Chapter 24

Baron Weger left the spot almost instantly. Rickman clicked his tongue as he watched the man hurry away.

The Baron might have been competent, but he was severely lacking in grace. Rickman decided to remind him of that next time they met, then turned around to find someone else to talk to.

Just then, the crowd at the entrance began to shift and part like the sea before a miracle.

Even Rickman, who had never bowed to anyone in his life, instinctively stepped aside at the sight.

And then he froze.

He could not believe what he was seeing.

Two figures walked in through the open path, their presence commanding every gaze in the ballroom.

“…Agnes?”

The woman was unmistakably her, but not the Agnes he once knew.

She had always been beautiful. Her beauty was never only in her looks but in the calmness she carried, something that soothed and yet tormented those near her.

She was still the same now, but something about her had changed.

Her golden eyes, once cast downward, now faced forward. The light from the chandeliers struck them directly, making them shine more brilliantly than ever.

Her dress was simple, adorned with only a few clear gemstones. It covered her from neck to toe, yet instead of seeming constricting, she looked pure, almost ethereal, like an angel descended to earth. Even her silver hair shimmered like a gem under the light.

Rickman had to admit, unwillingly, that the extravagant gowns he had once forced her to wear had dulled her beauty.

“Your Grace, Duke of Vasteron! You finally grace this old woman’s party with your presence!”

Only when Marchioness Norris called out cheerfully did Rickman realize who was standing beside Agnes.

The man said to drink human blood. The Emperor’s younger brother, once considered a possible heir to the throne.

A man who carried two names that could never coexist, Dylan Harkvitz.

He stood beside Agnes as her escort, dressed in a black suit embroidered with silver thread and a silver brooch, the design complementing Agnes’s white gown as if they were made for each other.

Rickman had seen Dylan before. At the time, the man had seemed eerie, his blue eyes carrying a faint red glint that left an unpleasant impression. His skin had been pale and his demeanor cold.

But tonight, not a single person in the hall saw him that way.

Perhaps because of his height, his every movement radiated elegance, and his face, so perfectly sculpted, seemed to glow with life.

When Dylan smiled politely at the Marchioness, all the women in the room flushed and hid their faces behind their fans.

“Ah, Your Grace, do not smile at this old woman like that. I might fall for you myself.”

“That would be a problem. I already have someone by my side.”

He pulled Agnes closer with an easy grace. It looked like casual affection, yet also like a gentleman’s introduction to the woman he cherished.

Marchioness Norris’s mischievous eyes glittered as she studied Agnes.

“So this is the lady I’ve heard about.”

Covering her mouth with a fan, she let out a laugh before turning to the noblewomen nearby, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“I was told His Grace fell so deeply in love that he begged to be married immediately. His Majesty the Emperor himself came to me lamenting about it!”

“Please, do not tease me. It’s embarrassing.”

“I was quite upset, you know, when I heard the engagement was arranged without me. But seeing her now, I understand why you were so impatient. It has been a long time since I’ve seen such a beautiful young lady.”

“Indeed, you are absolutely right.”

Thanks to Dylan’s calm and pleasant replies, the atmosphere in the hall grew warm and lively. Agnes, standing beside him, smiled shyly and leaned lightly against his shoulder.

The lively scene contrasted sharply with Rickman’s frozen expression.

Engaged?

He had never heard of such a thing.

And Agnes… no, that could not be true.

He remembered it clearly. When he handed her the marriage registration, she had looked offended at first but soon accepted it.

He knew he had humiliated her, but he believed she would eventually yield, and she had. He had seen her golden eyes, calm as always, and had not doubted her for a second.

And yet now she was engaged?

How could that be?

Rickman slowly scanned the ballroom. Others seemed equally confused, their eyes darting and whispering among themselves.

But then—

“Your Grace, you wouldn’t dream of holding the wedding without me, would you? I would be terribly disappointed if you did.”

At the Marchioness’s words, the entire atmosphere shifted.

Everyone knew what that meant.

Royal weddings were held twice.

The first ceremony was grand and open to all, even commoners on the street could attend. The second was private, attended only by the most noble figures of the Empire and their closest circles.

Every noble dreamed of being invited to that second ceremony at least once in their lifetime.

“Your Grace, have you already chosen the guest list?”

Marchioness Norris voiced what everyone else was thinking.

“Not yet. But of course, you will be among the first invited, Marchioness. Isn’t that right, Agnes?”

With a faint smile, Dylan gently took Agnes’s hand in his.

And in that instant, the center of the ballroom’s attention became her.

* * *

The engagement everyone was now gossiping about had actually taken place just the previous week.

It had been held in secret and was surprisingly small for a royal engagement, with only six attendees.

But since those six were the Emperor, the Princess, the Duke who was the groom, the Crown Prince, and the High Priest, no one could dare call it a modest affair.

Even someone as graceful as Agnes found it hard to stay composed in such a setting.

When she entered the engagement hall, her nervousness was palpable. The person who helped her relax was Princess Serene Harkvitz, whom she met for the first time that day.

Serene was the late Emperor’s daughter. She had never married and had refused any noble title, remaining a princess by choice.

Like her brothers, she had sleek black hair, but unlike them, her fair cheeks were tinted with a rosy blush that gave her a lovely charm.

She was not the commanding or elegant type like the Emperor or Dylan, but rather open-hearted and cheerful. Though every movement she made carried royal refinement, she never bothered to hide her lively nature.

“My goodness, isn’t my brother and His Majesty being far too indifferent? To hold an engagement so small!”

“The wedding is not far away, so I didn’t mind keeping this simple. It’s already an honor to have such noble people attending.”

Agnes replied politely, but Serene laughed, covering her mouth in amusement.

“Honestly, how did Dylan find someone so much like himself? You could take my place as princess, you know.”

“That is far too kind of you to say.”

Agnes flustered at her teasing, which only made Serene laugh harder. The princess hooked her arm through Agnes’s affectionately.

“That’s enough, I like you already. I may have rejected every suitor the Empire’s thrown at me, but I’m truly grateful to you, my future sister-in-law, for taking my hopeless brother off my hands.”

Still holding onto Agnes’s arm, Serene lifted her skirt slightly with one hand in a mock curtsey.

Agnes had already heard the rumors. The tale of Princess Serene rejecting every marriage proposal was one of the Empire’s most beloved pieces of gossip.

She was not only a royal of marriageable age but also a woman of rare beauty.

Beyond that, she was learned in both the arts and the sciences, charming anyone who had the privilege to speak with her. It was no surprise that proposals flooded in every day.

To be fair, Serene gave each suitor an equal chance through a lottery.

Once a day, regardless of birth or wealth, a man could draw a lot, and whoever won would be granted a conversation with her.

Even then, they sat so far apart that only her voice could be heard faintly, but still, men lined up daily for the chance.

“Your Highness possesses both beauty and intelligence. It is only natural that finding someone worthy would be difficult.”

“Oh, but my brother and the Emperor both claim I’m just too immature to marry.”