Chapter 9
Aileen had expected something like this to happen — and she knew it would happen again in the future.
She had even wondered what she would do when such a moment came. But now that she was actually facing it, she felt surprisingly calm.
It was so predictable that it almost made her laugh.
She smiled faintly, curling the corner of her lips upward.
Truthfully, there wasn’t much she could do in this situation. She didn’t have power, after all.
But she knew what the others wanted — they wanted her to shrink back, to look ashamed of herself. And the best way to defy that expectation was simple:
“Let’s stop talking business now, shall we?”
To stand tall and confident, no matter what.
At her sudden interruption, both Marquis Payne and Richard turned to look at her.
The marquis’s eyebrows twitched in irritation, clearly displeased that she had cut into the conversation.
“We were in the middle of discussing future trade with His Grace,” he said stiffly.
Aileen smiled politely. “Business can wait for another day, don’t you think? But our wedding is only today. Isn’t that right, Richard?”
She deliberately emphasized his name.
The surrounding nobles stirred — none of them had expected her to address the Second Prince by name so casually.
But what shocked them even more was Richard’s response.
“She’s right. This isn’t the right setting for business talk. Let’s continue this discussion another time.”
The Second Prince had sided with her.
The crowd began whispering in disbelief. Marquis Payne’s face stiffened, and he barely managed to move his lips.
“…It seems I was being thoughtless. I wish you both an enjoyable evening.”
He left quickly, disappearing into the crowd with stiff shoulders — practically fleeing.
The guests exchanged uneasy looks, the air momentarily tense and awkward.
But as the hosts and the stars of this reception, Aileen and Richard had a duty to lift the mood again.
Aileen met Richard’s gaze. He seemed to understand her immediately.
Without hesitation, she acted.
Clap, clap!
Two crisp claps echoed through the hall, drawing every eye toward her. Her heart pounded, but she kept her expression bright and composed.
“Everyone,” she began with a warm smile, “I think now would be a good time for us to offer our small token of appreciation. Richard and I have prepared a few gifts as thanks for your presence today.”
At her signal, maids waiting at the side of the hall stepped forward, carrying neatly wrapped small boxes. They began distributing them among the guests.
But the nobles who received them looked unimpressed.
Traditionally, wedding favors were the bride’s responsibility, but since Aileen was from a ruined noble family, no one expected much.
They probably assumed the gifts would be something simple and cheap.
Aileen, still smiling gracefully, said nothing. She simply waited.
Then, one of the guests opened his box — and gasped loudly.
“H–Hah!”
Everyone turned toward him, wondering what had caused such a reaction.
Ignoring their stares, he could only gape at the item in his hands.
“This… this is—!”
Inside the box was a brooch. The frame was pure gold — but what really caught everyone’s attention was the jewel set at its center.
A brilliant violet stone, shining with a light that almost felt alive.
Even those unfamiliar with magic stones could tell when one was extraordinary.
This one clearly was.
A top-grade magic stone.
Soon, others hurried to open their own boxes — and gasps spread through the room. Every single one of them contained the same thing: a brooch adorned with a flawless, high-grade violet magic stone.
As they stared, stunned, Aileen’s calm, cheerful voice filled the air.
“I hope you all like them. They were specially prepared by me.”
A few nobles looked at her, pale-faced.
At most weddings, gifts were modest — a candle, a bit of tea, or some sweets. But this?
Each favor was worth a fortune.
They knew it was meant to make a statement — and it worked.
The brilliance of those stones was impossible to ignore. The guests might not have wanted to acknowledge her, but they couldn’t deny it anymore:
When it came to skill, Aileen’s talent was real.
****
After that, the atmosphere of the reception changed completely.
People who had sneered at her before were now praising her gifts with admiration.
Some whispered that the Duke’s household must have secretly helped, but those voices were drowned out by louder compliments for Aileen.
It was shallow, yes — but for Aileen, it was enough.
The more people who tried to win her favor now, the better. She needed allies for the future of the Walker family.
“Your brooches are so beautiful, Duchess. What made you think of giving such precious gifts? They must have been terribly expensive,” one young lady said, feigning concern while clearly fishing for information.
Others leaned closer, curious to hear Aileen’s answer.
Aileen smiled softly, replying with the line she had prepared.
“I’m glad everyone likes them. This is one of the happiest days of my life, and since you all came to celebrate it with us, I didn’t want to send you home with anything ordinary. So, yes — I put in a little extra effort.”
“Oh my, how generous you are,” someone said, their tone softening.
The crowd’s expressions warmed — though a few still looked unsatisfied, wishing she’d revealed where she’d gotten those stones.
They didn’t know that Aileen herself was the creator of those top-grade magic stones.
But she had no intention of revealing it. Her power only worked when Richard was nearby — and after their one-year contract ended, she would lose that connection.
If she boasted about it now, it would only backfire later when she could no longer produce them.
Better to stay quiet.
While she was lost in thought, Richard’s gaze flicked toward her.
In truth, he hadn’t planned any of this either. The original plan had been for a modest ceremony, nothing more.
But when he saw how nervous she’d been, he changed the plan slightly.
It had been his idea to use top-grade magic stones for the gifts.
He wasn’t even sure why he’d done it — until he realized the reason.
He didn’t want her to make a mistake out of fear and cause him any trouble.
Richard’s goal had always been to lower his public image without creating real harm. So this was just a precaution.
He hadn’t imagined that the result would actually raise their reputation — especially Aileen’s.
Still, he told himself, it wasn’t a bad outcome. After all, it benefited her too.
While both were lost in their own thoughts, someone approached them.
They only noticed when a calm but commanding voice spoke right in front of them.
“Congratulations, Richard.”
Aileen turned her head — and froze when she met eyes identical to Richard’s.
Golden eyes.
“…And congratulations to the bride as well.”
“Thank you, Your Highness the First Prince,” Aileen said politely, forcing a calm smile.
The First Prince, Abellio, smiled in return. It was a smile much like Richard’s — though broader, more confident.
A moment later, another man joined them — a young noble with dark red hair and the same golden eyes. He nodded briefly.
“Congratulations, Richard.”
As the three princes of the empire stood together, the noise around them faded into silence.
Aileen, standing among them, felt her breath catch.
The Kainz Empire had three princes:
— The First Prince, Abellio
— The Second Prince, Richard
— And the Third Prince, Ludwig.
In this empire, the title of Crown Prince wasn’t given by birth order. It went to the one most worthy to rule.
To test their abilities, the Emperor had given each prince his own territory to govern.
But almost everyone believed the First Prince, Abellio, would become the Crown Prince.
After all, Richard had stepped away from the struggle for the throne and accepted the title of Duke of Olden. And the Third Prince, Ludwig, was rarely even mentioned — born of a concubine, not the Empress.
So while all three technically governed their own lands, most nobles assumed that Abellio would inevitably succeed the throne.
Of course, there were still a few factions who supported Richard or Ludwig, but they were small and scattered.
Even though Richard had withdrawn from the power struggle, both Abellio and Ludwig were still people Aileen had to be cautious of — especially Abellio.
If he ever saw her as a threat, things could become dangerous.
So Aileen smiled brightly, projecting harmlessness.
Abellio’s golden eyes gleamed. “You’ve found yourself a beautiful bride, Richard. I didn’t even know it had happened until now.”
There was a chill behind his words, and Aileen felt it instantly.
Richard, however, kept smiling. “It hasn’t been long since we met, so I can understand that, Brother. But thank you for coming — I hope the trip wasn’t too troublesome for you or Ludwig.”
Abellio shrugged casually. “Even if it was, I couldn’t miss my only brother’s wedding, could I?”
“Then next time you visit, I’ll make sure the roads are smoother for you,” Richard replied smoothly.
Abellio laughed lightly. “I was joking, but you took it seriously — now I feel awkward.”
As the two brothers exchanged light banter, Aileen found herself glancing toward Ludwig.
Unlike Abellio, who was open and confident, Ludwig stood quietly, eyes downcast, his expression unreadable.
He looked… lonely.
But before she could think further, Abellio’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“By the way, Richard — I heard the merchant guild that used to supply Olden House with top-grade magic stones has cut ties. What happened with that?”
He glanced meaningfully at the brooch on Richard’s chest.
“From the looks of it, you’ve already found a new supplier…”
Aileen’s fingers curled slightly.
She had already warned Richard not to mention her involvement, but she didn’t know what he would say — especially to the First Prince.
He met her eyes briefly, then turned back to Abellio with a calm smile.
“Yes, as you guessed, I found a new supplier.”
“Oh? And who might that be?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say, Brother,” Richard replied pleasantly. “We’re trading directly, without going through intermediaries — and my business partner asked me to keep their identity private.”
He smiled lightly, adding,
“I trust my generous brother will understand.”
For a long moment, Abellio’s sharp golden eyes narrowed. Then, he gave a quiet chuckle.
“How unfortunate.”
Aileen exhaled softly in relief.
Thank goodness he didn’t press further. If he’d insisted, things could’ve turned ugly.
But before she could relax completely, Abellio spoke again — his tone casual, yet pointed.
“Still, I can’t help but wonder… why did the previous supplier cut off their contract in the first place?”
