《After The Heroine Vanished》 THE HEROINES DIARY ¡°YOU¡¯RE ALREADY a grown woman inside, and yet, you want to marry a child? That¡¯s creepy.¡± Ouch. I didn¡¯t expect those vicious words from Sonata Florin, the eleven-year-old heroine of my favorite romance fantasy novel ¡®Unholy Marriage,¡¯ after I shared my life story with her. By that, I mean revealing the fact that I came from another world. That I only look like a child outside because of the body I possessed, but I¡¯m a grown woman inside. ¡°Miss Sonata, please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± I pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s true that I need to marry the boy you saved, but it¡¯s only for my survival.¡± Diether Hexford, the unconscious boy, is the novel¡¯s hero and Sonata¡¯s future husband. [It¡¯s amazing how I met the hero and the heroine in this dangerous setting.] We were shipwrecked off the coast of an unfamiliar island and met unexpectedly. ¡°How is a cradle snatcher the heroine of a romance novel?¡± Again, ouch. ¡°It seems like you weren¡¯t listening to me properly, Miss Sonata,¡± I said defensively. ¡°You are the heroine of the novel and not me.¡± [Uhm, let¡¯s backtrack a little.] *** JUST A week ago, I was living a miserable life as Choi Aera¨C a twenty-five-year-old Kpop idol-slash-actress embroiled in a bullying scandal. The stress gave me insomnia. One night, after taking my meds, I slept peacefully only to wake up as a different person inside a fantasy world the next day. To be precise, I possessed Celeste Montali¨C the first wife of the novel¡¯s hero. [And a character destined to die later.] It has only been a week since I possessed the twelve-year-old rich commoner. Even so, I¡¯ve adjusted quickly. I hate my life as Choi Aera, after all. [I was dumb and young in high school, hanging out with the wrong crowd. But I never participated in the bullying. I learned the hard way that being a spectator makes me just as guilty as the bullies.] As a result of my reckless teenage years, my life and career were ruined overnight. Waking up as Celeste was a blessing in disguise. Luckily, I have the original Celeste¡¯s memories. I also have the acting skills I honed as Choi Aera to help me act like how the original Celeste did. The only problem is I entered the novel way too early. [Let¡¯s backtrack a little more.] So, three days ago, I boarded a cruise ship with my new parents for vacation. I locked myself in the cabin planning how to avoid my early death, actively avoiding spending time with my new parents. Then¡­ boom! The cruise ship sank after a huge explosion. I hit my head hard on the bedside table when the cruise ship shook hard, then I fainted. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the heroine. Sonata, Unholy Marriage¡¯s heroine, has purple hair and unique golden eyes. [That¡¯s how I instantly recognized her.] Then my focus shifted to the unconscious hero that Sonata is busy saving. [The novel stated several times that only Diether Hexford has silver-blue hair on the entire continent, so I can¡¯t be mistaken.] Anyway, I¡¯m quite mesmerized watching Sonata suck out the poison from the venomous wound on Diether¡¯s arm. Experts from the modern world wouldn¡¯t recommend that. [But the novel said Sonata is an expert in poison arts.] Plus, this is a fantasy world. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Sonata.¡± I realized my mistake as soon as the heroine turned to me with suspicious eyes. [Oh, no.] ¡°I didn¡¯t give you my name yet. Did my father send you after me?¡± [Let¡¯s come clean to earn Sonata¡¯s trust.] ¡°I know what I¡¯m about to say may sound crazy, but I swear I¡¯ll only spill the truth,¡± I said, hoping that my sincerity reached Sonata who is supposedly good at judging people. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not from this world¡­¡± And that was how I ended up telling my story. Sonata, on the other hand, listened while cleaning Diether¡¯s wound. ¡°When I woke up, I¡¯m already in possession of this body.¡± Sonata sat on the sand, put the unconscious Diether¡¯s head on her lap, then leaned against the boulder behind her. ¡°So, I¡¯m just a book character in some novel that you¡¯ve read before?¡± I gasped, realizing my careless mistake. ¡°You¡¯re saying this world is nothing but a world inside a novel?¡± Sonata asked, tilting her head to one side. ¡°Fascinating.¡± Whew. I¡¯m relieved by Sonata¡¯s calm reaction. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Sonata?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already an adult inside, and yet, you want to marry a child? That¡¯s creepy.¡± Ouch. ¡°How is a cradle snatcher the heroine of a romance novel?¡± ¡°It seems like you weren¡¯t listening to me properly, Miss Sonata,¡± I said defensively. ¡°You are the heroine of the novel and not me.¡± Sonata just remained silent. ¡°I need to marry the boy,¡± I said hesitantly. Argh, Sonata¡¯s silence is making me talk more. ¡°For my survival.¡± After all, the novel stated Diether¡¯s mother adored Celeste. Of course, I¡¯m aware that the child died at Diether¡¯s hands. [But since I know the ¡®future,¡¯ I can change that gruesome fate.] ¡°You keep saying I¡¯m the ¡°heroine¡± of this world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¨C you are the heroine, Miss Sonata.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been reading all sorts of books since I was three,¡± Sonata said. ¡°My experience as a reader tells me your interesting life story as a ¡°transmigrator¡± makes you more of a main character.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The fact that you¡¯re here now already changed the story that you know,¡± Sonata said casually. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve already become the heroine of this world?¡± That¡¯s¡­ valid? ¡°I hope I¡¯m wrong, though,¡± Sonata said while looking at Diether. ¡°Marrying a child is already bad enough¨C but it looks like you¡¯re going to practically raise your husband, too.¡± My conscience is clean, but Sonata¡¯s harsh words make me feel guilty. [I need the Hexfords.] There¡¯s a reason why I avoided my new parents. [I¡¯m pretty sure this is the tragic accident that killed Celeste¡¯s parents.] I also know that Celeste¡¯s greedy relatives would steal the poor child¡¯s inheritance by faking her parents¡¯ will, and I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with that. [The best course of action is to marry Diether Hexford and live comfortably.] ¡°In the original story, Celeste died early,¡± I confessed. ¡°A few years after Celeste¡¯s death, you and Diether Hexford got married.¡± Ah, I mentioned Diether¡¯s name out loud. But Sonata just looked at me as if she wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°I have no intention of dying here,¡± I declared firmly. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Miss Sonata. I will divorce Diether Hexford later.¡± [I just need enough time to save up money before running away.] ¡°I will run away as soon as I have the funds and means to do so.¡± ¡°Are you confident that you can run away by then?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you considered the possibility that Diether Hexford may fall in love with you?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± I said confidently. ¡°After all, it¡¯s you who¡¯s destined to be with Diether, Miss Sonata.¡± ¡°The story has already changed, and will continue changing because of you,¡± Sonata said with a straight face. ¡°Why do you still insist on following the ¡®plot¡¯ of the novel that¡¯s obviously in shambles now?¡± ¡°Because it feels wrong,¡± I argued firmly. ¡°I¡¯m already a grown woman inside, so why would I fall for my young future husband?¡± [And those were probably my famous last words.] *** I CAN¡¯T really remember what happened next after my (almost) one-sided conversation with Sonata. In fact, I don¡¯t even recall falling asleep. But when I opened my eyes, I¡¯m already lying on a bed¡­ ¡­ while holding the hand of a sleeping boy. [Diether Hexford?!] ¡°Dear, you¡¯re awake?¡± I turned to the beautiful lady sitting on the chair beside the bed. Platinum blonde hair, clear blue eyes. The lady, who looks like she¡¯s only in her early thirties, looks at me as if she¡¯s about to cry any moment. I¡¯m pretty sure this is Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford, the male lead¡¯s mother. ¡°Child, may I ask you some questions?¡± I nodded slowly, acting meek. ¡°May I know your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Celeste Montali, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Montali¡­¡± Lady Eleanor whispered, obviously relieved. ¡°Miss Celeste, are Zekiel and Helene Montali you parents?¡± I pretended to be confused, then I acted like I¡¯m having a panic attack. ¡°My parents! Ma¡¯am, do you know where my mother and father are? They¡¯re with me in the cruise ship¡­!¡± [My past as an idol-slash-actress comes in handy now, huh?] ¡°Miss Celeste, I know it¡¯s hard, but please calm down,¡± Lady Eleanor said, holding my shoulders in an attempt to soothe me. ¡°I hate to be the bearer of the bad news, but you have the right to know. Your father¡­ and mother¡­ they didn¡¯t survive the shipwreck.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°That can¡¯t be true, ma¡¯am. My parents¡­ I need to see them first¡­¡± To complete my act, I pulled my hand away from (the sleeping) Diether¡¯s grasp. Then I tried to stand up, but my knees gave up quickly. That wasn¡¯t an act. My entire body really feels like a Jell-O at the moment. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move abruptly, Miss Celeste,¡± Lady Eleanor said while helping me get back to bed. ¡°I already identified your parents¡¯ bodies, and I already took care of all the necessary procedures. You can check them later, so please take a rest for now.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m grateful, but I¡¯m confused,¡± I said, acting anxious. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± Lady Eleanor smiled sadly at me. ¡°I¡¯m a good friend of your late father, Miss Celeste.¡± [Let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t know Lady Eleanor is still in love with Celeste¡¯s father¨C her ex-lover.] ¡°Perhaps, are you¡­ Lady Eleanor?¡± ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°My father often mentioned his friend, ¡®Lady Eleanor,¡¯ to me. Father didn¡¯t have any noble friends in our town, so I thought he was just lying,¡± I lied. ¡°B-but I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d meet like this, my lady¡­¡± Lady Eleanor¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Miss Celeste, would you like to be my daughter-in-law?¡± ¡°Is that even possible, my lady?¡± I¡¯m just acting dumb. I know noble children in this world could get married as early as ten years old. But a child marriage is considered a political marriage. Hence, it¡¯s not consummated until both parties are of age. And they¡¯re strict about that rule. ¡°A child marriage is allowed within the nobility. I would love to adopt you as my daughter, but my husband would never allow it, so I¡¯d like you to marry my son instead,¡± Lady Eleanor explained. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Miss Celeste. You just need to marry my son in order to use our family name. You¡¯re free to divorce him anytime.¡± ¡°That offer sounds too good to be true, ma¡¯am,¡± I said hesitantly, hiding my excitement. ¡°Why are you being good to me?¡± ¡°You saved my son¡¯s life, Miss Celeste.¡± Huh? ¡°Diether briefly woke up earlier,¡± the Grand Duchess explained. ¡°He said a girl around his age saved him. He couldn¡¯t remember what the girl looks like, but you were the only person beside my son when the rescuers found him.¡± What happened to Sonata then? I¡¯m curious, but since my survival comes first, I just shrugged it off. [Sonata is the heroine¨C she¡¯ll be fine.] ¡°Miss Celeste, was my son mistaken?¡± ¡°No, my lady,¡± I said, shaking my head. Then I turned to Diether Hexford who¡¯s still sleeping peacefully beside me. ¡°I saved this boy¡¯s life.¡± And that¡¯s how I, Celeste Montali, became Diether Hexford¡¯s fianc¨¦e. *** IT HAS only been two weeks since I arrived at the estate, but everyone is already treating me like I¡¯m the daughter of House Hexford. I particularly grew close with Riette, the maid that Lady Eleanor assigned to me. My appearance definitely played a huge part in charming the people around me. [Celeste¡¯s pastel pink hair and baby blue eyes make her look soft, and that makes everyone feel like they have to protect me.] But I can¡¯t use my appearance on Diether who keeps avoiding me. And that hinders my mission. [The reason Diether killed Celeste in the novel is related to his mommy issues, so I need to fix his mommy issues by helping him get close to Lady Eleanor.] Fortunately, an opportunity arrived. After I heard the name of the guest who arrived at the estate this morning, I sneakily followed the servants that brought refreshments. Then I hid behind the bushes while watching Diether and the guest who are having tea in the garden. Don Baldwin, the guest, was Diether¡¯s older cousin from his mother¡¯s side. ¡°I heard that the child is the child of Aunt Eleanor¡¯s ex-lover, Diether.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have to get rid of that child, Diether.¡± [Excuse me???] ¡°It¡¯s only been a week, but I heard Aunt Eleanor is already enamored with that child. Auntie probably sees her dead ex-lover in that little girl.¡± [Well, he¡¯s not wrong¡­] ¡°At this rate, that child will steal all of Aunt Eleanor¡¯s love and attention from you.¡± [So, this little bastard was the one who made Diether hate Celeste!] ¡°My poor cousin, don¡¯t forget that your father only forced Aunt Eleanor to marry him. You weren¡¯t born out of love.¡± [Why would you say something like that to a child?!] ¡°You¡¯re the son of the monster who tormented Aunt Eleanor, so how do you expect your mother to love you?¡± [This snake¡­!] ¡°Unfortunately, you were also born ugly and weak. No wonder Uncle Daniel is disappointed to have a son like you.¡± My hand subconsciously reached for the stone near my feet. ¡°I¡¯m the only one in the family who can tolerate your existence, Diether. Hence, you should listen to me. Get rid of that child¨C ouch!¡± Don Baldwin was forced to stop sprouting gibberish after getting hit by a stone. It was the stone that I threw at him. Then I ran to Diether. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± I said, covering Diether¡¯s ears with my hands. Then I copied what Sonata said to him in the novel. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your parents, but there¡¯s at least one person who¡¯s glad that you¡¯re alive. And that¡¯s me, Diether. I don¡¯t regret saving your life¨C and I never will. Plus, you¡¯re handsome and cool!¡± Diether¡¯s pretty sky-blue eyes widened as they twinkled beautifully. I feel guilty for stealing Sonata¡¯s line because it was the line that made Diether fall in love with Sonata. But it won¡¯t have the same effect, right? [There¡¯s no way a child would fall in love with a stranger just because of a few kind words.] ¡°You peasant!¡± Ow! Don Baldwin suddenly grabbed and pulled my hair after calling me a ¡®peasant.¡¯ [This snake has a death wish, huh?] *** AFTER I got treatment for the scratches and bruises I received from having a dog fight with Don Baldwin, I told Lady Eleanor the things Don Baldwin said earlier. [Now she¡¯s shocked.] ¡°Your Grace, thank you for being kind to me, but I need to leave now,¡± I said, acting hesitant. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here anymore.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Celeste?¡± I thought of all the mean things Knetz had said to me ever since I debuted as an idol. And, just like that, tears rolled down my face. ¡°Your Grace, I don¡¯t want to steal your love and attention from Lord Diether,¡± I said between sobs. ¡°And please don¡¯t let your feelings for my father stop you from being a good mother to your son.¡± Lady Eleanor covered her mouth with her hands. ¡°Your Grace, if you¡¯re only kind to me because you see my father in me, then please stop,¡± I said in a cracked voice. ¡°Lord Diether and I don¡¯t deserve all of this.¡± I wanted to say more, but Lady Eleanor suddenly burst out crying. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Celeste,¡± Lady Eleanor said, hugging her tight. ¡°You¡¯re right ¨C both you and Diether don¡¯t deserve to suffer because of me.¡± *** I WAS surprised to wake up and see Diether holding a bouquet of red roses while standing in front of my bed. The child¡¯s face is as red as the flowers. [Cute.] ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve thanked you for saving my life yet, but Mother said it¡¯s better late than never,¡± Diether said shyly. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Celeste.¡± I feel bad for taking credit for Sonata¡¯s hard work, but I need to survive. ¡°And thank you for defending me from Don.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Lord Diether,¡± I said, smiling while accepting the flowers from him. ¡°What happened to Lord Don?¡± Diether sat on the chair beside the bed. ¡°Mother asked Don to leave the estate. From now on, anyone from House Baldwin is banned from coming here.¡± Good riddance. ¡°Don blamed his inferiority complex for his behavior,¡± Diether explained. ¡°He also said he tried to manipulate me into thinking that he¡¯s the only person who cares about me in order to control me like a puppet. He¡¯s probably aiming for my inheritance.¡± [Yep, and that bastard did worse in the novel.] ¡°I¡­ had a long conversation with Mother after she kicked out Don,¡± Diether said nervously. ¡°Mother apologized for being neglectful of me all this time. She then promised to be a better mother to me.¡± ¡°Have you forgiven Lady Eleanor?¡± He nodded, his face lighting up. ¡°Mother already apologized and promised to treat me better, what more could I ask for? I¡¯m just happy that there are at least two people now who are grateful for my existence.¡± I smiled and nodded. ¡°Good for you, my lord.¡± Diether looked at me, his face flushed and his eyes bright. ¡°Celeste, I heard Mother brought you here to be my wife.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you hate me?¡± ¡°I did, but it was more because of Don¡¯s influence,¡± Diether confessed. ¡°However, now I know you¡¯re not here to steal my mother away from me. In fact, you¡¯re the bridge that connected us together.¡± He smiled charmingly. ¡°Thank you for coming into my life, Celeste. You¡¯re my lucky charm.¡± BADUMP. No, my heart did not just go ¡®BADUMP¡¯ for a child! ¡°This time, I want to be your lucky charm,¡± Diether said shyly. ¡°I heard you lost your inheritance to your relatives. My mother and I can¡¯t help you with that because my father forbade us from meddling with your family affairs.¡± Of course, the Grand Duke would refuse to help. [After all, the Montalis are the relatives of Lady Eleanor¡¯s ex-lover.] ¡°But Mother made a deal with Father. I don¡¯t know what the deal was, but Father allowed us to get married.¡± [Lady Eleanor probably threatened her husband with divorce.] ¡°If my name could be used as your protection, then feel free to use it until it no longer serves you purpose,¡± Diether said, then he offered his hand to me. ¡°Celeste, shall we get married?¡± I immediately grabbed Diether¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s do that, Lord Diether.¡± Diether kissed the back of my hand, and I may or may not blush. *** I¡¯M NOW fourteen years old, and still happily married. I spent the last two years establishing my position as Diether¡¯s wife. Thanks to my cheerful persona, everyone in the mansion fell in love with my charm. [I used to make a living in acting cute, after all.] The only people I didn¡¯t manage to charm were Grand Duke Daniel Hexford (Diether¡¯s father) and the vassal families. It¡¯s because they can¡¯t accept a commoner as the successor¡¯s wife. Hence, to ensure that I won¡¯t get kicked out unprepared, I went to a dessert shop called ¡®Candyfloss¡¯ and meet Carmine¨C a flamboyant woman in her mid-twenties with flaming red hair. ¡®Candyfloss¡¯ is secretly an information guild, and this woman is the head. ¡°I won¡¯t ask how you found me,¡± Miss Carmine said while lighting up her cigarette. ¡°I¡¯m more curious about what the future Grand Duchess Hexford wants with my guild.¡± [Sorry, Sonata. I¡¯ll use the same trick you used to strike a deal with Miss Carmine.] There¡¯s only one reason why she chose Candyfloss: this is the same guild that helped Sonata run away from her biological family in the novel. ¡°I¡¯m going to run away from House Hexford in a few years, so I¡¯ll need a new identity and a hiding place later,¡± I said bluntly. ¡°If you arrange that for me, I¡¯ll tell you how to destroy your father¡¯s guild, ma¡¯am.¡± *** CELESTE Montali was fifteen years old when she died in the novel. It happened when Diether lost his mind after Lady Eleanor took her own life. Since Diether had always been jealous of his wife whom his mother loved more than him, he killed her the moment his mind snapped. But it turned out that Diether was drugged by Don Baldwin that night, hence Diether actually didn¡¯t know what he was doing then. So, the hero wasn¡¯t punished by the law. [It¡¯s hard to punish the future Grand Duke anyway.] Fortunately, I already got rid of Don Baldwin. Even so, I¡¯m still nervous now that I¡¯m fifteen. ¡°Young Lady Celeste?¡± Sir Albert, the Grand Duke¡¯s personal knight, blocked my way. [Where are my servants¡­?] I smiled to hide my nervousness. ¡°Yes, Sir Albert?¡± Sir Albert smiled coldly, then he raised his hand. ¡°Good night, young lady.¡± *** WHEN I opened my eyes, the first thing that greeted me was Grand Duke Daniel Hexford¡¯s cold face. Wow. [Diether really got his good looks from his dad.] Of course, this isn¡¯t the first time that I saw the Grand Duke in person. [Father didn¡¯t attend our wedding, and he¡¯s barely home since he¡¯s always working in the palace. But every weekend, we¡¯re forced to have lunch with him. Despite that, I still get impressed by his visuals.] ¡°Divorce my son.¡± Okay, that snapped me out of my daydream. I sat properly, my knees touching the ground while my hands are tied behind my back. [I can tell I¡¯m in a shabby warehouse, but why would my father-in-law bring me here when he has many other empty villas?] ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a noble title and compensate you well after the divorce.¡± [I know the Grand Duke would give me a hefty amount of money, but I don¡¯t want to get on Diether¡¯s bad side.] ¡°Father¨C¡± ¡°I found a better match for my son,¡± Daniel Hexford said, cutting her off. ¡°She¡¯s the only lady suited to become the next Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°Father, I can¡¯t divorce Diether yet,¡± I said weakly. ¡°Not yet, at least.¡± My father-in-law was about to ask something when, suddenly, the door burst open. ¡°Father!¡± My husband arrived, a blood-covered sword in one hand. [He¡¯s fuming.] ¡°How dare you do this to my wife, Father?¡± Diether yelled angrily, grabbing his father by the collar. ¡°Is it not enough to torment Mother that you have to hurt my innocent wife, too?!¡± [I¡¯m not exactly innocent, Diether¡­] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have resorted to this had you divorced your wife when I told you to do so.¡± ¡°Stop it, Father,¡± Diether said, his jaw clenching hard. ¡°I will NEVER divorce my wife.¡± I flinched. [But we need to divorce later, Diether.] ¡°Son, attend to your wife first.¡± It was my mother-in-law who had just arrived. ¡°Celeste, are you alright?¡± Diether asked, kneeling down in front of me. He dropped his bloody sword on the floor and untied me. Then he gently took my hands in his, frowning while looking at the ugly marks around my wrists. ¡°You¡¯re hurt¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, Diether,¡± I assured my husband before he goes ballistic. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt much.¡± Diether looks like he¡¯s about to cry, then he nuzzled his face against my shoulder as if he doesn¡¯t want to show me his vulnerability. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Celeste. I failed to protect you. If something bad happened to you, I would never forgive myself¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Diether,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around my husband¡¯s shaking shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t cry.¡± SLAP. I was startled by the loud sound that echoed in the room. Lady Eleanor slapped Daniel Hexford on the face¨C hard. The Grand Duke¡¯s cheek quickly turned red, but he didn¡¯t budge. [Omo¡­] ¡°I will not divorce you since we have an agreement, but I can¡¯t live with you anymore, you cold-hearted bastard,¡± Lady Eleanor said callously. ¡°I¡¯m leaving you¨C and I¡¯m taking Diether and Celeste with me.¡± *** CASNIA ISLANDS. It¡¯s our new home. The Grand Duchy of Verwin, the territory that belongs to House Hexford, occupies the Alaree Peninsula. It¡¯s one of the three peninsulas in the Alson Continent where Zerua Kingdom is located. Casnia Islands still belongs to my father-in-law, but it¡¯s okay since it looks like the Grand Duke has no intention of following us here. [As the king¡¯s younger brother and aide, Father needs to stay in the Royal Capital anyway.] ¡°Celeste, are you okay with this place?¡± I turned to Diether. We have toured the island all day and, right now, we¡¯re watching the beautiful sunset while sitting on a boulder by the beach. ¡°I¡¯m worried you might get bored since life is slow here,¡± Diether said worriedly. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ll be returning to the Academy soon, so¡­¡± I smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°Diether, I heard this island has a subtropical climate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What about it?¡± I grinned, remembering how Sonata made Casnia Islands the center of tourism in the entire kingdom. ¡°My dear husband, I think it will be possible to grow coconut trees here.¡± In the novel, Sonata discovered a small island where coconuts could grow fast¡­ ¡­ and found the next Saintess. ¡°Do you want to plant trees?¡± Diether asked excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s good to have a hobby, my dear wife.¡± Ah, he thinks I just found a new hobby. [This ¡®hobby¡¯ of mine will lead you to the Saintess that will help you in your career later~] ¡°That¡¯s right, I found a new hobby,¡± I agreed with my husband, grinning. ¡°My dear husband, once I succeed, I will support you and Mother financially so that we don¡¯t have to depend on Father anymore.¡± Diether, who probably thought I was joking, laughed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a good house husband, my dear wife.¡± That promise may or may not have made my heart skip a beat. *** IN JUST three years, I became the richest woman in the Zerua Kingdom. All the businesses I started while copying what Sonata did in the novel became a huge hit. Thanks to that, I finally paid what I owed Miss Carmine. Most of all, I have enough savings to run away from Diether. But that¡¯s not the only reason why I¡¯m eager to leave the family now. ¡°Are you crazy, Diether?¡± I complained between gasps. It¡¯s not easy for me to breathe since I have a fever. ¡°The king summoned you to the Royal Palace!¡± Tonight is the night Sonata¡¯s adoptive parents are being honored at the Royal Palace. The heroine¡¯s adoptive parents were war heroes who died during the recent war against Corrupted Monsters. [In the novel, Diether and Sonata¡¯s love story began after Diether ¡°accidentally¡± consoled Sonata during the memorial service.] ¡°How can I leave my sick wife?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dying, Diether. If you leave now, you can still make it if you use a portal¨C¡± ¡°No,¡± Diether said, cutting me off. ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡± I trailed off when I realized I didn¡¯t want to hear the answer, but it¡¯s already too late. ¡°Are you asking because you really don¡¯t know?¡± Diether asked cheekily, kissing my forehead. ¡°You can¡¯t be that dense, Celeste.¡± Of course, I¡¯m not. [Diether is in love with me.] I shut my eyes tight. [I¡¯m so sorry, Sonata¡­] *** THE midnight Diether turned eighteen, the gift I sent him was the divorce paper I signed in advance. And then I, Celeste Montali, completely vanished from his life. Sonata Florin, you¡¯re the heroine of this world¨C so Diether Hexford belongs to you. *** SONATA closed the diary that Celeste Montali had left for her. [I don¡¯t remember you, but congratulations on running away, Celeste.] ¡°You can¡¯t use this room, Lady Sonata.¡± Sonta raised her head and looked at the man standing in front of her. ¡°Does this room used to belong to your first wife?¡± Diether clenched his jaw, but he didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Then do you want your new wife to use a guest room and become a laughingstock?¡± Sonata asked, smiling as she stood up. ¡°Lord Diether, if you can¡¯t treat me like your wife, then at least give me the basic respect I deserve. It was you who asked me to marry you, remember?¡± Diether avoided her gaze as if he was denying reality. [Celeste Montali, this is Diether Hexford now¨C he¡¯s already twenty-one years old, yet still in love with you.] This was how Sonata¡¯s married life started after the heroine vanished. [And this unholy marriage began a few months ago¡­] RUNAWAY FIANC茅 [I¡¯M JUST a young lady with a simple wish: a hot and bed-breaking first night with my gorgeous husband, but¡­] ¡°Bleurgh!¡± That was the sound Sonata¡¯s fianc¨¦ made when he held her hand. After all, it was time for him to put the ring on her finger. [Does he want to throw up?] Commander Diether Hexford of the Avari Holy Knights¨C her fianc¨¦¨C immediately pulled his hand from her grasp to cover his mouth as if to stop himself from vomiting. [He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s drunk, but he¡¯s pale.] Diether was known for his pale skin that matched his famous silver-blue hair and sky blue eyes. Even so, it was still quite obvious that he was paler than usual. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, his dark eye bags also made him look so fed up with everything. At this rate, everyone in the hall would think he was dragged there against his will. [He¡¯s acting like a poor country bumpkin sold off for marriage when it¡¯s the other way around.] Sonata wasn¡¯t sold off, though¨C she was blackmailed. Grand Duke Daniel Hexford¨C Deither¡¯s father¨C discovered her weakness and used it to force her to become the commander¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¡°Lord Diether, are you alright?¡± Sonata asked politely. ¡°Would you like to rest for¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lady Florin,¡± Diether said, addressing her in a very polite manner. He made it too obvious that she was a stranger to him. ¡°Please don¡¯t come near me.¡± Oh, okay. She understood why the commander was acting this way, so she wasn¡¯t offended. [After all, this is the first time we¡¯ve met in person.] The engagement between Sonata and Diether had been set two weeks ago. But she only arrived at the Royal Capital last night because of her, uhm, work(?). Diether, unfortunately, was summoned by the Avari Temple¡¯s High Priestess then. According to the servants, her fianc¨¦ only returned after breakfast. She was already getting dressed up by then, so she didn¡¯t get the chance to greet Diether. [Lord Diether was probably forced into this engagement like me, so let¡¯s be understanding.] Sonata took a step backward to give her fianc¨¦ room to breathe. ¡°Is this enough space?¡± Diether kept his mouth shut, but he looked embarrassed and regretful of his behavior. After all, Sonata wasn¡¯t the only one who heard what her fianc¨¦ said earlier. The entire Azure Hall¨C the grandest hall in the Royal Palace that the king generously lent to Sonata and Diether¨C was filled with high-ranking nobles as guests. Unfortunately, the king and the queen of the Zerua Kingdom couldn¡¯t make it to the engagement ceremony, but sent Jericho Lomello¨C the Crown Prince¨C as the royal family¡¯s representative. [The king and the queen promised to attend our wedding, so it¡¯s okay.] Moreover, the fact that the Azure Hall was decorated as if a monarch was getting engaged was a clear sign that the king and the queen truly cared about this union. [Well, Diether is the king¡¯s nephew.] Her thoughts were interrupted when Prince Jericho, who was standing between Sonata and Diether, cleared his throat. In the Zerua Kingdom, a high-ranking noble¡¯s engagement ceremony was required before the wedding. A witness entrusted to oversee the formal procedure must have a higher position than the two people getting engaged. Naturally, that position went to the Crown Prince. ¡°It seems like Commander Hexford isn¡¯t feeling well,¡± Prince Jericho said politely. The Crown Prince was still young, yet already exuded an air of dignity befitting a monarch like him. ¡°Hence, let¡¯s hasten the ceremony.¡± The Crown Prince then turned to her. [Ah, His Royal Highness looks dashing in his red and gold formal uniform.] Blond hair, deep blue eyes. Those two physical traits were proof of the royal blood in him. Prince Jericho smiled at her apologetically. ¡°Would that be alright with you, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Royal Highness,¡± Sonata said, smiling at the Crown Prince politely before turning to her fianc¨¦. ¡°I don¡¯t want Lord Diether to push himself too hard either.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Lady Florin,¡± Prince Jericho said, then he turned to Diether. ¡°Commander Hexford, once you put the ring on Lady Florin¡¯s finger, we¡¯ll end the ceremony so you could rest.¡± Diether, who looked like he would faint soon, nodded at the Crown Prince politely. ¡°Thank you, Prince Jericho.¡± The Crown Prince just smiled and nodded. It was a cue for Sonata to extend her right hand to Diether. In the Zerua Kingdom, engagement rings were worn on the right ring finger. On the other hand, wedding rings were worn on the left ring finger. [Oh, dear. He¡¯s shaking so much.] Sonata wasn¡¯t surprised when Diether dropped her hand as soon as they made physical contact, but he also accidentally dropped the ring in the process. The sound of the ring hitting the floor echoed in the entire hall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Florin,¡± Diether said apologetically while turning his back on her. ¡°I need to go.¡± And, just like that, her fianc¨¦ ran away from their engagement ceremony. [Fascinating.] Sonata was the only one fascinated, though. The rest of the guests looked shocked. Even Prince Jericho was obviously flabbergasted. Sonata would have felt the same, but she got distracted by the engagement ring that hit the tip of her stilettos. [Oh?] ¡°You found your way back to your rightful owner,¡± Sonata whispered, smiling. Then she leaned down and picked up the engagement ring. After that, she put it on her right ring finger and showed it to the stunned guests¨C laughing to conceal her embarrassment. ¡°I just got engaged!¡± *** ¡°I WAS known as the poor daughter of Sir Harris and Dame Maurice Florin¨C two war heroes who died during the last war three years ago,¡± Sonata pondered out loud, sipping her tea. Then she placed the teacup down on the saucer. ¡°But now, I¡¯ve become the new laughingstock of high society¨C thanks to my fianc¨¦ running away during our engagement ceremony.¡± She raised her head to look at the two people who joined her for tea after the disastrous engagement ceremony. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Grand Duke Daniel and Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford both looked unapologetic. [My future parents-in-law are not happy with their lives, and it clearly shows.] Fascinating. After the engagement ceremony, the Crown Prince was generous enough to lend them the royal parlour in the Azure Hall while waiting for Diether. [I don¡¯t think my fianc¨¦ is coming back, though.] ¡°I¡¯ll make sure my son will apologize to you later,¡± the Grand Duke said. ¡°We¡¯ll also release a public apology if you want.¡± The Grand Duchess just sipped her tea as if she didn¡¯t care. [My future mother-in-law doesn¡¯t like me.] It must be true that the Grand Duchess adored her first daughter-in-law very much. Unfortunately, that person vanished out of thin air three years ago. [But it¡¯s clear the Grand Duchess doesn¡¯t want me to replace that person.] ¡°Your Grace, as expected, I can¡¯t do this,¡± Sonata said, making up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m not marrying your son, even if that means terminating our contract.¡± The Grand Duchess¡¯ ears perked up, but Her Grace tried to appear disinterested. Daniel Hexford raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Are you sure about that, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t mind if I bring you back to the Red-light District where I picked you up, do you?¡± Ah, the Grand Duke definitely said that on purpose for the Grand Duchess to hear. The Red-light District¨C aka the ¡®Flower District¡¯¨C was an infamous area in the Royal Capital where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses (such as brothels and adult theaters) were found. It was true that the Grand Duke found Sonata in the Red-light District, but not for the reason the Grand Duchess might be thinking. [Your Grace, it¡¯s brazen of you to mention the Red-light District in front of your wife.] ¡°I¡¯ll return the money that I received from you, Your Grace,¡± Sonata said, smiling apologetically at the Grand Duke. ¡°But since it¡¯s your son who ran away from the engagement first, I hope Your Grace doesn¡¯t penalize me for terminating the contract. As you know, living in the Red-light District isn¡¯t easy.¡± It was fascinating to see the Grand Duchess lose the color on her face. [And is that guilt I see in her eyes?] Was this the reason the Grand Duke brought up the Red-light District? ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford said, standing up while looking at Sonata with dead eyes. ¡°My lawyer will get in touch with you for the termination of the contract, Lady Florin.¡± Sonata stood up and bowed her head politely. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Your Grace.¡± The Grand Duke just gave a curt nod before leaving the royal parlor quietly. ¡°His Grace didn¡¯t visit the Red-light District to avail of any services offered there,¡± Sonata said when her eyes met the Grand Duchess¡¯ shocked gaze, then she went back to her seat. ¡°His Grace only stepped foot in there because that¡¯s my workplace.¡± ¡°How?¡± the Grand Duchess asked curiously. ¡°How did you end up working in the Red-light District when you¡¯re the only daughter of two celebrated war heroes? You should have received enough compensation to live comfortably.¡± She just smiled and offered a short explanation. ¡°Life happened, Your Grace.¡± [I have no intention of sharing my life story with a stranger.] ¡°You wasted the only chance you have to become the next Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s embarrassing to say this myself, but I¡¯m quite loved in the Red-light District. It¡¯s where I found my new family,¡± Sonata said, laughing softly when she noticed the confusion on the Grand Duchess¡¯ face. ¡°That means I know my worth, so I won¡¯t let you and your son treat me less than what I deserve.¡± The Grand Duchess looked shocked by what she said. ¡°Both Your Grace and Lord Diether look at me as if I stole someone else¡¯s place¨C like it was my fault the Grand Duke chose me as her replacement.¡± It wasn¡¯t a secret that the Grand Duchess and Diether adored that person. [By that, I mean Diether¡¯s first wife.] The Grand Duchess¡¯ face turned red from anger and, perhaps, embarrassment. ¡°You can¡¯t replace an irreplaceable existence, Lady Florin.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t take your anger out on me just because you can¡¯t directly confront the Grand Duke,¡± Sonata said carefully. ¡°Like Lord Diether, I was also forced by His Grace to be in this position. So please don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m the bad person here, Your Grace.¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford flinched as if Her Grace felt a shiver down her spine¨C all because of Sonata¡¯s light warning. [Ah, my presence¡­] Sonata smiled to look friendlier, effectively dismissing the commanding aura that she accidentally released earlier. ¡°I only accepted His Grace¡¯s offer because I thought Lord Diether was ready to move on from his first wife, but now I know that wasn¡¯t the case,¡± Sonata said, then she stood up and bowed her head politely. ¡°It was fascinating meeting you, Your Grace.¡± *** SONATA thought Diether wouldn¡¯t return to the hall anymore, so she was surprised to see him standing near the royal parlor after she left the room. [I¡¯m glad he looks better now.] The dark circle under the commander¡¯s eyes remained unchanged, of course. Sonata bowed her head to Diether politely, then she walked past him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me for an apology, Lady Florin?¡± Sonata stopped walking, then she turned around to face the commander. ¡°I don¡¯t need a forced apology from you, my lord.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that shameless to not feel an ounce of guilt for humiliating you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, my lord. This is the first time we¡¯ve met, after all.¡± Although she somehow felt Diether was familiar to her even before their first meeting. [But maybe it¡¯s only because I¡¯ve heard so many stories about the gallant commander of the Avari Holy Knights.] ¡°I will give you a proper compensation, Lady Florin.¡± Sonata chuckled while shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s not an apology, my lord. But I¡¯ll take the compensation. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have pride¨C I just don¡¯t have the energy to extract an insincere apology from someone who doesn¡¯t really care.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll feel my sincerity in the compensation I¡¯m giving,¡± Diether said awkwardly. ¡°Should I give the same amount that my father offered?¡± Ah, so the commander heard everything. She already expected that the moment she saw Diether standing near the door. ¡°Can I borrow your power as the commander of the Avari Holy Knights instead of receiving money from you? I promise it won¡¯t hurt the temple or the kingdom.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it first.¡± ¡°Do you know Madam Margo?¡± ¡°The courtesan?¡± A courtesan was a prostitute with wealthy, powerful, and upper-class clients. And Madam Margo was the most sought-after courtesan in the kingdom. [Madam Margo is so (in)famous that even Lord Diether, the commander of the Avari Holy Knights, has heard of her name.] ¡°Yes, I¡¯m talking about her,¡± Sonata said, nodding. ¡°Madam Margo attends the Worship Service every weekend. She brings her prot¨¦g¨¦s with her, too. Unfortunately, they aren¡¯t allowed inside the temple, so they would partake in the Worship Service outside.¡± Diether knitted his eyebrows as if he didn¡¯t understand why the madam and the other courtesans-in-training weren¡¯t allowed inside the temple. ¡°Madam Margo and the poor girls accepted the unfair treatment so just they could worship the Goddess Avari,¡± Sonata continued. ¡°But the knights stationed would verbally harass madam and the girls every time.¡± Diether avoided her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Was he shy because she brought up a ¡®scandalous¡¯ topic? [Fascinating.] ¡°You better do a good job before I take matters into my own hands, my lord.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it ridiculous that those holier-than-though noblemen who frequent the Red-light District are allowed to enter the temple while Madam Margo and the girls can¡¯t?¡± Sonata wondered out loud. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m close to castrating all the temple knights, so please do something about their attitude before I take action.¡± Diether looked horrified by her threat. ¡°Lady Florin, you do realize I¡¯m the commander of the Avari Holy Knights, don¡¯t you? Even the temple guards are under my authority. And yet, you dare threaten them in front of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m complaining to you because you¡¯re the person who needs to hear it the most.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re threatening me to do my job properly?¡± ¡°The Avari Holy Knights shouldn¡¯t solely focus on protecting the Saintess,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°The gods gain power from their devotees¡¯ faith, and the ones praying desperately to Goddess Avari every single day are the common people of the kingdom¨C not the nobles, not even the Royal Family.¡± The commander didn¡¯t have anything to say, but he was obviously not pleased to get lectured by the woman he just left during the engagement ceremony. ¡°Madam Margo and most of the people working in the Red-light District are also devotees of Goddess Avari,¡± Sonata said firmly. ¡°Regardless of what you think about the work they do, I assure you that they¡¯re more humane than the so-called knights stationed at the temple.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± Diether said sternly. ¡°I will personally deal with this matter.¡± ¡°Excellent, my lord. You just saved your subordinates from having their ¡®family jewels¡¯ taken away from them.¡± He just let out a sigh while shaking his head. ¡°Is that all? I don¡¯t see how your request would benefit you. I¡¯d like to compensate you properly, Lady Florin. Should I make a public apology to protect your honor? I will take all the blame for our failed engagement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you, my lord. As I said, I¡¯m not interested in insincere apologies.¡± Diether scoffed at what she said. ¡°Why do I have a feeling that you wish for your honor to remain tainted, Lady Florin?¡± Oh? [My ex-fianc¨¦ is pretty quick-witted.] ¡°You¡¯re free to think anything you want, my lord¨C I guarantee you¡¯d still be wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Diether said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not that interested in you anyway, Lady Florin.¡± ¡°You better pray to Goddess Avari that it stays that way forever, my lord,¡± Sonata said teasingly. ¡°Because I promise you¨C once you start getting curious about me, you won¡¯t be able to stop thinking about me anymore.¡± *** SONATA let out a sigh while looking at the man sitting across from her inside the carriage that was supposed to bring her back home. ¡°Your Grace, did you get what you want by revealing to your wife and son that I work in the Red-light District?¡± Yes, the man who joined her in the carriage uninvited was Grand Duke Daniel Hexford. [I knew His Grace hasn¡¯t given up on his greed yet.] ¡°Eleanor and Diether are both too soft-hearted for their own good,¡± the Grand Duke said indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will feel responsible for your well-being now that they know your unfortunate circumstances.¡± ¡°My circumstances aren¡¯t unfortunate, Your Grace.¡± ¡°It will be if you fail to marry my son, Lady Florin.¡± Tsk. She hated how the grand duke was right. [This is what it feels like to have your weakness used against you.] ¡°I¡¯ll send my lawyer to you later, but only to extend the grace period we agreed upon and not to terminate the contract,¡± the Grand Duke said. ¡°If we wait a little more, I¡¯m sure my son will change his mind soon.¡± ¡°Your Grace, why did you choose me as your next daughter-in-law?¡± ¡°Did you really have to ask?¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford asked as if Sonata just asked a stupid question. ¡°Your bloodline is everything.¡± ¡°My cursed blood, you mean?¡± Sonata said bitterly, her golden eyes glowing menacingly. ¡°You¡¯ll regret your decision once you realize how disgusting my bloodline truly is, Your Grace.¡± LIKE A WILDFLOWER ¡°LADY FLORIN may be working in the Red-light District, but I don¡¯t think she works as a courtesan.¡± Diether nodded his head in agreement with what his mother said. Right now, he was having breakfast with his mother in the Hexford Mansion. It had been three years since they returned to Wison¨C the kingdom¡¯s Royal Capital. [Father still doesn¡¯t live with us, though.] Despite being the Grand Duke who was responsible for his own territory, his father still served as the king¡¯s advisor. Hence, his father was currently residing in the Royal Palace. [But everyone knows Father lives in the palace because of his discord with Mother.] Even so, his father would attend the Worship Service with them every Sunday. [Only for keeping up appearances, of course.] ¡°His Majesty the King approved the union between me and Lady Florin,¡± Diether said while slicing the sausage on his plate with a knife. ¡°I don¡¯t think Father and His Majesty would allow a courtesan to become the next Grand Duchess.¡± After all, House Hexford was the only grand duchy in the kingdom. Nobles would throw a fit if Sonata Florin¡¯s background got exposed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit this, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m curious about,¡± his mother said. ¡°If word gets out that Lady Florin actually works in the Red-light District, it will definitely harm our family¡¯s reputation. And yet, your father still chose her as your fianc¨¦e. He even got the king¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, Sir Harris and Dame Maurice Florin were only Lady Florin¡¯s adoptive parents,¡± Diether said. ¡°Her birth parents might be quite important.¡± ¡°Should we run a more thorough background check on Lady Florin this time?¡± The moment his father told him to marry Sonata Florin, he ran a background check on her with the help of Candyfloss¨C the only information guild in the kingdom that he trusted. According to Miss Carmine, the head of the guild, Sonata Florin graduated as a Sword Expert from the Zinnia Academy¨C a knight academy for commoners and lower nobles. Being a Sword Expert meant Lady Florin graduated as the top student of her batch. [Just like me.] Diether graduated from the Royal Savior Academy¨C the most prestigious knight academy in the kingdom. ¡°I was wondering why the information guild didn¡¯t find out that Lady Florin is working in the Red-light District,¡± his mother wondered out loud. ¡°According to the information we received, Lady Florin turned down the offer to be a part of the Royal Knight Order. Then she became an instructor for children learning basic swordsmanship.¡± To be precise, Sonata Florin was an instructor-slash-volunteer worker in an orphanage. With her credentials as a Sword Expert, Sonata Florin could have easily become a knight for any prestigious family in the kingdom. [She could have even become a Holy Knight if she wanted.] ¡°I wonder why she¡¯s wasting her potential¡­¡± [¡°I promise you¨C once you start getting curious about me, you won¡¯t be able to stop thinking about me anymore.¡±] Diether was so flustered after hearing Sonata Florin¡¯s voice in his head that he accidentally stabbed the sausage on his plate like how he would stab a monster to death. ¡°I am not curious about you¡­!¡± His mother, clearly surprised by his behavior, looked at him as if he had gone crazy. ¡°Are you okay, son?¡± It was crazy how his last conversation with Sonata Florin affected him this way. ¡°Son?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mother,¡± Diether said, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. ¡°Ah, Mother. I forgot to tell you I¡¯m attending the Worship Service today.¡± His mother was surprised, understandably. ¡°Did you forget that today is Saturday?¡± The elite members of high society would attend Worship Services every Sunday. On the other hand, Saturday was for the common people of the kingdom. The upper middle-class and the lower nobles also belonged to that category. ¡°I know, Mother.¡± ¡°Then why are you going to the temple today?¡± his mother asked, confused. ¡°The Saintess only officiates the Worship Service on Sundays.¡± [Mother, if you say it like that, it sounds like Sundays are reserved for the higher nobles because it¡¯s the only day the Saintess makes an appearance¡­ wait, let¡¯s stop here.] He didn¡¯t want to put the temple in a bad light, so he just stopped thinking about it. ¡°I made a deal with Lady Florin,¡± Diether said, sighing. ¡°I need to fulfill my promise or else my subordinates¡¯ ¡®family jewels¡¯ might be taken away from them.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, son?¡± He just shook his head and changed the topic. ¡°Mother, I might lead the monster subjugation team headed to the North next month.¡± His mother, who hated it every time he went to war, frowned. ¡°Why? Is your father forcing you to bring more honor to the kingdom again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Mother,¡± he said while shaking his head. ¡°I just need more Artifacts for Francine.¡± Francine was the Saintess. He could address the Saintess casually because aside from the fact that the Saintess was only eighteen-years-old, they were also close friends. [It was Celeste who found and saved Francine, after all.] Francine was also the reason why Diether became the commander of the Avari Holy Knights at such a young age. ¡°I heard there are ancient monsters in the North, and most ancient monsters produce Artifacts when killed,¡± Diether explained to his mother. ¡°Francine needs more Artifacts to increase her divine power. And she needs to gain more divine power in order to look for Celeste using her Vision.¡± It had been three years since Celeste disappeared without a trace, without even telling Diether why she had to leave. But they hadn¡¯t given up yet¨C especially not him. [I swear I¡¯ll find you, Celeste.] ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll support you,¡± his mother said, sighing. ¡°But be careful, son. I heard ancient monsters are getting stronger these days.¡± Diether nodded at his mother¡¯s reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother,¡± he assured his mother. ¡°I won¡¯t die until I find Celeste.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. *** [MAYBE I should just let Lady Florin take the ¡®family jewels¡¯ of these punks.] In order to observe how the temple knights acted around Madam Margo and the courtesans-in-training, Diether attended the Worship Service in disguise. He wore a cheap hooded cloak to hide his hair color and the Holy Sword tied around his hips. As the commander of the Avari Holy Knights, he was required to bring his Holy Sword every time he was out in public. [Lady Florin was telling the truth when she said Madam Margo and the girls attend the Worship Service outside the temple.] Since the Worship Service had already begun, the doors were closed. Diether had sharp senses so he could hear the High Priest¡¯s sermon, but he doubted if the madam and the young misses could. And yet, the ladies stayed while praying earnestly. [They¡¯re more sincere than most people inside the temple.] ¡°Madam, I strongly suggest that you and the young misses stop attending the Worship Service.¡± ¡°Your group is distracting and tempting the gentlemen who came here to pray.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already received tons of complaints from the wives of the gentlemen you¡¯re seducing, madam. Even the young ones you brought with you are causing a distraction.¡± ¡°The temple is supposed to be a safe place for our people, but you¡¯re making everyone else uncomfortable.¡± Diether let out a sigh. Madam Margo was a blonde and green-eyed woman in her mid-thirties who still looked as beautiful as the young misses with her. There were five young misses with the madam who looked like they were only in their late teens. [I¡¯m only twenty-one so those young misses are probably around my age, but I can¡¯t help but see people younger than me as kids¡­] Madam Margo and the young misses all wear dark dresses as if they were attending a funeral instead of a Worship Service. They even had hats and veils that covered their faces. But even though their faces were covered, the way the ladies carried themselves looked more dignified than the four temple knights that were harassing them. [Those knights are supposed to be nobles, but Madam Margo and the young misses who are taking the insults in silence look classier than those idiots.] ¡°Madam, instead of wasting your time here, should we bring you somewhere else?¡± The way the punks snickered was obviously malicious. [And perverted!] Diether clicked his tongue and marched towards the temple knights to discipline them. [These punks¡­] He was forced to stop talking when Madam Margo and the young misses suddenly burst out laughing. The temple knights were confused, and obviously offended. [Madam Margo and the girls are laughing mockingly at those punks, after all.] ¡°Just because we work in the Red-light District doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have standards, young men,¡± Madam Margo said in a mocking tone while looking down on the temple knights. ¡°We won¡¯t sleep with you even if you paid us a fortune.¡± The young misses giggled, eyeing the temple knights with contempt. ¡°Aren¡¯t temple knights just glorified knights who failed the test to become Holy Knights?¡± ¡°Moreover, most of them are just second or third sons of their families¨C choosing knighthood since they can¡¯t become the successor of their households.¡± ¡°They probably wouldn¡¯t be able to afford someone on Madam Margo¡¯s level, and yet they have the audacity to act like they¡¯re important.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have wealth, you should at least have manners. Even a good face will do¨C but they lack both~¡± Madam Margo and the young misses laughed out loud again. The temple knights, who were very offended and humiliated, touched their scabbards as if they were planning to unsheathe their swords. [Haaah.] ¡°Stop right there,¡± Diether said coldly, making everyone turn to him in surprise. ¡°Are you seriously pulling out your swords on unarmed civilians?¡± ¡°Who are you¨C¡± The temple knight who tried to ask who he was stopped talking when Diether removed his hooded cloak. He wasn¡¯t wearing his knight uniform, but his silver-blue hair was enough for everyone to recognize him even in his casual clothes. Moreover, every single person in the kingdom was familiar with his Holy Sword. ¡°C-Commander Hexford!¡± The temple knights immediately bowed their heads towards him. Even Madam Margo and the young misses gave Diether a polite greeting. Diether slightly bowed his head towards the ladies. ¡°Madam Margo, young ladies, I apologize on behalf of the temple knights for their discourtesy towards you.¡± The temple knights gasped and raised their heads. ¡°Commander, you don¡¯t have to apologize on our behalf!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize to those women!¡± ¡°You¡¯re too important for that, Commander!¡± ¡°Those women insulted us¨C they don¡¯t deserve an apology!¡± [These punks, really¡­] ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to apologize on your behalf, then kneel and beg for forgiveness,¡± Diether said coldly, his sky blue eyes glowing menacingly. ¡°Do it before I remove you from our knighthood.¡± *** ¡°REST ASSURED, Madam Margo, something like this won¡¯t happen again,¡± Diether said politely. ¡°Moreover, no one would stop you from entering the temple again. So please feel free to attend the Worship Service inside.¡± Madam Margo smiled and slightly lowered her head. ¡°Thank you, Commander Hexford. But please don¡¯t mind us. We¡¯re satisfied as long as no one bothers us from now on.¡± Diether made the temple knights apologize to Madam Margo and the young misses. After that, he dismissed the temple knights. [I¡¯ll punish them later.] He invited Madam Margo for tea, but the madam politely refused. And so, right now, the two of them were talking under the shade of a huge tree in the park near the temple. Madam Margo already sent the young misses to their carriage first. ¡°I understand, Madam,¡± Diether said. He didn¡¯t want to insist because he knew that the madam and the young misses would still get ostracized even if they attended the service inside the temple. That was a problem that even his authority couldn¡¯t solve. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the temple to make you comfortable next time.¡± ¡°If you insist, then I won¡¯t turn it down, Commander,¡± the madam said. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t thank me profusely for doing the bare minimum,¡± he said, embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°Right? I should thank Nata instead because if it wasn¡¯t for her, you wouldn¡¯t even care about us, Commander.¡± Hmm? [¡®Nata?¡¯] Perhaps¡­ ¡°Sonata Florin?¡± ¡°We call her ¡®Nata,¡¯¡± Madam Margo said, smiling. ¡°She¡¯s the hero of the Red-light District. Thank you for rejecting her, Commander.¡± Diether flinched because of the madam¡¯s jab at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sarcastic about it, Madam. I¡¯m truly remorseful for humiliating Lady Florin that day.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not trying to be sarcastic¨C I¡¯m being genuine,¡± the madam said. ¡°I truly believe that Nata is too good for you, Commander. She deserves someone who will treat her with kindness and respect.¡± And that couldn¡¯t be the man who left Sonata Florin in the middle of their engagement ceremony. [I got the message loud and clear.] ¡°You¡¯re right, Madam,¡± Diether said, nodding in agreement with the madam because he didn¡¯t want to marry Sonata Florin anyway. ¡°Lady Florin deserves better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re aware of that, Commander,¡± Madam Margo said, smiling. ¡°I hope you and Nata don¡¯t cross paths again.¡± Of course, Diether and Sonata Florin crossed paths again the very next day. *** DIETHER wore his white and blue knight uniform for today¡¯s Worship Service. He was the Saintess¡¯ personal knight, but he had time to enter the temple with his mother and father. [I wonder how long we should pretend as a complete family.] If it was up to Diether, he¡¯d want his parents to divorce already. ¡°Mother, the butler said Father is already here,¡± Diether said as he entered his mother¡¯s room after he was let in. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± His mother was sitting in front of the mirror as the maids braid her hair. [Oh, not yet.] His mother scoffed. ¡°Let your father wait. The service wouldn¡¯t begin without us anyway, so it¡¯s okay even if we¡¯re a little late.¡± Diether chuckled. ¡°Understood, Mother,¡± he said, kissing his mother on the top of her head. ¡°Please take your time.¡± After that, he left the room to let his mother finish her preparations. His plan was to waste time in his office and let his father wait in the drawing room, but he changed his mind when he glanced at the window. He saw his father talking to a woman in the garden. The woman in question was being dragged away by their family knights. [Wait. That girl¡­ it¡¯s one of the girls who were with Madam Margo yesterday.] Before he knew it, he was already marching towards the main entrance. His father entered the mansion just when he had finished climbing down the grand staircase. ¡°Father, who was that?¡± His father looked confused at first, then he let out an ¡®ah¡¯ before responding. ¡°It was just one of Lady Florin¡¯s subordinates.¡± ¡°Did something happen? Why was she dragged away?¡± ¡°She was begging for help,¡± his father said indifferently. ¡°Apparently, Lady Florin is in danger.¡± ¡°What kind of danger?¡± ¡°I believe the young miss mentioned something about Lady Florin getting sold to a dangerous group.¡± Deither¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°And you turned away the young miss asking for our help, Father?¡± ¡°Lady Florin isn¡¯t your fianc¨¦e anymore, so why do I need to help her?¡± He clenched his hands tight while glaring at his father. ¡°You¡¯re really a despicable person, Father.¡± As expected, his father remained indifferent. ¡°If Lady Florin remained as your fianc¨¦e, then I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to come to her rescue. But she has nothing to do with the Hexfords now, so why would I waste resources on her?¡± He knew talking to his father was useless, so he just turned his back on him as he bolted out of the mansion. ¡°Where are you going, Diether Hexford?¡± ¡°I was the one who broke off my engagement to Lady Florin, so the least thing I could do is to save her,¡± Diether said, then he looked over his shoulder just to glare at his father again. ¡°Father, when I return, I¡¯ll convince Mother to divorce you already.¡± *** [THIS IS the most fascinating thing that happened to my life yet.] Sonata didn¡¯t expect Diether Hexford to run to the Red-light District to ¡°save¡± her. [But here we are now.] Diether grabbed her by the wrist as gently as he could while glaring at the ¡®snake¡¯ in front of them. ¡°How dare you touch my fianc¨¦e?¡± Sonata was pleasantly surprised. [I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e again, huh?] So, how did Sonata end up in this situation again? BLOODY ENCOUNTER [Content Warning: violence and mention of sexual assault.] *** ¡°YOUR GRACE, please save Nata! At this rate, she might get sold to those vermin!¡± Sonata couldn¡¯t help but laugh and clap her hands while watching Lili, the nineteen-year-old theatre actress, perform in front of her and Madam Margo. Right now, the three of them were in the Madam¡¯s dressing room. It was because Sonata had to doll up in order to blend in as a ¡®flower.¡¯ [Aka a prostitute.] The courtesans of the Marigold Pavilion, the group that Madam Margo led in the Red-light District, were known for wearing expensive silk robes. [Marigold Pavilion is the richest among the five pavilions, after all.] In fact, Madam Margo was currently wearing some luxurious red feather robe tulle. Thanks to the tulle fabric, the sexy lingerie the Madam had inside was visible¨C exposing her ample breasts and creamy legs. [That¡¯s the Red-light District¡¯s number one courtesan for you.] But Sonata was wearing a cheap white robe. [After all, I¡¯m going to pose as a ¡®flower¡¯ in Carnation Pavilion¨C the poorest and the most dangerous pavilion in the Red-light District.] She dyed her hair black and tied it in a neat bun. Since she was going for the ¡®pure and innocent look,¡¯ she didn¡¯t apply any make-up at all. Thanks to her bare face, she looked younger than her real age. Moreover, she also used a binder to make her chest look flat. [The clients of the Carnation Pavilion like their ¡®flowers¡¯ young and fresh. Just by that, you already know what kind of hell that place is.] Sonata¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Lili fell on her knees, crying. ¡°Please help us, Grand Duke!¡± Lili cried, reaching out her hands to nothingness. ¡°Please save our Nata.¡± Once again, Sonata burst out laughing. ¡°How much did Grand Duke Hexford offer you, Lili?¡± Lili suddenly stopped crying, her face as bright as the sun outside. ¡°Three gold bars.¡± Sonata whistled approvingly. ¡°Ohh. That¡¯s generous even for the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Lili agreed energetically. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to give His Grace a grand performance!¡± ¡°His Grace is that desperate to make you his daughter-in-law, Nata,¡± Madam Margo teased her. ¡°He¡¯s willing to pay three gold bars just to guilt-trip his own son into ¡°saving¡± you.¡± Pfft. That was funny, but not fascinating. [His Grace already knows about my mission today. But why would he send his son here? Is there a reason why Lord Diether has to see my work?] The Grand Duke and the king were starting to annoy her now. [Should I just commit treason and kill them? But is it treason if I¡¯m not from the kingdom anyway?] ¡°Is this okay with you, Nata?¡± Madam Margo asked worriedly. ¡°What if Commander Hexford really showed up here to ¡°save¡± you? You¡¯re already taking a huge risk by going undercover alone. Won¡¯t the commander just get in the way?¡± ¡°Probably. But we¡¯re not sure if the commander will even show up,¡± Sonata said, shrugging. ¡°But if ever he does, I hope the commander shows me something fascinating.¡± *** [INSTEAD of committing treason, I should just commit mass murder.] Sonata¡¯s violent thoughts weren¡¯t reflected in her (fake) kind smile as she poured alcohol into the cup of Mr. Simon¨C the procurer (aka pimp) that she had to entertain. Today she was posing as ¡®Nana¡¯¨C the oldest ¡®flower¡¯ in the Carnation Pavilion. She had to entertain the seven old geezers that Mr. Simon brought to the VIP room. Those nasty old men were the biggest patrons of Carnation Pavilion. [Mr. Simon brought them here to check the new batch of ¡®flowers¡¯ that he ¡®harvested.¡¯] Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. It was crazy how Mr. Simon, who was only two years older than Sonata, had already made a name for himself as a pimp. Moreover, he looked confident as if he didn¡¯t care that he was selling children to a brothel. [The way his eyes turn into little crescent moons every time he sneers is annoying in particular.] But she had to set her personal feelings aside. Sonata, currently acting as ¡®Nana,¡¯ was here to negotiate with the pimp. ¡°Fifty gold coins for each ¡®flower,¡¯¡± Mr. Simon said, smiling slyly at Sonata. ¡°The ¡®flowers¡¯ I ¡®harvested¡¯ this time are all fresh and young¨C the youngest you¡¯ll see after a long while.¡± Sonata maintained a smile even though she already stabbed Mr. Simon in her head ten times. Ever since she became the ¡®Nata¡¯ of the Red-light District, the security in the entire district had been very strict and efficient. That meant children were no longer trafficked in there. However, the Carnation Pavilion got involved with weird and dangerous pimps again. [Hence, I¡¯m here to stop this nonsense.] ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the price, Nana,¡± one of the old men, obviously drunk already, said while grinning. ¡°We, the patrons, are gathered here to invest in your pavilion. It¡¯s been a long time since fresh and young ¡®flowers¡¯ have entered our paradise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¨C I can¡¯t wait to smell the ¡®flowers.¡¯¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up, Nana.¡± [These damned old men¡­] Sonata smiled anyway, then she turned to Mr. Simon. ¡°Fifty gold coins for each ¡®flower¡¯ is still a little too much.¡± It didn¡¯t reflect her personal feelings, of course. [Lives of innocent children are priceless.] ¡°However, since the patrons are willing to invest that much money, I don¡¯t see any reason for this negotiation to fall through,¡± Sonata said, still smiling. ¡°But can I check the ¡®flowers¡¯ first? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, Mr. Simon. I just need to make sure that the patrons¡¯ money will not be wasted. No offense meant.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Mr. Simon said, then he stood up and offered his hand to her. ¡°Let me guide you to the carriage where the ¡®flowers¡¯ are waiting, Miss Nana.¡± She didn¡¯t really want to hold the vermin¡¯s hand, but she had no choice but to do it. Sonata¡¯s skin crawled as soon as she touched Mr. Simon¡¯s hand, but fortunately, she was able to maintain her smile and allowed him to help her stand up. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Simo¨C¡± She wasn¡¯t able to finish what she was about to say because the door suddenly burst open. No invited individual should be allowed to enter the VIP room that was heavily guarded by mercenaries hired by Mr. Simon and the patrons. But, obviously, those mercenaries were no match against their single opponent. [He really showed up, huh?] Commander Diether Hexford¨C in his pristine white knight uniform¨C entered the room. Sonata briefly saw the unconscious men behind the commander before the door closed. It seemed like her ex-fianc¨¦ didn¡¯t kill the mercenaries since his uniform remained white. [And would the commander of the Avari Holy Knights kill people easily?] ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that young man Commander Hexford?¡± ¡°That Holy Sword looks like the real deal¡­¡± ¡°But what is the commander doing in a place like this?¡± Sonata frowned. [I didn¡¯t know the commander could be this careless!] She really wanted to scold Diether, but she was surprised when he suddenly grabbed her wrist while glaring at the pimp. ¡°How dare you touch my fianc¨¦e?¡± Sonata was pleasantly surprised. [I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e again, huh?] Moreover, she was fascinated that the commander immediately recognized her despite her dyed hair and bare face. Mr. Simon immediately let go of Sonata¡¯s hand, then he raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Commander Hexford, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here. But aren¡¯t you going to get in trouble if people find out that the commander of the Avari Holy Knights stepped foot in the Red-light District?¡± Ah, right. There was a stupid and nonsensical rule like that within the Holy Knights. Diether seemed to have remembered it because he flinched. Sonata gently nudged the commander. ¡°My lord, did anyone else see you on your way here?¡± Diether shook his head. ¡°This place is practically empty. If your friend didn''t tell me where you are, I wouldn''t even think about looking for you here." [Ah, he must be talking about Lili.] ¡°Very well,¡± Sonata said, then her eyes wandered around the room. ¡°I guess we just have to get rid of the witnesses here.¡± The old men obviously shuddered in fear. Even Mr. Simon looked nervous despite his smile. ¡°Lady Florin, is there a way to shut them up?¡± Sonata smiled at her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s silly question. ¡°Commander, the dead can¡¯t talk. To be honest, I was planning to commit mass murder tonight anyway.¡± ¡°Do these people deserve to die without a proper trial?¡± ¡°Mr. Simon and those nasty old men have sexually assaulted at least two children, the youngest being only seven years old. I have solid proof, but these bastards are being protected by higher nobles. Hence, I thought it would be faster to just kill them instead of bringing them to the court.¡± Diether¡¯s sky-blue eyes glowed menacingly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just kill them all.¡± Sonata was surprised, but maybe she should have expected this. [After all, someone who killed the previous commander of the Avari Holy Knights to steal his position couldn¡¯t be a kind person.] ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, commander,¡± Mr. Simon said, laughing nervously. ¡°You¡¯re the commander of the Avari Holy Knights. How could you speak about killing people lightly¨C¡± The pimp bastard was forced to stop talking when his head got cut off from his neck, then his severed head rolled down the floor. Of course, blood splattered on Sonata and Diether as Mr. Simon''s body fell to the ground, unmoving. Which wasn¡¯t a good thing, since they were both wearing white. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Diether said when he turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for your clothes.¡± Pfft. Sonata was fascinated by Diether¡¯s quick action. Nobody saw how the commander beheaded Mr. Simon using the obviously sharp dagger in his hand¨C nobody except for her. The old men, who were shocked at first by the brutality, finally snapped out of their trance and began to panic. But none of them was brave enough to run towards the door. ¡°Lady Florin, how do we get rid of the bodies?¡± Diether asked curiously. ¡°I have a bad habit of dismembering my targets since that¡¯s what I do to the monsters I catch, so¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s burn the corpses to ashes later,¡± Sonata said while walking towards the old men who were yelling, crying, and begging while pressed against the wall. ¡°You see, Commander, I¡¯m into pottery. I can add their ashes to a glaze mix as a dry ingredient.¡± ¡°Your hobby is quite fascinating, Lady Florin.¡± Was that amusement she heard in the commander''s voice? Sonata laughed softly, then she turned around to see if Diether¡¯s face would match the smile that she heard in his voice earlier¡­ ¡­ but her smile disappeared when she felt a sharp and cold object pierce through her throat from the back of her neck. Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Lady Florin!¡± Ah, what a shame. [I didn¡¯t get to see Lord Diether¡¯s smile.] THE UNHINGED DUO DIETHER, plagued by his conscience, ran after the young miss¨C who was dragged away by his father¡¯s personal knights¨C and asked her about Sonata Florin¡¯s urgent situation. [¡°May I know what happened to Lady Florin, Miss?¡±] [¡°Of course, Commander Hexford. Actually, Nata went undercover to catch a group of dangerous slave traders. She¡¯s posing as a ¡®flower¡¯ in the Carnation Pavilion.¡±] He knew ¡®flower¡¯ was a euphemism for ¡®prostitute.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t know what the Carnation Pavilion was. Fortunately, the young miss explained without him having to ask. [¡°There are five pavilions in the Red-light District. We call it ¡®pavilions,¡¯ but it¡¯s pretty similar to how higher nobles have their own territories. Anyway, our pavilion is called the ¡®Marigold Pavilion,¡¯ and our ¡®matriarch¡¯ is Madam Margo. We are the richest and the safest pavilion, thanks to Nata. But the Carnation Pavilion is the opposite¨C it¡¯s the poorest and the most dangerous place in the district.¡±] [¡°And Lady Florin is headed there alone to deal with the slave traders?¡±] [¡°What else could we do? The royal knights don¡¯t care about the Red-light District. Before Nata came to the district, we had to pay mercenaries for our protection.¡±] He couldn¡¯t say anything to defend the royal knights, so he just changed the topic. [¡°Miss, tell me more about Lady Florin¡¯s undercover mission and where to find her.¡±] And that was how Diether ended up in the Carnation Pavilion. The streets in that area were practically empty, except for some junkies who looked too high to even recognize the commander of the Avari Holy Knights. Fortunately, the ¡®pavilion¡¯ was easy to find since it was just a big yet rundown restaurant. There were some small-fry mercenaries who tried to stop him. But they were knocked out easily by his Aura alone. He didn¡¯t need to pull out his Holy Sword at all. A Swordmaster like him could use his Aura like a weapon since it could suffocate people weaker than him. He was fully prepared to do the same thing to the slave traders inside. But he kind of panicked when he saw a man holding Sonata Florin¡¯s hand. He was also surprised that he recognized her right away even though she dyed her hair black. But he was even more surprised when his body moved on its own. Before he knew it, he was already holding Sonata Florin¡¯s wrist while glaring at the slave trader. ¡°How dare you touch my fianc¨¦e?¡± First of all, he was just as surprised as Sonata Florin because of what he said. [Why did I call her my fianc¨¦e? Is it because I¡¯m looking for a justification for coming to her rescue? I mean, I do feel guilty that my father abandoned Lady Florin just because I broke off our engagement.] The slave trader let go of Sonata¡¯s hand, then he raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Commander Hexford, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here. But aren¡¯t you going to get in trouble if people find out that the commander of the Avari Holy Knights stepped foot in the Red-light District?¡± Diether flinched because he remembered the ¡®Oath of Purity¡¯ as a Holy Knight. That meant Holy Knights weren¡¯t supposed to engage in any sexual activities until marriage. If people found out that the commander of the Avari Holy Knights was in the Red-light District, he would get in trouble. [I can¡¯t lose this position since I have to stick close to Francine in order to find Celeste.] Sonata Florin gently nudged him. ¡°My lord, did anyone else see you on your way here?¡± Diether shook his head. ¡°This place is practically empty. If your friend didn''t tell me where to find you, I wouldn''t even think about looking for you here.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Sonata Florin said, then her eyes wandered around the room. ¡°I guess we just have to get rid of the witnesses here.¡± The bastards in the room shivered in fear. ¡°Lady Florin, is there a way to shut them up?¡± Sonata Florin smiled at him. ¡°Commander, the dead can¡¯t talk. To be honest, I was planning to commit mass murder tonight anyway.¡± ¡°Do these people deserve to die without a proper trial?¡± ¡°Mr. Simon and those nasty old men have sexually assaulted at least two children, the youngest being only seven years old. I have solid proof, but these bastards are being protected by higher nobles. Hence, I thought it would be faster to just kill them instead of bringing them to the court.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Diether¡¯s sky-blue eyes glowed menacingly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just kill them all.¡± In his book, anyone who touched children inappropriately deserved to die the worst way possible¨C no questions asked. [Human rights don¡¯t apply to monsters wearing human skin.] ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, commander,¡± the slave trader said, laughing nervously. ¡°You¡¯re the commander of the Avari Holy Knights. How could you speak about killing people lightly¨C¡± The bastard finally stopped yapping when his head got cut off from his neck, then his severed head rolled down the floor. Diether didn¡¯t pull out his Holy Sword. He took out his dagger¨C the weapon he would often use for his, uh, unofficial activities¨C and used it to behead the slave trader. Of course, he applied a bit of Mana in the dagger to make a clean cut. To be honest, he thought nobody noticed his movements until he saw Sonata Florin smiling at him knowingly. Right. [Lady Florin is at least a Sword Expert so, of course, she could see my movements.] ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Diether said when he realized that Sonata Florin¡¯s white robe was sullied with fresh blood. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for your clothes.¡± The young lady just looked at him, obviously amused. He started to feel awkward, so he changed the topic. ¡°Lady Florin, how do we get rid of the bodies?¡± Diether asked curiously. ¡°I have a bad habit of dismembering my targets since that¡¯s what I do to the monsters I catch, so¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s burn the corpses to ashes later,¡± Sonata Florin answered while walking towards the old men who were yelling, crying, and begging while pressed against the wall. ¡°You see, Commander, I¡¯m into pottery. I can add their ashes to a glaze mix as a dry ingredient.¡± He had heard that human ashes had many uses, but he didn¡¯t expect Sonata Florin to have such a quirky hobby of using human ashes as a glaze mix for her pottery. ¡°Your hobby is quite fascinating, Lady Florin.¡± Ah. [Why am I smiling?] Diether was about to cover his mouth with his hand when Sonata Florin suddenly turned around. And the young lady was looking at him with a smile on her face. But that smile quickly disappeared when a sharp object pierced through her neck. It was a slightly thick rod with a sharp end. [A needle rod¡­?] Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Lady Florin!¡± He tried to catch Sonata Florin, but she pushed him away using her purple Aura. To say that he was shocked when he got pushed back would be an understatement. He even had to dig his heels deep into the floor just to stop himself from hitting the wall behind. The already cracked tiles on the floor got more wrecked as a result. [I was¡­ pushed back¡­?] It was the first time it happened since he became a Swordmaster. He thought Sonata Florin was still on a Sword Expert level because she didn¡¯t pursue a career in knighthood. But he obviously thought wrong. [Does it mean Lady Florin is also on the same level as me?] Diether¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a dark figure behind Sonata Florin. The masked man was covered in an all-black ensemble, but there was a familiar red crest on the black robe. [Isn¡¯t that the crest of the Scorpion Assassin Guild?] The assassin grabbed Sonata Florin by the hair. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of this woman and that Holy Knight,¡± he said to the old men who looked relieved by the assassin¡¯s appearance. ¡°You may escape now, dear customers.¡± As if. Diether touched his scabbard, ready to draw his Holy Sword. But he stopped when Sonata Florin suddenly laughed. Yes, the young lady laughed while the needle was still stuck in her throat. ¡°I was waiting for you, bastard,¡± Sonata Florin said, pulling out the needle rod from her throat as if it was nothing. ¡°I knew your guild is involved with Mr. Simon¡¯s business.¡± Diether flinched when blood sprayed from the hole in Sonata Florin¡¯s throat. [She shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­] He didn¡¯t understand why Sonata Florin pulled out the weapon from her throat when she was supposed to be¨C at least¨C a Sword Expert. But he soon realized why the young lady didn¡¯t have any qualms with what she did. As soon as Sonata Florin¡¯s blood splattered on the assassin, the assassin suddenly gasped as if getting hit by blood knocked the wind out of him. The assassin eventually fell to his knees while clutching his chest tight¨C then he vomited. Diether also noticed that the hole in Sonata Florin¡¯s throat had already closed up. [How could she heal so fast?] While he was too stunned to react, Sonata Florin moved once again. She opened her hand, then the pool of blood on the floor began to move like a vibrating little puddle. Soon enough, the blood drifted up while taking a strange form. Much to his surprise, the final form was a small pickaxe¨C and it was made from Sonata Florin¡¯s blood. [It looks like a toy, though¡­] His thoughts were once again interrupted by what Sonata Florin did next: she drop-kicked the assassin at the back of his head¨C immediately knocking him unconscious. Then he belatedly realized something. [Lady Florin didn¡¯t need me to rescue her at all.] Diether felt embarrassed for thinking that Sonata Florin needed him. ¡°My lord, let¡¯s get this done and over with,¡± Sonata Florin said, smiling at him. ¡°There are kids waiting for us to rescue them.¡± Well, that was a good cause. Diether turned to the old men who looked too shocked to move, then his anger was reignited. ¡°Alright, Lady Florin. Let¡¯s finish them quickly.¡± After Diether and Sonata Florin were done, blood and severed limbs filled the room. *** ¡°MY LORD, please watch over this bastard for me,¡± Sonata said as she kicked the unconscious assassin in Diether¡¯s direction. ¡°I need him alive, so please don¡¯t let him kill himself once he wakes up.¡± They just got out of the restaurant¡¯s secret back door. And, right now, they were in an empty lot. There was a carriage covered in black magic in front of them. [That¡¯s my goal right there.] Diether looked confused at first, but he nodded. ¡°Alright. But don¡¯t we need a mage to break the black magic first before approaching the carriage?¡± ¡°That level of black magic is easy to break.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m no mage, but even I could tell that the black magic in there would injure even a Swordmaster like me.¡± She just smiled at the commander before she excused herself. Then she walked towards the carriage engulfed in black magic. She could tell that anyone who was foolish enough to touch the carriage would explode. It was a pretty effective black magic. [But it¡¯s nothing my blood can¡¯t handle.] Sonata casually threw the pickaxe made from her blood. Her blood weapon hit an invisible barrier, and the contact was followed by a sound similar to breaking glass. It would have exploded if her pickaxe was an ordinary weapon. But since it was made of her blood, the black mage was simply nullified. When her pickaxe ¡®melted¡¯ and vanished into thin air, the black magic also disappeared just like that. She didn¡¯t waste any more time and opened the carriage. As expected, there were at least eight little girls inside¨C all in a terrible state. [Those bastards deserve their gory death.] Sonata hid her anger, then she smiled at the children who were looking at her with dead eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s eat some warm and delicious food, kids.¡± DIRTY LITTLE SECRET [HER BLOOD is definitely special.] Diether watched Sonata Florin nullify the black magic around the carriage in silence. He was wondering about how to dig deeper into Sonata Florin¡¯s background, but now he finally got a clue. [I haven¡¯t heard of a family who could use their blood as a weapon.] Not in the Zerua Kingdom, at least. [That means Lady Florin might not be from this kingdom. Or, perhaps, her birth parents belonged to a forgotten household. If I look for families that deal with blood, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to find some useful information.] As the heir to House Hexford and the king¡¯s nephew, he had access to the most classified records in the Royal Library. [I should visit the Royal Library later. But, for now¡­] ¡°Come out,¡± Diether said out loud, touching the scabbard of his Holy Sword. ¡°I am not in the mood to act merciful tonight.¡± The night looked dead and silent. But he could sense the presence around them. Whoever those people were, he could tell that they were good at hiding. Unfortunately, his senses were better than their stealth. ¡°Good evening, Commander Hexford.¡± Diether¡¯s eyes widened a bit when he recognized the person who stepped out of the dark. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aside from the king, the queen, and the Crown Prince, only Diether and his father would recognize that face. It was Captain Redwood¨C the captain of his uncle¨C er, the king¡¯s Secret Order. [Is Lady Florin working with them?] *** ¡°WE¡¯LL CLEAN up this place, Lady Sonata.¡± Sonata, who was washing her face in the bathroom, raised her head and looked at the reflection of the man standing behind her. ¡°Thank you, Captain Redwood.¡± Captain Redwood was a man in his early forties¨C long dark green hair tied in a man bun, bearded face, bulky build. The symbol of a silver wild dog on his all-black uniform also served as his identity as the captain of the Hounds. The ¡®Hounds¡¯ was the king¡¯s Secret Order¨C aka the group of knights with questionable backgrounds that was in charge of doing all the dirty jobs for the king. [And the king is none other than Grand Duke Hexford¡¯s older brother.] When Grand Duke Daniel Hexford¨C Diether¡¯s slightly crazy father¨C found out about Sonata¡¯s real identity, His Grace didn¡¯t hesitate to bring her to the king. In return for keeping her identity a secret from the world, she was forced to agree to help the Secret Order whenever the king demanded her to do so. Fortunately, the king had a conscience. So, she was paid handsomely for every mission she would take¨C whether it was a success or not. ¡°We will take the assassin that you caught,¡± Captain Redwood said, then he paused as if he hesitated before he asked: ¡°Lady Sonata, what should we do about Commander Hexford? He caught us.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Did the commander ask you anything?¡± The captain shook his head. ¡°Commander Hexford is known for not caring about things that have nothing to do with the temple.¡± Right. That was a rumor that even Sonata had heard. [That¡¯s how Lord Diether gained the title of the Avari Temple¡¯s ¡®Sword.¡¯ But, for people who hate the commander, he¡¯s nothing but the ¡®Saintess¡¯ dog.] Even the nobles who were known to support the Royal Family criticized Diether for showing more loyalty to the temple than the throne. On the other hand, the devotees of the Avari Temple respected the commander as much as they admired the Saintess. But Diether was yet to be accused of treason because the king himself favored his nephew. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lord Diether won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Sonata said, shrugging. ¡°But I¡¯ll talk to him to make sure he¡¯ll keep this a secret.¡± Captain Redwood looked relieved by what she said, then he bowed his head towards her. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then, Lady Sonata.¡± *** SONATA found Diether sitting on the stone staircase in front of the restaurant. [Surprising him won¡¯t work, right?] She left the kids that they rescued to Madam Margo in the meantime. For now, she needed to have a conversation with the commander. ¡°Are you working with the king¡¯s Secret Order, Lady Florin?¡± [As expected, he already noticed my presence.] Sonata sat on the other end of the staircase, making sure that there was a decent space between her and Diether. ¡°Are you finally curious about me, my lord?¡± Diether scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± She just laughed at his grumpiness. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you everything since the Secret Order thrives in staying mysterious. But I can assure you that I can¡¯t harm your household and the kingdom. Your father and the king will kill me first before I even dare to.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say you won¡¯t harm the temple.¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°House Hexford, the Royal Family, and the Avari Temple,¡± he said, then he turned to her. ¡°Those three are the pillars of the Zerua Kingdom. You said you can¡¯t harm my household and the kingdom. But does it mean you¡¯re capable of harming the temple?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a stretch, my lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a follower of the Goddess Avari, are you?¡± ¡°I thought you already know that I don¡¯t have a religion after running a background check on me.¡± He flinched, then he avoided her gaze as if he was embarrassed. ¡°So, you already know that we ran a background check on you?¡± ¡°Is Candyfloss already the best information guild in the kingdom? If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s worrying.¡± ¡°They¡¯re good¨C you¡¯re just too mysterious.¡± She laughed at his honesty. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for running a background check on you, Lady Florin. I¡¯m sure that if your father suddenly told you to marry a stranger, you would have done the same thing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize verbally, but don¡¯t be stingy, my lord. Don¡¯t you think you should at least offer a peace offering?¡± He turned to her as if he had already expected that from her. ¡°What do you want this time, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°Forget about everything that happened tonight.¡± ¡°Consider it done, then.¡± ¡°And please treasure yourself more.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I know why you rushed to my rescue,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s not because you care about me, but because you just wanted to put yourself in a dangerous situation.¡± [In other words, this man is suicidal.] It looked like she hit a nerve because the commander glared at her. ¡°And what do you know about me, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°I can tell by your dead eyes that you¡¯re only alive because you can¡¯t die, Lord Diether,¡± Sonata said bluntly. She knew because she was in that horrible state as well a few years ago. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything reckless around me because I might just end up saving you, even if you don¡¯t want to be saved.¡± ¡°But why would you save me?¡± ¡°Because I like your face.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very handsome, Lord Diether,¡± Sonata said sincerely, smiling at the stunned commander. ¡°I actually agreed to marry you because your face is my type.¡± Diether said nothing, but his entire face turned red. [Fascinating~] *** DIETHER missed the Worship Service that afternoon, but he knew he would still find Francine in the Avari Temple. Hence, even though it was already past midnight, he still went to the prayer room. ¡°You¡¯re just in time, Diether oppa.¡± ¡®Oppa.¡¯ It was a term that Celeste taught Francine. [Apparently, ¡®oppa¡¯ means ¡®older brother.¡¯ But Celeste never shared with us where she learned the strange language that she would often use in the past.] Ah, thinking about Celeste only made him miss her more. His thoughts were only interrupted when Francine, the Saintess, turned around to face him. Francine had blonde hair, green eyes, and pale skin. The white and gold robe that she wore only made her look even paler. But it suited her because she had a very angelic face that wouldn¡¯t make anyone question her position as the Saintess. ¡°Oppa, I saw it in my Vision just now,¡± Francine said worriedly, clasping her hands together as if she was praying. ¡°I saw Celeste unnie¡¯s last destination before she disappeared.¡± ¡®Unnie¡¯ meant older sister, and that was how Francine addressed Celeste. ¡°Where is it, Francine?¡± Diether asked, hope filling up his chest quickly. ¡°Where do I find the last traces of my wife?¡± THIRD TIMES A CHARM? ¡°THE LOCATION itself is the problem, oppa.¡± Diether didn¡¯t show it, but deep inside, he was worried by what Francine said. [Francine is very influential as the Saintess of the Avari Temple. There are only a few places on the entire continent that she doesn¡¯t have access to. But if she¡¯s this worried, does it mean it¡¯s a place where even the Saintess couldn¡¯t reach?] ¡°It¡¯s Mount Ashira, oppa,¡± Francine said worriedly. ¡°The mountain is located in the Casnia Islands, but¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s owned by the king,¡± Diether said, nodding as he finally understood why Francine looked worried. ¡°Although Mount Ashira is located in our territory, the mountain itself is owned by His Majesty.¡± Hence, he couldn¡¯t simply trespass even though he was the king¡¯s nephew. But that wasn¡¯t the reason why the mountain was a restricted area. ¡°Why would Celeste even go to a dangerous place like that?¡± Diether wondered out loud. ¡°Mount Ashira is the place where Rui, the evil dragon, was slain by Goddess Avari a few centuries ago. Apparently, the evil dragon¡¯s remains are still buried deep in the mountain. Hence, it¡¯s plagued with dark energy.¡± And he was certain that Celeste knew that. Even though Mount Ashira was the king¡¯s property, there were no royal knights guarding the mountain range. After all, it was a place that not even hardcore criminals would think about using as a hide-out. [Not unless they want to die, of course.] Diether gulped, his thoughts getting worse¡­ ¡°Oppa, I¡¯m certain that Celeste unnie is still alive,¡± Francine assured him as if she could read his mind. ¡°Unnie and I made an oath before, and that oath binds our souls together. I would know if unnie has already left the world for good.¡± He was relieved to hear that. ¡°Oppa, we both know that Celeste unnie is a special existence,¡± Francine said gently. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason why she headed to Mount Ashira.¡± The Saintess was correct. [I¡¯ve never confronted Celeste about it before because it didn¡¯t bother me, but I have a feeling that she could see the future based on her actions.] That was why they had always trusted Celeste and her decisions in the past. ¡°In three years since Celeste disappeared, this is the first time we got a clue as to where she might have gone to.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you, oppa,¡± Francine said, smiling gratefully at him. ¡°You¡¯ve been bringing high-quality Artifacts to me for the past three years. Hence, my divine power increased a lot.¡± Diether smiled and patted Francine¡¯s head like how Celeste would pat Francine¡¯s head in the past. Of course, he only did that because only the two of them were in the prayer room. He would address and treat Francine properly as the Saintess in front of other people. ¡°Keep up the good work, Francine,¡± he said. ¡°I have a feeling we will find Celeste soon.¡± *** SONATA smiled while watching the nine children that she saved from Mr. Simon¡¯s gang earlier. She left the kids to Madam Margo because she needed to talk to Diether first. And when she returned to the Marigold Pavilion, the children had already taken a bath. Right now, the kids were enjoying their warm and hearty meal in the dining hall of Madam Margo¡¯s mansion. None of the children were talking¨C everyone was busy eating. ¡°Are you not going to say ¡®hi¡¯ to the kids you saved, Nata?¡± ¡°Let them have dinner in peace first,¡± Sonata said, turning to Madam Margo with a smile. ¡°Thank you for taking care of them for me, Madam.¡± ¡°How could I say ¡®no¡¯ to my savior?¡± She just laughed softly and shook her head. ¡°Madam, the kid¡¯s bath¡­¡± Madam Margo turned serious. ¡°You have to see it for yourself, Nata. Since your mysterious boss is already there, I can¡¯t accompany you.¡± The madam was talking about Captain Redwood. [As the captain of the king¡¯s Secret Order, Captain Redwood can¡¯t show his face to people that the king didn¡¯t approve of.] ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Madam.¡± Sonata went to the bathroom after saying goodbye to Madam Margo. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She said ¡®bathroom,¡¯ but it was actually more of an indoor pool because of how big the tub was. Sonata suddenly remembered something interesting when she saw the indoor pool. [If I remember correctly, it was Lord Diether¡¯s wife who introduced the concept of ¡®indoor pool¡¯ to the public. Celeste Hexford also made Casnia Islands a famous tourist attraction when she turned part of it into a ¡®waterpark.¡¯] It was quite funny because she also had the same idea when she was in her teens. In fact, Sonata had almost bought an island that she could turn into something fun when Celeste Hexford opened a waterpark in the Casnia Islands. She didn¡¯t want to be accused of copying Celeste Hexford, so she abandoned the idea and decided to open a different business. Since she had already set her eyes on a certain island, she decided to invest in pearls. But Celeste Hexford had suddenly launched a pearl jewelry line. It was actually fine with her. [But the thing that got me really heartbroken was when Celeste Hexford made a successful business out of coconut trees.] Sonata had traveled to a tropical country where she fell in love with coconuts. She tried to bring it to the Western Continent, but the climate was too cold for coconuts to grow there. While she was in the middle of looking for a place on the continent with a subtropical climate, Celeste Hexford suddenly introduced coconuts to the kingdom. The Hexfords had more money and influence than her, so she couldn¡¯t compete with them. [I still love coconuts, so I supported Celeste Hexford¡¯s coconut business.] She had to give up on becoming a businesswoman, though. [It¡¯s okay since I got busy with the Red-light District, anyway.] ¡°Lady Sonata, you¡¯re here.¡± Sonata smiled and nodded at Captain Redwood. But her smile disappeared as soon as she saw how black the water in the huge tub was. And the water turned into that horrible state because of what people would call ¡®Corruption.¡¯ It was the kind of dark energy that would feed on a human¡¯s life force. Sonata clenched her hands. ¡°All this Corruption came from the children?¡± The water in the tub wasn¡¯t actually water. It was her blood that filled that tub. [My blood has the power to purify that disgusting thing, after all.] But the children would be scared if they saw blood in the tub, so she used a magic device to turn the ¡®water¡¯ blue. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady Sonata,¡± Captain Redwood said. ¡°They¡¯re even using children now.¡± ¡®They¡¯ would be the Rui Cult that the Zerua Kingdom had been trying to eliminate since time immemorial. [And the king asked me to aid the Secret Order in eliminating the cult.] ¡°I should head back to the palace and report to His Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said. ¡°I need to talk to the king, anyway.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to the palace, my lady?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my parents¡¯ fourth death year anniversary soon,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°The king wants to hold a memorial service for them and the other war heroes who died during the last war.¡± Captain Redwood nodded. ¡°Then see you at the palace later, Lady Sonata,¡± he said, then he let out a soft ¡®ah¡¯ as if he just remembered something important. ¡°About the corpses of Mr. Simon and the patrons that you and Commander Hexford killed earlier¡­ as expected, they turned out to be demons. Do you think the commander noticed that the ¡®humans¡¯ you killed were actually demons in disguise, my lady?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°The commander looked pretty out of it.¡± ¡°They say the commander loses his mind every time he¡¯s in ¡®kill mode.¡¯¡± [That¡¯s just him being suicidal.] ¡°I¡¯ll dispose of the corpses after I purify this ugly thing.¡± Captain Redwood looked concerned. ¡°Lady Sonata, we can dispose of the corpses and just give you the ashes later. You¡¯re working too hard these days.¡± ¡°Thank you for the concern, but I¡¯m really fine, Captain,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°I have to do this much so the Grand Duke and the king would stop pestering me about marrying Lord Diether.¡± *** [TSK.] Diether wanted to click his tongue when he saw his father as soon as he entered the king¡¯s private tearoom, but he refrained from doing so. After all, he was in the presence of the king. [I asked a private audience with His Majesty, so why did His Majesty invite my father?] Diether bowed his head to King Seymour Lomello¨C the king of the Zerua Kingdom¨C then he scowled. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too formal with me, Diether,¡± King Seymour said in his usual playful tone. ¡°You¡¯re only bowing his head that low to hide your scowl, aren¡¯t you? My dear nephew must be upset that I invited his father without telling him~¡± ¡°Your Majesty, if I agree with you, would I be charged with treason?¡± The king just laughed, as usual. ¡°Of course not. Raise your head, Diether.¡± He did as the king ordered him to. God, Diether really wanted to scowl again. His father and the king, despite having a five-year age gap, could pass off as twins. The two had different auras, of course. The king was the sunshine type, while his father was the gloomy type. ¡°My nephew is really handsome,¡± the king said approvingly while nodding as if he was proud. ¡°Sit down.¡± Diether thanked the king before taking a seat. ¡°So, let¡¯s hear, my dear nephew,¡± the king said, smiling. ¡°Why did you request to have an audience with me?¡± Diether hated his father¡¯s presence there, but he went straight to the point because he didn¡¯t want to waste time. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯d like to have your permission to enter Mount Ashira.¡± The king, and even his father, both looked shocked by what he said. ¡°Mount Ashira?¡± the king asked carefully. ¡°Did the Saintess receive a Vision from Goddess Avari, Commander?¡± Ah, the king addressed him formally. [He must think it¡¯s related to the evil dragon.] ¡°No, Your Majesty,¡± he said while shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s for a personal reason.¡± He would lie if he could. [But His Majesty is good at telling if a person is lying or not.] The king looked relieved by what he said, then His Majesty smiled apologetically at him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m sorry, my dear nephew. But only the Grand Duke of House Hexford has access to Mount Ashira. After all, aside from the direct members of the Royal Family, only the Grand Duke has the blessing to withstand the dark energy scattered in the mountain.¡± Diether scowled while clenching his hands tight. [Should I just trespass then?] ¡°I¡¯ll pass the title as the Grand Duke to you if you marry Sonata Florin, son,¡± his father said firmly. ¡°If you really need to enter Mount Ashira, then you need to become the Grand Duke first.¡± [By marrying Sonata Florin¡­?] *** ¡°DON¡¯T people say that if you meet the same person three times in a row, then it must be fate?¡± Sonata teased Diether when they bumped into each other at the entrance of the king¡¯s palace. ¡°Lord Diether, is this fate?¡± Of course, the stiff Diether Hexford just looked at her with a blank look on his face. She was about to excuse herself when, suddenly, the commander spoke. ¡°Lady Florin,¡± Diether said in a tired voice, the dark circles under his eyes as gloomy-looking as his entire personality. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Sonata smiled, tilting her head to one side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡± HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED ¡°I¡¯LL PASS the title as the Grand Duke to you if you marry Sonata Florin, son. If you really need to enter Mount Ashira, then you need to become the Grand Duke first.¡± Diether, for the first time, felt the strong urge to marry Sonata Florin. He only agreed to the engagement the first time because his father threatened to exclude him from the expedition to subjugate the monsters in the North. It was an expedition that he didn¡¯t want to miss because of the Artifacts he needed to gather for Francine. But after he backed out from the engagement, his father really excluded him from the expedition. It was okay since a new opportunity to lead an expedition arrived. However, this time, his father was saying he was going to pass his title to him. [I¡¯ve been recognized as the successor ever since I was born. But this is the first time Father directly said he¡¯ll hand over the title to me¡­] The offer suddenly became tempting. ¡°Dear nephew, before you make a decision, let me be clear first,¡± King Seymour, his uncle said, said after sipping his tea. ¡°It¡¯s true that the Grand Duke of House Hexford has access to Mount Ashira. However, that access only applies to a few areas. Even my dear brother cannot roam the entire mountain freely.¡± He was conflicted. Of course, it would be nice if he could explore the entire Mount Ashira since Francine didn¡¯t see where exactly Celeste disappeared in the mountain. However, having the right to step foot on the mountain was already good enough. ¡°My dear nephew, I can give you the right to own Mount Ashira.¡± Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°But Mount Ashira has always belonged to the king of the Zerua Kingdom, Your Majesty. Shouldn¡¯t you pass it down to the Crown Prince later?¡± The king waved his hand dismissively. ¡°My precious Jericho won¡¯t mind since he¡¯s scared of Mount Ashira. I brought him there for a tour when he turned seven, but that lovely child of mine just cried his eyes out. He claimed he saw ghosts roaming around.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, even if it¡¯s fine with the Crown Prince, will the higher nobles accept it quietly?¡± ¡°My dear nephew, your hair color is proof that Goddess Avari chose you as her warrior,¡± the king said, smiling proudly. ¡°Who would have the guts to criticize me for gifting Mount Ashira to you? It¡¯s the resting place of the evil dragon that Goddess Avari had slain in the past, so it¡¯s only fitting for you¨C the goddess¡¯ chosen warrior¨C to receive it.¡± If that was the case, then¡­ ¡°What do I have to do in order to inherit Mount Ashira from Your Majesty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very easy, my dear nephew,¡± the king said, smiling. ¡°If you conceive a child with Lady Sonata Florin, the entire Mount Ashira is yours.¡± That was ridiculous. Having a child for a selfish reason would be cruel to Sonata Florin. ¡°Why are you so eager to marry me off to Lady Florin?¡± Diether asked the king and his father suspiciously. ¡°Who is she?¡± His father put down his teacup on the saucer before speaking. ¡°Someone good for you.¡± ¡°The best noble lady you could ever ask for to be your wife,¡± the king added playfully. ¡°Lady Sonata is the only woman worthy of our lineage, my dear nephew.¡± [Ah, so they have no intention of telling me who Lady Florin really is.] Diether hated what his father and the king said, so he just excused himself politely. While on his way to the palace, he had already made up his mind. [Lady Florin needs to marry me, too. If that¡¯s the case, then I should just make a deal with her. And I need to let her know that even though I can¡¯t love her romantically, I¡¯ll be good to her and take care of the people she cares about.] Diether¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when he, much to his surprise, crossed paths with Sonata Florin at the main entrance of the king¡¯s palace. [Was she summoned by the king after I asked for an audience with His Majesty?] The young lady had just finished showing her sapphire crystal eagle necklace¨C it was made in silver and encrusted with clear round crystals, square-cut sapphire crystals, and a large faceted oval-shaped sapphire crystal in the middle. The eagle had a small ruby gem for an eye. [Anyone who has that necklace could enter the Royal Palace and the Royal Library even without an appointment.] Only people that the king had handpicked himself could receive a sapphire eagle necklace. [The king really trusts Lady Florin, huh?] Diether stopped thinking when his gaze met Sonata Florin¡¯s gold eyes. [Ah, she¡¯s really pretty.] It was just a simple observation. Sonata Florin, instead of a dress, was wearing a fancy black jacket with several gold chains attached to the lapel, a pair of tight pants that emphasized her shapely legs, and a pair of black boots. She also had a scabbard on her waist. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [Ah, I see. Lady Florin is here as a dame and not as a lady.] The lady¡¯s knight uniform didn¡¯t have a crest, though. ¡°Don¡¯t people say that if you meet the same person three times in a row, then it must be fate?¡± Sonata teased Diether when she approached him. ¡°Lord Diether, is this fate?¡± If he didn¡¯t feel tired from dealing with his father and the king, he would have been flustered. But since he just made up his mind about what to do a moment ago, he was actually grateful for this chance encounter. ¡°Lady Florin,¡± Diether said, and even in his own ears, his voice sounded tired. But that was out of his control. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Sonata smiled, tilting her head to one side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡± That was¡­ fast. He suddenly got somber, then he felt embarrassed for even thinking that Sonata Florin would easily agree to marry him. [I thought she also needs to marry me¡­] ¡°I¡¯m curious about what made you change your mind, but I have an official business with His Majesty so I need to get going,¡± Sonata Florin said when he didn¡¯t react to her abrupt rejection. ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we meet again.¡± ¡°You talk as if you¡¯re confident we¡¯d meet again after you rejected my proposal.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because your marriage proposal is lame.¡± He knitted his eyebrows. ¡°You agreed to marry me before, even without a proposal.¡± ¡°Well, my lord, you made me a laughingstock when you ran away from our engagement ceremony,¡± Sonata Florin reminded him. ¡°If you give me a grand and romantic proposal that would make people forget about my embarrassing moment, then I¡¯ll marry you in a heartbeat.¡± That was a relief to hear. [I¡¯ll do anything to find Celeste, even if it means remarrying. I¡¯m sure Celeste will understand.] ¡°Alright, I get it,¡± Diether said, nodding. ¡°You can look forward to it, Lady Florin.¡± *** SWORDS and other weapons weren¡¯t allowed in the presence of the king. Hence, Sonata willingly handed her sword to General Anton¨C the leader of the Soaring Eagle Order. It was the Royal Knight Order under the direct command of the king. ¡°Welcome, Lady Sonata,¡± General Anton said politely. ¡°His Majesty and Grand Duke Hexford are already waiting inside.¡± Sonata smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, General.¡± The general just nodded back politely before he opened the heavy double doors of the palace¡¯s Strategy Room for her. As soon as she entered the room, three pairs of eyes instantly focused on her. King Seymour Lomello. Grand Duke Daniel Hexford. Captain Redwood of the Secret Order. [All my ¡°superiors¡± are here.] The three gentlemen were already seated around the long conference table, with the king in the center seat. Grand Duke Hexford was on the king¡¯s right side, while Captain Redwood was on His Majesty¡¯s left side. Sonata greeted the three politely, slightly bowing her head in the process. ¡°Ah, please stop with the polite greeting, Lady Sonata~¡± King Seymour said playfully. ¡°You¡¯re making me feel bad.¡± ¡°Nonsense, Your Majesty,¡± Sonata said. ¡°You¡¯re still the king.¡± The carefree king just laughed. ¡°His Majesty and I have heard the gist of the situation from Captain Redwood,¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford said sternly. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so bad that I would like to suggest that we pull Commander Diether Hexford to our side,¡± Sonata said in a serious tone. She addressed Diether by his proper title this time because it was his position as the commander that she needed to emphasize in the conversation. ¡°Your Majesty, I understand that you excluded the Holy Knights from this mission because you didn¡¯t want the Avari Temple to gain more power and influence than the throne.¡± The king just smiled and didn¡¯t deny what she said. It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t understand where the king was coming from. The Zerua Kingdom was known as the ¡®Holy Land¡¯ because it was where the Avari Temple was built. Moreover, the Avari Temple had Saintess Francine. Most of the nations and kingdoms on the Alson Continent had Avari as their prime religion. Hence, even Kaelus Empire¨C the most powerful and influential empire on the entire Alson Continent¨C couldn¡¯t easily touch the Zerua Kingdom. [That makes Zerua Kingdom the best hiding spot for someone like me.] ¡°The Saintess and the Avari Holy Knights have been focusing way too much on Corrupted Monsters that you could easily kill¡­¡± Sonata trailed off because of how the gentlemen reacted. The king laughed out loud. Captain Redwood snorted. And Grand Duke Daniel Hexford faked a cough, as if to hold back his laughter. [???] ¡°Lady Sonata, your standards for things that you could kill ¡°easily¡± are very much different from the standards of ordinary people,¡± the king said, obviously trying his best to stop laughing. ¡°A group of Corrupted Monsters may seem like a small fry to you, but even my own knights have a hard time dealing with a hoard of them. That¡¯s why the Avari Holy Knights are in charge of the Corrupted Monsters. After all, those monsters are weak against holy power.¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re just too strong, Lady Florin,¡± the Grand Duke said. ¡°Probably even stronger than my son.¡± Captain Redwood nodded in agreement. Really? [The standard for being strong in this kingdom differs from where I came from.] ¡°I misspoke, and I apologize for that,¡± Sonata said, then she changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, I can tell instinctively that we¡¯re dealing with demons this time. But Captain Redwood and I can¡¯t gather enough evidence to prove our claim.¡± ¡°Lady Florin is right,¡± Captain Redwood said. ¡°Demons are supposed to turn back into their original form when their fake bodies are burned. But the demons we burned just turned into ashes, and it has been the case all this time.¡± The king tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, obviously in deep thought. ¡°How about the assassin that you caught? Did you succeed in making him talk?¡± ¡°We almost got a confession, but the assassin exploded the moment he mentioned the word ¡®Rui,¡¯ Your Majesty,¡± Sonata said. ¡°It seems like a curse was placed on the assassin in order to stop him from spilling vital information related to the cult.¡± ¡°Rui was the evil dragon that birthed demons in the human world,¡± the king said, sighing while shaking his head. ¡°Only the cult that wants Rui to get revived would do something as horrible as using children just to gather Corruption.¡± ¡®Corruption¡¯ was the dark energy that the cult needed to revive Rui, the Evil Dragon. And the process to gather Corruption was brutal. Innocence¨C it was the key ingredient. ¡°Children are born innocent and pure,¡± Sonata said, clenching her hands tight. ¡°In order to turn the children¡¯s innocence into Corruption, the cult would subject the children they kidnap to horrible circumstances such as selling them to brothels. Once the children¡¯s innocence completely turns into Corruption, the dark energy would then feed on the children¡¯s life force in order to grow quicker.¡± ¡°We suspect that the cult is using the Corruption they gather to turn humans into demons,¡± Captain Redwood added. ¡°But it seems like it¡¯s still in the experimental stage. Hence, most victims are lower nobles who spend too much time in the slums.¡± Because the Red-light District was located in the slums, despite how glamorous it appeared to be. Sonata turned to the Grand Duke. ¡°About the death of the nobles that we killed that night¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± the Grand Duke assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll inform their families that those bastards died in a shameful accident. They¡¯ll keep their mouth shut if they want to protect their household¡¯s reputation.¡± She just nodded because she didn¡¯t need to hear the Grand Duke¡¯s detailed plan. [As long as he takes care of the issue, I don¡¯t care.] ¡°Lady Sonata, do you really believe it¡¯s time for the Avari Holy Knights to be involved in this matter?¡± [I don¡¯t really care, but¡­] ¡°What¡¯s more important to you, Your Majesty? Keeping your people safe or maintaining the throne¡¯s power over the temple?¡± ¡°Both are important to me,¡± King Seymour said, the greed in his smiling eyes visible. ¡°Hence, let¡¯s not involve the temple or the Avari Holy Knight yet. Not until we gather evidence that the demons are back, at least.¡± Sonata nodded politely. ¡°As you command, Your Majesty.¡± [So, there¡¯s a power struggle between the throne and the temple in this kingdom, huh?] GRAND ENTRANCE ¡°IT WOULD be so much nicer if you and my dear nephew got married the soonest, though.¡± Sonata smiled at the king¡¯s greediness that he didn¡¯t even bother to hide. Their meeting had just finished, and Captain Redwood had already left. She was just about to bid King Seymour and Grand Duke Daniel Hexford goodbye when the king expressed his greediness once more. [Should I humor His Majesty a little?] ¡°Actually, it may happen soon, Your Majesty,¡± Sonata said, flashing her business smile. ¡°I bumped into Lord Diether earlier. Your Majesty summoned me here knowing that Lord Diether would also be here today, right?¡± The king just smiled before sipping his tea. [Sly bastard.] ¡°May I know how Your Majesty and Your Grace blackmailed Lord Diether this time?¡± Sonata asked playfully. ¡°The commander suddenly asked me to marry him earlier.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± It was the king who burst out laughing. The Grand Duke, however, remained stoic. ¡°My son needed access to Mount Ashira. Only direct members of the Royal Family and the Grand Duke have that.¡± Ah, so the commander needed to have access to Mount Ashira. [Isn¡¯t that the resting place of the evil dragon that the goddess had slain in the past?] ¡°Are you curious as to why my dear nephew needs access to the mountain?¡± the king asked teasingly. ¡°My dear nephew actually didn¡¯t tell us the reason, but it definitely has something to do with searching for his ex-wife.¡± ¡°Lord Diether is still looking for his ex-wife?¡± It was a known fact that Celeste Hexford disappeared without a trace three years ago. But since Celeste Hexford signed the divorce papers and sent them to the Avari Temple, Diether wasn¡¯t able to cancel it. [If I remember correctly, the law of this kingdom regarding divorce is tricky. The divorce paper would be accepted by the temple even if only one party had signed it. On the other hand, the party opposed to the divorce has no power to withdraw it. After that¡­] ¡°The law says that if the party who filed for divorce doesn¡¯t withdraw the request within three years, then the divorce would be granted even if the other party opposes it,¡± Sonata said, shaking her head. ¡°Come to think of it, three years have already passed since Lord Diether¡¯s ex-wife disappeared. Your Majesty and Your Grace probably sought me out as soon as the divorce was granted.¡± ¡°Why waste time?¡± the king asked, laughing. ¡°By the way, you look pretty dissatisfied with our law regarding divorce, Lady Sonata.¡± ¡°I just thought that divorce should be quickly processed in emergency cases, like if one party is abusing the other. Moreover, I believe divorce should also be granted with the mutual agreement of both parties, Your Majesty. The three years waiting period smells trouble.¡± ¡°Right?¡± the king agreed with her. ¡°But the Avari Temple isn¡¯t really fond of divorce, so they want to delay the process as much as possible. The three years limitation is set because if a married couple files for divorce, the Avari Temple would then encourage the couple to attend marriage counsel first to reconsider their decision. It¡¯s stupid, but what can I do? The Avari Temple is too influential when it comes to marriage and divorce in our kingdom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have the power to fix that problematic law, Your Majesty?¡± King Seymour¡¯s eyes turned into little crescent moons when he grinned. ¡°Lady Sonata, the throne needs to have more power first if I want to get rid of the temple¡¯s influence over the problematic laws of my kingdom.¡± [Power struggle it is, indeed.] ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about divorce,¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford said, frowning as if he was allergic to the divorce topic. ¡°We still need to talk about the upcoming memorial banquet for the war heroes of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Right,¡± King Seymour said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Lady Sonata, do you want me to ask my dear nephew to be your escort during the banquet?¡± Sonata could only smile and shake her head. ¡°He¡¯ll come to me on his own, Your Majesty.¡± *** [IS SHE following me?] Sonata wondered if Pearl, the oldest girl that she saved a few nights ago, was ¡®stalking¡¯ her. The other kids were playing in the garden with the ball and dolls that she brought for them, but this little one kept following her around without saying anything. [I need to work soon¡­] Sonata stopped walking in the middle of the hallway, then she turned around and faced Pearl. She squatted down in front of the ten-year-old child because she didn¡¯t want the child to hurt her neck while looking up at her. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Pearl was a child with orange bob-cut hair. [Well, we had to cut the kids¡¯ hair short because the strands were damaged from neglect.] Anyway, Pearl¡¯s forest green eyes were very striking. The child used to have a dead look in her eyes. But after spending a week in the Marigold Palace, life was now slowly yet surely returning to those pretty green eyes of hers. [It¡¯s the same for the other kids.] ¡°Hello, Pearl,¡± Sonata greeted the child with a smile. ¡°Is there something I can do for you?¡± Pearl¡¯s face turned red as if she was embarrassed, then she bowed to her before running away. [???] Sonata chuckled, then she stood up and waved her hand. ¡°Follow the child and make sure she¡¯ll find her way back to the garden safely.¡± She didn¡¯t hear a response, but she knew her order was received well. [I¡¯d love to follow Pearl myself, but I¡¯m a little busy.] In fact, as soon as she returned to her office, she was greeted by a mountain of paperwork on her desk. ¡°Argh,¡± Sonata groaned lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to work.¡± ¡°Lady Nata~¡± Oh, dear. Sonata wasn¡¯t surprised when Aubrey, her loyal butler, appeared out of nowhere. But she got worried because her butler would only show up if there was an urgent matter she needed to attend to. ¡°Hello, Aubrey.¡± Aubrey was an eighteen-year-old young miss who liked wearing the typical black suit that butlers from noble households would wear at work. She had ash blonde hair that she tied in twin pigtails, and a black eye patch that covered her left eye. [It¡¯s a sad story, but Aubrey¡¯s former ¡°owners¡± gouged her left eye out as a punishment when she was a child.] ¡°There were some foolish guys who put a request for Madam Margo, Lili, Belle, and Daisy to be kidnapped and sold to slave traders.¡± [Did I hear it right?] Sonata burst out laughing when she realized Aubrey wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Who would dare touch the flowers of the Marigold Pavilion? Are they not afraid of Madam Margo¡¯s powerful patrons?¡± ¡°They are ignorant and sheltered young masters who do not know how scary the underworld is,¡± Aubrey said, sighing while shaking her head. The Red-light District was, of course, a part of the underworld she mentioned. ¡°And I¡¯m talking about the temple knights that were suspended from work for harassing Madam Margo and the little flowers.¡± Aha. Now that made sense. [Only the ignorant young masters who do not know a thing about the Red-light District would do something as stupid as hiring people to kidnap the flowers of the Marigold Pavilion.] ¡°Every single decent guild in the Royal Capital who knows the Red-light District well rejected the request, of course,¡± Aubrey said, but then she clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°But Lady Nata, it¡¯s inevitable to have a rotten fruit in a basket. An infamous mercenary group who only cares about money accepted the request.¡± ¡°Eliminate that group.¡± ¡°As you command, my lady~¡± ¡°Before that, give me the evidence that the temple knights hired mercenaries to kidnap and sell off Madam Margo and the girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already secured the evidence, my lady.¡± ¡°Oh, nice,¡± Sonata said, removing the belt of the luxurious silk robe she was wearing at the moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll deliver it to Lord Diether right away.¡± ¡°Do you want me to find out where the commander is right now, my lady?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sunday, so he¡¯s definitely at the temple.¡± ¡°Are you attending the Worship Service then?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Aubrey covered her mouth when she gasped. ¡°But only the VIPs are allowed in the temple every Sunday.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Sonata said, laughing. ¡°That¡¯s why I need to be there.¡± *** PFFT. Sonata was fascinated to see the temple entrance empty. There was not a single temple knight guarding the doors, but she knew why. [The Avari Holy Knights are inside, so who would dare attack the temple?] Moreover, the doors themselves were layered with a powerful barrier. Ordinary people who would commit the mistake of touching the doors would get fried instantly, while entities with Corruption in them would get purified. Even people with a bit of ill intention would get electrocuted. In short, only people with the ¡®permission¡¯ to enter the temple could enter. ¡°And they say the temple is open for everyone,¡± Sonata said, placing her hand on the door to give it a ¡®gentle¡¯ push. ¡°Fascinating.¡± *** [WHAT THE¡­] Diether was shocked when the doors to the temple suddenly burst open. [Once the doors are closed, only I would be able to open it.] It was a preventive method used to make sure the Saintess wouldn¡¯t be attacked in the middle of the Worship Service. ¡°Commander, permission to quietly apprehend the intruder.¡± Apprehend who? The ¡®intruder¡¯ was Sonata Florin¨C the person who easily pushed Diether back with her Aura. [Lady Florin probably broke the barrier without breaking a sweat.] Vice-Commander Ethan Tanner, the one who asked for his permission, wouldn¡¯t be able to ¡®apprehend¡¯ Sonata Florin even if he wanted to. [He¡¯ll only get humiliated.] ¡°Everyone, stay in your position,¡± Diether said. Despite whispering his command, the other eight Holy Knights scattered around the temple had heard him. And it was thanks to the built-in communication device in their helmets. ¡°Lady Sonata Florin isn¡¯t an intruder.¡± Francine, who was standing behind the altar while reading a passage in the Holy Book, turned to him with a worried look on her face. [Ah, she doesn¡¯t know whether to continue or not.] Diether removed his helmet and mouthed ¡®I¡¯ll take care of it¡¯ to Francine before approaching Sonata Florin. He needed to remove his helmet so his fellow Holy Knights wouldn¡¯t hear his conversation with his ex-fianc¨¦e. [I wonder what Lady Florin is up to now.] *** SONATA almost burst out laughing while walking in the aisle. As soon as she stepped foot inside, Saintess Francine stopped with her sermon. Then the nobles turned to her. Most were surprised, some were curious, and there were who frowned. [The nobles are probably seated based on how much they donate to the temple.] Hence, the Hexfords were seated in the front row¨C the row closest to the Saintess. On the other hand, the balcony on the second floor of the temple was occupied by Prince Jericho (the Crown Prince) and Princess Mikaela (the Crown Prince¡¯s older sister). While the Crown Prince looked amused, the Royal Princess glared at Sonata. The General of the Crown Prince¡¯s Order and the General of the Royal Princess¡¯ Order were standing behind the royal siblings. [So, it¡¯s true that the king and the queen rarely attend the Worship Service.] All eyes were on Sonata now, but her gaze was only focused on Diether. The commander removed his helmet before he approached her. [He didn¡¯t have to. I can tell who he is even with his helmet on. After all, the difference between Lord Diether¡¯s divine power and the other Holy Knights is too big.] ¡°Lady Florin.¡± Sonata smiled at Diether and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kick me out, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Diether whispered back, extending his hand to her. ¡°Allow me to escort you to your seat. You may sit with Mother and Father.¡± She let out a sigh of relief before accepting the commander¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± Diether turned to her as if he was offended. ¡°Lady Florin, did you really think I¡¯d kick you out?¡± [Well, I broke the barrier. Moreover¡­] ¡°I just had this impression that only rich nobles who donate a lot to the temple have the privilege to meet the Saintess during a Sunday Worship Service,¡± Sonata said teasingly, then she looked at Saintess Francine who flinched when their eyes met. ¡°After all, it¡¯s so hard for the lower nobles like me and the common people to see the Saintess.¡± DECISIONS ¡°IT¡¯S a surprise to see you here, Lady Florin.¡± Pfft. Sonata had always found Grand Duke Daniel Hexford a fascinating man. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be here, Your Grace,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°But your son owes me an apology for failing to keep the end of his bargain.¡± She was free to talk that way because only she and the Grand Duke were left in their seats. Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford left her seat after the sermon. ¡°It seems like you and my son have an interesting relationship,¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford said before changing the topic. ¡°Is this your first time attending a Worship Service led by the Saintess.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace. In fact, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Her Holiness up close.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you lining up to receive the Saintess¡¯ blessing?¡± Right after the Saintess read a few passages from the Holy Book, the ceremony called ¡®Blessing¡¯ began. It was where the devotees would line up just to hold the Saintess¡¯ hand and gently pressed the Artifact called ¡®Avari¡¯s Blood¡¯ (aka the Holy Ring) against their foreheads. The ¡®Avari Blood¡¯ was a gold ring with an oval-shaped red gemstone in the middle. It looked like a ruby gem, but brighter and sturdier. It was also filled with a decent amount of pure divine power. Apparently, the red gemstone was literally made by freezing Goddess Avari¡¯s blood. Only the rightful Saintess could wear the Holy Ring. There were countless people who had claimed to have awakened as a Saintess tried to wear the Holy Ring, only for them to get burned to ashes as if receiving divine punishment from Goddess Avari. Hence, the moment Francine¨C the current Saintess¨C wore the Holy Ring and nothing happened, the entire continent celebrated the birth of the new Saintess that appeared after two hundred years. [Receiving a blessing from such a person¡­ is it really a big deal?] ¡°I just think there are more people who need to receive the Saintess¡¯ blessing than I do,¡± Sonata said carefully. ¡°And, to be frank, I don¡¯t pray to Goddess Avari. It would hurt my conscience to receive something from a divine being I¡¯m not a fan of.¡± The Grand Duke turned to her with a shocked look on his face, then he laughed softly. Oho? The stoic and cold-hearted Grand Duke knew how to laugh? [Fascinating.] Sonata wasn¡¯t the only one who was startled by the strange ¡®phenomenon.¡¯ Some of the nobles around them looked at the Grand Duke in disbelief, and that included Diether and Grand Duchess Eleanor. The mother-and-son duo was talking behind the Saintess then. But Diether and the Grand Duchess quickly turned their gazes away from the Grand Duke. Oh, dear. [It seems like Lord Diether and Her Grace really hate the Grand Duke.] ¡°You and I really think alike, Lady Florin.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Your Grace?¡± Of course, she was just acting like she was offended by the comparison. The Grand Duke raised an eyebrow at her teasing. Although he already stopped laughing, his face was still bright. Brighter than usual, at least. Hence, he didn¡¯t look intimidating at the moment. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my wife and son, you would never see me here,¡± the Grand Duke said. ¡°Having said that, it would be in your best interest to never antagonize the Saintess¨C especially not in front of her devotees. I¡¯m sure you were being careful when you were talking to Diether earlier. But there are people here who can read lips like I do.¡± Ah, the Grand Duke must be talking about what Sonata said to Diether earlier: [¡°I just had this impression that only rich nobles who donate a lot to the temple have the privilege to meet the Saintess during a Sunday Worship Service. After all, it¡¯s so hard for the lower nobles like me and the common people to see the Saintess.¡±] Yes, that was her being sarcastic. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the Saintess is more popular than Goddess Avari now. Moreover, my son treasures the Saintess as the younger sister he never had,¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford said. ¡°Hence, try not to get on the Saintess¡¯ bad side.¡± Well, that sounded like decent advice. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I understand, Your Grace,¡± Sonata said, nodding politely. ¡°I will be more careful from now on.¡± *** ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T you receive the blessing from the Saintess?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t believe I deserve it,¡± Sonata explained to Diether. ¡°But thank you for caring about me, my lord.¡± Diether just frowned at her words. Anyway, the two of them were headed to the commander¡¯s office. Of course, it was in the vicinity of the Avari Temple. The temple had been growing a lot over the past few years that she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turned as grand as the Royal Palace. [I bet His Majesty wouldn¡¯t like that.] Diether spoke, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°I just thought it would be a waste not to receive the Saintess¡¯ blessing since you were already there, Lady Florin.¡± Sonata shrugged. ¡°I hope the Saintess finds time to give her blessing to the people who need it most. I think the nobles who attend the Worship Service every Sunday have been blessed enough.¡± Diether let out a sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sarcastic about it, Lady Florin. The Saintess also wishes to reach the poorest of the poor. But, unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t act on her own. She¡¯s still young, so the temple is being overprotective of her.¡± She could tell that Diether was also being overprotective of the Saintess. But she just couldn¡¯t shut her mouth since she was annoyed. [I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace, for it turned out I cannot follow your advice earlier.] ¡°The Saintess is eighteen¨C she¡¯s capable of making her own decisions,¡± Sonata said firmly. ¡°And isn¡¯t Her Holiness supposed to be the law in the temple?¡± The commander clenched his jaws tight. ¡°Lady Florin, even if the Saintess couldn¡¯t personally meet the people from the lowest part of society, Her Holiness and the temple do everything we could to reach our hands out to them.¡± ¡°I guess you don¡¯t see the people of the Red-light District as humans since they never received help from the temple or the kingdom.¡± ¡°Lady Florin¨C¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t protect them, then at least leave them alone,¡± Sonata said, cutting Diether off. Then she stopped walking and faced the commander. She hated that she had to look up at him because he was taller, but she had to suck it up. ¡°The temple knights you disciplined for harassing Madam Margo and the other girls have sent out a request to different guilds. They wanted the madam and the girls kidnapped and sold off to slave traders.¡± Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? I admit that those kids lack manners, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re capable of doing something as horrible as what you accuse them of.¡± Of course, she was practically a stranger to her, so he didn¡¯t believe her right away. She put her hand inside the pouch on her waist. It was a magic pouch that could store larger items inside. Sonata pulled out the documents that Aubrey gave her earlier, then she handed them to Diether. ¡°Here¡¯s the contract that your cute little temple knights had signed with an infamous mercenary guild known for being money-hungry. It¡¯s obvious that your adorable ¡°kids¡± aren¡¯t used to the ways of the underworld yet since they used their real names, and they even stamped the contract with their family seals.¡± Diether immediately checked the documents, then he closed his eyes tight in disappointment. ¡°Those bastards¡­¡± ¡°My people have already dealt with the mercenary guild that accepted the temple knights¡¯ cruel request,¡± she said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°You should punish your ¡°kids¡± properly this time, Diether.¡± ¡°Are you going to kill them if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I should be the last thing you should worry about, my lord,¡± she said sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Madam Margo¡¯s patrons. Do you think they¡¯ll just sit back and watch after they learned some ignorant children tried to harm the Madam?¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a warning,¡± she said while shaking her head. ¡°Although I¡¯m pissed at what those foolish temple knights tried to do, I wouldn¡¯t wish death upon them. After all, no harm was done this time. Hence, I¡¯d like you to discipline them properly, Commander Hexford¨C help them realize their wrongdoings, and make them reflect on their actions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is the last chance I¡¯m giving your ¡°kids,¡± Commander,¡± she said when the commander remained silent. ¡°The next time something like this happens again, they¡¯ll die either at my hands or the patrons¡¯.¡± Diether let out a sigh. ¡°I understand. Is this the only reason why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes, and I already know my way out, so no need to send me off,¡± Sonata said, subtly ending the conversation. Then she slightly bowed her head to the commander. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t meet again for something like this, my lord.¡± *** [I REALLY can¡¯t marry Lady Florin¨C we just have different values.] Diether thought to himself while staring at the documents on his table. He couldn¡¯t believe it, but those signed contracts that the temple knights that he disciplined really did something stupid as hiring mercenaries to harm the ladies of the Red-light District. [If I don¡¯t punish them, they will really die.] Because Sonata Florin wasn¡¯t kidding when she said the underworld worked differently. ¡°Ethan Tanner.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander?¡± Ethan Tanner, who already removed his helmet, combed his fingers through his light brown hair, stood in front of him. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Summon these ruffians,¡± Diether said, tapping his fingers on the table. ¡°Now.¡± The vice-commander gulped, his blue eyes looked hesitant. ¡°May I know for what reason they¡¯re being summoned, Commander? Are you going to lift their probation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take away their knighthood.¡± Ethan gasped softly. ¡°A Degradation?¡± ¡®Degradation¡¯ was the formal term for the removal of a knighthood. Usually, the honor of a knight could only be forfeited by the decision of His Majesty the King. But the Avari and Temple Knights were under Diether¡¯s complete control. ¡°Those kids may have committed a grave mistake, but removing their honor as a knight would ruin their future, Commander,¡± Ethan pleaded. ¡°Please reconsider your decision.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Diether said firmly. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this much, they¡¯ll die horribly, Ethan.¡± *** SONATA coughed up blood. She was about to sleep when the sudden urge to vomit hit her. Before she knew it, she was already coughing up blood. And that could only mean one thing. [They¡¯re near.] And she was about to get caught. ¡°It looks like I have no choice but to marry Lord Diether as soon as possible,¡± Sonata whispered to herself. ¡°Should I propose first?¡± *** <¡°DIETHER, save me!¡±> Celeste¡­? Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock when, suddenly, the Celeste that he remembered was swallowed up by a giant black dragon. ¡°No!¡± he yelled, reaching his hand to his wife. ¡°Celeste!¡± And then his hand grabbed nothing but air. Before he knew it, he was already sitting up while gasping for air¨C beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Then the awful reality that it was nothing but a nightmare had finally hit him. [Celeste¡­ is still not here¡­] But his wife could be in grave danger. Celeste disappeared in Mount Ashira, and Mount Ashira was the resting place of the evil dragon that once terrorized the world. His dream may not be just a dream¨C it could be a vision since he possessed divine power. What if his wife was in danger and needed his help? ¡°I need to get to Mount Ashira the soonest,¡± Diether whispered to himself, clutching his chest tight. ¡°I need to marry Lady Florin, no matter what.¡± PRICK OF CONSCIENCE ¡°COMMANDER, please give us another chance!¡± ¡°We swear we¡¯ll never make the same mistake again!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t remove our knighthood from us!¡± Diether heard the pleas of the four young men that he had just removed from knighthood, and yet he didn¡¯t budge even though the ¡®kids¡¯ were kneeling and crying in front of him. Degradation was usually done in public places. But he didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it when people were busy preparing for the upcoming banquet honoring the kingdom¡¯s war heroes. Hence, the awful ceremony took place in the Avari Temple. The four young men stood in the middle of the courtyard while surrounded by the Holy Knights and some of the high-ranking Temple Knights who served as witnesses. Diether informed the king about the Degradation for the sake of formalities. The king gave him permission, but of course, it wasn¡¯t like the king could stop him since the matters concerning the Holy and Temple Knights fell directly under his authority. ¡°Just kill us if you¡¯re going to take our honor away from us, Commander!¡± Diether let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about honor when you hired an infamous mercenary guild to kidnap and sell off Madam Margo and the young ladies from the Red-light District.¡± He didn¡¯t want to admit this, but what Sonata Florin said to him during their last argument rang in his head loudly. That was probably how impactful her words were. [¡°I guess you don¡¯t see the people of the Red-light District as humans since they never received help from the temple or the kingdom.¡±] He got offended by what Sonata Florin said, but it was probably because she hit a nerve. ¡°Or did you think it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal because of the work Madam Margo and the ladies in the Red-light District do?¡± Diether asked coldly, his sky-blue eyes glowing menacingly. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re morally superior to them¨C hence giving you the right to ¡°punish¡± them by committing an act of violence? Have you forgotten about the code of chivalry about respecting women?¡± He could see the answer in the grim expressions of the young men that he had just kicked out of knighthood, despite the silence. All the guilt he felt for removing these punks¡¯ honor disappeared instantly. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t see Madam Margo and the other girls from the Red-light District as women you need to respect,¡± Diether said, disappointed. ¡°Thank you for letting me know you deserve to have your honor as a knight taken away from you.¡± After saying his piece, he turned his back on the ex-knights. ¡°Commander!¡± Diether didn¡¯t turn back. He just raised his hand to let Ethan Tanner, his vice-commander, wrap it up. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. [I¡¯m getting a headache¡­] ¡°Oppa?¡± Diether stopped walking when he reached the entrance to Avari Wings¨C the annex building of the temple dedicated to the Holy Knights. ¡°Why are you here, Francine? And why are you alone?¡± ¡°I sneaked out of my residence when I heard about the Degradation,¡± Francine said worriedly. ¡°Is it really necessary to remove them from knighthood, oppa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way to save their lives.¡± After all, those fools meddled with the underworld without knowing a damn thing. Francine tilted her head to one side, then she grinned and shrugged. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, but I trust you, oppa.¡± Once again, he heard Sonata Florin¡¯s voice while staring at Francine¡¯s innocent face. [Or should I say ¡®na?ve?¡¯] [¡°The Saintess is eighteen¨C she¡¯s capable of making her own decisions. And isn¡¯t Her Holiness supposed to be the law in the temple?¡±] Diether had known Francine since the Saintess was eleven-years-old. [Francine hasn¡¯t matured much since then since she grew up overprotected here in the temple.] ¡°Oppa, should we have lunch together?¡± He knitted his eyebrows. ¡°I thought you were busy studying the Ancient Holy Language?¡± ¡°I asked for a break!¡± Francine said cheerfully. ¡°I have nothing else to do these days aside from studying, so I thought I should play a bit before studying for the next Sunday Worship Service.¡± Diether hated how he heard Sonata Florin¡¯s voice in his head again. [¡°I just had this impression that only rich nobles who donate a lot to the temple have the privilege to meet the Saintess during a Sunday Worship Service. After all, it¡¯s so hard for the lower nobles like me and the common people to see the Saintess.¡±] Dammit. He knew it all along¨C he knew that the temple was run by some corrupt officials. But he didn¡¯t care. He thought as long as Francine was treated right, he should turn a blind eye. After all, he couldn¡¯t afford to go against the temple and get removed from his position as the commander of the Avari Holy Knights. It was the only position that would allow him to stay beside Francine. And he needed to stay with the Saintess in order to find Celeste. [I¡¯m doing fine turning a blind eye to all the injustices around me all this time. As long as I find Celeste, I don¡¯t care even if I become corrupted myself. So, why did I suddenly grow a conscience?] ¡°Oppa, are you alright?¡± No, he wasn¡¯t fine. [And it¡¯s all Lady Florin¡¯s fault.] Sonata Florin was far from righteous, and she was just as corrupted as Diether. They even committed mass murder together on their second encounter. [So how dare you make me feel bad about my choices, Lady Florin?] ¡°Francine.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to marry Lady Florin.¡± Francine¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and then she covered her mouth with her hands when she gasped. ¡°Why, oppa?¡± she asked, obviously disappointed. ¡°Are you really going to betray Celeste unnie? I thought you still love her!¡± ¡°I do¨C and that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m marrying Lady Florin,¡± Diether said firmly. ¡°I need to become the Grand Duke in order to enter Mount Ashira.¡± *** SONATA hated public appearances. But she had an important role in tonight¡¯s banquet, so she had no choice but to be there. [Moreover, that stupid king blackmailed me again.] Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to wear a dress tonight. Sonata wore her maroon knight¡¯s uniform. [I have nothing against dresses. In fact, I enjoy dolling up. But this uniform will play a huge role tonight, so I have to wear this.] And who knows? [If I get into a fight later, this uniform would allow me to move with ease.] It was funny to be back in Azure Hall¨C the very same hall in the Royal Palace where Diether ran away in the middle of their engagement ceremony. [The king did it on purpose, didn¡¯t he?] ¡°That¡¯s her, right?¡± ¡°Lady Sonata Florin¨C Commander Hexford¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°You mean ¡®ex-fianc¨¦e.¡¯ The commander ran away in the middle of their engagement ceremony.¡± Pfft. Sonata just savored her glass of champagne while listening to the young ladies gossip about her. [These poor young ladies are restricted from doing a lot of things, so let them talk.] ¡°Perhaps that incident has taught Lady Florin a good lesson.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°An orphan like her should know her place.¡± Ah, that last one crossed the line. [Although they¡¯re still young, they still ought to be disciplined the hard way from time to time.] Sonata turned to the young ladies gossiping about her with a smile on her face. ¡°Young ladies, do you think your parents will live forever? If your parents get into an ¡°accident¡± tonight, then you would end up an orphan like me.¡± She tilted her head to one side, her golden eyes glowing menacingly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be tragic if you suddenly lost your parents on the night we honor the death of mine?¡± SWEETER THE SECOND TIME AROUND? [FASCINATING.] Sonata knew it wasn¡¯t wise to make enemies of the young ladies who would one day rule high society. But, to be honest, she didn¡¯t care. The young ladies were too ¡®cute¡¯ to ignore, after all. [If these kids don¡¯t grow up and rule high society with this horrible mindset, then this kingdom is doomed.] ¡°Is that a threat, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°How dare you threaten us when you¡¯re nothing but a daughter of lowly knights¨C¡± ¡°Those ¡°lowly knights¡± you speak of sacrificed their lives for the sake of this godforsaken kingdom,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°While those ¡°lowly knights¡± were dying on the battlefield, you and your parents were sleeping peacefully in the comfort of your own homes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s their job to fight for the kingdom!¡± ¡°And the compensation you received after your parents died came from the money that the nobles give to the throne.¡± ¡°For someone who mooches off her dead parents¡¯ legacy, you sure do talk a lot, Lady Florin.¡± ¡°And for someone who doesn¡¯t know a thing, you sure sound confident, Lady Clarke.¡± The lady she mentioned looked shocked that Sonata actually knew her name. But it wasn¡¯t only Lady Clarke¡¯s name that she knew about. [I¡¯m actually more familiar with their fathers who frequent the Red-light District.] ¡°The same thing goes for you: Lady Webster, Lady Scott, and Lady Alexis,¡± Sonata said, maintaining her ¡°friendly¡± smile. ¡°His Majesty would be sad to hear what you have to say about the orphans of war like myself.¡± Her gaze went past the young ladies. ¡°What should we do, Your Majesty? There are people who look down on the death of my parents just because my poor Mother and Father were on the kingdom¡¯s payroll.¡± ¡°Ah, my heart breaks on your behalf, Lady Sonata.¡± The young ladies who suddenly turned pale quickly pulled themselves together. Then they turned around and bowed their heads deeply towards the king. Of course, Sonata and the others around her also paid the same respect to His Majesty. ¡°Greetings to the Divine Eagle that soars through the Sky, Your Majesty the King of the mighty Zerua Kingdom.¡± [The greeting sounds so old-fashioned.] ¡°You may all raise your heads now, ladies and gentlemen.¡± And everyone did. Of course, none of them dared to look at the king in the eye. Except for Sonata who exchanged polite smiles with the king. Ah, His Majesty looked so regal in his red uniform adorned with golden ornaments and matching red cape. Since it was a formal occasion, the king even wore his golden crown. [Of course, the king didn¡¯t come alone.] Sonata politely nodded to Grand Duke Daniel Hexford¨C who looked dashing in his black and silver attire¨C and General Anton¨C who looked intimidating in his uniform as the general of the Soaring Eagle Order. The grand duke and the general stood behind the king. [As expected, the king is really spontaneous.] In formal events such as the banquet, it was common etiquette for the entire Royal Family to arrive last. But King Seymour was different. [His Majesty knows the ¡®fun¡¯ part of any banquet happens in the absence of the Royal Family, hence he would often sneak in and observe the surroundings unannounced.] Sonata was aware of that, so she purposely picked a fight with the young ladies. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [I¡¯m only the daughter of two dead war heroes, so how could I fight fairly against the young ladies who came from prestigious families?] Hence, Sonata dragged the king into her little fight. It was foul, but she¡¯d like to think she was merely using everything she had at her disposal. [And consider this as my petty revenge for blackmailing me, Your Majesty.] ¡°I believe it¡¯s my duty to clear up the misunderstanding regarding Lady Sonata. It has something to do with tonight¡¯s banquet anyway,¡± King Seymour announced cheerfully, clapping his hands together. ¡°Shall we officially begin the celebration?¡± Sonata smiled and nodded politely. [This king really does everything for fun.] *** SONATA almost fell asleep while listening to the king give his heartfelt speech while reminiscing about the last war that happened four years ago. The banquet started on time, but she was yet to see Diether. [Representatives of the Avari Temple rarely attend a royal banquet, but Lord Diether is always required to attend banquets hosted by the king as a Huxford.] Sonata already saw Grand Duchess Eleanor. When the Royal Family took the stage (aka the balcony of the grand hall¡¯s second floor), Grand Duke Daniel Huxford immediately followed his wife like a puppy. [His Grace is so in love with the Grand Duchess I almost feel bad for him.] After all, it was painfully obvious that the Grand Duchess hated the Grand Duke. Anyway, the Royal Family was incomplete once again. While the king was giving his speech, standing right behind the railings, his children sat on their fancy seats behind. Prince Jericho and Princess Mikaela were there. But the queen was once again absent from a royal function. [Is the queen really sick?] ¡°Tonight we honor the sacrifice of the war heroes who gave up their precious lives for the sake of peace,¡± King Seymour said. ¡°Sir Harris and Dame Maurice Florin were the two knights who contributed the most to ending the war four years ago. Hence, Lady Sonata Florin¨C their only daughter¨C was supposed to receive huge compensation for losing her parents at war. However, Lady Sonata Florin turned it down. The young lady asked the compensation to be donated to the orphanage built for the orphans of war¨C under her parents¡¯ name, at that.¡± Ah, that was right. Sonata turned down the huge(?) amount of money that she was supposed to receive. She didn¡¯t need the compensation as there were people who needed it more than she did. ¡°I admired Lady Sonata Florin¡¯s kind heart. But as the king, I just know that I have to do something for the selfless young lady.¡± Pfft. Sonata had to control her expression even though she wanted to laugh sarcastically at the king¡¯s blatant lies. [His Majesty only became ¡®nice¡¯ to me after he found out who I really am.] ¡°I told Lady Sonata Florin that I would grant her a wish as long as it doesn¡¯t go against the Royal Family, the Avari Temple, and the people of the kingdom.¡± It was true, but it was a part of Sonata¡¯s deal with the king and Grand Duke Hexford. [The king is so good at lying.] ¡°Lady Sonata Florin then asked me to build a school where the less fortunate could receive free education.¡± Now the crowd was stirred. The whispers around were getting louder, and it was clear that almost everyone in the hall was shocked. ¡°Hence, two years ago, I decided to build the first public school in the kingdom¨C and this school would be open for both boys and girls,¡± King Seymour said. ¡°Fortunately, Grand Duke Daniel Huxford saw the same vision as Lady Sonata Florin did. Hence, the Grand Duke decided to help fund the meaningful project without asking anything for in return.¡± Again, it was because of the deal Sonata made with the king and the Grand Duke. ¡°Soon, the ¡®School of Florin,¡¯ will open its door for the children of our kingdom who are in need of free education. The funding will come from the Royal Treasury and a few investors who don¡¯t wish to be named,¡± King Seymour declared proudly. ¡°Hence, I¡¯d like to celebrate this important milestone of the kingdom with all of you tonight.¡± After the king ended his speech, the nobles in attendance began to clap one by one until everyone was already singing praises for the king¡¯s generosity. Sonata also clapped her hands. [It¡¯s the same everywhere, huh?] *** ¡°I BELIEVE education should be a right and not a privilege,¡± Sonata started with her speech when the king asked her to say a few words. Hence, here she was now, standing on the podium right below the balcony where the present members of the Royal Family sat on their fancy seats. ¡°As we all know, life isn¡¯t fair. Just being born a noble already gives you an advantage in life. However, I¡¯d like to help the less fortunate get to the starting line of a brighter future by helping them receive free education. In the end, it¡¯s the kingdom that will benefit a lot from having more educated members of society. Hence, I¡¯m grateful that His Majesty and Grand Duke Hexford turned my vision into reality.¡± She didn¡¯t expect that the first person to clap for her was Grand Duke Daniel Hexford. Since the Grand Duke was the highest-ranked noble in the entire kingdom, the others followed suit whether they liked her speech or not. She was ready to leave the stage when, suddenly, the door burst open. Huh? The Royal Family was already inside. Hence, no one should be allowed inside the grand hall anymore. Even the nobles around thought the same. However, the loud buzz stopped when the last guest finally entered the grand hall. [Lord Diether?] Even if the commander was the king¡¯s nephew, it was still incredibly rude of him to arrive later than the direct members of the Royal Family. Unless¡­ Sonata raised her head to take a peek at the king. His Majesty was grinning ear to ear as if he was happy to see Diether. [Ah, so this is planned.] ¡°Lady Florin.¡± Sonata was quite startled when Diether suddenly stood in front of her¡­ ¡­ then he got down on one knee while holding an open small velvet box with a stunning blue diamond ring inside. [It¡¯s almost the same color as his eyes¡­] ¡°Lady Florin, let¡¯s do it right this time,¡± Diether said, looking up at Sonata with a blank look on his face. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± Pfft. [This man really fascinates me.] Sonata smiled and offered her right hand to Diether. ¡°Make sure to put the ring on my finger properly this time, my lord.¡± LOVELESS MARRIAGE [Last night¡­] ¡°MOTHER, I¡¯m going to marry Sonata Florin,¡± Diether said while he was having tea with his mother in the garden. It was already late at night, but since both of them couldn¡¯t sleep, they decided to have tea together. ¡°Father said he¡¯ll pass down the Grand Duke title to me if I married Lady Florin. It¡¯s the only way for me to enter Mount Ashira.¡± He could always trespass illegally. However, the king was a sly opponent. [People think His Majesty is fond of me, but the king is still the king. I¡¯m sure His Majesty wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut me off if I offended him.] ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to find Celeste.¡± ¡°I understand, son,¡± his mother said, who was already aware of Francine¡¯s vision, said while nodding her head. ¡°You should propose to Lady Florin using the blue diamond ring that your father used when he proposed to me.¡± The blue diamond ring was a family heirloom. Only the Hexfords possessed a blue diamond ring in the entire kingdom. Hence, the previous patriarchs of House Hexford¨C including his father¨C used that ring to propose to their partners. But not Diether. [Celeste loves pearls, so I proposed to her with the rarest gold pearl in the world.] ¡°As you already know, my marriage with your father is a loveless marriage,¡± his mother said calmly. ¡°You and Lady Florin would suffer the same fate. Hence, it¡¯s only right if you proposed to her using the same ring that your father used when he proposed to me.¡± The blue diamond ring was supposed to be the Grand Duchess¡¯ symbol of power. But since Celeste didn¡¯t receive it, people thought Celeste was nothing but a temporary wife for the successor of House Hexford. Of course, they were wrong. [I didn¡¯t give Celeste the blue diamond ring because it¡¯s nothing more than a sparkling jewel to me.] Just like how Sonata Florin was nothing but a means to get what he needed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mother,¡± Diether agreed with his mother¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m sure the blue diamond ring would suit Lady Florin well.¡± *** [A few hours before the royal banquet¡­] ¡°YOUR MAJESTY, will it be alright to take away the spotlight from you tonight?¡± ¡°Why would you do that, my dear nephew?¡± King Seymour asked, pouting. ¡°You know how much this uncle of yours loves attention, don¡¯t you?¡± [So childish.] He made the right decision by going to the king¡¯s office first before heading to the banquet. [I knew he¡¯d scold me if I took away the attention from him without informing him in advance.] ¡°Dear nephew, what are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to propose to Lady Florin.¡± The king gasped, then his eyes twinkled as if he was excited. ¡°You¡¯ve finally come to your senses, my dear nephew!¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. His Majesty even stood up from his seat to pat Diether¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Good decision, my boy,¡± the king said proudly. ¡°You won¡¯t regret marrying Lady Sonata. Your father and I wouldn¡¯t choose a lady who doesn¡¯t meet our standards. Hence, rest assured, Lady Sonata is truly fit to become the next Grand Duchess.¡± He doubted that, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin the king¡¯s mood. [I need to get on His Majesty¡¯s good side for now.] ¡°You should enter the grand hall after the ceremony, my dear nephew.¡± Diether knitted his eyebrows. ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t be ridiculous. It would be incredibly rude of me to arrive later than the direct members of the Royal Family. Even if I¡¯m your nephew, the nobles would still criticize me for such discourtesy.¡± ¡°Who cares? As long as I allow it, they don¡¯t have the right to criticize you,¡± King Seymour said casually, squeezing his shoulders. ¡°You should definitely make a surprise appearance, my dear nephew.¡± *** AND THAT was how Diether ended up proposing to Sonata Florin after his dramatic entrance. He even got down on one knee as he offered the blue diamond ring. [It¡¯s embarrassing, alright. But with this, I could finally repay the debt I owe to Lady Florin when I humiliated her during our engagement ceremony.] ¡°Make sure to put the ring on my finger properly this time, my lord.¡± ¡°Is it safe to assume that it¡¯s a ¡®yes?¡¯¡± Sonata Florin laughed softly, then she nodded. ¡°Yes, Lord Diether. Marrying you sounds fascinating, so let¡¯s do it.¡± [Lady Florin doesn¡¯t look like it, but she¡¯s as carefree as the king.] Diether stood up, then he put the blue diamond ring on Sonata Florin¡¯s finger¨C properly this time. ¡°Should we seal this with a kiss?¡± ¡°You sound desperate,¡± Sonata Florin said, cupping his face between her hands. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear why you¡¯re suddenly willing to marry and kiss me now.¡± Ah, as expected. [This lady is quick-witted.] Diether¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Sonata Florin suddenly stood on her toes, then she placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. But since she covered his face with her hands, it probably looked like they kissed on the lips. [It¡¯s only for show.] ¡°Is this enough?¡± Sonata Florin asked teasingly. ¡°Will you get what you want now?¡± Diether sighed and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk later.¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± King Seymour said in a loud and excited voice. ¡°With this, Commander Diether Hexford and Lady Sonata Florin are now officially engaged!¡± *** ¡°THIS will be a loveless marriage.¡± Pfft. If Sonata wasn¡¯t sipping her tea, she would have laughed already. Of course, she already knew from the start that this would be nothing but a loveless marriage. [For now.] Anyway, right now, Sonata and Diether were having tea in the royal parlor. It was the same room that she used when she talked to the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess after her fianc¨¦ ran away in the middle of their engagement ceremony. ¡°As you already know, I need to marry you in order to receive the Grand Duke title from my father,¡± Diether continued in a solemn voice, placing his teacup on the saucer. ¡°Lady Florin, you also have an ulterior motive for marrying me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, marrying you guarantees my safety while I¡¯m here in the Zerua Kingdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee your safety even after we divorced.¡± She laughed softly. ¡°How long do you picture us married?¡± Diether flinched, but he still gave her an honest response. ¡°One year should be enough.¡± Pfft. This time, Sonata burst out laughing. ¡°What¡¯s funny, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be na?ve, my lord,¡± she said, then she sipped her tea before she asked: ¡°Or should I say innocent?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°One year is plenty enough for two people to fall in love with each other.¡± Diether¡¯s eyes widened in shock, as if he was flustered. ¡°Are you interested in me?¡± ¡°Right now? Not yet,¡± Sonata said sincerely. ¡°But who knows? I might slowly fall in love with you the more time we spend with each other.¡± ¡°I have no intention of falling in love with you, Lady Florin.¡± ¡°I know¨C it¡¯s painfully obvious you¡¯re still in love with your first wife.¡± ¡°Then why did you say something like that?¡± ¡°Because I know what that contract is for,¡± Sonata said, pointing at the envelope on the table between them. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me sign a contract that forbids me from falling in love with you, right? And you probably wrote in one clause that we¡¯re bound to divorce after a year.¡± Once again, he flinched. ¡°Are you a ghost?¡± That meant she got it right. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sign that contract, Lord Diether,¡± Sonata said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s stupid. I may not like you romantically at the moment, but it can always change at any time. If that happens, then I don¡¯t want to be bound by a stupid clause in a contract that says I can¡¯t fall in love with you.¡± ¡°Lady Florin¨C¡± ¡°But even if I fall in love with you, I won¡¯t force my feelings on you,¡± she said, cutting him off. ¡°I will divorce you once I confessed and you rejected me. I will not trap you in our marriage.¡± ¡°Can I trust your words, Lady Florin?¡± ¡°What does your gut say, my lord?¡± Diether fell silent for a moment, then he stood up and extended his hand to Sonata. ¡°Should I call you ¡®Lady Sonata¡¯ from now on? You¡¯ll be ¡®Sonata Hexford¡¯ soon, so I should get used to calling you by your first name instead of your last.¡± Ah, so that was his way of accepting her terms. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, Lord Diether,¡± Sonata said, shaking Diether¡¯s hand. ¡°So, when are we getting married?¡± COMRADES ¡°LET¡¯S GET married in two weeks.¡± Sonata burst out laughing after Diether answered her question earlier. ¡°You¡¯re really beyond my expectations, my lord,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you would at least give me a month to prepare for our wedding, but two weeks? Well, I guess the preparation would be easy since you have many people working for you.¡± Moreover, Diether was the king¡¯s beloved nephew. No shop or company would deny their services to Diether even if they were hired for a difficult task on such short notice. [And I¡¯m sure the Hexfords would compensate them handsomely.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Diether said. In fairness, he looked embarrassed. That meant he probably knew that a wedding in two weeks'' time was ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to the South for a subjugation mission next month. Hence, we need to get married in two weeks. I have something important to do as soon as I become the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Do you promise that you will still give me a wedding that wouldn¡¯t embarrass me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of hiring the best wedding planner in the kingdom,¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°I heard it¡¯s popular among the brides these days to hire a professional to help them prepare for their wedding. If it¡¯s alright with you, shall we do the same?¡± She nodded. ¡°Hiring a professional to help us is a wise choice. I don¡¯t have time to plan my wedding on my own, since I¡¯m pretty sure you won¡¯t be helping anyway.¡± He flinched, then he avoided her gaze as if he was guilty. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, Lady Sonata. I just know I won¡¯t be a great help since I don¡¯t really know what I want. Hence, even if you ask me to help you pick between two different flowers for your bouquet, I wouldn¡¯t know what to choose.¡± ¡°Well, at least you know that a bride carries a bouquet.¡± ¡°I was married once, remember?¡± ¡°Ah, right,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I heard it was a child marriage, but I don¡¯t really know much about it. Do child marriages also hold wedding ceremonies?¡± She asked it as carefully as possible. Fortunately, her fianc¨¦ didn¡¯t look offended that she brought up such a sensitive topic casually. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but Celeste and I did have a wedding ceremony,¡± Diether said, his face beaming. ¡°She loves roses, so she chose pink and white roses for her bouquet. It looked lovely on her since she has pink hair.¡± Sonata couldn¡¯t help but smile while watching the happiness on Diether¡¯s face. She just loved it when people around her were happy. ¡°I was worried because I thought you would hate talking about your first wife with a stranger like me. So, thank you for not getting mad at me when I asked about your previous marriage.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You were careful and polite when you asked,¡± Diether said, then he scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Lady Sonata. I like talking about Celeste because it helps me relieve the precious memories I have of her. But I believe I owe you an apology. We¡¯re getting married soon, yet I¡¯m still talking about my first wife. I will be careful from now on.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± she said, smiling while shaking her head to let him know that she wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have a romantic relationship. You can talk to me about her if you feel like it, and I¡¯ll gladly listen.¡± She sipped her tea before she continued. ¡°But I suppose we should be careful when we¡¯re in public. People would find it weird if they heard you talk about your first wife to your new wife.¡± Her fianc¨¦ fell silent while looking at her face as if he was analyzing her. ¡°What?¡± she asked, laughing softly. ¡°I¡¯m being sincere here.¡± ¡°I can tell, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m quite¡­ perplexed.¡± ¡°Why would you be?¡± ¡°Because I never thought I would want to be friends with the lady my father chose for me.¡± She burst out laughing again. ¡°I can tell that you have a terrible relationship with your father, but please don¡¯t extend your hatred for the Grand Duke to me. Just so you know, I¡¯m also not fond of my future father-in-law.¡± ¡°Right? My father is an obnoxious man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t agree with you, but I can¡¯t say it directly because I don¡¯t want to be charged with treason. After all, the Grand Duke is still the king¡¯s precious baby brother.¡± For the first time since they met, Diether let out a soft laugh. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Lady Sonata.¡± [Ah, he looks more handsome when he smiles.] ¡°I am,¡± she agreed, smiling and nodding at him. ¡°That¡¯s why you should stop getting hostile towards me for no reason. Let¡¯s co-exist in peace.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s possible now.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s thanks to my patience. You do know you have a bad personality, don¡¯t you?¡± Once again, he chuckled. ¡°And you do know you¡¯ve been talking comfortably to me, don¡¯t you?¡± She pouted and avoided his gaze guiltily. ¡°We¡¯re the same age. So, what¡¯s wrong with speaking comfortably? We¡¯re comrades, too.¡± ¡°How are we comrades?¡± ¡°We¡¯re both victims of your father¡¯s evil scheme,¡± Sonata argued, finally finding the courage to face Diether again. ¡°We should bond together¡­ Lord Diether.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Wow, this was the first time she heard someone stifle their laughter quite loudly. ¡°It¡¯s too late to return to speaking formally now, Sonata.¡± Oh? [Did I hear it right?] ¡°Let¡¯s speak comfortably,¡± Diether said, shrugging. ¡°Is that alright with you, Sonata?¡± Ah, she didn¡¯t mishear it. [He really called me by my first name without using honorifics.] ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, Diether,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°Comrades should be on a first-name basis, after all.¡± *** ¡°ARE YOU sure about that, Lady Sonata?¡± ¡°Please address me comfortably, Your Grace,¡± Sonata said, smiling at Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m sure about using a ready-made wedding gown.¡± And she wouldn¡¯t change her mind. The other choice was to wear the wedding gown that the Grand Duchess used during her wedding more than twenty years ago. [Don¡¯t get me wrong¨C the wedding dress is still beautiful and in exceptional condition.] However¡­ ¡°I know why you want me to wear the wedding dress that you wore during your wedding, Your Grace,¡± Sonata said, smiling at her future mother-in-law. ¡°This is Your Grace¡¯s way of telling me I¡¯d suffer the same fate that you suffered from when you married the Grand Duke. Am I right, Mother?¡± THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE SONATA really wanted to get along with her future mother-in-law, but she wasn¡¯t the type to accept hostility when she was just minding her own business. But maybe she should keep her temper in check? [¡°This is Your Grace¡¯s way of telling me I¡¯d suffer the same fate that you suffered from when you married the Grand Duke. Am I right, Mother?¡±] After Sonata confronted Grand Duchess Eleanor Hexford, her future mother-in-law just kept her mouth shut. The Grand Duchess hadn¡¯t uttered a word ever since they left the mansion. And now, they were already at a shop called ¡®Lady Vivian¡¯s Boutique.¡¯ It was a very famous boutique exclusive for wedding gowns. In fact, it wasn¡¯t easy to book an appointment there. Even nobles at a count¡¯s level would find it challenging to have Lady Vivian design their wedding gowns. But, of course, who could deny their services to the Hexfords? [Turning down the Hexfords is like asking for your business to be closed.] Sonata could feel her future mother-in-law¡¯s power as they entered the almost-empty boutique. Only Lady Vivian herself and a few of her staff were there to greet them by the door. ¡°Welcome to our boutique, Your Grace, Lady Florin.¡± [No other customers, huh? Grand Duchess Hexford definitely booked the entire boutique. And she made it happen in just half an hour since that was how long it took them to get there.] It would have been fascinating to see the staff chasing the guests out. She could already imagine it. [Some nobles definitely created a scene, but shut their mouths when told that the Grand Duchess and her future daughter-in-law are coming.] ¡°We¡¯re here to check your readymade gowns, Lady Vivian.¡± As expected, Lady Vivian¨C an elegant woman in her mid-thirties¨C looked surprised by what the Grand Duchess said. ¡°A readymade gown, Your Grace?¡± Readymade clothes were fairly new to the market. But the concept was getting popular, especially among the young ladies in the Royal Capital. [However, not for the elites of high society.] And the Hexfords belonged to that category. ¡°We only have thirteen days before the wedding,¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor said, eliciting a soft gasp from Lady Vivian and her staff. ¡°We¡¯re not that unreasonable to ask you to make my daughter-in-law¡¯s wedding gown in such a short time.¡± [¡®Commander Diether Hexford is going on an expedition next month, hence the wedding ceremony will be held in two weeks.¡¯] That was the official story that House Hexford released to the journalists. And that also became the headlines of the major newspaper outlets in the kingdom. [If I remember correctly, the journalists didn¡¯t the chance to make fun of me when Lord Diether left in the middle of our engagement ceremony. I¡¯m sure Grand Duke Hexford threatened them.] ¡°I came here confident that you can elevate the readymade gown we¡¯d choose and turn it into something as beautiful as the custom-made gowns you create,¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor said to the wedding gown designer. ¡°Am I right to assume that, Lady Vivian?¡± Lady Vivian¡¯s face beamed as if her confidence was boosted, thanks to the Grand Duchess¡¯ silver tongue. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you, Your Grace.¡± Then the famous wedding designer turned to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Vivian,¡± Sonata assured the famous wedding gown designer. ¡°Whatever I wear, I can pull it off well.¡± She had the face, the body, and the aura to make anything look luxurious. The approving look that Lady Vivian gave Sonata confirmed it. ¡°You¡¯re right, Lady Florin. I can already picture what kind of dresses would look good best on you,¡± the designer said with sparkling eyes. ¡°Your Grace, Lady Florin, let me take you to the tearoom first before I bring out the wedding dresses.¡± [Tea again, huh?] Sonata was craving coconut juice, though. [I¡¯ll go on a tropical island for vacation as soon as Diether is dispatched.] *** This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°MY SON told me you didn¡¯t want to sign the contract that forbids you from falling in love with him.¡± [Ah, there it is.] Sonata thought the Grand Duchess would continue ignoring her since their carriage ride earlier was awkwardly silent. But as soon as they sat on the sofa, her future mother-in-law opened her mouth. ¡°My husband and I have been married for more than twenty years now,¡± the Grand Duchess said after sipping her tea. ¡°But look at us¨C we didn¡¯t fall in love with each other.¡± [Only you didn¡¯t fall in love, Your Grace.] ¡°If you think you can easily change a person¡¯s feelings, then I¡¯m telling you¨C you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m aiming for Diether¡¯s love, Mother. Having said that, I¡¯m open to the possibility of falling in love with Diether, though,¡± Sonata said, laughing softly as she flipped through the pages of the catalog that Lady Vivian left to her earlier. ¡°But the main reason I didn¡¯t sign the contract was simply because it sounded stupid. How can a mere contract stop your feelings in the first place?¡± ¡°My son inherited my tendency to fall in love with only one person throughout his life.¡± Pfft. [Is that why the Grand Duchess loathes the Grand Duke even after twenty years?] Sonata heard it through the grapevine. Apparently, the Grand Duchess had a commoner for a lover in the past. Unfortunately, the Grand Duke fell in love with the Grand Duchess and abused his authority as a royal prince back then to force the Grand Duchess to leave her lover and marry the Grand Duke instead. ¡°Mother, are you sure you¡¯re really in love and not only romanticizing the memories of your first love?¡± ¡°Romanticizing my first love?¡± Sonata used the bookmark attached to the catalog to mark the page of the dress that caught her eye. ¡°Human memory is unreliable, Mother,¡± she said, then she looked at her future mother-in-law. ¡°Whether we realize it or not, we¡¯re often guilty of changing the details in what we remember to fit the narrative we want. Like, perhaps, how we want the person we love to remain perfect in our memories. Or how we want our love story to be more romantic and sweeter than it truly was.¡± As expected, her mother¡¯s face turned red, as if she was embarrassed. Or, perhaps, angry. [I probably touched a nerve.] ¡°What are you trying to say, Sonata?¡± Ah, it seemed like her mother-in-law decided to call her by her first name since she had been calling her ¡®Mother¡¯ now. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you might just be in love with the idea of being in love and not with the person itself, Mother,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°But, of course, that¡¯s just my opinion. I apologize if I offended you by the opinion you didn¡¯t ask for.¡± ¡°As expected, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d get along well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, Mother. I¡¯ll just treat you how you treat me.¡± ¡°And what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°If you mistreat me, then please don¡¯t expect me to take care of you when you get older,¡± Sonata said, then she opened the catalog once again. ¡°If I¡¯m still your daughter-in-law by the time you get sick due to old age, then I would just leave you in a hospice that takes care of old people abandoned by their families.¡± By this time, she was fully prepared for her mother-in-law to yell at her or act violently. But, much to her surprise, she just heard the Grand Duchess snort. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I did to my parents,¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor said in a weak voice. ¡°Are you my karma, Sonata Florin?¡± ¡°We can avoid that, Mother,¡± Sonata said, then she turned to her mother-in-law with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to love me as your daughter-in-law¨C just give me the basic respect I deserve and I¡¯ll do the same to you.¡± *** ¡°THEY ALL look the same to me,¡± Diether said while looking at the white three-piece crisp suits in front of him. ¡°Mother, can¡¯t you just choose the one that would match Sonata¡¯s dress?¡± After his work, his mother dragged him to a men¡¯s boutique. Of course, their status as the Grand Ducal family allowed them to shop in peace. That meant the boutique was closed to other customers until they were done shopping. Moreover, they were ushered into a luxurious lounge room while being served high tea and expensive snacks. The boutique in question was called ¡®The Man Maker.¡¯ [I don¡¯t like its tacky name, but it¡¯s the most luxurious boutique in the kingdom for men¡¯s clothes.] ¡°I see that you and your fianc¨¦e are on a first-name basis now.¡± His mother only talked about personal stuff after the boutique owner and his staff left the room to give them privacy. ¡°Sonata and I are comrades, Mother,¡± Diether said, then he sipped his tea before he assured his mother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not fall in love with Sonata even if we are friends now¨C just like how Mother never fell in love with Father for the past twenty years.¡± ¡°What if Sonata falls in love with you?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯ll divorce me after she gets rejected.¡± ¡°And you trust her?¡± ¡°My gut feeling is rarely wrong, Mother,¡± Diether said confidently. ¡°Moreover, Sonata doesn¡¯t seem to be the clingy type.¡± In fact, Sonata refused to move into the Hexford Mansion. Traditionally, a lady betrothed to a Hexford must live with the family and receive bridal lessons until the wedding. But his dear fianc¨¦e was too busy for that, and he didn¡¯t insist either. [We¡¯re both busy individuals with our own lives, after all.] ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then I¡¯ll just trust you with this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Both Diether and his mother turned to the door when it suddenly burst open. He was ready to scold the rude staff who opened the door without knocking, but he stopped when he saw who it was. [Ah, no wonder I didn¡¯t hear anything until the door opened.] It was Princess Mikaela¨C the Crown Prince¡¯s older sister. [My younger cousin.] Sir Yanis¨C Princess Mikaela¡¯s knight-slash-aide¨C followed behind the royal princess quietly. [If it¡¯s the royal princess, then not even the shop owner could stop Her Highness from entering this room.] Diether and his mother stood up to greet the royal princess. His father, the Grand Duke, outranked the princess because his father was born a royal. On the other hand, his mother only became a Grand Duchess because her husband was a Grand Duke. Hence, the royal princess still outranked his mother. [I¡¯m technically a prince, but Princess Mikaela still outranks me.] But it would change once he became the Grand Duke later. ¡°Diether,¡± Princess Mikaela¨C long blonde hair, deep blue eyes¨C said after returning their polite greetings. The fact that the royal princess wore a simple dress only meant she snuck out of the royal palace again. ¡°Are you really going to marry Sonata Florin?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Diether answered indifferently. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to get married again, why don¡¯t you just marry me, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather live behind bars than marry you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s disgusting to think about marrying a relative¨C let alone a child. Please don¡¯t turn me into a criminal, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already eighteen years old!¡± ¡°Still a child to me.¡± Princess Mikaela¡¯s face turned red. ¡°You hate the idea of marrying me that much?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Diether said, nodding eagerly. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me vomit the steak I had for lunch earlier.¡± FAIR WARNING ¡°MY SON has already stopped investigating your background.¡± ¡°You should seriously stop going here,¡± Sonata said, then she turned to the man sitting elegantly on the chair while having tea in the most majestic way possible. ¡°Father.¡± Yes, her guest for that day was none other than Grand Duke Daniel Hexford. Sonata had a small cabin house in the backyard of Madam Margo¡¯s mansion. That cabin was hidden in the secret garden that only the Madam and the girls closest to Sonata had access to. [But even this small space of mine has already been invaded by my father-in-law.] The Grand Duke¡¯s elegance looked so out of place in her cozy small house, and yet Sonata found it a fascinating sight. [That¡¯s how Diether would look like in his later years.] Not bad, huh? ¡°Father, this is still the Red-light District,¡± Sonata scolded her father-in-law. ¡°I know the Grand Duchess already knows I work here. But what will you do if other people find out you keep coming here and misunderstand? Think about Mother¡¯s reputation, please.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Eleanor would care,¡± the Grand Duke said. ¡°But I think I¡¯d like it if she gets mad if she finds out I¡¯m frequenting the Red-light District. Even if it¡¯s only because she wants to protect her reputation, I still wouldn¡¯t mind it as long as she looks at me again.¡± [The Grand Duke only talks a lot if the topic is his wife.] ¡°Father, are you that desperate for Mother¡¯s attention?¡± The Grand Duke just smiled bitterly before sipping his tea again. [Ah, Father is hopeless.] She decided to just change the topic for the sake of her father-in-law. ¡°Father, did you only come here to tell me Diether already stopped investigating my background?¡± Sonata asked suspiciously. ¡°That doesn¡¯t affect me at all because even if Diether spends his entire fortune digging through my background, he wouldn¡¯t find out who I really am.¡± The Grand Duke put down the teacup on the saucer. ¡°You¡¯re on a first-name basis now. When did you get close to my son?¡± ¡°We got close because we both think you¡¯re obnoxious, Father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to be a bridge that brought you close together,¡± her father-in-law said indifferently, then he stood up and turned to her with soulless eyes. ¡°Be careful of Princess Mikaela.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Is the royal princess out to get me?¡± ¡°The royal princess is aiming to marry my son.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the royal princess and Diether cousins?¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford looked at her in disbelief, then he smirked. ¡°It¡¯s legal for royals in this kingdom to marry their cousins for a political marriage,¡± he explained. ¡°But, Sonata, I don¡¯t think you have the right to make that disgusted face.¡± Sonata didn¡¯t fix her expression despite getting called out. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting, and I know what I¡¯m talking about, Father.¡± *** DIETHER knew that Princess Mikaela only wanted to marry him for power. [Mikaela isn¡¯t in love with me. She doesn¡¯t even like me as a person. But if she wants to steal the crown from her brother, she needs me.] ¡°You don¡¯t love Sonata Florin, do you?¡± Diether raised an eyebrow at Princess Mikaela¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m not obligated to answer that question, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t love that woman since I know you still have Celeste in your heart,¡± Princess Mikaela said, smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Hence, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be overprotective of Sonata Florin the way you protected Celeste in the past.¡± Princess Mikaela used to bully Celeste in the past because the royal princess wanted Celeste to divorce him. The royal princess only stopped bullying his wife when the king stepped in. [And His Majesty only stepped in after I threatened to lead the Avari Holy Knights to revolt against the royal family.] Thinking back, it was a miracle that the king didn¡¯t charge him with treason. [I was only carried away by my feelings back then, but I still threatened the throne. Maybe it¡¯s true that the king treasures me?] ¡°Diether, I have to apologize in advance.¡± ¡°And what do you mean by that, Princess Mikaela?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get married this time,¡± Princess Mikaela said, smirking. Then she turned her back on him as she headed towards the door. ¡°There won¡¯t be a wedding if the bride goes missing, right?¡± Ah, it was a threat. [So, Mikaela plans to bully Sonata this time.] Pfft. ¡°I apologize for Princess Mikaela¡¯s discourtesy, Commander Hexford,¡± Sir Yoel, Princess Mikaela¡¯s guard and ¡°nanny,¡± said while bowing towards him. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Her Highness.¡± ¡°Sir Yoel, I also apologize in advance.¡± The knight looked up at him with a confused look on his face. ¡°I have no intention of stopping Sonata from going berserk if Princess Mikaela does something to earn my fianc¨¦e¡¯s wrath,¡± Diether said, smirking. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your precious princess to be destroyed by Sonata Hexford, then you better do something to stop Princess Mikaela from making a very bad mistake.¡± Sir Yoel looked offended in Princess Mikaela¡¯s place, but he still bowed his head politely. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Commander Hexford.¡± And, just like that, the knight followed his bratty princess. ¡°Will Sonata be alright?¡± his mother asked curiously. ¡°Princess Mikaela could be pretty cruel when she wanted to be. Are you not worried about your fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should worry about the person whom I committed mass murder with,¡± Diether said confidently. ¡°But I should remind Sonata that killing a direct member of the royal family will get her in trouble even if she becomes a Hexford.¡± *** ¡°PRINCESS MIKAELA bribed Lady Vivian¡¯s assistant to get a copy of the wedding dress that you chose, Nata.¡± Really? Sonata, who was busy tying her hair into a half-ponytail in front of a full-length mirror, laughed after hearing Aubrey¡¯s report. So, this was why her father-in-law personally warned her about the royal princess. [I¡¯m glad I asked Aubrey to keep an eye on Princess Mikaela after Father¡¯s warning.] ¡°Princess Mikaela sounds like a crazy bitch,¡± Sonata said, still laughing. It was rare for her to curse, but the situation was too ¡°funny.¡± ¡°Aubrey, how would I be punished if I humiliated the royal princess?¡± WEDDING PREPARATIONS ¡°THIS IS your second time here, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, Commander,¡± Sonata answered, lightly putting her hand on the arm that Diether offered after she stepped out of the carriage. ¡°The Hexford Mansion is still as grand as I remember it.¡± The first time she was there was the night of her failed engagement ceremony. And, to be honest, she didn¡¯t get a proper introduction back then. She was there to sleep the night before, then the servants just helped her doll up the next morning. [That¡¯s it.] But Sonata was back at the Hexford Mansion. [Since Diether and I finish work in the early evening, this is the only time we have to meet. We have our own businesses during weekends, so we agreed to at least have dinner every time we have free time.] ¡°It¡¯s not too late for you to move here while preparing for our wedding,¡± Diether said, signaling the servants behind not to follow them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take bridal lessons.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to delay it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°May I know why?¡± ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t like me,¡± she said bluntly. ¡°I don''t want to get in a fight with Mother before our wedding.¡± ¡°Is your relationship with Mother that bad already?¡± ¡°I said some mean things to Her Grace the last time we talked.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± She shrugged before giving a response. ¡°I told Mother that if she mistreats me, I wouldn¡¯t care for her once she gets really old. Then I threatened to leave her in a hospice for old people abandoned by their families.¡± To be honest, she expected Diether to be upset with her. But, much to her pleasant surprise, her fianc¨¦ just nodded thoughtfully. ¡°My mother may not like you as a daughter-in-law, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mistreat you on purpose. So I don¡¯t have to worry about your threat,¡± Diether said confidently. ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t think my father would let anyone else care for Mother, anyway.¡± ¡°So you know.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°That your father is obsessed with your mother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind,¡± Diether said, scoffing. ¡°I can also clearly see that Father¡¯s love for Mother is toxic.¡± ¡°Hmm~¡± ¡°Just spill it,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you want to ask something related to my mother and father¡¯s relationship.¡± ¡°Why are they still together? Judging by Mother¡¯s tenacity, I¡¯m sure she could have divorced Father if she really wanted to.¡± ¡°Mother endured her hellish marriage for me,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°If Mother divorced Father when I was young, then the king and the vassal families serving the Hexfords would have forced Father to remarry. And if a new child was born from that marriage, then my position as the successor would have been threatened.¡± ¡°Do you want to be the next Grand Duke that badly?¡± ¡°I now have a reason to be the next Grand Duke. But when I was younger, I did not care,¡± he said, and he sounded sincere. ¡°I just wanted to fulfill my mother¡¯s only wish back then. According to Mother, her son should at least inherit everything the Hexfords own as compensation for ruining her life.¡± ¡°Mother holds grudges, huh? I may have picked up a fight with the wrong person.¡± ¡°Drop the act,¡± Diether teased her lightly. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve always gone against scary people like my mother.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± she complained lightheartedly. ¡°You make it sound like I get in trouble all the time.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You look the part.¡± She tried to ¡°accidentally¡± step on his boots, but he avoided it. [As expected of the Commander of the Avari Holy Knights, he¡¯s quick and agile.] ¡°See?¡± Diether teased her, smirking. ¡°You look calm and collected most of the time, but you have a nasty temper.¡± Sonata clicked her tongue. ¡°You just make it easy for me to lose my temper, Commander.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Whatever makes you sleep at night, Lady.¡± [Punk.] *** WOW. Sonata thought she entered an enchanted garden. Vines were creeping up the doors along with real foliage, giving the feeling that one was about to enter another world. And maybe she did. When Sonata entered the greenhouse with Diether, she immediately noticed the lowered ceiling¨C creating a sense of intimacy. The draped fabrics, low-hanging vines, florals, and little twinkling magic gems gave a warm and enchanting feeling. There were also round tables placed in spaces that wouldn¡¯t obscure the guests¡¯ line of vision of the unfinished podium in front of them. [The altar will be placed there later.] Anyway, she was fascinated by the beautiful small trees in wooden containers that served as the centerpiece of each table. Those small trees were known as ¡®dwarf trees¡¯ in the kingdom. [I think they are called ¡®bonsai trees¡¯ in the Eastern Continent.] It was clear that the preparations weren¡¯t completely done yet. But she could already see how beautiful the greenhouse would be on her wedding day. [Yes, the wedding ceremony will be held in the Hexfords¡¯ beautiful greenhouse.] Since the wedding was rushed, the Avari Temple said they couldn¡¯t accommodate an abrupt ceremony even if it was the wedding of their commander. [I have a feeling that they just don¡¯t like me for Diether.] Anyway, the wedding would be officiated by the king himself. [All¡¯s well that ends well.] ¡°The Hexfords are really rich, huh?¡± Sonata commented, amazed. ¡°Magic gems that shine that bright cost a fortune, and yet you¡¯re only using them as decoration to light up the ceiling. Moreover, those dwarf trees are also expensive.¡± ¡°We have to at least spend this much so you wouldn¡¯t be humiliated on our wedding day,¡± Diether said, and there was a hint of remorse in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware that the nobles ¡°pity¡± you for having a rushed wedding. The rumor about your bad relationship with Mother has already blown out of proportion. Don¡¯t be surprised if you hear you have become the ¡°unwanted¡± daughter-in-law of House Hexford now.¡± She laughed softly. ¡°So, the plan is to shut the rumors down by having a grand wedding?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad that Father¡¯s wealth comes in handy at a time like this? Father¡¯s only saving grace is his money, so we should take advantage of it as much as we can.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless, Commander.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re marrying this ¡®shameless¡¯ man, Lady.¡± ¡°Right? The ¡°unwanted¡± daughter-in-law of House Hexford is truly pitiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was a joke,¡± Sonata said when she noticed the guilt in Diether¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I just feel bad that you can¡¯t invite Madam Margo and your other friends from the Red-light District to our wedding.¡± Ah, it was a strict order from the Grand Duke. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Sonata said, shrugging. ¡°They¡¯ll forgive me if I send them the wedding favors we¡¯ll be handing out to the guests. What would the wedding favors be, anyway?¡± She didn¡¯t bother getting involved in the wedding preparations. [I¡¯ll just get in the way.] ¡°A diamond brooch, a pair of pearl cufflinks, a bottle of luxury perfume that our company makes, a bottle of vintage wine that¡¯s a part of our family¡¯s personal collection, and a box of gourmet cheese and chocolate,¡± Diether said casually. ¡°The guests will also be encouraged to take home the dwarf trees, the scented candles, and the magic gems that serve as the centerpieces of their tables.¡± Wow. Sonata was speechless. She grew up in luxury, but she still thought the wedding favors were too much for an arranged marriage. [This is the power of money.] ¡°I can¡¯t believe Mother prepared all of that in less than two weeks,¡± Sonata said in disbelief. ¡°Just the favors alone would be enough to shut down the rumors about our rushed wedding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re hard to prepare,¡± Diether said, shrugging. ¡°We have a diamond mine, a pearl farm, a perfume business, and an extensive collection of vintage wine. Moreover, the gourmet cheese and chocolate are made by the family chef. Hence, Mother just asked our people to choose the best wedding favors from the things that we already own.¡± Pfft. ¡°I promised you I wouldn¡¯t let people make fun of you on our wedding day,¡± he said when he turned to her. ¡°Did I do a good job?¡± ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re desperate to get my approval?¡± Sonata asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Do you have a favor to ask?¡± ¡°Two favors, actually.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then.¡± ¡°After our wedding, I need you to leave the Royal Capital with me,¡± Diether said in a serious tone. ¡°Before I leave for the expedition, I have something to do in our territory. I can¡¯t leave my new wife alone in the capital, so can I ask you to stay in our territory until I return?¡± ¡°Oh? That might work. I was actually planning to go to a tropical island for a vacation after our wedding.¡± ¡°A tropical island? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m craving coconut juice so bad.¡± Diether smirked. ¡°Our territory is the only place on the entire continent that produces coconut water.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sold,¡± Sonata said, nodding excitedly. Of course, she knew that Diether¡¯s ex-wife had started a successful coconut business. That was why she didn¡¯t waste time and agreed to come with him to their territory after the wedding. ¡°So, what¡¯s the second favor?¡± ¡°Princess Mikaela is just a child,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°She could be annoying most of the time, but not enough for her to get killed.¡± ¡°Ah, so you know that the royal princess is picking a fight with me?¡± ¡°She used to bully my first wife, too.¡± He didn¡¯t elaborate on that, and it seemed like he didn¡¯t want to explain further. [Well, I can read between the lines. Princess Mikaela probably wants me to leave Diether so she could have a chance on him.] Haaah. [The Royal Family is really full of drama.] ¡°Princess Mikaela is still a direct member of the Royal Family,¡± Diether reminded her. ¡°Even I can¡¯t help you if you harm the royal princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Commander,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t hit children, anyway.¡± Well, not physically. *** SONATA laughed after reading Aubrey¡¯s report regarding Princess Mikaela¡¯s recent movements. [Her Highness is cute¨C too cute for my liking.] White dresses similar to Sonata¡¯s readymade wedding gown, huh? ¡°Lady Nata, you may not know since you¡¯re a foreigner. But in this kingdom, it¡¯s considered rude to wear white as a wedding guest. Only the bride should wear white on her wedding day!¡± Aubrey complained, obviously upset after realizing Princess Mikaela¡¯s evil scheme to humiliate Sonata on her wedding day. ¡°Should I pour wine on her before the ceremony?¡± ¡°My fianc¨¦ warned me not to touch Princess Mikaela, though.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯ll just let that brat do however she pleases?¡± ¡°Princess Mikaela will walk all over me if I let her get away with this,¡± Sonata said, smiling. ¡°Hence, I can¡¯t let her outshine me on my very own wedding day.¡± She tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°Aubrey, call Sterling for me.¡± Aubrey¡¯s eyes sparkled, her anger obviously melting away. ¡°As you command, my lady.¡± HERE COMES THE BRIDE FINALLY, it was the wedding day. Diether treated getting married like his duty as the sole successor of House Hexford. It didn¡¯t help that he wore a white three-piece suit¨C the same color as his knight uniform. Hence, he felt like he was still at work. However, he thought his wedding day would be less stressful. [This is stressing me out.] ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this, Diether,¡± Jericho¨C his cousin and the Crown Prince¨C whispered to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mikaela would act up today despite Father¡¯s warning.¡± In the Zerua Kingdom, it was a custom for the groom to wait for his bride at the altar. It was also customary for the groom¡¯s brother, relative, or closest friend to wait with him while holding the box of wedding rings that the groom and the bride would wear later. The Crown Prince was neither his brother nor a ¡°close¡± friend. However, Jericho was still his cousin. Hence, the role of the ¡®Ring Bearer¡¯ fell under the Crown Prince¡¯s authority. [The king made sure that his son would be a part of this wedding.] And that was how Diether ended up waiting for Sonata at the altar with Jericho. Standing in that spot gave the two of them a clear view of the guests. Since the greenhouse didn¡¯t have a second floor, the Royal Family was seated in the front row with Diether¡¯s parents. [What a mess.] Princess Mikaela was also there¨C wearing a WHITE dress that looked like a wedding dress. [I haven¡¯t seen Sonata¡¯s wedding dress yet, but I can tell that it would be similar to the one Mikaela is wearing.] He could tell by how his mother looked pale. Moreover, even King Seymour and Queen Olive looked embarrassed of their daughter. [The queen rarely makes public appearances, but Mikaela just has to act up now, huh?] ¡°Sonata is a foreigner, so she may not know about the wedding customs in the kingdom,¡± Diether said indifferently. ¡°But I do, and I¡¯m not that dense. I know Princess Mikaela wore a white dress on purpose just to humiliate Sonata.¡± He could talk like that because Jericho, as the Crown Prince, always had a soundproof barrier around him to make his conversations private. The barrier would also prevent people from reading the movements of their lips. ¡°Princess Mikaela even dragged her lady friends into her stupid game.¡± More than half of the young ladies in attendance wore off-white dresses, a color slightly different from white but enough to keep them out of trouble. Only Princess Mikaela wore a dress as white as the bride¡¯s gown. ¡°We will scold Mikaela later for this,¡± Jericho promised him nervously. ¡°Please leave it to us, Diether.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It was the Crown Prince¡¯s way of telling Diether to not scold or punish Princess Mikaela. ¡°I will not say or do anything to get back at Princess Mikaela,¡± Diether said indifferently. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to stop my bride if she wanted to pay back the humiliation that she received from the royal princess.¡± To be honest, he was pretty annoyed by Princess Mikaela¡¯s scheme. He already humiliated Sonata during their first engagement ceremony, and now she would be humiliated again because of the royal princess. [If only I could kick out Princess Mikaela¡­] Diether had already formed a camaraderie with Sonata when they became ¡®comrades.¡¯ [She¡¯s also a victim of my father¡¯s selfishness, hence she isn¡¯t an enemy. I should treat her better after this.] He promised himself that he would make it up to Sonata later. ¡°Diether, even if it¡¯s your wife, she still can¡¯t touch a member of the Royal Family¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty is pretty fond of my wife,¡± Diether said, shrugging. ¡°Let¡¯s see whose side the king would take.¡± Jericho could only gulp nervously. Then the two of them stopped talking when the attendant finally announced Sonata¡¯s arrival. ¡°The bride, Lady Sonata Florin, has arrived!¡± After the announcement, the double doors of the greenhouse opened. Diether¡¯s heart sank when he saw Sonata in a beautiful white wedding dress, the veil that covered her face prevented him from seeing her expression. [As expected, Princess Mikaela¡¯s white dress is a replica of Sonata¡¯s wedding dress.] By now, Sonata should have already realized that Princess Mikaela and most of the female guests wore white. He couldn¡¯t imagine how she probably felt at the moment. This may be an arranged marriage, but Sonata still had her pride as a lady and as a bride. For the first time in a while, Diether felt angry for someone else''s sake. [Sonata doesn¡¯t deserve this.] Diether¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Jericho suddenly gasped softly. Hmm? Diether also noticed that the lights around dimmed. He was nervous that an intruder might attack at any moment, so he subtly looked around to make sure everything was in place. ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± Jericho whispered. ¡°Diether, your bride is beautiful.¡± Huh? Diether finally focused on Sonata, and then he let out a gasp of his own. [What the¡­] With every step that Sonata took, the color of her wedding dress changed. [And her dress is sparkling¡­] Was that why the lights suddenly dimmed? [But how is that possible when the lights are from magic gems? You have to be at least a 3-Star Mage in order to control magic gems without touching them.] Was there a mage there? Diether¡¯s thoughts were once interrupted when Sonata¡¯s wedding dress and veil finally changed their color. Gold. Sonata¡¯s wedding dress had turned into a sparkling gold gown. It matched well with the white bouquet in her hands. The entire greenhouse already looked enchanting because of the warm lights around. But his bride¡¯s gold wedding dress made everything look more captivating. Diether let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± Before he knew it, he was already walking towards his bride. He was actually breaking a tradition there since the groom was supposed to wait for the bride at the altar. But Diether felt a strange urge to meet Sonata halfway. And he only had one thing in mind as he did so. [I need to see her face.] Sonata stopped walking when they met in the middle of the aisle, then she looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you run away again, Commander.¡± Pfft. Diether couldn¡¯t help but smile at Sonata¡¯s threat. Unbeknownst to him, all the guests¨C even his parents¨C were shocked to see him smile genuinely in front of a lady that wasn¡¯t Celeste. But he didn¡¯t notice the strange glances thrown in his direction because he was busy. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Lady,¡± Diether whispered, then he touched the hem of the veil covering Sonata¡¯s face. ¡°Can I lift this up?¡± ¡°Can you?¡± Sonata asked back. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the wedding customs here.¡± ¡°Well, I already broke a rule. So might as well break another.¡± Sonata laughed at his response. Diether then didn¡¯t hesitate and lifted the veil in a hurry. [Ah, as expected¡­] Sonata was beautiful, and Diether meant it. ¡°Your gold wedding dress goes well with your purple hair and golden eyes,¡± Diether said softly. ¡°As expected of my comrade.¡± His bride suddenly lowered the veil again, then she tiptoed to whisper in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m still pissed, so can I get even with the royal princess?¡± He lowered his head and whispered back in her ear. ¡°How?¡± This time, Sonata used her bouquet to cover her mouth as she whispered back to him. ¡°Let¡¯s kiss passionately in front of the brat later to make her realize she has zero chances with you.¡± A passionate kiss in front of Princess Mikaela as revenge? Diether burst out laughing this time. [Sonata is really funny, huh?] UNHOLY MARRIAGE SONATA WAS easily fascinated as she was easily pissed. She didn¡¯t want to admit this, but Diether was correct when he said she had a nasty temper despite having a calm fa?ade. [No, it¡¯s more like I hold grudges?] That was why she memorized all the faces of the ladies who wore dresses close to white to her wedding. Of course, Princess Mikaela was number one on her list. [And I already know how to punish that brat.] ¡°I, Seymour Lomello, king of the Zerua Kingdom, now pronounce you husband and wife,¡± King Seymour, who officiated the wedding, said cheerfully. Then he looked at Sonata and Diether with sparkling eyes. ¡°Diether and Sonata Hexford, I invite you to seal your marriage with a kiss.¡± [The king is enjoying this, isn¡¯t he?] Sonata smiled and nodded politely to the king before she faced Diether. She immediately checked if her husband looked like he would throw up again just like how he looked during their failed engagement. Much to her relief, the commander looked fine. [Thank goodness.] Diether looked hesitant at first, but it only lasted for a few seconds. ¡°Here I go, Sonata,¡± he said softly as he carefully lifted her veil again. ¡°May I kiss you?¡± Pfft. Sonata was highly amused by Diether¡¯s red face and shy expression. ¡°Only if you do it the way I asked to earlier, Commander.¡± Diether¡¯s face turned a deeper shade of red. ¡°As you wish, Lady.¡± It was so fascinating to look at Diether¡¯s awkward expression as he leaned down towards hers. Sonata had to think of the day her father-in-law discovered her identity because she needed to get annoyed to keep a straight face. Otherwise, she would have burst out laughing already. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh,¡± Diether scolded her in a low and embarrassed voice as his face inched closer to hers, his hands touching her shoulders lightly. ¡°And this is the part where you¡¯re supposed to close your eyes, Lady.¡± Sonata whispered back. ¡°But you look so fascinating right now, Commander.¡± This time, even his ears had turned red. ¡°Sonata.¡± Pfft. ¡°Fine,¡± Sonata said, then she closed her eyes. ¡°Happy now?¡± Diether didn¡¯t respond verbally, but his hot breath fanning her face already told her why he couldn¡¯t speak at the moment. And then it happened. Diether pressed his lips against hers, lightly at first. But then he probably remembered their conversation earlier, so his lips began to move¨C urging her to respond. But Sonata didn¡¯t move an inch to tease him. Pfft. Diether, obviously impatient, growled low as he nibbled her lower lip. [Okay, this is enough show for Princess Mikaela.] Sonata smiled against Diether¡¯s lips, then she finally responded to his kisses. Her first kiss wasn¡¯t as exciting as she thought it would be. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It didn¡¯t even make her heart flutter. But Sonata thought it was fun because Diether¡¯s awkwardness was everything. [I¡¯m going to tease him about this for the rest of our lives.] ¡°I told you to seal your marriage with a kiss, not to flirt and make out with each other,¡± King Seymour teased them in a very joyful voice. ¡°But you¡¯re making this uncle of yours happy, my dear nephew and precious niece.¡± Pfft. Of course, the king of a small kingdom would be delighted to have someone like Sonata as his ¡°precious¡± niece-in-law. *** DIETHER was relieved that the guests had finally left after having a sumptuous lunch prepared by the famous chefs of House Hexford. Everyone seemed to be satisfied, especially after the wedding favors were distributed. [Good. With this, the nobles would be quiet for a while. They can¡¯t look down on Sonata despite our rushed wedding. After all, they received expensive and rare gifts that only House Hexford could afford to give away for free.] ¡°Are we going to have tea with our family after this, Commander?¡± Diether turned to Sonata who was standing next to him, her hand on his arm. They were standing by the door of the greenhouse to thank the guests who had attended their wedding ceremony as they bid them farewell. Sonata only spoke to him after the last guest had left. ¡°We should change into comfortable clothes first before the tea party,¡± Diether explained. He had to since Sonata was a foreigner. ¡°In the Zerua Kingdom, it¡¯s normal for a newly married couple to have a private tea party with their families after the wedding ceremony.¡± Sonata didn¡¯t have a family. But King Seymour volunteered to attend the tea party as Sonata¡¯s family. And the king also brought the direct members of the Royal Family with him. [It¡¯s a miracle that His Majesty has convinced the queen to come out today.] ¡°Argh,¡± Sonata complained lightly. ¡°That means we¡¯re forced to tolerate His Majesty again.¡± Pfft. That was funny. To be honest, Diether was relieved that Sonata was still acting as she usually did. She didn¡¯t even blush during their kiss, and she didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. That made him realize that they were truly in the same boat¨C that this marriage was just nothing but a business contract to them. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Commander? You¡¯re not going to tattle on me for talking behind His Majesty, are you?¡± ¡°Lady, the Avari Temple teaches that marriage is a holy union between two people chosen by the goddess to be together forever,¡± Diether said, speaking what was on his mind because he felt comfortable enough with Sonata. ¡°But we only married each other because my father and the king chose you for me. What kind of marriage do we have then?¡± Sonata laughed softly, as if he had just asked a silly question. ¡°An unholy marriage, of course. What else?¡± Unholy marriage? Diether smiled. ¡°I like the sound of it.¡± Sonata let out an exaggerated gasp. ¡°The commander of the Avari Holy Knights shouldn¡¯t be proud of committing an unholy act against the teachings of the temple.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to tattle on me, are you?¡± His wife just smiled and acted like she was sewing up her mouth. [Wait¡­ did I just refer to Sonata as my wife? I mean, legally, she¡¯s now my wife. But how come I accepted it easily?] Had he gone mad? ¡°Commander, can I take a quick nap before the tea party?¡± Sonata asked sleepily. ¡°I need to rest a bit.¡± ¡°Did using Mana exhaust you?¡± ¡°Mana?¡± ¡°You were the one who controlled the magic gems earlier to make the entire place dimmer, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Everyone who knows me also knows I both have Aura and Mana in me,¡± he said when Sonata remained silent. ¡°I developed Aura because I was raised a Swordmaster. On the other hand, I possess Mana because a person born with divine power has to have a Mana Container. After all, the divine power is usually located in the heart of the wielder. And in order to protect it, a Mana Container is needed.¡± Mana referred to a person¡¯s magic power, and Mana was everywhere. [It¡¯s not easy to learn how to see and use the Mana around you, though.] On the other hand, a Mana Container was a storage system within the user¡¯s body. Diether¡¯s Mana Container would automatically absorb the Mana around him in order to keep the divine power in his heart protected, and that was the extent of his ability to wield Mana. ¡°But just because I have Mana doesn¡¯t make me a Mage,¡± Diether said. ¡°My ability to perform magic is limited to the basic stuff like turning a mundane object into a weapon, or creating a small flame. Hence, I¡¯m only known as a Swordmaster. However, there are people who could both wield Aura and Mana equally. There are only a few of them, but they exist. As a fellow knight, you should know what I¡¯m talking about, Lady.¡± Sonata smiled as if it was none of her business. ¡°A person who could wield Aura and Mana equally is called a Knight Mage, if I remember correctly.¡± ¡°A Knight Mage is rarer than a Swordmaster.¡± ¡°Are they?¡± ¡°I also heard Knight Mages are good at hiding both their Aura and Mana, hence most people wouldn¡¯t be able to tell they are Knight Mages unless they wish to reveal their identity. And most Knight Mages enjoy their privacy.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Diether smirked at Sonata¡¯s funny attempt at playing dumb. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll take your threats seriously, Lady.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Commander. But that¡¯s a wise decision,¡± Sonata said playfully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a young widow, after all.¡± *** NOTE: I''m just happy that , the original title of the book that Celeste had read before getting isekai''d, was finally mentioned here. LOL REVENGE SERVED COLD [THIS IS my family now, huh?] Sonata was currently having a tea party with the Royal Family and the Hexfords. [Oh, I¡¯m also a Hexford now.] It was just funny how Sonata and her husband Diether both wore black after changing into comfortable clothes for the tea party. [We look like we¡¯re attending a funeral service.] ¡°Lady Sonata, my dear niece, welcome to the family,¡± King Seymour said cheerfully. ¡°Thank you for coming into our lives.¡± [You¡¯re the only one who looks happy and grateful, Your Majesty.] Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Hexford, her parents-in-law, looked indifferent. Princess Mikaela, still in her white dress, didn¡¯t bother to hide her irritation. Prince Jericho, the Crown Prince, had a polite smile on his face but he clearly wanted to be anywhere but there. [The Crown Prince is probably worried about the queen who suddenly fell sick.] Hence, the queen issued an apology to Sonata and Diether before leaving. Sonata thought the king and his children would leave with the queen, so she was surprised when the three stayed for the private tea party. [At least, Diether looks comfortable.] ¡°Lady Sonata, how are you feeling?¡± King Seymour asked cheerfully. ¡°How does it feel to be a part of House Hexford now?¡± [His Majesty would probably die if he kept his mouth shut, right?] Grand Duke Daniel Hexford was the patriarch of House Hexford, so he should be the one seated in the center seat and taking the lead in the conversation. However, the king had the highest position there. Hence, His Majesty was acting like the host of the tea party. [But it seems like the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t mind.] ¡°I feel blessed, Your Majesty,¡± Sonata said, starting her speech with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here for throwing me a wonderful wedding.¡± She turned to her parents-in-law. ¡°Father, thank you for not sparing resources to give us a grand ceremony. Mother, thank you for taking care of everything in my place.¡± The Grand Duke just nodded politely before sipping his tea quietly. ¡°We just fulfilled our duties as your in-laws,¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor said calmly. ¡°And we can¡¯t have people looking down on House Hexford.¡± [So cold and business-like.] Sonata just smiled at her in-laws before turning to the Royal Family. ¡°I¡¯m also grateful to Your Majesty and Your Highnesses, especially to Princess Mikaela.¡± Her smile widened when she met the royal princess¡¯ glare. ¡°Princess Mikaela, please extend my gratitude to your lovely friends. Thank you for helping my stunning gold wedding gown stand out by wearing a plain white dress.¡± The tearoom suddenly turned cold. But the ones who looked nervous the most were the servants waiting on them. [I feel bad for them, but Princess Mikaela needs to take down a peg or two.] ¡°You impudent lowly knight with unknown origins,¡± Princess Mikaela, known for her nasty temperament, growled lowly at Sonata. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve become something just because you married Diether?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve become something. I¡¯m the future Grand Duchess, after all,¡± Sonata said calmly. ¡°And Diether promised me a comfortable life. Isn¡¯t that right, Commander?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady,¡± Diether said, nodding. ¡°Princess Mikaela, I don¡¯t appreciate you bringing up my wife¡¯s background. She¡¯s now a Hexford. An insult to Sonata is an insult to me.¡± Princess Mikaela smirked bitterly. ¡°Your wife was rude to me first.¡± ¡°If Your Highness wants to talk about being rude, then let¡¯s talk about being rude,¡± Sonata said. ¡°Princess Mikaela, according to my investigation, your people were the ones who bribed Lady Vivian¡¯s assistant to steal the draft of my customized wedding gown. I can give you the evidence I gathered if you want.¡± ¡°You launched an investigation on the royal princess?¡± Prince Jericho asked in disbelief. ¡°Lady Sonata, being married to a Hexford doesn¡¯t give you the right to investigate a direct member of the Royal Family.¡± Princess Mikaela smiled smugly when the Crown Prince defended her. ¡°You misunderstood, Prince Jericho,¡± Sonata said calmly. ¡°I only investigated the thief who stole the design of my wedding gown. It¡¯s not my fault that the investigation led me to Princess Mikaela¡¯s close aides, is it?¡± She tilted her head to one side while staring at the Crown Prince, her golden eyes glowing. ¡°I must say I¡¯m disappointed in the future king of the Zerua Kingdom. How can you blame the victim in this situation? Are you taking Princess Mikaela¡¯s side just because Her Highness is your sister?¡± Prince Jericho, who was only sixteen years old, easily got embarrassed after getting called out. ¡°Father!¡± Princess Mikaela whined. ¡°Are you just going to let that woman humiliate us?¡± ¡°Well, who told you to do something that would embarrass the Royal Family, my dear children?¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Both Prince Jericho and Princess Mikaela looked shocked by what the king said. ¡°This breaks my heart to say this, but the children of the king enjoy sovereign immunity. They cannot be arrested unless they commit treason or a grave sin against the throne and the temple,¡± King Seymour said as he turned to Sonata with an apologetic smile on his face. ¡°Whether my dear daughter is guilty or not, the royal princess cannot be punished. So, can you just let this slide, my dear niece? In return, I promise to scold my dear daughter and put her on probation until she reflects on her behavior.¡± Sonata laughed softly. ¡°Your Majesty, I never said I wish to punish Princess Mikaela. I¡¯m aware of the sovereign immunity that Her Highness enjoys.¡± She sipped her tea before she continued. ¡°But Princess Mikaela¡¯s aides and servants don¡¯t have legal immunity, do they?¡± Once again, the room turned icy cold. But Sonata found the different reactions of the people around her quite fascinating. King Seymour¡¯s cheerful disposition quickly slipped away. Prince Jericho¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Grand Duke Daniel almost dropped his teacup. Grand Duchess Eleanor gasped softly. And Diether snorted as if he was holding back his laughter. [My dear husband, your wife here is fighting the royal princess. Is the situation funny to you?] ¡°Your Majesty, as a wedding present, can I ask you to give me the right to punish Princess Mikaela¡¯s servants appropriately? We all know Princess Mikaela is guilty of purposely offending me anyway,¡± Sonata said, smiling at the king as ¡°sweet¡± as she could. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t go overboard with the punishment.¡± The king chuckled. ¡°Alright. Since my dear niece is asking nicely, how can I say ¡®no¡¯ to that?¡± ¡°Father!¡± Princess Mikaela cried. ¡°How could you?!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be relieved that you wouldn¡¯t have to be on probation, my dear daughter?¡± King Seymour asked with a smile, but his eyes were cold. ¡°Your servants are partly at fault for failing to cover up your tracks, anyway.¡± The royal princess couldn¡¯t refute her father¡¯s words. Sonata, on the other hand, was amused. [The king could really be heartless when he wanted to.] ¡°Princess Mikaela¡¯s ladies-in-waiting will probably only get a slap on the wrists because they are nobles,¡± Sonata continued with a smile on her face. ¡°However, the maids and the butlers serving Her Highness are either lowly nobles from fallen families or commoners, aren¡¯t they? Even the errand girl that Your Highness sent to bribe Lady Vivian¡¯s assistant is an orphan. It should be easy to punish them. And if they get kicked out of the Royal Palace without a recommendation letter, then I guess they can never find work elsewhere again.¡± ¡°How dare you threaten the safety of my people, you lowly wench?!¡± Princess Mikaela screamed at the top of her lungs, slamming her hands on the table while glaring at Sonata with her glowing deep blue eyes. ¡°Are you doing this just because I wore white at your wedding ceremony?! You¡¯re being petty!¡± Sonata burst out laughing at Princess Mikaela¡¯s temper. Of course, she had heard how the royal princess enjoyed yelling and throwing tantrums every time she was in a bad mood. [But I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d act this way in the king¡¯s presence.] ¡°Princess Mikaela, you and I both know that your white dress is nothing but an excuse to pick a fight with me,¡± Sonata said. She was smiling, but her golden eyes were glowing as intensely as Princess Mikaela¡¯s deep blue eyes. ¡°If you hit a person, you should expect to be hit back. Did you think you¡¯d be safe just because you¡¯re a royal princess and I¡¯m nothing but a ¡°lowly knight with unknown origins?¡±¡± Princess Mikaela let out a high-pitched scream that broke every single glass in the room. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Sonata Florin!¡± ¡°Your servants would die first before Your Highness gets to lay a finger on me,¡± Sonata said bluntly. ¡°Sit down, if you wish to save your people, Princess Mikaela.¡± She smirked at the royal princess who looked like she was about to lunge at her. ¡°Or is your pride more important than the safety of your people?¡± Princess Mikaela screamed again and was about to lunge at Sonata. But Prince Jericho quickly stood up and grabbed the royal princess by the waist. ¡°Calm down, Mikaela,¡± he said firmly while forcing the royal princess back to her seat. ¡°What kind of behavior is this in front of Father?¡± King Seymour just sipped his tea, but the king was clearly in a bad mood now. And Princess Mikaela noticed that, so she sobered up a little. ¡°Lesson number one, Princess Mikaela: don¡¯t pick a fight with someone you cannot beat,¡± Sonata said. ¡°Lesson number two: don¡¯t give stupid orders to your servants that may get them killed.¡± ¡°You insolent¨C¡± ¡°If we were on the battlefield, your people would have already died by my hands because of your stupid orders, Princess Mikaela,¡± Sonata said coldly, then she turned her icy gaze to the king. ¡°If the commander gave the wrong orders during a war, then the ones who¡¯d pay the heavy price for that mistake were the knights on the battlefield. Most often than not, those poor soldiers would have to pay with their lives.¡± [Just like how my adoptive parents died because of a certain someone¡¯s mistake.] King Seymour, who knew exactly what Sonata was talking about, put his teacup down on the saucer. ¡°Mikaela, my precious daughter, you already lost this fight. You made a mistake, hence you must pay for the consequences of your actions.¡± Princess Mikaela looked like she was about to cry. ¡°But, Father¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Lady Sonata said earlier?¡± the king asked, then he turned to Sonata with a knowing look. ¡°She¡¯s giving you a chance to save your people.¡± ¡°The strong shouldn¡¯t bully the weak too much,¡± Sonata said, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t need every single servant of yours punished. My anger will be satiated if one of your closest aides shoulder the responsibility.¡± She tilted her head to one side. ¡°How about your nanny? According to my investigation, your nanny was the one who sent the errand girl to the boutique shop anyway. I wonder if flogging would be enough punishment?¡± Princess Mikaela screamed again. ¡°Are you crazy?! My nanny is already sixty and you want to flog her as a punishment?!¡± The royal princess turned to the king. ¡°Father, do you think Mother would be happy with this? My nanny was also Mother¡¯s nanny when she was young!¡± ¡°Mikaela, my precious daughter, you should let the other party finish talking first before you react,¡± King Seymour scolded the royal princess lightly. ¡°Lady Sonata only asked if your nanny should take the blame. That means she has other options left to offer you.¡± Pfft. [The king is trying to stay neutral, but it¡¯s obvious he¡¯s still adamant about protecting his daughter.] Of course, Sonata already expected that. [Let¡¯s wrap this up since this is getting boring.] In conclusion, Princess Mikaela wasn¡¯t a worthy enemy. ¡°Your nanny isn¡¯t the only close aide you have, Princess Mikaela,¡± Sonata said, her gaze going past the royal princess. ¡°Your Highness has an excellent aide who can withstand flogging or other physical punishments.¡± Sonata was looking at Sir Yoel¨C Princess Mikaela¡¯s personal knight and aide. In fairness to the knight, his face remained stoic. [It¡¯s as if Sir Yoel has already resigned himself to his doomed fate.] ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Diether, who seemed to immediately understand Sonata¡¯s intentions, said while nodding his head approvingly. ¡°Sir Yoel would indeed make a good prisoner of war.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Sonata agreed with her husband. ¡°I need a personal errand boy for at least half a year anyway.¡± ¡°No!¡± Princess Mikaela complained, slamming her hands on the table again. ¡°I won¡¯t let you turn Yoel into your errand boy! He¡¯s an elite royal knight! And he¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°Then you should have won this fight,¡± Sonata said coldly to the royal princess, then she tilted her head to one side. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to part with Sir Yoel, then you always have the option of having your poor old nanny flogged, Princess Mikaela.¡± The royal princess couldn¡¯t say anything, but she still had the energy and audacity to glare at Sonata as if she was the victim. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Lady Hexford,¡± Sir Yoel said indifferently. He looked stoic, but his voice was determined. Then he bowed his head towards Sonata politely. ¡°I wholeheartedly accept my lady¡¯s punishment.¡± Princess Mikaela screamed again. ¡°No!¡± King Seymour ignored the royal princess¡¯ cries. Prince Jericho, on the other hand, just sighed and shook his head. [Okay, so they¡¯re not going to help Princess Mikaela anymore.] ¡°Then that settles it,¡± Sonata said, smirking at Princess Mikaela as she stood up. ¡°Thank you for lending me your precious knight, Princess Mikaela¨C I¡¯ll teach him well.¡± ROYAL BLOOD DIETHER couldn¡¯t believe Sonata crushed Princess Mikaela completely. [Why do I feel proud of her?] The entire tearoom had been quiet ever since Sonata left with Sir Yoel. Diether¡¯s father excused himself after that. [He¡¯s probably going to follow Sonata.] ¡°Eleanor, this tea is good,¡± King Seymour said, smiling at Diether¡¯s mother. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve had this.¡± The king wasn¡¯t really interested in the tea. And Diether¡¯s mother knew that. ¡°I¡¯m glad Your Majesty liked the tea,¡± Grand Duchess Eleanor, his mother, said politely. Then she stood up and bowed to the king. ¡°Let me pack some leaves for you, Your Majesty.¡± The king smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, my dear sister-in-law.¡± Diether¡¯s mother just bowed before leaving the room quietly. [Well, this is awkward.] Aside from Diether and the king, only Prince Jericho and Princess Mikaela were left in the room. His Majesty asked the servants and the knights to leave, after all. ¡°Father, I know you favor Sonata Florin,¡± Princess Michaela said bitterly. ¡°But how can you do this to me? I am your daughter!¡± ¡°I understand that my sister made a mistake, Father,¡± Prince Jericho added. ¡°However, letting Lady Sonata take Sir Yoel to become her errand boy for months is too much of a punishment. Sir Yoel is a Sword Expert who has the potential to become a Swordmaster soon. He is a valuable member of the Royal Knight Order. If word gets out that Sir Yoel became Lady Sonata¡¯s errand boy, then the Royal Family will be criticized.¡± ¡°A member of the Royal Family must take responsibility for their actions,¡± King Seymour said indifferently. ¡°Mikaela, my dear daughter, you should learn from this experience.¡± Diether just sipped his tea. To be honest, even though Princess Mikaela was his cousin, he didn¡¯t feel bad for her. [Mikaela bullied Celeste in the past. But since Celeste is good-natured, she never once fought back.] Hence, Diether felt refreshed while watching Sonata destroy Princess Mikaela. [I felt like Sonata had taken revenge for Celeste''s sake even though it wasn¡¯t the case.] ¡°Diether, are you not going to say anything?¡± Princess Mikaela asked bitterly. ¡°Do you not feel sorry for me?¡± ¡°I see you weren¡¯t listening to His Majesty, Princess Mikaela,¡± Diether said as he placed the teacup on the saucer. Then he looked back and forth between Prince Jericho and Princess Mikaela. ¡°Can I speak as your cousin and not as the next Grand Duke?¡± Prince Jericho immediately nodded. ¡°Of course, Diether.¡± Princess Mikaela frowned. ¡°You do what you want, anyway.¡± ¡°The two of you haven¡¯t experienced war yet, so I¡¯ll be lenient to you this time,¡± Diether said, tapping his fingers on the table. ¡°Why do you think the winning side in a war takes important individuals from the losing side as prisoners of war? Do you think it¡¯s only to brag about their victory? Well, in some cases, yes. But more often than not, prisoners of war serve another purpose. That¡¯s exactly why prisoners of war are protected by law.¡± For a few moments, the royal children fell silent as if they were confused. Until the Crown Prince let out a gasp. ¡°Negotiation,¡± Prince Jericho said. ¡°Prisoners of war are often used for negotiations. Well, it only happens when the prisoner is of high value.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Diether said, nodding. ¡°And don¡¯t you think Sir Yoel is that valuable?¡± That was when the realization hit the Crown Prince and the royal princess. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the palace,¡± Princess Mikaela said as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll negotiate with Sonata Florin as soon as my mind clears up.¡± Diether let out a sigh. ¡°Sonata is a Hexford now, Princess Mikaela.¡± The royal princess just ignored him. Then Princess Mikaela bolted out of the room without even saying goodbye to the king. ¡°Sister is being rude again,¡± Prince Jericho said, then he turned to the king and bowed. ¡°I apologize on behalf of my sister, Father.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my beloved son,¡± King Seymour said. ¡°Go and console your sister.¡± It was the king¡¯s way of dismissing the Crown Prince. Prince Jericho, who knew that very well, stood up and said his polite farewell to Diether and the king before leaving the room quietly. ¡°Diether.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± King Seymour suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Lady Sonata is interesting, isn¡¯t she? I know I shouldn¡¯t say this as Mikaela¡¯s father, but it was fun watching your wife put my daughter in place. There are only a few people who can handle my precious daughter that way.¡± ¡°Sonata could only put Princess Mikaela in place because you supported my wife, Your Majesty,¡± Diether said. ¡°If Sonata was just another noble lady, I¡¯m sure Your Majesty would have interfered with her investigation the way Your Majesty interfered with mine when I was digging through Sonata¡¯s background.¡± Once again, the king laughed. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating me, my dear nephew. I¡¯m protective of my children, and you know that. I wouldn¡¯t let anyone poke around my children¡¯s business, even if it was Lady Sonata.¡± That was quite the revelation. [So, His Majesty is saying he doesn¡¯t have the power to stop Sonata¡¯s network information when His Majesty easily stopped Candyfloss from investigating Sonata¡¯s background?] And Candyfloss was already the best information guild in the kingdom. ¡°Should I be afraid of my wife, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Have you figured her out already?¡± Diether fell silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°Sonata, despite being a ¡°lower¡± noble, has an air of dignity around her. She actually looks more dignified than higher nobles our age.¡± To be honest, Sonata was more dignified than Princess Mikaela. But, of course, it wasn¡¯t something he could say to the king¡¯s face. ¡°Sonata looks calm and mature outside, but she¡¯s actually crazy¨C she¡¯s just good at pretending to be normal.¡± The king burst out laughing while nodding enthusiastically. ¡°I know exactly what you mean by that, my dear nephew.¡± ¡°Sonata isn¡¯t a bad person, but she¡¯s not exactly good either,¡± Diether continued with his assessment of his wife. ¡°Moreover, Sonata is arrogant. She thinks she¡¯s above the law. Her righteousness doesn¡¯t come from the goodness of her heart¨C it comes from the fact that she believes her judgments are always correct.¡± The king raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°And so¡­?¡± ¡°Sonata is born entitled, but her entitlement differs from the entitlement that nobles like me enjoy.¡± ¡°How is your wife¡¯s entitlement different from yours?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really explain it since I¡¯m not good at expressing myself with words,¡± Diether said, tilting his head to one side. ¡°But I can say that Sonata¡¯s entitlement is similar to yours, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Similar to mine¡­?¡± ¡°You both act like you own the world.¡± The king just smiled before sipping his tea. ¡°Sonata has royal blood,¡± Diether concluded. ¡°Am I right, Your Majesty?¡± King Seymour just grinned. [His Majesty neither confirmed nor denied it.] ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal for some royal family to send their children to a foreign country for their protection¨C especially if there¡¯s an ongoing succession war. I heard members of the royal family from other kingdoms kill each other just to get the throne.¡± ¡°I know. What a brutal world we live in,¡± the king said. ¡°I¡¯m fortunate your father was never interested in the throne, so he stepped down from the competition early.¡± That definitely wasn¡¯t the case. [According to the rumors I heard before, the king offered my mother to my father. In exchange, His Majesty asked Father to give up the throne.] What a cunning man. Too bad Princess Mikaela didn¡¯t inherit her father¡¯s brains. [If Mikaela did, then she wouldn¡¯t think that marrying me is the only way she could steal her brother¡¯s position.] ¡°My dear nephew, aren¡¯t you going to ask whose family your wife belongs to?¡± Since Sonata was a foreigner, then the kingdom she belonged to must be an ally to the Zerua Kingdom. [Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t be fond of her.] But he wasn¡¯t really interested in knowing more than he already did. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Diether said nonchalantly. ¡°Sonata won¡¯t be my wife forever, anyway.¡± ¡°How about having children with Lady Sonata?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a product of a loveless marriage, Your Majesty. I wouldn¡¯t want another child in this world to experience what I have gone through.¡± King Seymour pouted, clearly acting like a child. ¡°You never know, my dear nephew.¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty,¡± Diether said firmly. ¡°Sonata and I will remain as comrades and nothing more.¡± *** ¡°ARE you doing this because of your contract with His Majesty?¡± Sonata didn¡¯t take her eyes off of Sir Yoel while responding to Grand Duke Daniel Hexford, her father-in-law. ¡°Whatever do you mean by that, Father?¡± Right now, they were in the empty training hall. Only Sir Yoel was in the ring, deep in concentration while covering the blade of his sword with his dark blue Aura. [Hence, I doubt Sir Yoel could hear us at the moment.] And that was probably why her father-in-law brought up that topic. ¡°The king asked you to raise his children as proper royalty, didn¡¯t he?¡± her father-in-law asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty asked you to pay attention to Princess Mikaela in particular.¡± ¡°And why would His Majesty ask me to do that, Father?¡± ¡°You would know how a proper princess should act, after all.¡± Pfft. ¡°Father, not all royals are born equal,¡± Sonata said. ¡°Princess Mikaela doesn¡¯t need me to teach her anything. But I enjoy playing with her.¡± ¡°Is that why you ¡°borrowed¡± Sir Yoel from Her Highness?¡± ¡°Well, for a kingdom known as the ¡®Holy Land¡¯ and the home of the Avari Temple, you lack talented people,¡± Sonata said casually. ¡°If Diether disappeared, this kingdom would perish.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. Is my son the only notable talent from our kingdom?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°If you were going to rank my son among the talented individuals of the entire continent, where would he be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think Diether would be in the Top 30 on the list of the continent¡¯s strongest individuals.¡± As expected, the Grand Duke didn¡¯t look satisfied with that. ¡°Diether is still young¨C he¡¯ll grow more powerful soon, Father.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°What do you think, Father?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± her father-in-law said. ¡°The World Rank hasn¡¯t been updated in years.¡± ¡°World Rank? I thought we were only talking about the rankings on the continent,¡± Sonata asked, laughing. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating me, Father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Grand Duke Daniel said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m hoping for you and Diether to conceive a child from this marriage.¡± Huh? A child? Sonata gasped softly. [I never discussed that with Diether!] *** ¡°WHAT DID you ask Sir Yoel to do for him to pass out in the training hall?¡± Sonata heard Diether¡¯s question, but she ignored it as she approached her husband whom she had met in the hallway. Fortunately, the two of them weren¡¯t keen on bringing servants everywhere. Hence, she could ask her husband right away. ¡°Diether, tonight is our first night as a married couple,¡± Sonata said in a hurry. ¡°Are we going to have sex tonight?¡± HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY DIETHER caught a cold. He was used to getting taken care of the servants every time he was sick. [I love Mother, but she¡¯s not actually the caring type¡­] Hence, he expected to see a maid gently putting a wet towel on his forehead. But, much to Diether¡¯s pleasant surprise, it was Celeste¡¯s pretty face that he saw as soon as he opened his eyes. ¡°My wife¡­?¡± Celeste gave him a bright smile as she nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, my husband.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Diether asked weakly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here¡­¡± They were married, but children involved in early marriages weren¡¯t allowed to share the same bedroom until they reached the age of eighteen. And there was a reason for that rule, of course. [Does Celeste not know because she¡¯s so innocent¡­?] ¡°Are you worried that I might catch your cold?¡± Celeste asked, giggling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Diether. I don¡¯t get sick easily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± His wife tilted her head to one side cutely. ¡°Then what are you worried about?¡± Diether was grateful that his cheeks were naturally flushed at the moment because he was sick. If it wasn¡¯t the case, then Celeste would have noticed that he blushed. [Should I say it?] It was embarrassing to talk about it, but he had to teach her innocent wife so they wouldn¡¯t make a mistake. ¡°Celeste, you can¡¯t touch me carelessly when we¡¯re in the same bedroom.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°B-Baby¡­¡± Diether said, embarrassed. Then he shut his eyes tight so he wouldn¡¯t see Celeste¡¯s reaction to was he was about to teach her. ¡°Married couples will get pregnant if they hold hands in bed. And we¡¯re too young to have a baby!¡± Celeste just laughed out loud during that time. And Diether only found out why his dear wife laughed back then when he received sex education at age thirteen. [Needless to say, Celeste teased me about it every chance she got.] *** DIETHER blinked and shook his head, trying to forget the piece of memory he shared with Celeste that suddenly flooded his mind because of Sonata¡¯s question. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. [¡°Are we going to have sex tonight?¡±] That was his new legal wife¡¯s question. ¡°Sonata, do you always have to be so blunt?¡± Diether asked, sighing. ¡°You could have just asked me if we should consummate our marriage tonight.¡± ¡°But where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Sonata asked teasingly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have seen your flustered face had I phrased my question nicely.¡± Ah, so that was on purpose. He put his hands on his hips while giving his legal wife a disapproving look. ¡°Is it fun teasing me?¡± Sonata managed to look innocent while admitting to her mischief with a smile and a nod. [She acts mature most of the time, but how come she becomes playful when she¡¯s around me? Is this a form of bullying?] But, to be honest, it didn¡¯t feel bad. [Only a few people could treat me like a normal person, after all.] ¡°I was actually looking for you because I want to introduce you to the servants formally,¡± Diether said, changing the topic for now. ¡°But follow me for now. I¡¯ll give you a tour.¡± *** SONATA was relieved after the house tour was over. She actually didn¡¯t expect Diether to be passionate about explaining the story behind the architecture of the mansion. He even shared the history of some of the antique furniture and decorations in the house. And, surprisingly, the commander was very interested in paintings. ¡°Was it boring?¡± Diether asked while the two of them were walking down the hallway leading to their bedroom. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t react much when I was talking about the art pieces that our family owns. To be honest, I thought you were going to tease me.¡± Sonata looked at him curiously. ¡°Tease you for what?¡± ¡°For being so engrossed in art,¡± her husband said, shrugging. ¡°My friends often tell me it doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± She let out an exaggerated gasp. ¡°You have friends?¡± Diether gave her a dire look, as if saying he was already fed up with her antics. But it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t being serious about it. There was a glint of playfulness in his eyes. He just really looked tired because of the dark bags under his eyes. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what you think of me, my legal wife.¡± [¡®My legal wife.¡¯] The way Diether called her his ¡®legal wife¡¯ was fascinating. [It¡¯s like he¡¯s saying I am nothing but his wife only in name.] It wasn¡¯t that hard to see that Diether still held Celeste Hexford in his heart as his one and only ¡®dear¡¯ wife. ¡°I have friends,¡± Diether said softly. ¡°They are mine and Celeste¡¯s friends.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Sonata said, then she teased him again. ¡°I can imagine Lady Celeste dragging you around to make friends.¡± He turned to her with a surprised look on his face. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Pfft. ¡°Because I can¡¯t imagine you going out of your way to make friends,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Lady Celeste must have worked hard to turn you into a decent member of society.¡± Diether smiled softly. ¡°That, she did.¡± Sonata smiled while enjoying the tender look on her husband¡¯s face while talking about his first wife. [He¡¯s probably thinking of Lady Celeste.] ¡°You¡¯re doing it again.¡± Sonata raised an eyebrow at her husband. ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Smiling as if you¡¯re genuinely happy for me.¡± ¡°But I am,¡± she said sincerely. ¡°Happiness is contagious, you know? I like it when people around me are happy because it makes me feel good, too.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re my legal wife,¡± Diether said in a soft and sincere voice. ¡°Thank you for sincerely rooting for my happiness even if it¡¯s with another person, Sonata. I may not be able to make you happy as a woman, but I¡¯ll make sure to give you a comfortable life as my legal wife and the future Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°You make me happy, though?¡± He turned to her with a surprised look on his face. ¡°I do?¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°Your reactions to my teasing are fascinating.¡± He rolled his eyes at her, but a small smile formed on his face. Then he cleared his throat and changed the topic. ¡°Sonata, I really see you as a comrade. Hence, I don¡¯t want to taint our budding friendship by sleeping with you.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that your response to my question earlier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Diether said, nodding. ¡°I know people who don¡¯t have feelings for each other could sleep together. That was how I was conceived.¡± Pfft. ¡°But let¡¯s not do that,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s not sleep with each other for pleasure. And about producing an heir¡­¡± The sudden shift in the air distracted Sonata. ¡°Wait, Diether.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sonata¡¯s golden eyes glowed. ¡°There¡¯s a rat in your house, Commander.¡± Diether looked confused at first, then his sky-blue eyes glowered when he finally noticed the presence lurking around them. ¡°Let me catch it for you, Lady.¡± NAUGHTY PUNISHMENT THE ¡°RAT¡± turned out to be a maid planted by Princess Mikaela to spy on Sonata and Diether. Was Sonata surprised? [No, I¡¯m quite fascinated.] ¡°We caught the maid and locked her up in her quarters,¡± Diether informed her while the two of them were at the rooftop of the mansion¡¯s main building. ¡°Since the maid belongs to Princess Mikaela, we still have to treat her with courtesy.¡± Sonata, sitting on the edge of the railing, pondered for a moment while appreciating the beautiful sight in front of her. [The Hexford Estate is indeed beautiful.] ¡°Can we punish the royal princess¡¯ maid if you can¡¯t even throw her in the dungeon?¡± Sonata wondered out loud. ¡°Is the king a fool for his daughter?¡± In most cases, a princess¡¯ power was attributed to how much the king favored her. ¡°Yes, His Majesty favors the royal princess more than the Crown Prince,¡± Diether confirmed. ¡°His Majesty turned a blind eye when Princess Mikaela bullied Celeste in the past. Instead of keeping a rein on his daughter, the king just asked for my understanding.¡± Pfft. ¡°His Majesty only stopped Princess Mikaela from messing with us when Francine, the Saintess, stepped in,¡± Diether said, his voice more relaxed now. ¡°Celeste and Francine are good friends, after all.¡± ¡°Is the king a devout follower of Goddess Avari?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± her husband replied. ¡°But His Majesty knows that most of the citizens in this kingdom are devoted Avaris.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Right. [People who worship Goddess Avari are called ¡®Avaris.¡¯] ¡°Hence, as much as possible, His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to antagonize the temple and its followers,¡± Diether said. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re not related to the temple, I don¡¯t think His Majesty would take your side even though he seems to be fond of you.¡± ¡°So, are you saying I shouldn¡¯t bully the princess too much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s fascinating,¡± she said, her eyes glowing. ¡°It¡¯s making me want to press the king¡¯s buttons. I wonder how far he¡¯ll go to protect his stupid daughter.¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Diether said loudly, faking his cough. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that in front of other people. You¡¯ll get arrested for insulting the Royal Family.¡± She just laughed. [Things are fun these days.] ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let it slide for now,¡± Sonata said, turning to Diether. ¡°Bring me to the maid¨C I have a job for her~¡± Diether gave her an awkward look. ¡°Now you¡¯re making me nervous.¡± *** ¡°HE RELEASED his hard cock and cradled it with one hand while his other one grabbed her ass to hoist her up¨C which made it easier for her to wrap her legs around his waist, and then he pushed in¨C¡± ¡°AHEM.¡± Sonata stopped reading a passage from the erotic book in her hand because of Diether¡¯s loud fake laugh. ¡°What?¡± she complained to her husband. ¡°You¡¯re disturbing Miss Leslie.¡± She then pointed to Leslie, the spy maid, who was sitting on the chair behind the desk. Sonata was sitting on the edge of the table while Leslie was writing down every word she read from the erotic book she was reading out loud. Every. Vulgar. Word. Leslie¡¯s face was red¨C whether from anger or embarrassment, that Sonata wouldn¡¯t know. ¡°What kind of punishment is this?¡± Diether asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Why are you asking Miss Leslie to write an excerpt from that e-erotic book?¡± Sonata pointed at the letter that Leslie was writing. ¡°That¡¯s the report that Miss Leslie is going to send to Princess Mikaela about our married life, my lord.¡± Leslie dropped the fountain pen with a shocked look on her face. Diether, on the other hand, looked like his eyes would pop out of their sockets. ¡°You¡¯re going to send that vulgar letter to the royal princess?!¡± Sonata tilted her to one side. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Princess Mikaela gets for being too curious about our married life, my dear legal husband.¡± FIRST NIGHT PRANK? [SHE REALLY sent it, huh?] Diether was now convinced¨C Sonata, his legal wife, was crazy. To be honest, she left the study where his crazy legal wife forced¨C er, asked the spy maid to write a long excerpt from an erotic book. After all, it was weird to hear Sonata casually saying vulgar words, especially the private parts of a man. ¡°My lord, may I say something that might sound rude towards the little madam even though it¡¯s a compliment?¡± That was Axel, the vice-commander of their family knights, asked. Diether raised an eyebrow at his childhood friend. ¡°You may. But if I deem it insulting to Sonata, then we¡¯ll come clean to her and apologize.¡± Well, he knew that his childhood friend wasn¡¯t the type of person to badmouth other people. [Axel is the type to insult you straight in your face instead of talking behind your back.] But Diether also knew that Axel was fond of Celeste, so he was being cautious in order to protect his new wife¡¯s dignity. ¡°I swear I mean this in the best way possible, my lord,¡± Axel said, obviously holding back his laughter. ¡°But the little madam definitely has a few loose screws.¡± This time, the knight laughed out loud while clutching his stomach. ¡°She¡¯s so funny!¡± Okay, that wasn¡¯t insulting. Whew. [Even I thought Sonata is crazy.] And, yeah, a little funny. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the little madam really asked the spy to send a vulgar ¡°report¡± to Princess Mikaela!¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Diether told Axel about how Sonata ¡°punished¡± Leslie¨C the spy. [After all, I asked him to see if Leslie really sent the letter to the messenger that Mikaela sent in secret.] ¡°But will the little madam be alright, my lord?¡± ¡°Princess Mikaela won¡¯t be able to complain since she planted a spy in our estate,¡± Diether said confidently. ¡°That¡¯s a bigger crime than Sonata sending her a vulgar letter. We can argue that my legal wife is just playing a silly prank¨C just like how Princess Mikaela claimed that she was just playing a prank on Celeste when she was bullying her before.¡± Axel nodded in agreement. ¡°It seems like the little madam has the power to put Princess Mikaela in her place.¡± He nodded eagerly. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°And you seem very fond of your new ¡°legal wife,¡± my lord.¡± ¡°Right¨C¡± Diether agreed easily before he caught himself. He cleared his throat before correcting his previous statement. ¡°I mean, Sonata and I have mutual respect for each other. Is that wrong?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to sound defensive,¡± Axel said, chuckling. ¡°But is it true that you and the little madam will share a room tonight?¡± Oh, about that¡­ *** ¡°DID YOU just put a dagger under your pillow?¡± Diether asked in disbelief. ¡°Did you insist on spending our ¡°first night¡± together because you¡¯re planning to assassinate me?¡± To be fair, he knew his accusation was ridiculous. But he was so surprised to see Sonata putting a dagger under her pillow as soon as he entered their bedroom that he suddenly uttered nonsense. [Is that one of her ¡°pranks¡± again?] ¡°I have nothing against you, but it won¡¯t hurt for a lady like me to be extra safe,¡± Sonata said, sitting on the edge of the bed while crossing her legs. ¡°And that dagger isn¡¯t only for you. I have plenty of enemies, you know?¡± He already knew that, but he couldn¡¯t answer right away because he was a bit distracted. Sonata was wearing lingerie. Her torso was decently covered, and the dress even had short sleeves. The problem was the length. [Isn¡¯t she showing too much legs when the night is so cold?] ¡°Are you still distracted?¡± Sonata teased him when she caught him staring at her legs a little too long. ¡°I already asked my maids to give me the most modest lingerie they could find.¡± She gave him an ¡°apologetic¡± smile that made it obvious she was making fun of him again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having long, creamy, and shapely legs, my dear legal husband.¡± Diether shut his eyes tight, trying to calm himself down because he knew Sonata just loved pissing him off for fun. But he couldn¡¯t refute what his ¡°dear¡± legal wife had just said. [It¡¯s true that she has long, creamy, and shapely legs after all¡­] Diether must have lost his mind. CONFESSIONS OF A HUSBAND [SO FASCINATING.] Sonata couldn¡¯t help but feel fascinated while watching Diether¡¯s face turn red when he probably realized that he had stared at her bare legs long enough for her to catch him. His reaction was funny. [Which makes me think¡­] ¡°Are you a virgin, my lord?¡± Diether¡¯s face turned red even more, if it was possible. ¡°Why would you ask me something private so casually?¡± ¡°Well, your mother asked me the same question when the Grand Duke first introduced me to her,¡± Sonata said, shrugging. ¡°The Grand Duchess even brought a Mage to inspect my body and make sure I¡¯m still a virgin.¡± He looked shocked hearing that. ¡°My mother did?¡± ¡°You may not know it, but it¡¯s a norm for the lady of the house to check if their future daughter-in-law is still a virgin or not,¡± she explained to her clueless husband. ¡°In most houses, the value of a daughter-in-law depends on her virginity.¡± He frowned. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± ¡°You know what¡¯s worse? They don¡¯t do that to their son or future son-in-law,¡± Sonata said, smiling bitterly. ¡°A woman¡¯s value goes down if she¡¯s no longer a virgin before marrying into the family, but men get to brag about their ¡°conquests¡± before marriage.¡± Diether fell silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what my mother made you go through, Sonata. And I¡¯m sorry for not being there to stop that stupid thing.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Pfft. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°It already happened anyway. Moreover, I know my value, so I won¡¯t let anyone say otherwise.¡± ¡°Good. And I¡¯m still a virgin.¡± Hmm? She really didn¡¯t expect that response. ¡°W-Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Diether asked, obviously flustered. ¡°Do you not believe me? Shall we call a Mage to inspect my body? That would make us even then.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go that far. I believe you since you don¡¯t have any reason to lie to me about that.¡± ¡°Then why the disbelief on your face?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I know you and your first wife were really in love with each other,¡± she explained, kind of feeling awkward. ¡°Hence, I assumed you had consummated your marriage with her.¡± ¡°Celeste said she wouldn¡¯t sleep with a minor.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not that older than you, is she?¡± Diether pouted as if he was sulking. ¡°That¡¯s what I used to tell her. She¡¯s only a year older than me and yet, she treated me like a kid.¡± Hmm. [That¡¯s kind of weird, but since it¡¯s none of my business, I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shut.] ¡°Anyway, can we talk now?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sonata said. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± Much to her shock, her husband suddenly got down on one knee and looked up at her. It wasn¡¯t like he knelt in front of her to worship her or something. He simply bent one knee so that he wouldn¡¯t have to look down at her while talking. Aww. [He¡¯s a gentleman.] ¡°Sonata, I believe my father is going to pass his title to me very soon.¡± ¡°Oh. Congratulations.¡± ¡°As soon as I become the Grand Duke, would you like to leave the capital with me and return to our territory?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be easy for me since my business is here in the capital, but I¡¯m flexible,¡± Sonata said, pausing for a moment before she talked again. ¡°Tell me why we need to return to your territory first. I¡¯ll decide after hearing your reason.¡± ¡°We found a clue to where we could find Celeste,¡± Diether answered nervously, gulping hard. ¡°The clue is in the mountain located in our territory. I wish to go there before I get dispatched, but my father won¡¯t let me return to our territory without you, Sonata.¡± Hmm. [So it¡¯s like that, huh?] SETTING BOUNDARIES WELL, SONATA wouldn¡¯t say that she was surprised. After all, right from the start, she already knew that Diether only married her to receive the Grand Duke title that would allow him to gain more power and influence¨C two things he needed to look for his missing first wife. [I have a lot of work left to do in the capital, but¡­] ¡°Once you become the Grand Duke, then I¡¯ll become the Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Diether said, nodding. ¡°Since you¡¯re my legal wife.¡± ¡°That means I¡¯ll also become the new lady of House Hexford,¡± Sonata said. ¡°And that title comes with responsibilities.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± her husband said, pausing for a moment. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to work for the Grand Duchy if you don¡¯t want to. You can continue doing your own thing. I will not force you to dedicate your life to our people.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m just your contract wife?¡± Diether fell silent for a moment as if he was contemplating whether to speak his mind or not. In the end, he looked her straight in the eye and came clean. ¡°Sonata, I¡¯ll be honest with you. The people working in the territory are the people who served Celeste before. All of them are attached to Celeste, so I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d receive a warm welcome once we get there.¡± Ah, so it was like that. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. [He just wants me to stay put once we get to the territory because the people serving the family will probably give me the cold shoulder.] That was funny. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ll be very disappointed if you don¡¯t have punishments implemented for servants who dare to disrespect their master,¡± Sonata said. She was smiling, but her voice was cold and her golden eyes were glowing menacingly. ¡°I don¡¯t expect your people to treat me like how well they treated your first wife. But if they crossed the line, please remember that you did not marry a saint¨C I will get even no matter how petty it sounds.¡± Yes, she totally ruined the atmosphere, and it was clear on Diether¡¯s face. But she had to set boundaries since she¡¯d be fighting a lonely battle soon. ¡°The people living in the territory aren¡¯t bad people,¡± Diether said carefully. ¡°But you¡¯re right. They must still remember that you¡¯re now the lady of the house. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll receive the courtesy you deserve, Sonata.¡± ¡°Thank you, Diether,¡± she said, then she changed the subject because it looked like she spooked him. ¡°Anyway, are we sharing the same bed?¡± They agreed to spend the night in the same room. But they hadn¡¯t discussed their sleeping arrangement yet. ¡°Of course not,¡± Diether said, standing up while pointing at the study table in the corner of the room. A mountain of paperwork was sitting on the table. ¡°I brought all the administrative work I need to do before I get dispatched. I¡¯m not sleeping tonight.¡± ¡°Aww, poor you.¡± ¡°You should sleep first.¡± ¡°Oh, I definitely will since I¡¯m already sleepy,¡± Sonata said while climbing the bed. Then she buried herself under the warm and soft blanket. ¡°Good night, my night owl legal husband.¡± Diether sighed while shaking his head. ¡°Good night, my sleepyhead legal wife.¡± *** SONATA woke up that morning to a letter¨C that was secretly sent to her¨C that already ruined her entire day. [¡°He¡¯s here.¡±] That was the content of the letter. ¡°So, they found me already,¡± Sonata, now alone in the bedroom, whispered to herself. ¡°Should I run away again?¡± ABOUT THE FIRST WIFE ¡°RUN AWAY where?¡± Hmm? Sonata was surprised when she didn¡¯t even hear and feel Diether enter the room. That didn¡¯t feel great. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hiding my presence,¡± Diether said when he noticed the look on Sonata¡¯s face. ¡°I thought you were sleeping, and I didn¡¯t want to wake you up, so I entered the room while hiding my presence.¡± ¡°You have the potential to become a great assassin,¡± Sonata teased Diether. ¡°You should consider that as a fallback plan in case being the commander of the Avari Holy Knights doesn¡¯t work for you anymore.¡± He scoffed at her suggestion. ¡°Why would I quit my job?¡± ¡°To be honest, being a Holy Knight doesn¡¯t suit you, my dear legal husband.¡± "I get that a lot, so no need for you to add insult to injury," Diether said, then he changed the subject. "Did you say you were going to run away? You know my first wife just vanished one day, don''t you? Are you trying to give me another trauma?" Pfft. "I just wanted to run away from here for a moment to visit the Flower District. The mansion is kind of stuffy, and I miss my friends." "Ah, if that''s the case, then you can just visit them. No need to run away. You have the right to leave the mansion whenever you want." She just laughed, then she stretched her arms while observing her husband. Barely dried hair. A fresh set of clothes. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°You already took a shower?¡± ¡°I did some sword training early in the morning, then took a shower after that,¡± Diether explained, then he looked at her. ¡°You should also prepare to start your day. Father will be here soon. Mother said we¡¯ll all have breakfast together.¡± Right. The Grand Duke wasn¡¯t living with the family. ¡°Why is Father here today?¡± Sonata asked curiously. ¡°I thought Father is only allowed to visit every weekend.¡± ¡°Father is probably here to talk about passing his title to me,¡± Diether said, shrugging. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason why Mother would have breakfast with him.¡± Oh, right. The Grand Duchess hates the Grand Duke. ¡°Knowing Father, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll add several conditions before he lets me take his title,¡± Diether said, sighing as if he was frustrated. Then he looked at her with pleading eyes. ¡°Can you take my side for once, my dear legal wife?¡± Pfft. ¡°I take back what I said last night¨C I think you married a saint, my dear legal husband,¡± Sonata said, laughing while shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m probably the only wife in the world who helps her husband find his first wife.¡± *** ¡°YOUR BROTHER has found your traces here.¡± That officially ruined Sonata¡¯s morning. Of course, she was already informed by her people that ¡°he¡± was here. But hearing the confirmation from the Grand Duke Daniel Hexford¨C Diether¡¯s father¨C sucked big time. ¡°I can hide you from your brother, Sonata.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch, Father?¡± Sonata asked carefully. ¡°You¡¯re not the type to do charities for someone like me.¡± The two of them were free to talk that way because only the two of them were walking to the garden that led to the greenhouse. Their family would be having breakfast there. She volunteered to ¡°fetch¡± the Grand Duke because they needed to have that conversation. ¡°I just need you to stop my son from finding clues about his first wife¡¯s disappearance.¡± Sonata looked at the Grand Duke with knitted eyebrows. ¡°Father, why are you so against Celeste Hexford? I¡¯ve heard nothing but praises about her. Moreover, Diether and the Grand Duchess wouldn¡¯t love her if she was a bad person.¡± ¡°Celeste Montali wasn¡¯t a bad person, but she wasn¡¯t good either,¡± her father-in-law said indifferently. ¡°But, more importantly, that child lied about her identity.¡± So, the Grand Duke was saying Celeste Montali deceived his family? Even so¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Diether and the Grand Duchess about it, Father?¡± Sonata asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t have evidence against Celeste Hexford, do you?¡± Grand Duke Daniel Hexford turned to her. ¡°That¡¯s your job to find evidence for me, my daughter-in-law.¡± Wait, what?