Chapter 30
The two people barely holding back their laughter averted their gazes in different directions.
The Tower Master, as always, was spouting the same old spiel he did at every party he attended, practically spraying spit as he spoke.
No one believed a word of it. In fact, no one cared about anything he said—except for the fact that Raven was a bastard child.
“I see.”
Only the newly arrived Grand Duke wore a faintly displeased expression as he listened to the Tower Master’s words. Within five minutes, Elliot had already learned that Raven, one year younger than himself, was a prodigy who had achieved the 6th Circle, excelled at everything, but particularly specialized in magic circle analysis and invention.
“…He’s quite the talent.”
“If the North ever needs him, just say the word. I’ll send him over anytime.”
The Tower Master grinned confidently as Elliot, who let the flurry of information pass through one ear, offered a word of admiration.
“You mentioned you plan to begin training knights in the North soon?”
The Tower Master asked with apparent interest. A faint smile briefly crossed the Grand Duke’s lips.
So the Tower had taken the bait. Evelyn caught the flicker of amusement in his eyes.
“Now that you mention it, Sir Hendrick the younger must also be very interested in training.”
“That’s right. We practice fighting monsters through magical projections, but it’s not the same as real combat.”
Raven responded smoothly, as if he’d been waiting for the question.
“Are there many mages interested in the North?”
At the Grand Duke’s question, the mages’ eyes sparkled.
“If we participate in training, would we be able to receive monster corpses?”
One mage raised a cautious hand and asked.
“We can’t give you everything, but if you catch one yourself, I think we can offer some assistance.”
Oooooh.
A ripple of excitement ran through the mages.
“Then we’d like to participate in the knight training as well.”
“See? Ha ha ha! This just proves that mages are also committed to peace in the North!”
The Tower Master laughed heartily at the enthusiasm of his fellow mages.
Of course, among them were some unhinged mages who wanted to experiment on live monsters, but that was so common no one bothered to mention it.
“This will be fun. Hahaha. It’ll be a great chance to show that mages are no less capable than knights.”
“Perhaps we could even hold a monster hunting competition to measure our skills.”
Elliot, a seasoned hunter, didn’t miss the intriguing suggestion from the Tower Master.
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
A noble, who had looked uneasy ever since the Crown Prince brought up the topic earlier, asked cautiously.
“If the Northern Knights participate, there should be no danger. Besides, we’ll have mages and artifacts—what’s there to fear?”
Another noble, hoping to curry favor with the Grand Duke, spoke while glancing at him.
“The snowy mountains are dangerous, yes, but they’re not exactly uncharted territory either.”
When Evelyn spoke, everyone turned to her.
“I was also able to return safely from the snowy mountains after receiving detailed instructions from the ducal household.”
“So that’s how you discovered the herb, then.”
The noble who had once insulted Evelyn at a previous party and received a glove from the Grand Duke murmured in a rather timid voice.
The duel had been called off thanks to the Grand Duke’s intervention.
“So the snowy mountains aren’t as frightening as people worry. Rather, I think it could be a good opportunity for growth.”
People blinked wide-eyed at her confident voice and smile. They’d thought she would always be timid—who knew she had that kind of presence?
“Shall we take our leave now?”
Count Barrett, listening to the conversations around him, leaned over to the Grand Duke with a troubled look.
“Already?”
“Yes, I’ll handle things here. Ahem, well…”
The Count couldn’t bring himself to say “wedding night,” so he instead glanced up at the ceiling.
He was pointing toward the bedroom.
His eyes brimmed with tears at the thought of sending off his daughter, but it had to be done.
“The stars of the evening–”
“Grand Duke, it’s your wedding night.”
The Tower Master interrupted Elliot mid-sentence and grinned at the newlywed couple.
“Us old folks will amuse ourselves. Off you go.”
“Have a hot night!”
At someone’s teasing shout following the Tower Master’s remark, the nobles burst into mischievous laughter.
“Then we’ll take our leave.”
“So soon?”
The princess nearby asked with a sorrowful expression as Elliot spoke. Evelyn felt uneasy seeing the princess still hadn’t given up.
It almost made her feel guilty—after all, the highest-born lady in the Empire had lost her chance with the Grand Duke because of her sudden appearance.
The princess, with her radiant imperial blond hair and golden eyes like molten gold, was certainly lovely.
Of course, behind that sweet appearance lurked something slightly intimidating.
“As others have said, it wouldn’t be proper for a newlywed couple to linger too long at the banquet.”
Elliot replied coolly, taking Evelyn’s arm.
“Then may I escort Your Highness?”
Lionel, sensing the situation, quickly stepped in and extended a polite hand to the princess.
How dare he offer me his arm?
Princess Isabel barely managed to suppress her frown at the outstretched hand. Since he was the bride’s family, it wasn’t improper for him to escort a guest.
But the fact that he had stepped in right when she had been about to approach the Grand Duke annoyed her.
Everyone knew she had feelings for the Grand Duke…
…Ah, maybe this one doesn’t know.
The princess looked at Lionel with new eyes. He had a gentle, soft appearance, quite like Lady Evelyn.
His eyes held a lively warmth uncharacteristic of someone who had been bedridden for so long.
And he was tall and handsome, no less than the Grand Duke himself.
Still dissatisfied, Isabel reluctantly reached out her hand.
“Then I’ll leave it to you for a while.”
Princess Isabel decided she would use this opportunity to observe the bride and figure out why the Grand Duke had chosen her.
Clink.
Elliot accepted a glass from a passing attendant and gently raised it.
“Thank you all for coming to our wedding. It is an honor to be married surrounded by your blessings. Please enjoy the rest of the evening. Gifts will be delivered to your respective houses.”
Once the Grand Duke finished, thunderous applause filled the room. A marriage involving such a high-ranking noble was a celebration, after all.
Choosing Lady Barrett may have been surprising, but no one opposed the idea of him securing a successor to protect the North.
Amid the cheers and applause, Evelyn left the banquet hall with the Grand Duke.
“Are you tired?”
“I’m fine with just this.”
As they walked toward the bedroom, Evelyn glanced at him, carefully gauging his mood. The Grand Duke seemed perfectly fine.
Are we really going to the bridal chamber now? Evelyn’s eyes darted as she walked.
They hadn’t included anything about heirs in the contract, so she didn’t know what to do.
It was their wedding night, but they weren’t an ordinary couple—could they sleep separately? Her steps slowed as they neared the bedroom.
“Evelyn?”
“Do we… have to share a room?”
At her hesitant voice, Elliot turned to look at her.
“If we don’t, people will assume we’re already having marital problems.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa, so don’t worry.”
He volunteered for the sofa. But how could she let a Grand Duke sleep there?
“N-no. I’ll sleep on the sofa. How could I let you–”
“Evelyn.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Startled, Evelyn trailed off at his low voice.
“How long are you going to keep calling me ‘Your Grace’ so stiffly?”
“Um… forever?”
“To fool our enemies, we must first fool our allies, don’t you think?”
What did that have to do with how she addressed him?
“Please call me by my name. You need to fully play the role of a beloved wife.”
She understood she had to appear like a completely different person to escape the curse.
But what he was asking felt too cheesy, too embarrassing. Evelyn was doing her best—what more could she do?
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Cling to me. Act however you like.”
“I’m a bit too old to act cutesy.”
“There’s no age limit for love, they say.”
Even Elliot was slightly stunned by his own words. He hadn’t expected the flamboyant advice from Raine about winning a woman’s heart to come so naturally out of his own mouth.
