After signing the pledge, Carlo averted his gaze, as though refusing to face what he had done.

He had never imagined that the word ‘marriage’ could sound so dreadful.

If the duke had not told him what he did during their previous conversation, Carlo would have cut all ties with Roselina. However, the duke’s words had been too shocking to ignore.

“It is done. With this, you have become entirely mine.”

“I am pleased to hear it. Now, please tell me. You said my mother might still be alive. What did you mean?”

With his heart pounding violently, Carlo could no longer maintain his composure.

To be honest, he could not believe the duke’s words. They made no sense. His mother had died years ago. How could she possibly still be alive?

However, one undeniable truth prevented Carlo from dismissing the duke’s claim outright.

‘Laila is alive too…. Even though everyone believes she is dead.’

Therefore, he could not completely disregard the possibility that his mother might still be alive.

When Carlo stared at him impatiently, the duke deliberately prolonged the silence, seemingly reluctant to answer. Carlo could not fathom what he was thinking.

“Your Grace.”

“I heard something strange.”

“Something strange?”

“When your mother died, you were too young to understand what was happening, but her body was never buried.”

Carlo had known that she had not even been given a proper funeral. But he had never imagined that she had not been laid to rest in the ground at all.

His heart felt as though it were being torn apart, forcing Carlo to clench both fists.

“According to the information I received, the cart meant to carry her body was empty.”

“Pardon?”

“It appeared to contain a corpse, but in truth, the cart was empty.”

If a fake corpse had been used to leave the Duke’s estate, that would mean someone had faked his mother’s death and taken her away secretly. But why? Who did it? And where had they taken her?

Carlo was confused. Too many things did not add up, and he was starting to suspect that the duke might be lying.

“You are saying that someone hid my mother away. Is that correct?”

“I do not know that either. No, I will tell you what I know after the wedding.”

Bang!

“Your Grace!!”

Was he playing games with someone’s life? Enraged, Carlo slammed his hand down on the table, but the duke remained unmoved.

Just minutes earlier, the duke had laughed heartily and declared that Carlo was now his to do with as he wished, after making him sign the pledge. Yet he continued to doubt and test him until the very end.

“For now, focus solely on preparing for the wedding. Roselina must be waiting eagerly for you to come out.”

“This concerns my mother. Can you not understand how I must feel?”

“I do. Of course I understand. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, isn’t it? It’s the day my daughter has always dreamed of, and I don’t want to see you neglect Roselina because you’re preoccupied with other things.”

His devotion to his daughter knew no bounds. The duke was bargaining with another person’s life for the sake of his daughter’s happiness.

Carlo wanted nothing more than to punch the duke in the face, but instead he sighed deeply.

“I understand. I will devote myself fully to the wedding preparations.”

Carlo knew that whenever the duke wore such an expression, nothing would make him speak. Therefore, he had no choice but to hold the wedding as quickly as possible.

“May I take my leave now?”

“Yes. Go on.”

After bowing respectfully to the duke, who smiled in satisfaction, Carlo left the office.

“My lord!!”

He wanted to escape the nauseating duke’s estate as quickly as possible, but he had briefly forgotten that someone else there was just as tiresome as the duke.

“Lady Roselina.”

As though she had known about the marriage all along, Roselina threw herself into Carlo’s arms.

Although he had only just signed the pledge, she had already begun preparing for the wedding.

‘They intended to force me into this marriage somehow, even if they had to threaten me.’

Stroking the delighted Roselina’s back as she nestled in his arms, Carlo bit down hard on his lip.

“Are we truly getting married?”

“Yes.”

‘Of course, it will be nothing more than a marriage in name—and one that will soon fall apart.’

Carlo sneered inwardly as he looked at the joyful flush on Roselina’s cheeks. Since things had already come to this, he decided to go along with it as much as possible.

“My lady, I believe I must return home early today. I need to make thorough preparations to welcome you, after all.”

“All right, but I have a wish. Will you grant it?”

“What is it?”

A wish. Seeing Roselina’s eyes sparkle filled him with displeasure. Whenever she looked like that, it invariably concerned Laila.

“When the soldiers return victorious from the war in the Northern Territory, please propose to me. I want to become the happiest woman in the world before the eyes of every noble.”

“…In front of everyone?”

She meant in front of Laila. She wanted to see Laila in pain.

Roselina’s hostility towards Laila was understandable. She must have had a hunch that there was something between Laila and Carlo.

This was why she wanted to make things unmistakably clear in front of her.

This man belongs to me.

“I would like you to do it at the banquet celebrating our victory in the war.”

“Ah….”

Carlo found it particularly difficult to maintain his composure today.

Both the duke and Roselina were being unbearably cruel. Yet the cruelest and most revolting person of all was Carlo himself.

“I do not know when the war will end, and I do not think I can wait until then.”

In the most yearning voice he could muster, Carlo told Roselina that he would be devastated if Laila found out about their marriage.

He promised to give her the lavish proposal she wanted, so she should stop tormenting Laila. But Roselina merely shook her head firmly.

“No, there is no need to wait. News just arrived from the Imperial Palace. The war is over. The Imperial Army has won!”

The war was over. That meant Laila was coming back.

Carlo felt as though the ground had collapsed beneath him, leaving him unable to breathe. The woman who had staked everything on her love was returning, yet he now had to propose to someone else in front of her.

***

Laila wore a bright expression as she travelled towards the capital. Although her war-weary body felt as heavy as stone, she smiled at the thought of seeing Carlo.

She had heard that celebrations were already underway after news of the victory had arrived, and that the Emperor was so delighted that he intended to reward the soldiers generously.

But the only reward Laila wanted was to spend some quiet time with Carlo. It was a modest wish, but to Laila, who had endured such a brutal war, it meant everything.

“Dame Laila.”

“Yes, Commander.”

One day before they reached the capital, the commander summoned Laila.

“When we arrive in the capital tomorrow, we will proceed directly to the Imperial Palace and meet His Imperial Majesty.”

“…Must I go as well?”

Now that the war was over, she wanted to be released from this contract too. Wasting time on a pointless formality such as greeting the emperor held no appeal to her.

“His Imperial Majesty wishes to commend you personally for your achievements.”

‘Is that really necessary…?’

But if the emperor demanded it, Laila had no choice but to comply. No matter how celebrated she was as the hero who had led them to victory, she was still merely a knight.

“There will also be a banquet celebrating the victory.”

“I suppose… my attendance is mandatory.”

Seeing the answer plainly written on the commander’s face, Laila nodded. It was an unwelcome honor, but perhaps she could attend the banquet as Carlo’s lover this time.

‘He promised to abandon his womanizing ways once the war ended. Now I can finally stand proudly beside him.’

Thinking of it that way, the banquet did not seem entirely unpleasant. In any case, Laila was happy with anything as long as Carlo was beside her.

The following day, thunderous cheers greeted the Imperial Army as it arrived in the capital.

“Waaaah!!!”

“Long live the empire!!”

The streets were packed with people welcoming the returning soldiers. They showered the procession with flowers as it passed by.

Some wept with joy, while others waved and cheered. The knights’ families scanned the ranks anxiously, desperate to find out if their loved ones had returned safely.

The jubilant welcome continued all the way to the Imperial Palace. The soldiers entered slowly behind their commander, their faces alight with excitement.

Inside, Duke Crussian and the other nobles were waiting for them.

“Ah! You have finally arrived.”

At the sight of the soldiers, Duke Crussian smiled in satisfaction and stepped forward.

“Dame Laila, you have done well. I have already heard of your accomplishments. They say you took the enemy commander’s life.”

The duke seemed genuinely delighted as he took Laila’s hand and continued speaking, but the situation made her uncomfortable.

The person who deserved the duke’s praise was the commander who had led the war. Meeting the duke’s blatant gaze, Laila replied crisply.

“It was thanks to the leadership of the commander who directed our forces. His wisdom guided us through many crises.”

“Oh! Is that so? You have done well too, Commander. His Imperial Majesty was extremely pleased.”

Only after Laila spoke did the duke approach the commander and offer him a handshake. Freed from his grasp, Laila scanned the assembled nobles.

‘Did Carlo not come?’

Her heart ached from how desperately she wanted to see him, yet he was nowhere in sight. She longed for the man she loved—the only person who could offer her solace.

Laila’s eyes darted restlessly through the crowd, searching for him.

“Now, let us enter. His Imperial Majesty is waiting.”

“Yes.”

After the duke had finished commending them, Laila followed the commander into the Imperial Palace to meet the emperor. The massive doors of the audience chamber swung open to reveal a room filled with nobles.

“Let us go in.”

The Duke of Crussian had wanted Laila to stand by his side as they entered, but she moved quickly behind him. Now that the war was over, she no longer wanted anything to do with him.

“We dedicate this victory in the war to His Imperial Majesty, the Sun of Circlezia.”

The Empress and the Crown Prince were seated beside the Emperor on the elevated dais.

Princess Lenoa stood below the dais, seemingly of no importance