His well-dressed appearance and the way nobles all around were greeting him suggested he was quite a prestigious aristocrat. Judging by his entourage, it seemed he went around causing trouble wherever he went.

After briefly glancing at the rude man, Ariel looked back at Kaius, who turned her around by the hand.

Why in this direction…?

She looked to see if there was anyone else around the blue-haired man, but there were only attendants, and the nobles had parted on both sides, showing respect.

Surely not.

“We greet Your Imperial Majesty.”

Ariel, about to bow along with Kaius, was startled when she saw the direction he was bowing.

It was exactly towards that man.

That person was the Emperor?

Though shocked, Ariel’s body moved faster than her mind. She instinctively bowed her head following Kaius.

What happened last night? No. Nothing happened. Ariel von Letiana did not leave her room all day yesterday.

That alone was the truth.

“We greet Your Imperial Majesty.”

As Emperor Hart drew closer to Kaius, he felt the anger in his heart growing stronger. The woman standing next to him was completely different from the one he had seen in the portrait. Moreover, she looked quite similar to the woman from last night.

Her large golden eyes were mystical enough to captivate the soul of the beholder, and her silver hair glinting in the sunlight was dazzling. Her appearance stimulated a desire to possess, like wanting to collect a rare gem. Enough to instantly understand why the wooden Kaius suddenly decided to marry.

It was an order issued to take Catherine away from Kaius and make him despair. But ridiculously, it ended up placing the world’s most precious jewel in his hands. Emperor Hart, looking at the princess with narrowed eyes, recalled Duke Beloas’ words about her hiding her appearance.

It seems even that has become useless. She appears to have already revealed her true form.

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

Emperor Hart, exhaling his rising irritation in a sigh, offered words of congratulation. If he had known just one day earlier, he could have stopped this marriage.

“Thank you.”

It was a brief answer without any fluff. Isn’t it usually ‘Thanks to Your Majesty’ or something like that? Even if it’s just empty words.

Ariel silently laughed and turned her head forward to find Emperor Hart staring directly at her. At first, he wore a social smile for a while, but as time passed, his face kept hardening. It was out of fear that she might recognize him.

To think she had kicked the Emperor.

Ariel lowered her eyes, uncomfortable with his gaze. During this time, Kaius’ gaze remained fixed on Emperor Hart’s face. As that uncomfortable and strange confrontation continued, the nobles’ murmurs, which had been suppressed, gradually grew louder.

“Your Majesty, thank you for attending the wedding. Please proceed to the front to be seated.”

It was Duke Rashid von Baltesran who broke the silence.

“Your Majesty.”

At the urging voice, Emperor Hart’s gaze shifted to Kaius.

“…Very well.”

Even after the Emperor had left his seat, Kaius remained motionless, staring at Ariel for a long time. It was a gaze whose meaning was impossible to decipher.

“Kaius.”

“Let’s go now.”

Kaius’ hand, which personally took and held Ariel’s, was filled with strength.

As Kaius and Ariel stood at the beginning of the aisle, piano melodies began to flow. Kaius led Ariel towards the end of that path where the high priest was waiting.

Emperor Hart took his seat at the very front.

“Garnin, report.”

“I did not sense any magical energy.”

Garnin, who had remained behind Emperor Hart during the confrontation earlier, confirmed that Princess Ariel had no magical energy. Emperor Hart laughed bitterly at Garnin’s report.

He had been thoroughly fooled.

Just as Emperor Hart’s lips twisted crookedly, the high priest’s blessing began.

Ariel, seemingly listening intently to the high priest’s words, nodded particularly at the mentions of respect and effort. However, at the words “happily for a long time,” she stiffened and avoided the high priest’s gaze. Watching this, Kaius let out a silent laugh, finding it quite absurd.

You’re awfully honest, aren’t you.

The high priest, not receiving a response from Ariel, turned his misplaced arrow towards Kaius. In response to that staring gaze, Kaius briefly jerked his chin up.

A blue diamond ring, the ring of a duchess, was placed on Ariel’s left hand, and a similar ducal ring was placed on Kaius’ hand as well.

As he approached her a little more for the final ritual, Ariel began to noticeably waver. Disregarding this, Kaius lowered his lips. If he were to give a deep kiss here, tomorrow’s newsletter headlines would feature a story about a duchess who hit her husband. Kaius was satisfied with that and gently separated his lightly touched lips.

His expectation of meeting a thoroughly guarded gaze was completely off the mark. The look in her eyes, slowly raised, was mixed with shyness and anxiety, but unlike before, it was firm.

Her mindset towards him had changed. Kaius was quite satisfied with that clear attitude.

With that ritual, the marriage of the two was proclaimed. As the high priest’s words rang out, applause and words of blessing followed. The sound of raised champagne glasses clinking together signaled the start of a long reception.

“What is it, Your Majesty.”

“I have something I’d like to ask the princess briefly, would it be alright if I took her away for a moment?”

Emperor Hart’s request to unhesitatingly take away the new bride made Kaius laugh inwardly. And right after they had just gotten married. He was about to voice his refusal without even needing to consider it.

“Your Majesty.”

Unexpectedly, Ariel spoke up first.

“If you have something to inquire about, I would like to hear it together with my husband if possible.”

Husband?

Kaius realized that unfamiliar word coming from Ariel’s lips sounded better than he had expected. Although Ariel said she wanted to be with Kaius because she didn’t want to be alone with the Emperor, she gently took Kaius’ large, firm hand out of anxiety. Surprised by the unexpected touch, Kaius looked down at Ariel.

Emperor Hart’s face hardened, feeling insulted by Ariel’s bold attitude and the couple’s behavior that seemed to pay him no mind. He had planned to ask if she was the woman from last night despite her changed appearance, but in this situation, he no longer wanted to remain here either.

As Emperor Hart’s lips twisted crookedly, more strength was applied to Ariel’s tense hand.

“Last night was enjoyable. Fierce kitten.”

“……”

Emperor Hart threw out that one line and then turned around, disappearing with his attendants. Ariel thought quickly. Had there been any violation of the contract last night?

There hadn’t been.

Only then did Ariel let out a sigh of relief and release his hand. When she looked up, his calm face had disappeared, replaced by eyes that contained both heat and coolness as he looked at her.

“There’s no need to worry. Nothing happened.”

She shook her head and spoke as if it was nothing, but his hardened face showed no signs of relaxing. It seemed more explanation was needed.

“Um, let’s go somewhere quiet for a moment.”

“There’s no need. The guests are waiting, so let’s go.”

A cold wind was blowing in his voice. At this rate, they would only be able to talk after the guests had left. They couldn’t stay this uncomfortable until then. Gathering her courage once more, Ariel took his hand, and Kaius let out a low sigh before nodding briefly.

Slowly looking around, Kaius called Lemon and gave two instructions: that they would be late to the reception, and that no one should follow behind Kaius and Ariel.

He began to walk slowly in a different direction from the mansion, not letting go of the hand Ariel had taken.

“I think this should be far enough.”

Ariel stopped walking as they had moved quite far from the mansion, there were no guests in sight, and it was fairly quiet.

“Let’s walk a bit more.”

“Is there an even quieter place?”

Kaius nodded slowly and started walking again. The sensation transmitted from his hand, which was holding hers, was cool.

“Kaius, I hope we don’t go too far as we need to attend the reception.”

Kaius silently raised his head and looked somewhere. Following his gaze, Ariel saw an old cabin.

“Is that the place?”

“Tell me.”

The place they arrived at was an empty single-story cabin. Upon entering, it seemed to be regularly maintained as it looked quite clean. While she was looking around briefly, Kaius brought over a rustic wooden chair.

“Sit down.”

“Thank you.”

After helping Ariel sit down by lifting the hem of her voluminous wedding dress, Kaius walked over to the window and leaned against it.

Once he had settled, Ariel briefly explained about the contact from Ludvian and Anna going out instead.

Kaius, who had been staring blankly at Ariel, jerked his chin. Ariel adjusted her position, seeming uncomfortable with the long wedding dress as she roughly pulled it around. Even so, her back remained straight.

“It got late, but Anna hadn’t returned. By that time, I thought the guests would be tired so no one would encounter me, so I covered myself with a cloak and went out. While I was hiding in the garden waiting for Anna, His Majesty appeared there.”

Kaius, habitually searching the inside of his jacket, realized there was no cigar case and let out a shallow sigh.

The voice he heard last night was certainly Emperor Hart’s voice. Moreover, Emperor Hart’s eyes were full of greed as he looked at Ariel. Even though he knew well that it wasn’t her fault, what was this irritating feeling that he couldn’t help?

Should he fill the artifact again?

Kaius seriously began to reconsider it.

Ariel saw that the more she spoke, the more Kaius’ hardened expression became even more rigid. Thinking this was quite a situation, she quickly added an explanation.

“Of course, I didn’t know he was the Emperor then. I just thought he was a ruffian, but you can’t imagine how surprised I was when I saw that face today.”

“A ruffian?”

“Yes, he arbitrarily took off my hat, grabbed my chin like this and turned it this way and that, appraising me and blocking my way. So…”

She hesitated mid-sentence, and Kaius raised one eyebrow.

“So?”

“…I kicked him and ran away. But this is a secret. I was in my bedroom all day yesterday. So only you should know about this, Duke.”

Kaius, who had been momentarily dazed, burst into laughter. As the situation from last night was pictured in his mind, his irritated mood gradually disappeared. Laughing once again, Kaius was very pleased with the wedding gift his bride had given him.