Knock knock−

Cahirun, who was putting his arms through the shirt that Machi had spread out, turned his head.

The person who entered the room with the knock was wearing the same clothes as the outfit he was currently wearing, even donning a mask. If someone else had seen it, they would have thought there were two Cahirun de Hilics, as their physiques were also similar.

As soon as the door closed, the gray-haired man who took off his mask first let out a long sigh.

“I thought I was going to suffocate to death.”

Randolph grumbled that not only these fancy clothes but also the stuffy banquet where he couldn’t utter a single word did not suit his temper at all.

Cahirun, who always pretended to listen, asked.

“Was there any trouble?”

“No, Her Majesty the Queen did glare at me for not saying a word, though.”

Randolph, recalling the Queen’s venomous gaze that flew towards him, crossed his arms and exaggeratedly shuddered.

The Queen had never been able to hide her displeasure with his master from the past.

This time, she also heaped criticism on the stepson whom the King met after a long time.

She said he had no affection, complaining that he couldn’t say a single kind word despite seeing each other after several years, and she was worried about how he would embrace the nobles in the future. They were remarks that openly contained political checks.

Listening quietly, his ears hurt so much that they still felt numb, so he rubbed them.

Seeing Randolph’s disgusted appearance, Cahirun chuckled. Without saying much, he knew his stepmother’s temper the best.

“You should quickly return to the banquet. It wouldn’t look good if the main character keeps being absent from his seat.”

At Machi’s words, Cahirun nodded his head.

Returning to the banquet hall, Cahirun looked around just in case.

Although he thought she wouldn’t come back, as expected, Reneola Violet was nowhere to be seen.

Cahirun twirled the wine glass he wasn’t even drinking from, pretending not to see the young ladies who were casting glances at him. Then someone tapped his shoulder.

“Elder brother.”

Cahirun, who turned his body, mercilessly flicked Eric’s hand away. Eric twisted his lips.

“You still dislike me, elder brother.”

“You’re the same, aren’t you?”

When Cahirun retorted, Eric readily nodded his head.

“Yes, that’s right. Father is calling for you. Let’s go.”

Cahirun, who gestured with his eyes to Machi, followed Eric into the reception room prepared on one side of the banquet hall.

Not only the King and Queen but also Floria Violet, who would soon become his sister-in-law, were present. The King pointed to the sofa and tilted his head.

“Sit down.”

Cahirun sat in the seat the King offered. Eric was already sitting next to Floria.

Despite the presence of the King and Queen, Eric was holding Floria’s hand and constantly showing affection.

It was clear that his foolish younger brother thought such actions would be a plus for him.

“Do you have to wear that mask even here?”

“I slightly injured my face. It’s not a big wound, so don’t worry.”

The King stroked his long beard with his hand and nodded.

“The grueling war with Pitan has finally ended. Well done.”

Even with the praise from the King, who was stingy with compliments, Cahirun remained calm. Unlike him, who simply lowered his head, the Queen bit her lower lip with an impatient expression.

Cahirun’s laid-back attitude always rubbed her the wrong way. It seemed as if he didn’t care about her and Eric at all.

That’s because while Cahirun was away, she had whispered slander about him and spread false rumors, but the King’s trust in the 1st Prince was solid.

It was only natural since he had doubled the nation’s territory. Compared to him, her son Eric was…

The Queen turned her head to Eric. Although she always said he was a precious son out of habit, she also knew. That her son was far behind Cahirun.

So when he brought Floria, she was secretly pleased.

It was because she was loved by the people even if she didn’t satisfy her own castle.

Thanks to that, the people’s support for Eric was also constantly soaring. The light finally began to shine on Eric, who had been overshadowed by Cahirun, who always stood out as a war hero.

‘But why did he have to return at this time of all times?’

If only the royal wedding had been hastily proceeded, Eric could have clearly caught the King’s attention.

‘Why won’t that dreadful thing even die?’

She had already sent assassins to the battlefield to kill him many times long ago, but Cahirun uncannily sensed it and avoided it each time.

Moreover, somehow knowing, he kept sending the assassins’ heads back to the inner palace, startling her every time.

The Queen, who was gritting her teeth at Cahirun’s leisurely attitude as he leaned back on the sofa and crossed his long legs, turned her head to the King.

Now that the people’s favor towards Eric was high, she intended to hasten Eric’s royal wedding as soon as possible. That way, Cahirun’s victory would be buried.

“Your Majesty, now that the 1st Prince has also returned, we must proceed with Eric’s royal wedding that had been postponed. It has already been several months since lady Floria entered the castle, and everyone is openly using the title of Crown Princess, so it doesn’t look good to keep delaying it like this.”

“That’s right.”

The King nodded his head as if agreeing. The Queen, whose face lit up, was about to continue when the King turned his gaze to Cahirun.

“When do you plan to get married? You’re quite old enough now, so it’s time for you to find a companion, isn’t it?”

“Your Majesty, the 1st Prince hasn’t even chosen a lady to marry yet. We can’t lightly proceed with such an important matter as a royal wedding, can we?”

“But it’s not proper for the elder to get married after the younger according to the rules.”

“Then are you saying that Eric has to wait until the 1st Prince gets married?”

“Well, that’s true, but… Originally, it’s the standard for the elder to marry first.”

“But Your Majesty!”

“I don’t mind.”

Cahirun calmly answered between the Queen’s voice raising in pitch.

“I have no intention of getting married yet, so let’s proceed with Eric’s royal wedding first.”

“The 1st Prince is right, Your Majesty. In times like these, where is the law that says the elder must get married before the younger? We can’t keep making these children wait.”

“Hmm. If that’s what you think too, Cahirun, then let’s do that.”

In the end, when the King backed down, the Queen let out a sigh. Cahirun turned his gaze away from the Queen.

Beside Eric, who couldn’t hide his upset expression, Floria Violet was sitting with an innocent face as if she couldn’t hear anything at all.

However, to Cahirun, who had swept through numerous battlefields and experienced all kinds of human figures, it only looked like a flimsy mask that would break soon.

Even now, she was comforting Eric with such a pure expression, but her jaw had hardened as if she was clenching her teeth.

“Then let’s proceed with Eric’s royal wedding first, and you should also start looking for a marriage partner soon since you need to get married.”

As the topic returned to Cahirun’s marriage once again, Floria tightly gripped her dress.

“For now, Eric’s royal wedding comes first, so let’s focus on that…”

“But then when will this child get married? He’s already twenty-five years old, so it’s more than late enough. Along with Eric’s royal wedding, Cahirun’s marriage partner should also be decided. I have someone in mind.”

“Someone in mind, you say?”

“The Princess of Etra is still unmarried. She’s about the same age as Cahirun, and we maintain a good relationship with that country, so it will surely benefit the kingdom.”

If it was the Princess of Etra, rumors had already been circulating.

It was said that the King had designated her as Cahirun’s match. Since it was said that he had already exchanged friendly letters with the King of Etra, the King bringing this up was no different from urging him to marry the Princess.

The Queen frowned deeply.

No matter how much support Floria received from the people, someone was marrying a princess of the kingdom, while her son was marrying the daughter of a mere fallen noble.

If Cahirun got married and became closer to Etra, she thought the people’s support would eventually turn to him, making her shudder.

Of course, it wasn’t only the Queen who thought that way. Floria, who was putting all her effort into maintaining a serene expression, also found this situation unpleasant.

It was obvious that she would be compared if the Princess of Etra entered when she hadn’t yet fully established her position.

Moreover, in the kingdom, one could not ascend to the throne without getting married.

That’s why it was important to somehow delay the 1st Prince’s marriage until she completely took control of the palace. But there was nothing she could do in this situation right now. Just then, as Floria was biting the inside of her mouth out of anxiety.

“It’s only been a few hours since I returned from a long war. The banquet celebrating the victory hasn’t even ended yet, so I think talking about marriage is a bit hasty.”

Cahirun cut off the words as if it wasn’t a big deal. From her point of view, he should get married as soon as possible, so she looked at him doubtfully, but his expression couldn’t be read because of the mask.

Seeing such Floria, Cahirun laughed briefly. For a woman who acted with a good nature and received people’s adoration, she was quite poor at managing her expressions.

“Still, I’ll have to get married someday. The Princess of Etra is fine too.”

In any case, the marriage of royalty was bound to be intertwined with interests. Cahirun also knew that fact and naturally planned to have such a marriage. If it was the Princess of Etra, she would surely be of help to him.

But after uttering those words, for some reason, a face that had fluttered at his teasing remark came to mind.

Cahirun suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his fingers and slowly rubbed them.