Etien froze in place. So did Viscount Caelan Harrington, his stunned gaze flicking between the others as the weight of the situation settled over them. When Etien turned toward Glen, the reigning emperor,the man rose from his seat as well, his expression unreadable. With a measured gesture, he motioned for Etien to sit before striding toward the buttler, murmuring a quiet instruction.
The buttler hurried out of the room, leaving the three men in an atmosphere thick with tension. Sensing the unease, Viscount Harrington quickly stood, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I—This is truly an honor," he started, forcing a polite chuckle. "To have Duke Etien as my daughter Silvana's husband. But, Your Majesty, is this really the right decision? I mean—does my daughter truly deserve to stand beside someone as powerful as Duke Etien?"
Despite his attempts to appear composed, Viscount Harrington couldn't shake his disbelief over the emperor's outrageous proposal, a marriage between Duke Etien, the revolutionary leader who reshaped the empire, and his daughter, Silvana. That very disbelief had driven him to the capital, determined to seek an explanation from the emperor himself.
But what he hadn't expected was to meet the Duke in person. Judging by the cold intensity in Etien's gaze, the man clearly wasn't thrilled with the emperor's matchmaking plans.
As Viscount Harrington spoke of his daughter, Etien remained silent, his piercing stare fixed on Glen, an unmistakable hostility brewing beneath his eyes. But unlike Etien, Glen smiled, listening with rapt attention to the Viscount's endless praises of Silvana. He seemed almost enchanted by the descriptions, nodding along with enthusiasm.
"Isn't this fascinating?" Glen finally cut in, flashing a knowing grin at Etien. "Did you hear all of that? Viscount Harrington just introduced his daughter to you without you even asking. That's remarkable, isn't it? When someone is being set up for marriage, they usually have to build a connection. But in this case, you're already on excellent terms with your future father-in-law."
Though Glen's smile was dazzling, almost too perfect, Etien saw it as nothing more than a challenge. A direct provocation disguised as charm.
Behind that grin, Etien understood there was a trap, a boomerang waiting to be thrown, one that would come right back to him with devastating speed and force.
"Your Majesty, isn't it a bit premature to refer to Viscount Harrington as my future father-in-law when I haven't even seen the woman I'm supposedly meant to marry? Too much praise, wouldn't you say that's a little excessive?" Etien kept his tone carefully neutral, masking his irritation, though his expression betrayed his growing frustration.
"What's wrong with a father's praise?" Glen replied smoothly. "Isn't it only natural for a man to highlight the best qualities of his daughter to the man who might marry her?"
"When you say I am her future husband, isn't it unfair that only Lady Silvana knows who I am?" Etien countered, his words carrying an edge that momentarily wiped the smug smile off Glen's face.
Despite his frustration, Etien had no desire to stir up trouble, not here, not now. So, for the moment, he played along with Glen's game, though it was clear Viscount Harrington had caught on to the tension.
"A—um, Your Majesty, Duke Etien is right. I've gone a bit overboard talking about Silvana. Perhaps I should hold my tongue—"
"Viscount Harrington," Glen interrupted smoothly, "since Duke Etien doesn't have much time to linger in the capital due to his duties, how about we journey west tomorrow morning to meet your daughter? A formal introduction before anything is set in stone."
"A—What?"
"As Duke Etien said, it wouldn't be right to arrange a marriage when only one side knows their prospective partner. But the entire empire already knows who Duke Etien is, his leadership, his victories, his reforms."
Caught off guard, Viscount Harrington hesitated, his gaze bouncing between Etien and the emperor. Trapped, overwhelmed, and unable to argue, he finally gave in, nodding reluctantly.
"Yes—yes, of course. If that is the case, I will prepare everything for our journey tomorrow, Your Majesty." Viscount Harrington hastily excused himself, leaving Etien alone with the emperor.
Once Viscount Harrington departed, the buttler returned, carrying a small ornate jewelry box, which he carefully handed to the emperor.
"I'm pleased that you haven't outright refused the match I've arranged for you, Duke Etien," Glen said smoothly, pushing the jewelry box across the table toward him. "Open it. Inside, you'll find some of Trigia's finest treasures, diamonds as strong as steel and revered by dragons. I'm certain they'll make an exquisite dowry for your upcoming marriage."
Etien's gaze settled on the elaborate wooden box, its intricate carvings mesmerizing. Inside, a necklace rested, a piece unlike anything he had ever seen before. Its chain was woven from small diamonds, linked together in a perfect tapestry, resembling dragon scales, lightweight yet unbreakable by any blade. At its center, a phoenix-egg-sized diamond hung, shimmering with a silvery glow that caught the sunlight, radiating brilliance. A masterpiece he had ever seen before.
But as Etien examined it more closely, something stirred in his memory. This wasn't just any necklace, it was one he recognized. It had once belonged to Lady Lyneth, the late emperor's mother. A relic from the first era of Trigia, known as the Heart of Draveth. A treasure that should have remained solely within the royal bloodline.
"Are you playing games with me, Your Majesty?" Etien finally spoke, his voice controlled yet edged with defiance. "This necklace is meant only for the descendants of Valbara's noble lineage. The last surviving heir of that bloodline was your mother, Lady Lyneth Qweara. This necklace belongs in your family, passed down to the wife who will inherit the legacy of Trigia's dragon blood, not to me." His rejection was firm but restrained.
From everything Etien knew, this necklace was the final heirloom of Valbara's monarchy, preserved only by Glen, the last surviving noble born into royalty from the distant empire. Accepting it recklessly would be nothing short of a crime, an insult to Trigia's heritage.
Yet Glen merely chuckled, unfazed. He retrieved the necklace from the box, placing it on the table so that the sunlight caught its flawless surface, casting a dazzling glow across the room.
"Why would I toy with you? Look at it, it's breathtaking. Consider it a gift, if nothing else. A token of gratitude for your loyalty, for your courage in leading the reforms that helped me claim my throne. It's the least I could offer to you."
It sounded like flattery, a carefully crafted lure meant to tempt Etien into accepting the gift. But he wasn't easily swayed. Without hesitation, he refused it once more.
"Why do you reject it?" Glen mused, tilting his head ever so slightly, his tone deceptively light. "Wouldn't it be a grave insult if you turned me down? A crime, even?"
His smile had shifted, no longer warm, no longer charming. There was something darker now, a silent warning behind his words.
Etien, however, stood firm. His stance didn't waver. His rejection remained absolute. "I would rather you declare war on Winterbraun than kept forcing me to accept that necklace, Your Majesty."
Glen's piercing gaze lingered, but after a moment, his unsettling expression cracked into laughter, rich and unrestrained, echoing through the room. Etien instinctively stiffened. Whatever game Glen was playing, he'd have to tread carefully.
"You truly are a fascinating man, Duke Etien," Glen admitted, grinning broadly between bouts of laughter. "Very well. I'll hold onto the necklace, until the day you're ready to take it from me."
Etien's expression remained unyielding. "Even if Zarakand were to crumble beneath the might of Winterbraun, I would still never accept that necklace."
It was a bold declaration, one that left no room for negotiation. Winterbraun was everything to him. And if it had to fall to war before he accepted the emperor's so-called gift, then so be it.
"Tell me, Your Majesty," Etien continued, sharp and deliberate, "why are you doing this? After I made it clear that I would return to Winterbraun and choose my own bride, you suddenly took it upon yourself to dictate who I should marry, and now, out of nowhere, you offer me the most prized heirloom of your royal family. Is this truly the behavior of an emperor, or is it simply reckless desperation?"