In any country, but especially in the Renel Empire, a royal wedding was an event and sacred ceremony of immense significance.

It carried the hope that the previous generation had fully set and a new era was dawning, so everything on that day had to be perfect.

Kasallin, who was practically the protagonist of the day, became incredibly busy.

She personally handwrote invitations to be sent to dignitaries of various countries, and directly organized the wine and dishes for the engagement banquet, placing the orders herself.

From deciding which pieces the orchestra would play, how many flowers to pick from the garden, to how many guards to station, she meticulously planned every detail.

“Why are you trying to do everything yourself? If you rested, I could handle it.”

“No, please let me do this.”

Parnes said as much, but Kasallin took this engagement banquet as her first unofficial duty.

Like smoothly stacking neatly cut bricks, everything was being prepared perfectly, but one thing went against her expectations.

“My lady, a reply regarding attendance has come from the Khan Kingdom as well. But…”

“What’s wrong?”

The expression on Loren Logia’s face, who brought the reply, was rather strange.

Recently, the relationship between the two countries was so tense it could be described as walking on thin ice, but due to diplomatic formalities, an invitation had been sent regardless.

In truth, the Emperor had declared he would clearly show the two of them to Shallen, but since an unfortunate incident had occurred not long ago, she naturally assumed they would politely decline.

After all, they could come up with hundreds of excuses not to attend.

But the reply Loren Logia brought was written with such clear and concise intent to attend.

And it was unmistakably in Shallen’s own handwriting.

Considering Shallen, who always acted beyond common sense, she had thought he might accept the invitation, but now that it had actually happened, it was utterly bewildering.

Was he determined to wear his shamelessness to the end, despite his already tarnished reputation?

Or did he have something to say or some other purpose?

“My lady, are you alright with this?”

“What choice do we have? King Shallen and Queen Rose are undeniably state guests. Since they’ve expressed their intent to attend, we must make arrangements.”

“Still…”

Of course, there might be unfavorable talk among the nobles.

But with everything already settled, what could he possibly do now?

What mattered now was ensuring the engagement banquet and wedding proceeded smoothly.

There was no time to waste worrying about him unnecessarily.

“By the way, what’s the next item on the schedule?”

“You need to have your dress measurements taken for the banquet and choose the jewelry designs. The court tailor and jeweler are waiting in the reception room.”

“Alright, I’ll head there right away.”

It felt like the largest gathering of people since the last grand festival.

They had come to attend tonight’s engagement banquet.

Starting with the Ram Kingdom, carriages bearing the crests of the Shuten Duchy and various noble families, large and small, lined up and stopped in front of the banquet hall.

From the powder room at the back of the hall, Kasallin slightly parted the curtain, scanning the procession of carriages to see if the Khan Kingdom’s crest was among them.

It didn’t seem they had arrived yet.

“Lady Kasallin, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

When a maid announced from outside, Kasallin turned her gaze away from them and closed the curtain.

Parnes, who opened the door himself to enter the powder room, started to say something but suddenly fell silent, looking at Kasallin with slightly surprised eyes.

Since she was neither an empress nor anything yet, she usually dressed with minimal elegance, so it was understandable that he found her unfamiliar now, dressed up with such intent after a long time.

“Does it feel a bit strange?”

Kasallin awkwardly lifted and then dropped the hem of her dress as she spoke.

Today, she wore a soft rose-colored velvet dress, her hair classically braided, adorned with a delicate pearl necklace.

Parnes couldn’t easily take his eyes off her, shaking his head once or twice.

“…No, it suits you well.”

It was a bluntly delivered compliment.

The maids tending to perfumes and cosmetics tactfully left the room, and as only the two of them remained, an awkward atmosphere naturally filled the space.

Just then, the sweet sound of a dance tune played by the orchestra downstairs softly resonated through the floor.

Parnes extended one hand.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Kasallin lightly took his hand and walked toward the central hall where everyone was gathered.

Passing under the grand arches supporting the ceiling, golden light from the crystal chandelier poured over their heads.

Being in this moment reminded her of the events at the last grand festival ball.

He had personally escorted her, who had been in distress due to Shallen’s mischief, into the ballroom.

Back then, she couldn’t have imagined she would end up betrothed to him.

As the lively chatter of the crowd grew clearer, Kasallin began to feel tense.

Her neck stiffened, and her lips gradually curled inward.

Somehow, he noticed that subtle change and held her hand more firmly.

There were no empty words of comfort like “don’t worry” or “trust me.”

That silence was, in fact, more comforting.

“His Majesty Emperor Parnes Escalo and Lady Kasallin Robepon have arrived!”

As the soldier at the hall’s entrance shouted in a booming voice, the heads of the people busy exchanging greetings turned in unison toward them.

Amid the flood of attention and curiosity, like a galaxy embroidered in the night sky, Kasallin walked calmly but confidently.

“Dear Emperor of the Renel Empire, I cannot express how delighted I am to be personally invited to such a joyous occasion.”

The first to approach were, as expected, the King and Queen of the Ram Kingdom.

King Edgar Ramtes and Queen Izet Ramtes were people she had met once before.

In particular, King Edgar was the one who had openly criticized and mocked Rose during the last grand festival reading session.

Since that day, the relationship between the Khan Kingdom and the Ram Kingdom had been far from amicable.

But King Edgar was an eccentric who found even such tensions amusing.

“It’s been a while, King Ramtes. And Queen Ramtes.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Robepon. I sincerely congratulate you on your engagement.”

When Kasallin greeted them warmly first, Queen Izet smiled more kindly than ever and firmly clasped her hand.

“You must have gone through many hardships to reach this point. But from now on, only joyful days await you.”

Queen Izet, who had also suffered from unfair rumors, wore an expression that showed she deeply understood Kasallin’s heart.

Her eyes clearly conveyed a desire to build a genuine connection with Kasallin.

Somehow, Kasallin felt a premonition that they could become good friends beyond mere diplomatic ties.

“Delicious food, dazzling lights, lively music! Truly a perfect night. Greetings, Lady Kasallin Robepon. I formally pay my respects to the future Empress of Renel.”

King Edgar offered a flamboyant greeting along with a handshake.

Kasallin tried to respond politely while keeping her distance, but as expected, King Edgar did not disappoint.

“But just now, on my way into the banquet hall, I was truly surprised. None other than the King of the Khan Kingdom was here. Oh, there he is.”

King Edgar pointed somewhere.

His voice was several times louder than that of an ordinary person, so even the nobles pretending not to eavesdrop turned their gazes in that direction.

Kasallin looked up.

Far away, near a relatively quiet balcony, a man with a very familiar figure was sipping sherry.

No, to be precise, he was pretending to drink while lost in thought.

Due to the recent incident, the Khan Kingdom’s honor had fallen to rock bottom, so aside from a few people politely inquiring about his well-being, no one actively engaged with him.

“Gathering like this in one place feels strange. Almost nostalgic, in a way. Don’t you think so, Lady Kasallin Robepon?”

“King Edgar.”

Before Kasallin could respond, Parnes spoke in a low, rumbling voice, like it was crawling from the depths of an undersea cave.

Or rather, it was more like he was giving a warning.

Despite merely calling his name with his usual calm gaze, even the mighty King Edgar glanced at Parnes’s expression, gave an awkward cough, and shut his mouth.

Come to think of it, Edgar had always behaved relatively tamely in Parnes’s presence.

Though the reason was unclear, it seemed certain something had happened between them in the past.

‘By the way, I don’t see Rose.’

Could it be that Shallen came here alone without Rose?

Just then, as she wondered, her eyes met Shallen’s, who had been leaning against the window, continuously sipping sherry.

As if he had been waiting, he set his glass down with a clink and began walking toward her.

For a moment, she felt dizzy.

But soon, there was no need to worry.

Parnes, ever quick to notice, wouldn’t let Kasallin fall into distress.

“Lady Kasallin.”

The orchestra began playing a romantic dance tune in earnest, and in time with it, Parnes bowed courteously toward her.

And he politely extended his hand.

“Would you honor me with a dance?”

As Parnes formally asked Kasallin for a dance, Shallen, who had been making his way through the crowd, noticeably slowed his steps.

His eyes were visibly trembling.

Kasallin deliberately avoided looking at Shallen and gladly accepted Parnes’s offer.

“Of course.”

Parnes led Kasallin to the center of the hall.

The nobles who had been dancing in pairs hurriedly moved to the sidelines.

Holding his hand lightly with one hand, Kasallin elegantly lifted her skirt with the other and gracefully bent her knees.

Like a blooming rose swaying in the breeze, her red skirt fluttered to the rhythm, and her jet-black curls danced lightly at her waist.

In a flawless Renel Empire-style court dance greeting, the crowd began to gasp in genuine admiration.

Even Parnes, who rarely showed surprise, looked taken aback.

“You always manage to astonish me.”

“I practiced secretly every day.”

“I told you not to overdo it.”

“I didn’t want to step on Your Majesty’s feet in front of everyone. My pride wouldn’t allow it.”

Kasallin and Parnes exchanged lighthearted smiles almost simultaneously.

Contrary to her inner worries, the banquet grew lively in a cheerful atmosphere.

While everyone laughed, chatted, and clapped joyfully, only one person stood apart.

Shallen, like an uninvited guest, stared at her with a coldly frozen face.