It seemed that Gibran and the 7th Prince didn’t get along well. Riley nodded, taking Gibran’s advice to heart.

“Now, let’s go up.”

Finally, the time had come.

Gibran led Riley to the prepared stage to deliver a welcome and thank-you speech to the guests gathered here.

All eyes were focused on them. Eventually, curiosity appeared on their faces. It was apparent that they were perplexed as to why a woman was brought up onto the stage.

Whether for good or ill, Gibran greeted them.

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to all the guests who took the valuable time to attend the party to congratulate me.”

Following that were ceremonial words.

First, he expressed gratitude to the royal family for opening the palace and lending the venue. He also thanked those who cooperated in becoming the Matron of Horizon, coming this far.

After that, he briefly concluded the greetings, expressing hopes that everyone would enjoy this time and return home satisfied.

“And now, in this place where I want to receive congratulations with a joyful heart, I would like to make a marriage announcement.”

At the word “marriage,” the hall buzzed.

Sighs erupted here and there. Some were genuinely surprised, while others seemed to have expected this situation.

“I am engaged to this lady next to me and have already completed the formal introduction between our families.”

The inside of the hall became noisy.

People focused their attention on Riley, who was standing next to Gibran, and exchanged glances busily.

Though they desperately tried to share information about who she might be, which family she belonged to, and who she was, no one among the gathered people knew anything about Riley, so the conversation did not last long.

“We plan to hold the wedding at the end of the year.”

He was very casual. He even added that he wanted to receive the truly youthful congratulations of the people here.
Then, those who were initially bewildered couldn’t help but congratulate his engagement, sending applause. They also made sure to ask him to invite them to the wedding.

Fortunately, no one asked personally about Riley.

As they were closely associated with Gibran, they were well aware that asking personal questions would put him in an awkward position. So, they had to suppress their curiosity, looking forward to the next meeting.

As soon as they descended from the stage, congratulations poured in. Gibran skillfully expressed gratitude, and Riley, standing by, looked embarrassedly and observed the situation.

The countless stares were burdensome. It wouldn’t be strange if they turned into a beehive. The piercing gazes were as relentless as the venomous stingers of bees fiercely defending their nest.

Moreover, familiar faces appeared among the numerous people.

‘Josephine Lucan!’

It was the woman who had humiliated Riley before, tried to torment her, and had broken her leg at some point. There were a few people accompanying her.

As they made eye contact with Riley, they were visibly surprised and turned their gazes away, whispering among themselves. Just by looking at the expressions as if their jaws would drop, it was evident how shocked they were about this situation.

Perhaps by tomorrow, rumors would spread throughout the entire academy. Riley Aedalyn was the hidden fiancée of Gibran Lianster.

They were the center of the magical department’s first-year students.

The prestige nobles huddled together, sharing all kinds of information and acting in solidarity. Yet, it was impossible to predict how they would react.

Wishing they would be frightened and repulsed as they had been so far, Riley subtly shifted her position.

While Gibran discussed business-related stories, the conversation gradually extended.

Moreover, around him, there was no shortage of men waiting to engage in conversation. Among them were princes.

Riley judged that it would be best to leave at this point, showing proper etiquette. She intended to go straight to where Hila and Livne were to join them. However, an unexpected figure embraced Riley’s fist.

“Sister, congratulations sincerely!”

Darn it. It was Claire.