Chapter 3
The Hall of Glory where the banquet was held was enormous. After three months in her post, Chloe was seeing the interior of the Duke of Burkes mansion and the inner castle for the first time.
The opulence of the interior was almost dizzying. Music was playing from various corners where bands were performing, and the place was adorned with electric lights she had only heard of in stories.
‘Are all those sparkling things on the chandelier magical decorations…?’
As if to confirm her thoughts, the hall remained brilliantly lit despite the sun having fully set. They had adorned the hall with those expensive magical decorations.
Everyone knew Ivannes was a wealthy kingdom, but this was an incredible sight. Chloe couldn’t help but sniff her sleeve.
‘I did scrub myself clean.’
Duke Burke, with his obsessive cleanliness, most despised other people’s body odor and hair. To avoid any issues, Chloe had scrubbed herself thoroughly in the Royal Guard’s bathing facilities and washed her hair vigorously. Yet, she couldnt help but feel dwarfed by the pleasant scents around her.
‘Maybe I should have borrowed some perfume from Ezra.’
It was also her first time at an audience. She never expected to meet the king in such a clueless state.
“Has Duke Burke arrived?”
They had reached the audience chamber while she was lost in thought. The chamber was calmer than the banquet hall but felt much more imposing. Servants and a few high-ranking nobles surrounded the king. Even Chloe, a lower noble, recognized most of the key figures.
In the middle, the king raised his hand with a hearty laugh.
Curtis, who had just entered, placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head respectfully.
“Curtis Sean Burke greets Your Majesty.”
Chloe hurriedly knelt on one knee. Second Lieutenant Noel had given her a crash course on royal etiquette before they arrived. Duke Burke, as the king’s brother, didnt need to kneel, but Chloe couldnt afford to skip it.
As soon as they finished their greetings, the king beckoned them.
“Come and look at this.”
Curtiss brow furrowed slightly. In the middle of the audience chamber was a large table with a portrait laid out on it. It was the portrait of a beautiful woman.
‘His matchmaking partner!’
Chloes eyes lit up with interest.
Yes, the woman in the portrait was the one who had caught her cursed superior in a vulnerable moment. Even from a distance, the womans beauty was apparent. The king smiled broadly as he spoke.
“As youve likely heard, Duke Burke, this is Isabella, the Duchess of Glintland, your marriage partner.”
‘What is this? The king seems a bit excited.’
Chloe glanced around surreptitiously.
Of course, anyone would be pleased if their sibling was getting married, but the kings tone was peculiar. It sounded like he was relishing some mischievous plan.
But it wasnt entirely strange. It was widely known that the king harbored a deep resentment towards his half-brother Curtis. Chloe recalled Noels words.
She was starting to understand what he meant by Curtis being caught in a matchmaking trap.
‘Is it normal to announce something like this in front of everyone?’
Moreover, calling her his ‘marriage partner.’
As a lower noble, Chloe had a basic understanding of the marriage procedures for those with titles. The process for nobility marriages was incredibly complex. There would be about thirty rounds of document exchanges to verify mutual benefits.
Especially for someone like Duke Burke, a member of a high-ranking political family, marrying a foreign noble was even more intricate.
If this marriage was truly happening, Chloe, as his aide, should have known about it before the king mentioned it. Not only that, but it would have been front-page news in every Ivannes newspaper.
Yet, she had never heard of Curtis Sean Burke getting married. The closest she had come was Noel mentioning it as a mere possibility today. Unless a prior agreement was in place, even the king couldnt casually refer to someone from Glintland as a ‘marriage partner.’
Then Curtis spoke.
“Why is she my marriage partner? Ive never heard such a thing.”
His response confirmed Chloe’s doubts. But Chloe was startled by something else.
‘Is he really speaking like that in front of the king?’
The king chuckled, seemingly unbothered by Curtiss bluntness.
“Well, Im informing you now. Isabella has been chosen as your partner to strengthen our alliance with Glintland.”
Curtiss eyes narrowed.
“And if I refuse?”
The king’s smile didnt waver.
“You know better than anyone the importance of this union. Its not just a personal matter; its for the kingdom’s benefit.”
Chloe could sense the tension rising. The kings words were a clear reminder of duty over personal preference.
Curtis remained silent for a moment before bowing his head slightly.
“As Your Majesty commands.”
The kings expression softened slightly, satisfied with Curtiss compliance.
“Good. Now, enjoy the banquet. Its in your honor, after all.”
Curtis straightened up and nodded. Chloe, feeling the weight of the situation, followed his lead as they made their way to the banquet hall. The atmosphere was charged with unspoken tensions, and Chloe couldnt shake the feeling that tonight would be pivotal.
Curtiss insolent response made the kings forehead crease deeply.
“Royal marriage news always reaches the person involved last.”
“My surname is Burke, not Ivannes. This doesnt seem like a royal marriage matter to me.”
Several nobles who had been admiring the portrait by the kings side narrowed their eyes and stepped back. It was obvious they wanted to avoid getting caught in the crossfire between these two hot-tempered individuals.
Chloe also wanted to retreat with them, but it was impossible. She was Curtis Sean Burkes aide. If she backed down now, her superior would surely scold her for days, questioning if it was proper for an aide to abandon her post.
So, Chloe stood quietly behind Curtis, enduring the confrontation between the king and her boss. She knew she had to keep her expression neutral, or shed be in serious trouble.
‘I am a stone. I am a stone that hears nothing.’
The conversation between the two, if stripped of its formalities, was essentially this:
– Look at this marriage proposal. Its amazing. Look at this portrait. Incredible, right?
– If its so great, you marry her.
– Im already married. Anyway, shell be at the banquet tonight, so meet her and get married.
– Suddenly? Just like that? No way.
– If I say jump, you jump. You knew this proposal was coming.
– I didnt know.
– I know youre not seeing anyone. Just do it.
– What do you know? And whats with the suddenness? Just because youre the king?
– Yes, because Im the king.
Their dialogue, although delivered in a refined and dignified manner, was akin to a childish argument. For Chloe, who was meeting the king for the first time, it was both surprising and exasperating.
Was this really the kind of conversation to have during an audience?
Is the future of the Ivannes Kingdom okay?
While Chloe worried about the kingdom’s future, she missed noticing something.
But Chloe missed the fact that her immediate future was falling apart.
Meanwhile, the argument continued.
“Apologies, Your Majesty. I have something to say,”Curtis Sean Burke said, glaring.
“Speak.”
To the angry king, Curtis responded.
“I have a woman I promised to marry.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
The king scoffed.
“Did you forget that the crown prince recently got engaged? All eligible noblewomen of Ivannes were reviewed for royal marriage possibilities. If you had a potential spouse, I would have known first.”
“I met her in secret.”
“Duke.”
The king waved a document that looked very familiar to Chloe. That document was…
“This is the Royal Guard duty log. The Duke has diligently been working for the kingdom.”
Oh boy. Chloe almost laughed. The king glared at Duke Burke.
“Leaving late at midnight and returning at dawn every day?”
In summary, the king knew everything and was telling Curtis not to lie. And it was true. Chloe nodded internally.
She, too, had to accompany him during his late departures and early returns. It was a brutally harsh schedule. That duty log probably had Chloes name filled in densely as well.
Furthermore, Chloe wasn’t the only one forced into those late-night shifts.
There were plenty in the Guard who wished hed have a girlfriend and stop working them to death. Chloe had been the most desperate, praying every day and becoming an atheist after being constantly ignored by the gods.
“Earlier, before the formal audience, I met with the Duke of Glintland. When I cautiously mentioned the marriage proposal, Glintland seemed to welcome it.”
This part was quite surprising.
Chloes eyes widened. She didnt know the full details, but Glintland was a weaker nation compared to Ivannes. They couldnt bring a significant dowry, so there was no reason for them to initiate a marriage proposal.
Moreover, it seemed Glintland had come here specifically for the marriage proposal.
Well, if the king hated Duke Burke so much that he wanted to get rid of him by any means, it was understandable. Chloe could fully empathize with that sentiment. Especially since it was Glintland, not another country.
‘But no matter how much he hates him, would he really send a war hero like this?’
As if to answer Chloe’s doubts, the king continued.
“Ivannes is currently in a truce with three kingdoms. When was the last time we had such peace? I think it’s wise to hold Duke Burkes celebration during this peaceful period.”
Even Chloe, from her lowly navy background, could tell this was a load of nonsense.
Who was responsible for securing those truces with the three kingdoms? It was, of course, the Duke Burke standing next to her.
Chloe was about to zone out again. The future of Ivannes… really didnt seem bright.
At that point, Chloe glanced at her superior. On the surface, he appeared expressionless, but after three months of working as his aide, she knew better.
‘He looks really pissed right now…’
However, instead of showing his anger, her superior continued the conversation with a confident demeanor, as if he had a trump card.
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