—
In the vast, empty royal dining hall, at a massive table that could easily seat at least ten people, Will and Treya sat at one of the corners—because only this way could they sit closest to each other.
Will glanced at the lavish breakfast spread before him—
A rich, aromatic cheesecake.
Freshly stead milk.
Perfectly seared, fragrant bacon.
...
The table was filled from one end to the other with an endless array of options.
But Will wasn’t surprised by such a breakfast. Ever since he had been brought into the royal family, this was the kind of perfect breakfast he enjoyed every single day.
This was the privilege of being part of the Entark royal family. Every dish served at breakfast was prepared to et the highest royal standards.
In the royal family, breakfast was just one of the many luxuries you could enjoy. There were also the softest beds, the most beautiful rooms, and a team of professional servants at your service.
But compared to the “material wealth” he had gained through this marriage alliance...
He turned his gaze to Treya beside him.
Having such a fiancée was what “should” truly make soone happy.
As his eyes shifted toward her, Treya gracefully picked up her cup of coffee. She first brought it to her nose to take in its rich aroma before carefully sipping from it.
She carried herself with the poise of a future “Empress,” embodying the royal etiquette instilled in her by the Entark family—even when she was alone. And yet...
When she noticed Will’s gaze on her, her half-elf ears turned slightly red.
“You’re... staring at ?”
And there it was—the youthful shyness of a girl her age.
Even after years of being together as “an old married couple,” she could still blush under his gaze.
“Yes. Treya, you look as captivating as ever today,” Will said naturally, complinting her without hesitation.
For him, gazing at his fiancée and showering her with sincere and heartfelt complints was sothing he did “every day.”
After all, as the young master of the Hysterm family, he was known for his silver tongue and charming banter—traits he used to win people over effortlessly.
And besides, wasn’t he just speaking his honest thoughts?
But...
Will noticed sothing in Treya’s expression beyond her usual shyness. There was a hint of sothing more complex.
It was as if she were “admiring” his reaction and expression—like an artist taking pride in their masterpiece.
And why did it feel like she found his daily complints “refreshing,” as though they were new to her?
Still, there was no doubt about one thing:
Beneath that complexity lay genuine happiness—a pure joy radiating from deep within her heart.
“...Alright, alright,” she said with a soft laugh.
“Next ti... say things like that when it’s just the two of us. This room is so big and empty, and there are so many people listening...”
Treya picked up a piece of cake from her plate and fed it directly to Will.
“Then maybe you should stop feeding in front of everyone,” Will teased as he took a bite.
“This ti, it’s to shut you up,” she retorted playfully.
Will chewed and swallowed the cake. He always felt a bit self-conscious about his less-than-perfect table manners, but...
It didn’t matter. The world’s most adorable Princess Treya didn’t seem to mind.
“So, Miss Treya~ What’s on our agenda for today?” Will asked with a grin.
“Today is an important day, Will. Don’t tell ... you’ve forgotten?” Treya replied with a slight tilt of her head.
“An important day... I...” Will began, only to pause as mories slowly surfaced from the depths of his mind.
Among them was the mory of Emperor Edward passing away about seven days ago. On his deathbed, he had nad Treya as his successor.
Treya had worn a black mourning dress and, under the gentle autumn rain, perford her final duty as “Princess Treya” by organizing and presiding over her father’s funeral. She had ensured he was laid to rest peacefully in Entark’s royal cetery.
Afterward, she had thrown herself into preparations for her coronation ceremony—the Entark royal family placed great emphasis on formality, so there was much to prepare.
Of course!
The lingering effects of that dream before waking up must have clouded his thoughts. How could he have forgotten such significant events?
This was arguably one of the most important monts in Entark’s recent history.
Having lost the father who had cared for her for so many years, Treya had been deeply saddened for quite so ti. That must have been why she had invited him to stay in the palace—to keep her company during this difficult period.
But...
Sothing felt strange.
As Treya’s “fiancé” in na, shouldn’t he have participated in these events? Why did it feel like his mories contained no trace of him doing anything?
It was as if...
He hadn’t done anything at all.
Though he was indeed a pampered young master dependent on the royal family, doing absolutely nothing still seed odd.
Before he could dwell on it further, Treya interrupted his thoughts:
“What is it? If you rember, say it. Otherwise... I’ll get mad.”
Treya pouted slightly—a gesture that seed more like playful teasing than genuine anger. She didn’t act like soone about to be crowned Empress; instead, she acted like a girl playfully sulking at her lover.
“It’s your coronation ceremony, right?” Will said confidently.
“Yes. But I thought you’d rember sothing else,” Treya replied with a sly smile.
“Sothing else?”
“At the coronation ceremony, there’s another very important announcent to be made.”
“What announcent?” Will asked curiously.
Treya leaned closer, brushing his hair aside before whispering softly into his ear:
“I’m going to officially announce our engagent—and set the date for our wedding.”
“!!!”
Will’s eyes widened in shock.
When the Hysterm family and the royal family had arranged their marriage alliance, sothing had delayed the announcent—so political matter that soone like him didn’t need to concern himself with. As a result, their engagent ceremony and public announcent had been postponed indefinitely.
Will had assud Treya would skip over this step entirely and simply announce their marriage when the ti ca.
After all...
To the public, it was already “common knowledge” that he and Treya were very close.
“This... is this timing okay? Your father only just...” Will hesitated.
“That’s precisely why,” Treya said softly, lowering her silver lashes as her pale blue eyes gazed down at the table.
“Right now, the Entark royal family needs trust more than ever. Announcing a marriage alliance with the Hysterm family—the most reliable connection to dungeons and the Adventurer’s Guild—will reassure people about as their new ruler.”
Will looked at Treya closely and saw that she was still the sa young princess at heart. Though she had done everything perfectly and handled matters impeccably, she couldn’t help but feel nervous—couldn’t help but doubt her own abilities in monts like these.
This was a mont where...
Perhaps he could be of so use to her.
In “his mories,” he seed to be nothing more than a pampered young master cherished by Treya—just as he was within the Hysterm family.
But now...
As her future “husband,” it was only right for him to ease so of her worries...
“Alright.”
Will reached out and placed his hand gently over hers.
Her hand felt cold against his touch, but that didn’t matter—he was already used to her temperature.
He leaned forward until their foreheads touched lightly.
Her forehead felt cool against his skin, but all Will felt was warmth radiating from within her presence.
“It’ll be okay. You won’t have to face this alone—I’ll be by your side. I may not be great with words, but... if I’m here with you, everything will turn out fine. Right?”
“......”
Treya didn’t respond imdiately like she usually would when they bantered as familiar lovers who knew each other well.
Instead...
She let out a soft chuckle.
“...Even after all this ti, you’re still just like before, Professor Will.”
“Hm? Treya, what did you just say?”
“Nothing.”
Taking advantage of their closeness, Treya lowered her head slightly and nuzzled into his chest affectionately.
And then...
In an unexpectedly mischievous yet intimate gesture, she stuck out her tongue and gave his neck a playful bite—not too hard but enough to leave an impression.
It tickled.
Will could feel Treya’s lips brushing against his collarbone—soft yet firm—with just a hint of wetness from her tongue as it grazed his skin lightly.
Her lips pressed against his skin left behind a very noticeable red mark—a hickey that stood out prominently on his neck.
“Ugh... Mm...”
Without question, this sudden act of intimacy left an unmistakable mark on him. Glancing down at it instinctively, Will raised a hand to cover it self-consciously.
Oh no—wasn’t this reaction a bit too bashful even for him?
Still...
He couldn’t help but feel happy about it.
If Treya was willing to do sothing like this, it probably ant she was in an excellent mood right now.
“T-Treya... next ti you do sothing like this... consider that I... I have to et people with you this afternoon,” Will stamred awkwardly.
“It’s fine. This way, everyone will know who you belong to. Right?” she replied with a teasing smile.
—What kind of domineering Empress line is that?
—That doesn’t sound like sothing Treya would say at all.
Will couldn’t help but ntally comnt on her words.
Wait...
That phrasing felt odd sohow? Why would he use such a description?
Wasn’t Treya supposed to be exactly this kind of person?
In this warm and sunny royal palace—where she stood as his strong yet dependable princess and future Empress—she had always been soone he could rely on completely.
They had been together like this for so many years; he should be used to it by now.
“What’s wrong? Why are you staring at again? You should go change your clothes,” Treya said casually as she reached out to undo Will’s collar—the one he had just adjusted—and left it open deliberately. She even smoothed it down on one side to reveal the hickey she had left behind earlier.
“Don’t wear that outfit anymore. Change into a new formal suit. There’ll definitely be reporters taking pictures today—you should leave them with a good impression.”
“So... dear Treya, what would you like to wear?” Will asked playfully.
“......”
Treya paused for a mont as if making an important decision before finally replying:
“A black suit... just like what you wore when we first t.”
Her answer ca with deliberate weight behind it—serious and thoughtful.
Will wasn’t surprised by her choice; he was only puzzled by why she had taken so long to decide on sothing so simple.
“Just as I thought.”
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