The chaotic wedding finally came to an end, and now here we were, just the two of us in the honeymoon suite.

At this moment, we gazed at each other, a hint of shyness flushing our cheeks.

Although we had already shared many intimate moments and had become quite comfortable with each other, she and I felt an unexpected tension, a thrill, and a deep happiness that was entirely new in this moment.

It wasn’t merely because it was our first time as a married couple.

It was the joy of finally being recognized as one, with everyone’s consent, and the happiness of no longer having to be apart.

“Come here, Mr. Santana… I mean, darling.”

Cazerose, lying on the bed, stretched her hands toward me.

Seeing her act this way caused a warm smile to spread across my face.

Despite having seen it countless times, an exhilarating anticipation washed over me.

With care, I started to unbutton her garment, taking in her beautiful, white porcelain-like figure.

My hands gently caressed her body, relishing the warm touch.

And I could hear her breath growing gradually more unsteady.

Overwhelmed with happiness, I embraced her with all my heart and passion.

Filled with gratitude for the fortune of loving someone like her and being able to marry…

*

“Is that so? Mr. Santana is finally married?”

Estelle replied quietly upon hearing the servant’s words.

In response, the servant bowed his head and spoke cautiously, “Yes, that’s correct. The report is that the wedding with the Princess of Dragona Empire has concluded. It appears the report arrived just now, but it happened about a week ago.”

“…I see. Good work. You may go now.”

Her master’s surprisingly composed demeanor shocked him.

However, at that moment, the servant understood something.

He realized that this calm facade hid the genuine anger Estelle felt, just like the face she was showing now.

‘Well, it makes sense. After all, she lost the fiancé she truly loved…’

Estelle had always boasted about her fiancé with a joyous smile.

Considering her usual cold personality and how she dealt with situations rationally, this was quite troubling for her.

Through this, the servant could feel just how much his master loved that man.

So even without her saying it, he understood well how she felt right now.

“Sigh… Let’s put this aside for now. What about the matter I asked you to investigate?”

Estelle spoke with a voice that seemed to regain her composure, as if trying to shake off her thoughts.

The servant, feeling a sense of pity, began to speak about the matter she had instructed him to investigate.

“Yes, I have the information you requested.”

“Alright. Let me see…”

As she said this, Estelle began to look over the documents the servant presented.

And right after that…

The shadow over her face, which had been dark, slowly began to fill with disbelief.

“…Is this… really true? Is the content contained in this really… really a fact?”

“Yes, it is, Miss Estelle. This information was collected through our main base, the Uranos Guild, so it’s definitely accurate.”

“…Indeed… Is this truly how things have played out? When my Santana shared this, I had my doubts…”

The documents before her eyes…

The contents contained within were sufficient to evoke both astonishment and admiration from Estelle.

‘To anticipate such a situation… I knew he was extraordinary from the very beginning, but he truly is amazing. Ah… If I had just done a little better, I could have been his primary wife. Why did it turn out this way…’

Amidst her astonishment, a deep sense of regret surged within Estelle.

However, at the same time, memories from that time began to resurface vividly in her mind.

Estelle, weeping from the marriage proposal from the Dragona Empire.

And the sweet “promise” Santana made to her during that time.

In relation to this, Estelle realized her fight was not yet over.

No, rather, she recognized it was just beginning.

‘Right… Even though the primary wife position has been completely lost, it’s not over yet. Both she and I are in a marriage arranged for political reasons, not true love… I still have a chance to win Santana’s heart… I may be second in line, but in terms of feelings, I can still be first.’

Admittedly, at this moment, Polena likely held the top spot in Santana’s heart.

However, unlike her, who had an uncertain marriage due to her low status, Estelle had already made promises with Santana.

The primary wife position was lost, but at least he had promised her…

To eventually take her as his secondary wife once the political marriage concluded.

‘For now, I just need to take a seat next to Santana. Once I officially secure that position, the true war will begin. The battle between me and that princess who suddenly appeared due to the political marriage…’

Both of their starting points were political marriages, which made them no different in essence.

In fact, one could argue that her longstanding bond with him and the heartfelt emotions shared gave her an advantage.

Moreover, Estelle had a certain pride in her charms as a woman, claiming that she would not lose to anyone.

With her beautiful appearance and an elegant, artistic body that deserved confidence as a woman, she believed that if given the opportunity, she could easily capture Santana’s heart.

‘For now, I should quietly wait for the right moment while honing myself. When the time comes, I need to seize it… to make that man mine…’

*

Lorend

A small but powerful nation, often referred to as the lowlands, historically possessing great wealth based on commerce and consistently waging fierce independence struggles against the Sacred Empire.

In the lord’s castle located at the center of this country, although he had lost much of his territory, there was still a figure who held significant influence over the Sacred Empire…

Count Friedrich of Palatinate was wearing a pleasant smile as he read news from an old “friend.”

“Mr. Santana Andreas… has he finally gotten married? And with the princess of the Dragona Empire, no less?”

“Yes, it seems so, Your Majesty.”

“That’s quite delightful. Honestly, I was a bit worried that his marriage was delayed, but I’m glad he found such a wonderful match.”

One of the few people Friedrich could genuinely call a friend.

Upon hearing his friend’s marriage news, he celebrated with pure joy, rather than making any political judgments.

However, contrary to his reaction, the woman beside Friedrich at that moment…

Was Elizaveta, Friedrich’s wife and a princess from the Britten Kingdom, who spoke calmly to her husband.

“A political marriage in such a climate… This means Bohemia and the Dragona Empire have allied. That’s how it seems to me.”

“Well, on the surface, that’s indeed the case, isn’t it? Just like you and I. They must have some background just as we do.”

“Hm…”

Friedrich contemplated his wife’s words but didn’t think too much of that point.

To him, hearing that his friend had formed a new alliance—especially with the powerful Dragona Empire—was not a negative situation.

Allies were growing, and more people were joining hands for a common purpose, so it couldn’t be a bad thing.

However, unlike him, Elizaveta did not view the world naïvely and began to watch the situation cautiously.

Feeling a sense of wariness towards the growing influence of Bohemia within the Heretic Alliance…