Ingrid instinctively lifted her head upon sensing Prince Aleric's arrival. She frowned when she saw that he was alone.

  "Where's Raven?"

  "I gave him a day off," Prince Aleric responded as he casually sat in his usual spot.

  "Then why are you here?" Ingrid sassily asked.

  "Of course to bid my princess wife farewell."

  "Aleric." Ingrid gave him a warning glare.

  But the prince wasn't at all bothered and continued, "Since Raven isn't among the original envoys, he need not return with us. Your father has arranged for him a lab in the Dahlia Palace. You won't have to worry about how to sneak him in every night without me," he teased. "Though I suggest that you don't tell the grand duke that Raven is helping you translate your mother's letters."

  Ingrid fell silent. They've been suspecting that Grand Duke Rasmus knew how to speak Amalga.

  They found that the box, which contained her mother and grandmother's letters, can only be opened by those who share the Amalgam blood. Furthermore, the magical box was designed to record the identity of those who opened it. Thus, thievery can be easily exposed.

  Upon inspection, they learned that among those who opened the box was Grand Duke Rasmus.

  In Amalgam tradition, marriage is consummated by sharing each other's blood—a ritual symbolizing the union of two individuals. The couple wounds their palms, mixes their blood into the wedding wine, and drinks it.

  However, in the instance that one of the pair is not an Amalgam, only the Amalgam of the pair will do the bloodletting. The blood of the Amalgam spouse will then transform the other's blood into that of an Amalgam.

  Unfortunately, only their blood is transformed. They won't gain enchanting eyes like the Amalgam men or an unmatched face like the Amalgam women.

  Because Grand Duchess Aria shared her blood with Grand Duke Rasmus, he is considered partly Amalgam. That is why he could open the enchanted box despite being human.

  That also explains why Grand Duke Rasmus seems to have stopped aging.

  However, whether he truly knew Amalga or not remains a speculation. Perhaps he simply opened the box out of curiosity but could not read the letters.

  But if he could indeed read Amalga, it means he never intended for Ingrid to learn the content of the letters. That is why, with the truth still unclear, it is imperative that they not carelessly reveal that they've managed to translate her mother's and grandmother's letters.

  "When are you leaving?" Ingrid asked as she stacked the papers spread on the table. She arranged them neatly before placing them back inside the rectangular red wood box with gold-lined edges.

  "The day after tomorrow."

  Ingrid's movements halted for a moment.

  "I wish you safe travels then," she said and continued clearing the table.

  Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her by the waist. Ingrid's back crashed into Aleric's solid chest, his arms trapping her in the cage of his embrace.

  "Your highness!" Ingrid hissed and tried to pull away, flustered. But the arms that held her were like metal bars that wouldn't budge.

  "It's Aleric for you, my princess wife," Prince Aleric said, his tone deeper than the usual.

  Ingrid could feel the vibration of his chest against the bare skin of her shoulder as he spoke. His warm breath on her ear sent a jolt of electricity towards her entire body.

  "Your highness, will you please stop it with that annoying nickname?" Ingrid begged, helpless.

  "Hmmm," Prince Aleric hummed. "Pick one then, princess or wife?"

  "Aleric!!" Ingrid exclaimed, upset and annoyed.

  "Then 'wife' it is!" Prince Aleric declared mischievously. He freed Ingrid from his arms and rubbed her head as though he was petting his pet.

  Ingrid's blood climbed to her cheeks in anger. She slapped the prince's hand away and glared at him angrily.

  "You..." Ingrid's eyes darted around to find something to throw at the prince. But there was only the box that contained her mother's letter on the table and a huge vase close by that was too heavy to lift. In the end, she could only express her anger through a withering glare directed at the prince.

  Prince Aleric chuckled at her amusing reaction.

  "See you later, wife," he said with a cheeky grin as darkness swirled around his body, swallowing him whole.

  With that, he vanished.

  ***

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  Time flew by quickly.

  Emperor Cecil, the Empress, the three grand ducal households, and several other noble houses were present at the Aradhyan envoy's departure—a rather extravagant farewell unlike any other envoy ever experienced.

  It was difficult to determine if their actions were motivated by fondness for the prince or fear of his displeasure.

  The entire capital was in a festive mood. People lined up on the streets waving and cheering, while others handed flower necklaces to the envoys.

  Ingrid was also present.

  At first, she was taken by surprise when Grand Duke Rasmus brought her with him to the Prince's send-off. Ingrid thought that given the recent incidents, she wouldn't be allowed outside for a long time.

  "Your grace! Your grace!"

  Ingrid's attention turned towards the direction of the commotion. Her eyes darkened when she noticed Empress Verandi from a distance, flashing a 'benevolent' smile while waving at the crowd that gathered.

  Ingrid's gaze was particularly drawn to the phoenix earrings hanging on her ears.

  Ingrid remembered seeing those pair of earrings once, in the palace of king Oliver. They were the price from which she was sold by her own empire.

  Ingrid lowered her gaze. With a subtle tug, the veiled hat on her head fell, revealing the beautiful face hiding underneath.

  Everyone's focus was instantly snatched by the beauty that demanded their attention.

  The common people have never seen Ingrid's face before. Most of them have only heard of her extreme beauty from rumors or seen her face from portraits.

  Thus they were all stunned at the sight of her. They never thought it possible for a human to look so perfectly stunning. She looked more like a child of the heavens than an offspring of the dirt.

  But before they could relish Ingrid's beauty, the veiled hat was placed back on her head, obscuring her ethereal face from view.

  "Hold on to your hat," Grand Duke Rasmus said, clearly displeased that her daughter's face was seen by many more people.

  Ingrid nodded obediently. She turned towards the empress, who could barely hide her anger, and elegantly bowed. Her lips curled into a soft, pleased smile.

  Even with Ingrid's face now covered, everyone's gaze was constantly drawn towards her. The empress, who previously enjoyed everyone's adoration, was completely forgotten.

  Prince Aleric, who silently watched the entire play, smiled amused. He never expected the little rabbit to be quite spiteful.

  Sensing Prince Aleric's gaze, Ingrid's head shifted in his way.

  It was the second time that Ingrid saw Prince Aleric in princely attire. The first time was during his welcoming ball.

  Currently, he's wearing a terracotta robe with sophisticated dark patterns that further enhance the regal air surrounding him. On its upper right side is the imperial crest of Aradhya—a sword piercing the golden sun.

  Originally, Aradhya's crest was simply a golden sun—a symbol of the peace and prosperity their kingdom enjoyed for hundreds of years. But it all changed when the queen, Prince Aleric's mother, was murdered.

  Fearing the strength of their opponent, coupled with the pressure from the Council of Nobles, the then King Marius decided not to pursue the matter of the queen's death. But upon learning about it, Prince Aleric marched towards the Kingdom of Hedri with only his twelve loyal knights and Vernon.

  Months later, Prince Aleric came back with the head of the king of Herdri in his hand. But on the day of his return, the prince learned that his father had actually taken in a concubine. In his anger he threw the King of Hedri's head before the throne and launched his sword at his father like a javelin.

  The sword scratched King Marius's cheek and pierced through the golden sun carved on the wall behind the throne. To this day, Prince Aleric's sword is still lodged on the wall.

  Later on, Vernon made the sword piercing the golden sun the new symbol of the empire they built.

  A crowd of nobles who were previously too afraid to even look at Prince Aleric now crowded around him. Compared to the great profit he was about to bring to Learia, what exactly is fear?

  They were truly right for saying that a man's greed is a bottomless pit. These greedy nobles would not hesitate to enter into a dragon's lair at the prospect of endless treasure. But is it in a dragon's nature to generously share his treasures?

  Grand Duke Rasmus gently patted Ingrid on the back, pulling her from her trance. Before she could begin to ask, the grand duke started walking towards Prince Aleric's direction, bringing her with him.

  The nobles that circled the prince parted like the Red Sea when they noticed the grand duke coming. They were mostly brave when they schemed against the grand duke behind his back. But they instantly turned into a group of dogs with their tails tucked in his presence.

  "Your highness."

  "Grand Duke."

  They greeted each other.

  "I am inclined to remind you that I only expect the best for my daughter," said the grand duke meaningfully.

  Ingrid's eyes widened.

  Though the grand duke did not explicitly reveal anything, the meaning of his words was instantly understood by the surrounding nobles. They all looked back and forth between the grand duke and the foreign prince in shock.

  Prince Aleric's smile broadened in amusement. This cunning old fox is really something.

  Ingrid noticed the glint of mischief in the prince's eyes and suddenly felt ominous.

  "Worry not, Father, I will make sure to only give my wife the best of the best."

  Ingrid pressed her eyes tightly together. As she expected, he was up to no good. She glared angrily at Prince Aleric. But with the veil covering her face, her anger was not properly conveyed.

  The crowd instantly broke into a commotion. It did not take long before the news reached the ears of the emperor and empress, who were not standing far.

  Empress Verandi's face turned unsightly in an instant. Meanwhile, Emperor Cecil's mouth bobbed like a fish out of water.

  "I do hope my father liked my initial gift," Prince Aleric added, ignoring the boiling anger of the father and daughter.

  "It is indeed a generous gift," the grand duke responded with a hint of sarcasm.

  Ingrid looked between her father and the prince, wondering what this initial gift was.

  "Your highness, it is time," said Vernon with a slight bow.

  Prince Aleric bid his stunned audience farewell for the last time before saddling on top of a fierce-looking black horse.

  The Aradhyan envoys slowly marched their way towards Aradhya.

  The moment the envoys left the capital grounds and entered the dense forest, their horses' forms shifted—growing larger and more streamlined. Lightning crackled around their front and back legs, their eyes turning blood-red.

  The horses let out a powerful neigh, exhilarated by the feeling of being freed from the confines of their disguise.

  Consequently, the speed of their movement became ten times faster. They were moving so fast that the air split and blasted the surrounding area in their wake.

  "Augustus!” Prince Aleric called. A buffed knight broke from their formation and, together with his horse, rode beside Aleric.

  “Your highness!”

  “Settle yourselves at the border of Learia. Only Vernon and I are going back to Aradhya,” the prince commanded.

  “Aleric, are you saying we're going to…” Vernon trailed, his brows furrowed.

  “Time is running. It’s the only way we can get home fast. Let’s go! ”

  Vernon glared at his best friend's back, helplessly. This prince and his recklessness….

  But Vernon was grappled with worry at the same time. Darkness is not an ability innate to this realm; excessive use of it causes harm to the wielder.