emperor watching them out of the corner of her eye.

The Emperor seemed quite amused, smiling faintly as he observed Eched.

Despite the banquet being held to celebrate the Saintess’s ascension, the topic of conversation had shifted entirely to Shaterian and Eched.

Still, this was a banquet to celebrate the Saintess’s enthronement. It wouldn’t do for them to become the center of attention.

“I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Yes, yes…”

Apologizing to Anella, she grabbed Eched’s arm and dragged him toward the terrace.

All the way to the terrace, she could feel the piercing gazes of the people on her back. It wasn’t until she lowered the curtain on the terrace that she could escape their stares.

***

The nobles, who had been watching the Astrea Ducal couple disappear, let out small gasps only after the terrace curtain fell.

It was only after the two disappeared that the young ladies, who had been holding their breath, exchanged glances as if they had planned it.

The young ladies’ faces were oddly flushed, their eyes sparkling.

In noble society, arranged marriages were the norm. It was common for families to unite through marriage to benefit their houses, with the elders arranging weddings between people who had never met before.

Thus, the Astrea Ducal couple, who had clearly married for love, inevitably struck a chord with the nobles who had resigned themselves to their fates.

“My heart is racing so fast right now.”

“Mine too.”

“They still call each other by their first names, don’t they?”

“Doesn’t that make it even more romantic? Especially when the Duke calls the Duchess’s name… his voice…”

One young lady hesitated, unsure if she could say such a thing about the Duke.

Eched’s voice when he called Shaterian’s name was so sorrowful, it seemed as though he was clinging to her.

But at this moment, they were all of one mind.

Sensing the unspoken words, they nodded in agreement.

“To be honest, I was startled when the Duchess covered the Duke’s eyes. I thought they might kiss right then and there…”

“Me too. My heart was pounding with both anxiety and excitement…”

“…It’s lovely.”

“Truly…”

How could they all be so in sync, as if their hearts were one?

If Shaterian had overheard this conversation, she would have been shocked to the point of fainting.

And from this seemingly insignificant banquet, their presence ignited a trend of love marriages across the Empire.

The ministers, who had disapproved of the Counseling Office Chief for allegedly encouraging noble divorces, were silenced by the Emperor’s boast that the Astrea Ducal couple had caused the Empire’s marriage rate to soar.

The Emperor had been in particularly high spirits lately. His second niece, who had always been his greatest concern, was slowly finding her place, warming the Emperor’s heart.

When the second niece, who had shown no interest in marriage and seemed destined to live a lonely life, finally got married, the Emperor had even teared up.

And now, seeing her display such affection with her spouse… The Emperor felt as if he were walking on clouds. But it was none other than his son, the Crown Prince Orgon, who brought him back down to earth.

As someone with eyes and ears everywhere, the Emperor was well aware of the unusual relationship between his son and the Apprentice Saintess.

Back when Anella had visited the Imperial Palace as part of the Holy Temple’s delegation during her apprentice days, the Emperor had thought she would make a fine match for Orgon.

But things had changed. Anella had shed her apprentice status and become a full-fledged Saintess.

While the Emperor had no authority over their romance… it was unthinkable for two representatives of such distinct roles to marry.

The Crown Prince was required to reside in the Imperial Palace, while the Saintess had to remain in the Holy Temple. In essence, they were representatives and guardians of their respective domains, making it nearly impossible for them to meet freely.

The Emperor believed it was right to oppose this union. Thus, when he entered the banquet hall and saw the Saintess bowing politely, he felt conflicted.

“Congratulations on your enthronement as Saintess.”

“Thank you. May the goddess’s fortune bless the sun of the Empire.”

The Saintess, aware of the Emperor’s subtle expression, smiled as she offered her blessing.

She quietly turned and withdrew from the Emperor’s presence. Her water-colored hair lightly swayed behind her, catching the eye.

The Saintess engaged warmly with the nobles who approached her, exchanging pleasantries. Most people thought favorably of her bright personality.

The Emperor, however, couldn’t help but feel regret. If only Anella hadn’t become the Saintess, she would have been perfect as Orgon’s match and the Empress of the Empire.

In any case, the Emperor quietly averted his gaze from the Crown Prince, whose complexion seemed dark. He figured the young man would sort things out on his own.

After all, the Emperor wasn’t particularly invested in his son… His heart was more inclined toward his nieces, who had always been his greatest concern.