The regular luncheon gathering of the princes was in full swing at the imperial palace of the Lisandro Empire.

“I heard the Grand Duke of Ellios from the Jupiter Empire got married yesterday.”

The 1st Prince of the Lisandro Empire clenched his fist. The thank-you card engraved with the crest of the Ellios Grand Duchy was mercilessly crumpled.

The card stated that the wedding gift was well received, and they would donate an equivalent amount to charity.

As the gift was from Lisandro, it would be donated to a charity in the capital of the Lisandro Empire in the name of the 1st Prince.

Though he wouldn’t lose anything from this… the 1st Prince, who had grown up being compared to Caeron, a prince from the neighboring empire since childhood, found even this irritating.

It felt as if they were saying they wouldn’t even owe a debt worth the gift he had sent. At the same time, he recalled the image of the Grand Duke of Ellios who had always overwhelmed him.

The 1st Prince’s face twisted with deep inferiority, as much as the thank-you card crumpled in his hand.

“That insufferable Grand Duke and his equally arrogant new Grand Duchess are both intolerable.”

According to the aide who delivered the thank-you card, it was the Grand Duchess of Ellios who had initiated this donation.

Already in the Jupiter Empire, this news was being reported, causing the popularity of not only the new Grand Duchess but also the Ellios Grand Duchy to soar.

Though he hadn’t met her, being chosen by the Grand Duke of Ellios, she must be just as lofty.

“Ah… I heard about it too. About the Grand Duchess of Ellios, I mean.”

The 2nd Prince, putting down his wine glass, licked the wine from his lips and his eyes gleamed lecherously.

“Rumors say she’s a rare beauty… It’s a shame. If I had known, I would have gone to the Jupiter Empire to attend the wedding.”

The 2nd Prince, more interested in the Grand Duchess’s beauty than her character, clicked his tongue in obvious regret.

Come to think of it… His eyes suddenly lit up and turned towards the 3rd Prince Rainien, who was eating silently.

“Didn’t our third brother recently go to the Jupiter Empire University to complete enrollment procedures?”

At this sudden shift of topic towards him, Rainien’s hand, which had been mechanically moving over his utensils, momentarily stopped.

“I heard the Grand Duchess of Ellios is enrolling in that university… Rainien, have you perhaps seen her?”

To the 2nd Prince’s question full of obvious interest, Rainien replied calmly with an indifferent expression.

“She hasn’t enrolled yet. I didn’t get to meet the Grand Duchess.”

Rainien recalled his brief visit to the Jupiter Empire for enrollment application and pre-study abroad preparations.

As he remembered that time, his expression, which had been frozen while enduring this tiresome situation, softened considerably.

Although he hadn’t met the Grand Duchess of Ellios, he recalled another woman he had met.

‘Aidel…’

Lately, Rainien often found himself lost in thought about her, memories coming unbidden.

The temperature of the wind blowing in his heart changed day by day. The gentle spring breeze had somehow become the sultry early summer wind.

A faint smile spread across his lips at the thought that he would be able to see her at the Imperial University in about two weeks.

“You seem quite happy about going to the Jupiter Empire.”

The 2nd Prince observed Rainien’s expression with a sour face. While he was curious about the Grand Duchess, he had also deliberately brought up the study abroad topic to irritate him. The reaction was completely different from his hidden intention.

The 1st Prince also frowned as he saw Rainien’s softened face. He had thought that Rainien, who usually didn’t reveal his feelings, would at least have a tense expression at the mention of studying abroad…

“It’s a special order from His Majesty the Emperor. I plan to go gladly.”

Rainien chuckled at the suspicious gazes of the two princes and nodded willingly.

“Hmph! Right. Go and learn a lot for three years. Who knows? Maybe a Jupiter woman will fall for your pretty face and propose. It wouldn’t be bad to settle down there.”

The 1st Prince snorted and sneered, clearly displeased with his reaction.

Just as much as the Grand Duke of Ellios, this half-brother Rainien was a constant irritant to him.

The Emperor was slowly preparing to hand over the throne. The invisible struggle for the throne among the princes with different maternal families was intensifying.

The 2nd Prince, who couldn’t resist women and was immersed in a luxurious lifestyle, was not really his rival anyway.

However, the 3rd Prince Rainien, who appeared gentle on the surface but always attracted people’s attention, was an unpredictable and unsettling factor.

Although Rainien had early on declared no interest in the throne, the 1st Prince knew there were still factions within the empire supporting him.

Fortunately, his maternal family and mother had worked to send that unsettling factor far away… but he couldn’t feel at ease until the moment he inherited the crown.

“That would be nice indeed.”

Rainien’s lips curved into a gentle smile. His eyes crinkled as he smiled brightly, as if genuinely pleased.

“Taking a woman from the Jupiter Empire as a companion. It’s a good idea.”

The 1st Prince’s brow furrowed deeply at this unexpected response once again.

On the other hand, the 2nd Prince showed interest in a completely different aspect, wiggling his hips.

“What? Did you meet some woman you like after going to Jupiter? I heard the women there have such fair and beautiful skin, is it true?”

The 2nd Prince looked desperate to go to the Jupiter Empire right away.

The 1st Prince, full of greed and arrogance, and the 2nd Prince, a lecher obsessed with women…

For the first time in these consistently dull luncheon gatherings with his half-brothers, Rainien laughed out loud.

“Well, I’ll have to find out.”

He had already found her, but he had no intention of letting them know that fact.

Rainien’s eyes deepened as he gently clenched his fist. Though he had lived without greed, this time he didn’t want to lose the jewel he had found to anyone.

At this moment, he didn’t yet know… that someone else had already discovered that jewel first and firmly held it in their embrace.

The day after the stormy first night.

As per the Grand Duke’s order, Aidel rested in her room all day.

Leaning against the bed’s headboard and gazing at the darkening sky outside the window, she lightly bit her lower lip.

Knock knock.

Startled by the knocking sound, Aidel’s body twitched. The person who opened the door and entered wasn’t who she had been thinking of.

“Your Highness. I hope you’ve been resting well. The preparations for your departure tomorrow are complete.”

It was Marlin, who had returned after packing the Grand Duchess’s luggage for the honeymoon. As soon as she entered, she examined Aidel’s complexion.

The Grand Duchess’s complexion, which had been pale from the night’s exertion, had fortunately improved compared to the morning.

However, her slightly stiff expression clearly showed signs of tension.

“Is there any discomfort, Your Highness?”

“No, I’ve rested comfortably.”

Fidgeting with the blanket covering her knees, she hesitated before carefully asking.

“By any chance, His Highness…?”

Recalling the ‘duties of the Grand Duchess’ that the Grand Duke had mentioned before leaving in the morning, she tightly gripped the blanket she was holding.

Once again, her skin tightened, and various parts of her body where he had touched throbbed.

Her body and mind, beyond her control, were greatly agitated by the repeated memories of the first night in her mind.

No matter how much she tried to regain composure, she simply couldn’t figure out what to do.

As time passed, the memories of him became clearer, and as the time for his arrival approached, a strange tension enveloped her entire body.

“His Highness plans to return late after finishing pre-vacation work today. He said for you to retire comfortably first.”

Ah… She opened her mouth and let out a small sigh.

The worry about how to handle it if he came tonight became meaningless, leaving her feeling a bit deflated.

“Tomorrow morning, you’re scheduled to take the train to the Ellios Grand Duchy. Please retire early tonight.”

Marlin smiled faintly as she looked at the Grand Duchess’s face, where relief and disappointment coexisted in an intricate balance.

In reality, the Grand Duke, taking a vacation after a long time, was busy wrapping up his external affairs.

His special emphasis on not waiting for him to return late was the Grand Duke’s consideration for the exhausted Grand Duchess to rest comfortably, at least for tonight.

However, Marlin thought this was the last respite he was giving her.

When she heard about the honeymoon destination the Grand Duke had instructed through Gregory, Marlin was surprised and certain.

‘You won’t have much time to rest comfortably during the honeymoon…’

She was also certain that it would be a time for them to focus entirely on each other.

Marlin’s eyes sparkled with expectation.

There was nothing that supported the Grand Duchy as firmly as the good relationship between the Grand Duke and Duchess, and nothing that pleased the servants more.

Probably when the Grand Duke and Duchess returned from their honeymoon, they would be much closer than now.

Indeed… that room moderately close to the Grand Duchess’s room would be good, right? Marlin nodded, recalling the room for the future Grand Duke or Grand Duchess that she had been keeping an eye on.

“It’s my first time going to the Ellios Grand Duchy.”

“It’s the empire’s largest territory, stretching from near the capital to the sea at the eastern end. It will take about a day by train to reach the sea.”

The Grand Duchy was particularly active in trade business through its ports. The railway was the hub connecting the transport of trade goods. The Grand Duke had recognized the value of this railway early on.

With bold investments in the railway business, train lines connecting the capital and the Ellios Grand Duchy within the Jupiter Empire were quickly established.

This improved accessibility to the Ellios Grand Duchy and, needless to say, made the territory even more prosperous.

“The Ellios Grand Duchy is beautiful and robust. You’ll probably like it when you see it.”

The Grand Duchy was not only wealthy but also boasted beautiful scenery including an emerald sea.

It was a territory that closely resembled its ruling master.

“The sea, in particular, is beautiful.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve wanted to see the sea.”

“You’ll be able to see plenty of it this time.”

The place the Grand Duke had prepared for the Grand Duchess was surrounded entirely by the sea, wasn’t it?

It was a place where one could hear the gentle sound of waves and see the beautiful, ever-changing waves of the sea reflecting light from the moment of waking until falling asleep.

This place, called ‘Ellios’s Paradise’, held a very special meaning for the Grand Duke.

By going to this meaningful place with the Grand Duchess, one could gauge the depth of the Grand Duke’s feelings for her.

‘May you spend a happy time in your private paradise…’

As she gently covered the Grand Duchess lying in bed with a blanket, Marlin fervently wished.