A pair of men and women, embraced and lost in sleep.

As if to declare their resolute will never to part again, they tightly held each other’s hands even in this moment of slumber.

Although both had married when it was high time for them, at that moment, their appearance resembled that of a child unwilling to let go of something precious, filled with earnestness and pure affection.

Having now become a family that no one could separate…

Watching Santana and Cazerose, Polena, their ‘maid’ and effective caretaker, began to form a deep smile on her lips.

“Well, this certainly puts a definitive end to things. Our beloved nephew has married… and even indirectly, the Dragona Empire has dipped its toes into this matter.”

Though she had not done much in the series of events, Polena simply gave everything a light oiling, despite possessing immense power.

Ultimately, everything went smoothly, just as she wished.

Their meeting began purely by chance… or more appropriately stated, by fate. This led to them bearing fruit, and the involvement of the Dragona Empire came as a byproduct.

As the spiral of destiny formed, Polena began to sketch the picture she desired.

“That guy’s actions have to be resolved within the Sacred Empire, no matter what. If it spills out of this country… then this matter will become uncontrollably large.”

The inevitable future of disaster loomed ahead.

Knowing what that was and what results it could bring, Polena was resolute in her decision to prevent it by her own hands, even if… in the process, she turned to ash.

“Well, that said, I don’t actually plan on just dying quietly. I mean, I’m not even sure if I could really die at this point…”

Polena was well aware that her body was anything but ordinary.

Even at this moment, the power was flowing within her.

Although she knew it better than anyone else, having cultivated and honed it herself, that only highlighted her understanding of how terrifying this power truly was.

“Power, huh… Speaking of which, what on earth is that lady doing over there? Could she be really after power from Soul?”

As thoughts about power occupied her mind, a certain mid-rank witch riding in the rear cart suddenly popped into her head.

Polena could clearly recognize her as soon as this witch had removed her mask and clumsily concealed herself with illusory magic.

“That must be… Queen Andreas, right? The sister of our Master. I knew she got kidnapped by the Blood gang, but I never expected to encounter her like this.”

Just at a glance, the Queen appeared to have gained substantial strength from her rigorous training under Soul, surpassing Count Turun, the mightiest mage of Bohemia. She was likely nearing the wall of an 8th-grade Great Mage soon.

“The real question is how did that process unfold.. it doesn’t seem like she was coerced in any way. Given her seemingly voluntary actions, it’s highly likely she was genuinely captivated by Soul’s power and willingly reached out for it.”

Considering the Queen’s status in Bohemia, Soul’s offer could have been quite appealing.

She had reached a point where she was overshadowed by Santana, feeling like a complete outcast. Surely, it was a chance for her as a witch to grow stronger that could make her act.

“After all, she’s much more aligned with witches than with mages… well, aside from the diplomatic mess that’s bound to explode later, it seems like she’s a decent apprentice.”

With that thought, Polena decided to quietly keep an eye on the situation while burying this issue for now.

Even if she stepped in, it might complicate matters further. There was no clear solution, and she wasn’t the type to selflessly fix something created by Soul.

“And well… if anything happens, our Mr. Santana will handle it well. He’s one of the few men I respect…”

*

Deep within Bohemia’s Lord’s Castle,

Dust sat alone in her room, grappling with a whirlwind of complex emotions.

“Ugh… seriously… how did things end up like this?”

Dust had earnestly wished for her brother, Santana, to end up with Estelle.

However, her wish shattered unexpectedly, like a sudden rock in her path.

An unexpected marriage proposal with the Dragona Empire burst in without warning.

As a result, her brother Santana broke off his engagement with Estelle and was now set to marry a princess of Dragona Empire whom he didn’t even know.

A marriage conducted on the spot, without so much as a grace period for an engagement.

Dust had numerous times wished she could stop it, but fundamentally, it was beyond her ability to intervene.

A princess of the Dragona Empire, one of the world’s strongest nations.

How could a mere count’s daughter like her stop such a union?

Ultimately, her brother Santana departed to marry, and now he was on his way back.

Marrying such a highborn and noble individual, a princess of the Dragona Empire headlined by the emperor’s bloodline.

Dust felt like bowing her head at such aristocracy and power.

“…Well… there’s nothing to be done. This is truly unavoidable. Let’s try to think positively for now. After all, my brother did marry someone noble like I wanted, right? Let’s stay optimistic… Even if Estelle feels pitiful…”

Santana had returned to the Rhapsody Region before leaving, along with Estelle.

Thankfully, Dust noticed that her distress didn’t seem as pronounced as she thought. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to take that at face value.

Surely Estelle was struggling internally as a result of these events.

But regardless of Estelle’s feelings or Dust’s own, the bus had already left the station.

Santana was married, and there was no room left for Estelle to become his primary wife.

The only possibility lay in the position of secondary wife, but that depended entirely on Santana’s heart.

“If I could, maybe I should give this part a little nudge? Who knows? Perhaps Santana is having these thoughts too…”

While pondering that, Dust cleared her thoughts regarding the main wife and began to hope for a brighter future when suddenly…

“Miss Dust, Lord Santana has returned.”

“Huh? Oh.. got it. I’m coming out.”

The sudden voice of a servant startled her.

Dust stood up and exited her room, filled with both intrigue and concern about who that princess was.