The one to step down from the carriage was Iobeth, and among everyone bowing their heads, he locked eyes with a woman who was the only one standing tall and looking straight at him.

‘Britney Withlo.’

Britney seemed taken aback by the eye contact, her face turning red as she lowered her head.

‘She looks like a doll.’

Perhaps because the Duke Withlo is handsome, his daughter Britney also had considerable beauty.

It doesn’t matter who the prince consort brings in, but it would be nice if they were pretty.

‘But more than that……’

Iobeth raised his head.

The curtain of the mansion’s second floor building shook lightly, catching his eye. As if someone had just been standing behind it, looking down here.

‘The flower of the Duke Withlo?’

I’ve seen a portrait of Iris, but I’ve never seen her in person.

The Duke Withlo, who sent his beautiful daughter Britney to the social circle, was very curious about what Iris, who was kept hidden because she was too pretty, would look like.

Usually, guests stay in a separate guesthouse, but the crown prince, being a distinguished guest, was led to a special room in the main house.

The owner of the mansion, Earl Kevrant Green, personally led the way.

“Do you like the room?”

“It’s excellent.”

“Please make yourself comfortable.”

As Kevrant tried to leave just like that, Iobeth grabbed his wrist.

“Earl Green. Are you planning to just leave?”

“Do you have anything to order, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

Iobeth gestured for his assistant Setney to leave.

As Setney left, Iobeth glared at Kevrant.

“If you use that disgusting tone again, I will kick your ass.”

“Dear me. That foul temper of yours is still the same, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Kevrant Green. If you keep doing this, I’m leaving?”

As Iobeth ground his teeth and growled, Kevrant smirked.

“Your quick temper is still the same, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

There was a time in their childhood, before he became the Crown Prince, when they studied at the academy.

When everyone was wary of Iobeth, the prince, Kevrant was the only one who treated him without fear. To Iobeth, who was born a prince and had to survive all kinds of plots of the royal family, Kevrant was the only friend he could trust to have his back.

“Explain.”

“What?”

“About this marriage.”

“I’m already 27 years old, Your Highness. It would have been more strange if I hadn’t married at this age.”

“Do you want me to tell you what’s even stranger? You ignored Princess Mary who followed you around. But all of a sudden, the flower of Duke Withlo?”

Princess Mary Ketben of the Minasarek Kingdom.

When discussing the beautiful women of the Elrond continent, her name came up first.

It was an open secret that Mary liked Kevrant Green, wanted to marry him, and followed him around.

A few years ago, she even packed her bags and went to Kevrant’s mansion, stayed at the mansion where Earl and Countess Green live for a while after learning that Kevrant was not at the mansion.

At that time, there was a rumor among the nobles that Mary had pestered the old Earl and Countess Green and received their consent to marry Kevrant.

But nothing happened afterward, so the rumor gradually disappeared.

“Io. The flower is not of the Duke Withlo but of the Green Earl. You know that we’ve already reported our marriage to the government office.”

“Duke Withlo is a worthless man.”

“And you are considering the eldest daughter of Duke Withlo for the position of Crown Princess.”

“Of course, I should. It’s better to have a worthless relative. While also having a decent position. But you’re different, Kevrant. Princess Mary would have been more helpful to the Green family than Withlo’s youngest daughter.”

“Perhaps. But my wife is already a great help to our family. Of course, I didn’t marry her just because she’s helpful.”

“If you’re going to say that the flower of Withlo has been of help to you, you should at least not have rumors going around that you bought her with a gold mine. Do you know what people are saying about your marriage?”

“I know. They must be saying, ‘The Earl of Green is after all a common man, so and so.’ ”

“Is it worth it?”

“Overflowing, Io. Overflowing.”

For a moment, Iobeth doubted his eyes.

The sweet smile spreading on Kevrant’s lips.

Iobeth had never seen Kevrant smile like that.

Kevrant’s smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

“Io. I’m hurt if you think I chose my wife just because of her looks.”

There was something else.

Iobeth knew Kevrant was not that kind of man.

“And Io. I didn’t choose.”

Kevrant approached Iobeth and whispered in his ear.

“She chose me.”

+++

Unlike the bride who merely needed to be pretty, the groom had a lot to do.

When Zhen and Nella seized her to try on tomorrow’s dress, get her hair and jewelry checked, there was little else to do.

While she was reading a bit,

“Iris, you should go to bed early.”

Chrishina nagged her that she needed to sleep early for her skin condition.

She had no choice but to lie in bed, but surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly.