Chapter 40………………………………………
The social circle was in an uproar.
There was only one reason for it.
It was the grand duke’s wedding.
Whenever people gathered, everyone couldn’t help but talk about the wedding.
“It was really incredible. I’ve never seen such a luxurious wedding before.”
“Me too. The wedding dress was so beautiful… For that moment, I was really envious of the grand duchess.”
“I didn’t realize there was such a skilled wedding planner in the empire.”
Then, a noblewoman quietly spoke up.
“But… if I’m not mistaken…”
Suddenly, the surrounding chatter fell silent.
“I’m pretty sure the Duke of Rothfeldt and the younger duke weren’t there…”
Her softly spoken words made everyone nod and murmur among themselves.
“As you know, the Duke of Rothfeldt didn’t like the grand duchess.”
“That’s true. So maybe he didn’t even know the wedding was held?”
“Well… I heard the Duke of Rothfeldt doesn’t go out unless it’s for work, so there’s no way to know.”
The noblewoman shrugged her shoulders.
Soon, the topic shifted to something else.
As they had expected, the duke hadn’t known the wedding even took place.
He only found out a few days later.
The duke went out for the first time in a while to attend the weekly regular meeting at the imperial palace.
Upon arriving, he greeted familiar faces and took his seat.
Soon after, Jonas entered the meeting room, and the meeting began.
After a lively discussion and as it was concluding, the duke got up to leave for his residence.
But a voice stopped him.
“Duke of Rothfeldt.”
Jonas approached him.
The duke bowed his head.
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
Jonas smiled faintly.
Though the duke felt uneasy and wanted to leave, he couldn’t.
Jonas waited patiently until all the nobles had exited the room before speaking.
Once everyone had left, he finally spoke.
“There was a joyous occasion at your house a few days ago, wasn’t there?”
“…Excuse me?”
The duke frowned at the unclear remark and asked again.
“What do you mean?”
“There was a wedding recently. I wanted to attend since it was my elder brother’s wedding, but I was too busy, so I only sent a gift. Surely… you didn’t know?”
The duke pressed his lips together tightly.
Jonas shrugged after seeing this.
“Well… there’s no reason for me to interfere in your family matters.”
“….”
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
Jonas waved his hand and briskly left the meeting room.
The duke clenched his teeth.
He was extremely embarrassed and ashamed.
Not because he had been indifferent toward Ivelina, but because not inviting his father and thus insulting him was infuriating.
Grinding his teeth, he strode out of the meeting room.
He immediately planned to send a letter to Ivelina upon returning to his residence.
“How dare she ignore me…!”
No wonder he felt other nobles kept glancing at him during the meeting. Now that he understood why, his anger surged.
Knowing that he had become the topic of gossip made him curse under his breath.
Clicking his tongue, the duke headed for his carriage.
To save time, he cut through the courtyard, and in the distance, he spotted a familiar figure.
He immediately shouted in a commanding voice.
“Ivelina!”
Startled, Ivelina, who was standing by the fountain, quickly turned her head.
Her eyes widened to their limit when she saw the duke.
Arsen and Ivelina headed to the capital.
Since they were now married, they had to go to the imperial palace to register their marriage.
After registering, they would pay respects to the emperor, and once the emperor stamped the marriage certificate, they would be legally recognized as husband and wife.
They also decided to have lunch at the most famous restaurant in the capital.
Ivelina wore a light dress with a thick coat over it.
“I’m leaving now, Mother.”
“Be careful.”
Karina carefully fastened her coat.
Seeing them off, Ivelina and Arsen made their way to the temple.
The temple was still empty and cool.
As Ivelina stepped inside, she said,
“I really need to learn how to warp quickly.”
“Warp?”
“Yes. I asked someone to teach me, but they refused, saying it’s too dangerous for beginners.”
Arsen looked at her seriously.
“It must not be dangerous.”
“Eh? Ah, that’s just because I’m a beginner.”
“Even so, don’t attempt anything dangerous. I’d be worried.”
“…Yes.”
Ivelina nodded slightly.
It might have been a little mischievous of her, but she felt happy that he was concerned.
Arsen and Ivelina went to the magic circle.
Light gathered on the circle, and when they opened their eyes, they had arrived at the imperial palace.
Stepping outside, the warm air made them feel hot.
Ivelina fidgeted while removing her coat, and Arsen naturally took it and handed it to a passing maid.
“Take this coat to the Rothfeldt Grand Duke’s carriage.”
“Yes, yes.”
The maid trembled as she took the coat and hurried away, clearly intimidated by his icy voice.
Arsen wiped away the stern expression he had just had and smiled warmly at her.
“This way.”
“Yes.”
Ivelina quickly walked beside Arsen.
Having grown up in the palace, he knew its layout inside and out.
“This way leads to the imperial library.”
“The library? I heard it’s the largest in the empire…”
“Yes, that’s right. To see everything, it would probably take three full days.”
“Really? Wow…”
Ivelina’s eyes sparkled.
Clearing his throat, Arsen subtly said,
“Shall we register the marriage and pay respects to His Majesty before heading to the library?”
“Can we go in anytime?”
“Of course. As long as you have your status badge.”
“Then I want to go.”
Arsen nodded. Seeing her happy made him pleased.
The palace was vast, so they walked a long way.
Inside, they reached a small building.
“This is where we register the marriage.”
The large doors opened smoothly with just a push.
The interior was neither too large nor too small and very quiet.
The sound of heels clicking echoed clearly.
A quill was placed where the marriage certificate was.
Ivelina picked up the quill and wrote her name carefully.
Writing “Rokfelt” instead of “Rothfeldt” felt strange but satisfying.
Arsen quickly wrote his name afterward.
Now it was time to take the certificate to the emperor.
However, ironically, the imperial palace was the farthest point.
To prevent accidents, carriages weren’t allowed inside, so they had no choice but to walk.
“Is it tiring?”
“No. Walking with Arsen feels like a pleasant stroll.”
“That’s good.”
Suddenly, Arsen bowed and kissed her.
Ivelina instinctively stopped walking, and a brief, lingering kiss passed between them.
She quickly looked around after, worried someone might have seen.
Fortunately, no one was around, but she still glared at Arsen.
“Please restrain yourself outside.”
“But it’s hard to hold back.”
“We can do as much as we want when we get back.”
At that, Arsen’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
Though she said it boldly, the embarrassment hit her, and she lowered her head.
Arsen smiled lazily.
“Then, can we spend the next two days together?”
“…!”
Ivelina’s face turned bright red as she hurriedly walked.
Arsen chuckled and followed her.
“Answer me.”
“I-I don’t know.”
She was so embarrassed she could have died.
Arsen seemed unaffected, which made her feel frustrated.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to speak as casually as he did.
As they chatted playfully, they soon arrived at the emperor’s palace.
Ivelina tried to calm her flushed face and stood before the audience hall.
The chief servant waiting ahead spoke.
“Your Majesty, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess have arrived.”
“Let them in.”
Permission came from inside, and the massive doors slowly opened.
Ivelina and Arsen entered, and the doors slammed shut behind them.
Jonas was waiting, smiling broadly.
Ivelina and Arsen greeted him simultaneously.
“We greet the Sun of the Empire.”
Jonas nodded lightly and gestured for them to sit.
Seeing his casual demeanor, Ivelina thought he treated Arsen like family, without formalities.
As they sat opposite Jonas, he spoke.
“First, congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Arsen replied indifferently.
Seeing his unenthusiastic expression, Jonas laughed heartily.
Then he addressed Ivelina.
“I really wanted to attend my brother’s wedding, but I was too busy. I sent a generous gift instead. Did you receive it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. There were so many precious gifts, I was truly surprised.”
She spoke sincerely.
The day after the wedding, Jonas had sent countless gifts through a mage—rare herbs, expensive jewelry, even gold.
Ivelina had been overwhelmed, thinking it was excessive, but Arsen accepted everything without complaint.
She added,
“Thank you for the gifts. I will use them well.”
“Haha, a different attitude from your brother, I like it.”
Arsen glared at Jonas.
But Jonas, used to such looks, naturally averted his gaze and changed the subject.
“Have you registered your marriage?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Before Ivelina could answer, Arsen handed over the marriage certificate.
