Political Marriage (1)

## 2. Political Marriage (1)

“Do you swear before the holy cross to speak only the truth, without a hint of falsehood?”

“I swear.”

The wedding ceremony ended with an oath taken barefoot.

It signified appearing as a humble servant before God.

“I ask you, Miraine Laster. Do you swear to trust your spouse and always be honest as a married couple?”

“I swear.”

The first was an oath of faith.

“I ask you, Miraine Laster. Do you swear to devote yourself to your spouse and not commit adultery as a married couple?”

“I swear.”

The second was an oath of chastity.

“I ask you, Miraine Laster. Do you swear to love your spouse and cherish them as your own life as a married couple?”

The last was an oath of love.

The young man in a blue knight’s uniform standing before the bride hesitated for a moment.

A handsome youth with soft light brown hair and warm green eyes. The knight’s uniform with sharp insignia was his proud past, revealing his former position.

The brown-haired youth was Miraine.

And the man standing beside him glanced at him. Miraine snapped out of it at that gaze and opened his mouth.

“I swear.”

The bride nodded slightly and turned her head to look at the man. Her gentle voice echoed softly through the cathedral.

“Do you swear before the holy cross to speak only the truth, without a hint of falsehood?”

The answer came from beside Miraine.

“I swear.”

At that moment, Miraine was thinking an odd thought.

‘Ink smell.’

The bishop continued.

“I ask you, Kastell von Valenstein. Do you swear to trust your spouse and always be honest as a married couple?”

The Grand Duke slowly parted his lips.

“I swear.”

* * *

The Oberth Empire was located at the northernmost part of the continent, and Wicker territory was situated in the north of Oberth.

The territory’s area was nearly a third of the empire. However, most of the land was harsh terrain impossible to cultivate, and they were attacked by monsters coming down from the Kirgis Mountains, so there weren’t many habitable areas for humans.

‘A winter at the north of the northern lands.’

Clatter. Clatter.

The carriage was passing across a frozen plain.

A violet carriage pulled by four white horses, and a procession escorting it. The brown-haired youth, whose hair lightly covered his nape, silently looked out the carriage window. The youth’s face, glimpsed briefly, was quite handsome, not flashy but likeable.

The youth was gazing at the vast plain with no obstacles blocking the view, unlike the city.

His soft emerald eyes, looking at the end of that plain, shone beautifully.

Former Third Knight Commander of the Empire, Miraine Laster.

The future Grand Duchess consort of Valenstein.

And currently, a lonely knight wandering between future and past.

The youth was recalling the past.

‘…a spy.’

And a shadow fell over Miraine’s face, caught in his thoughts. The last words Count Laster had spat at his departing son crossed his mind.

―I trust you will do your job well, just as you did in the capital. Miraine.

―Father.

To Miraine, who answered in surprise, the Count finally spat out a vicious remark.

―Keep a close watch on the Grand Duke. Miraine Laster. Remember this. Even if your surname becomes Valenstein, you are still my son.

Thus, the Count spat those terrible words at his departing son until the end. That was the bond of blood between Miraine and the Count.

Miraine kept a long silence, staring out the window. The sky was a dawn purple, and the line touching the ice-covered plain was clear. As a blue stream rippled across the sky, Miraine’s eyes widened and he muttered.

“What’s that?”

In his view was the sky. Countless stars gathered together in the sky, forming a stream. White flames like a comet shooting upward in the dark night sky. And the moment he saw the shimmering light covering him like a curtain, Miraine felt a majestic emotion spreading in his chest and groaned.

The knight escorting beside the carriage leaned and said.

“It’s an aurora.”

Stardust sparkled in his vision. Beautiful flames adorning the winter night shone brilliantly, and Miraine let out a low sigh, staring at it with a lost expression.

‘The land of Wicker.’

In the majestic purple sky, wandering stars and a canopy covering him.

Miraine, overwhelmed by the spectacle nature created, couldn’t take his eyes off the sky. With flushed cheeks and bright eyes, he looked at the night sky. Until the day before entering Wicker Castle, he silently stared at the sky, staying up all night thinking.

As if Wicker was welcoming him.

* * *

The carriage arrived at the Grand Duke’s mansion only after one full moon.

Miraine had many thoughts inside the carriage, and agonized over his father’s remarks. Miraine and a spy—words that were far too incongruous. It was something everyone in the capital would laugh at. He knew nothing about deceiving people with dishonest deeds. The dirty affairs of politics were far from Miraine.

But Miraine knew his father, and he knew the authority of his commands. And how ruthless he could be.

Having lived under an authoritarian father for over twenty years, the son habitually obeyed his words. It was learned submission, close to resignation.

Thus, with a wavering heart that could neither do this nor that, Miraine kept a solemn expression in the carriage heading to Wicker. The troubled youth looked at Wicker Castle with a dark face. He was now approaching the mansion. To be precise, crossing a bridge.

‘This is Valenstein Castle…’

A strange light shimmered in his light green eyes looking out the window. Looking at Wicker’s pointed spires and the grand bridge connecting walls, Miraine swallowed his surprise. He hadn’t expected flashy architecture like in the capital. After all, Wicker had an old-fashioned character and a different atmosphere. A place that valued tradition, so he had anticipated outdated facilities.

But Wicker Castle was quite different from his thoughts.

It was a somber building not adorned with decorative frills, yet it was neither rough nor rustic. A castle unified in color with high spires and black walls. Somehow, the architecture matching Wicker’s deep-colored sky had a majestic feel, with no signs of age.

It was an antiquated castle that suited Wicker well. It showed a refined temperament enough to perplex Miraine.

Just as he was staring spellbound at the castle different from his expectations, Miraine, lost in thought, suddenly noticed people lined up outside the castle gate and flinched. It was when the carriage was crossing the middle of the bridge.

‘Knights?’

Miraine, scrutinizing the crowded group, could see in the crumbling sunlight that they were wearing armor. Their identities, appearing as dots, gradually became clearer as the distance closed. They were the mansion’s employees and soldiers lined up to welcome Miraine. A group of slightly over a hundred.

Is the Grand Duke there?

Miraine, examining closely, eventually furrowed his brow. He noticed the Grand Duke’s absence. Nowhere could he see the emblem of the Wicker Grand Ducal family. The fluttering flags bore only the presumed emblems of vassals: owls, roses, wolves. And as he looked at them, a strange light suddenly flickered in Miraine’s eyes.

Too few vassals.

“Hm.”

Miraine’s face had already hardened.

Wicker was adjacent to the Kirgis Mountains, a region where monsters appeared, so its lord had traditionally acted as the Northern Wall and inevitably had strong military force. The lord of Wicker was the empire’s shield that repelled monsters coming down the mountains, and the Grand Duke enjoyed power rivaling the emperor.

So only three banners?

‘That makes no sense.’

Even the Laster Count family, a capital noble with few vassals, had over ten knights. Certainly, Wicker, a local grand noble, should have more than that.

But the number of fluttering flags was only three, and the reviewed knights were barely twenty, far too few.

The implication was obvious.

‘As expected, the Grand Duke is not welcoming me.’

Miraine, shaken for a moment, composed himself as the carriage passed the end of the bridge.

It was all expected.

It’s just a little disappointing.

Calming his heart, Miraine quickly scanned the knights’ faces. What’s important when entering enemy territory is information.

Since the Grand Duke, who should have been present, was not among those greeting him, Miraine had to focus on those who seemed highest in rank.

His gaze landed on three knights.