Serena would have been excited about the harvest festival if it were any other time, but now she was finding it difficult to sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.

Anna understood her feelings well, but this was a matter that no one could interfere with, so she could only watch over her.

“Hah…”

Finally, Serena got tired of tossing and turning and sat up abruptly. From the moment Lucas appeared, it was hard to find anything that didn’t upset her, but what irritated her the most was that his face and voice kept coming to mind.

“Why am I… I’ve been living just fine for 6 years, so why…”

The problem was that she had too much faith that no one would want a wife like Serena. Even if Lucas were to think of her again, she thought he would quickly give up once he saw her usual conduct.

“He’s not some kind of pervert who enjoys being hit by a woman, right?”

After several sleepless nights, all sorts of thoughts came to her mind. But if that wasn’t the case, she couldn’t understand him smiling even after being kicked in the shin by her.

He didn’t even punish her and left the ducal residence on his own accord as she wished, did he?

“That irritates me too.”

Serena clenched her fist in resentment. It made her angry that he pushed for a marriage that her life depended on so arbitrarily, then left without a word when told to go.

“So is he going to get married or not?”

After he left, Serena’s nights were spent pondering the same thing every day. Since coming to Astel, she could do whatever she wanted with her own thoughts and decisions, but now there was an unpredictable variable.

“Ah, my head hurts…”

Now there was no trace of Lucas left in the ducal residence, but in Serena’s mind, he was still moving around saying the same things.

-Let’s get married.

A brazen and straightforward demand.

-You will inevitably want me too.

No matter how much she tried to shake it off, the arrogant and annoying smile wouldn’t leave her mind.

“I should have kicked him two more times.”

Today’s conclusion was the same. And she wouldn’t be able to sleep either. The worries that came late after 6 years made Serena suffer terribly.

As Lucas had predicted, the entire capital was abuzz with the crown prince’s return. He changed into his military uniform at a noble’s house near the capital and entered grandly in a carriage engraved with the imperial family’s crest.

“Take one more lap around.”

He was riding the carriage through all the streets where powerful nobles lived to give them a sense of the crown prince’s return. Of course, he planned to respond to the support of the people gathered at the entrance of the imperial palace soon.

“We’ve made a full round now. We’ll head back to the bridge.”

Lucas nodded. He planned to abandon the carriage in front of the bridge leading to the imperial palace and ride a horse.

Although the imperial family’s carriage symbolized a lot, he judged that it would be more effective to directly show the people his robust and dignified appearance.

“His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“His Highness the Crown Prince has returned!”

As he rode side by side with Cedric, slowly following the designated path, the people lined up on the sides cheered for the proud heir of the empire, filled with hope.

“Just look at that robust appearance!”

“Truly the pride of our empire. In the end, it was all false rumors.”

“Rumors? What rumors?”

The rumor that the crown prince of the Tern imperial family, who had been a strong military line for generations, was too weak and even smaller than noble children of the same age, was already forgotten by everyone.

“They say he will soon hold a wedding ceremony with the duke’s daughter.”

“It will be a festival, a celebration for the empire!”

Even if anyone remembered that, after seeing Lucas’s dignified appearance now, there was no way they would doubt the crown prince’s health. Announcing the crown prince’s return in advance was quite an appropriate move.

“Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Finally, upon arriving at his residence in the imperial palace, all the palace staff came out to greet him, bowing their heads.

“I see some familiar faces.”

Lucas jumped off the horse and smiled at the head butler Jackson and the head maid Matilda.

“Your Highness!”

Especially Matilda, who had been his nanny maid, couldn’t hide her tears as she ran to him and checked Lucas’s unbelievable growth several times.

“How have you become so robust? Oh my…”

Although Lucas had shown quite extraordinary qualities since childhood, seeing him grown like this made her doubt if it was really the same boy, to the point of being puzzled.

If even Matilda, who had raised him directly, felt that way, it went without saying for the others.

“How pleased and surprised will Their Majesties be to see you? Really… welcome back.”

Matilda quickly tried to compose herself and maintain her duty, but Lucas knew her affection and firmly held her hand, going beyond etiquette to give her a deeper touch.

“Your Highness…”

“You all must have had a hard time while I was away.”

At those words, even the stoic head butler nodded his head with an emotional expression. In the meantime, the Crown Prince’s quarters had gone through a very difficult time without the crown prince.

From the words that Lucas was a prodigal son who didn’t know how to fulfill his duties to the rumors that he was too weak and had gone into seclusion to recuperate, everyone had suffered a lot.

“But now that I’m back, that hardship will soon be rewarded. Also, my wife will return soon as well, so look forward to joyous occasions.”

Lucas’s dignified and confident appearance was so cool and majestic that it instantly washed away all the worries of the palace staff.

Without a word, everyone could only rejoice at the crown prince’s bright future and the empire’s solid succession.

“Your Highness, Their Majesties are waiting for you. Please go to the audience chamber first.”

“…Alright.”

For Lucas, the imperial palace he had returned to after 6 years felt familiar yet a little unfamiliar. The people and places were all the same, but it was due to the passage of time and how much he had changed.

“I shall guide you.”

The head butler immediately showed his respects and carried out his role. Lucas nodded once to praise his loyalty, then, as if he had been doing it until yesterday, he familiarly led the long procession and walked with dignified steps to the audience chamber.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived, so please announce him.”

The knights guarding the door to the audience chamber immediately paid their respects to the crown prince and stepped aside. Meanwhile, the emperor’s head butler cleared his throat a few times and finally announced the joyous news after 6 years.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince has now returned and requests an audience.”

Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces, Lucas also nodded with satisfaction. No matter how much he had grown, he couldn’t help but look forward to meeting his family after 6 years.

“He is granted permission to enter.”

The thick doors of the audience chamber opened, and a scene no different from his memory unfolded.

As he walked along the long red carpet crossing the audience chamber, he soon saw the jade throne on the high platform and his parents sitting side by side.

“Father, Mother, I have returned.”

Unlike when he left, Lucas elegantly paid his respects and looked up at the two.

The emperor, who had been indifferent, doubted his own eyes several times upon seeing Lucas, who had become much more robust than he had imagined, and the empress was already gesturing towards him with tearful eyes.

“It’s alright, Mother. I am no longer a child.”

Although his feelings of joy were the same, Lucas now had to show his authority as the crown prince. To do so, he couldn’t be seen immediately going to his mother’s arms and being embraced. In any case, there would be many opportunities for the mother and son to meet in the future.

“Not a child?”

Suddenly, a small child popped out from behind the throne and shouted loudly as if to make her presence known, then wobbled down the stairs.

At that, the emperor was seen unconsciously following her unstable steps with his eyes. It was a much more affectionate gaze than when he looked at his son who had been away from his parents for 6 years.

“Who… are you?”

A little girl who looked exactly like Adeline with her brown hair and beautiful eyes clung to Lucas’s clothes.

Only then did Lucas recall the news he had momentarily forgotten. Three years after he left, the joyous occasion that shook the imperial palace was none other than the child in front of his eyes.

“You don’t know who I am?”

The girl shook her head vigorously.

“I know who you are.”

“Who…?”

Lucas scooped up the girl in his arms. As if she was used to being held like that, the child burst into laughter with a “kyaa” sound.

“You must be Luana.”

“Yes… Luana, I know now. You’re my elder brother.”

Seeing the child welcoming him despite meeting him for the first time, Lucas could tell how much the empress had talked about him and described him.

“You’re smart.”

As Lucas carefully put Luana down, the child wobbled up the stairs again and hugged the emperor tightly.

“She may be smarter than you.”

Only then did the emperor open his mouth towards Lucas.

“Who leaves their parents for 6 years?”

To the emperor and empress, Lucas was their only son and sole heir. No matter how lofty his intentions were, 6 years was too long of a gap.

“If it weren’t for Luana, how lonely would the empress have been?”

“Your Majesty, you’re only blaming me. Even though you missed Lucas more than anyone.”

“Me? When did I! I only need Luana.”

Even at the emperor’s serious protest, Luana, who burst into giggles, clapped her hands.

“The time that has passed was necessary for me to grow. But now that I have returned, I will fulfill my duties as the crown prince from now on.”

It was truly a reassuring and reliable statement. Adeline was still amazed at how the child in her arms had grown so big and dependable.

“Well… as long as you’ve realized your duties now, that’s enough.”

The emperor was also very pleased and satisfied with his son’s growth, but for now, this was the limit of his expression. He was a strong father to his son, even if he was endlessly weak to the empress and the princess.

“First, as the beginning of those duties, I will hold the postponed wedding ceremony.”

Lucas declared with a charming smile.