"I assume our arrival here shouldn't come as a surprise, should it, Lady Lizbeth Harrington?" Glen's words cut through the air, his impatience evident as he attempted to drag Etien into the pit of disgrace known as an arranged marriage.
A brief silence fell over the banquet hall. The servants, as if on cue, bowed in respect before swiftly exiting the room, their movements silent, their steps deliberate. Even the door closed without a sound.
Yet, just as Bastian prepared to leave as well, intending to show his respect for the lady of the house, Etien stopped him. With a simple lift of his hand, he wordlessly commanded his butler to stay.
"My butler will remain here. He is responsible for attending to me while we are guests in this house." His tone was firm, a clear declaration that neither he nor his butler would yield to anyone's authority.
The Harrington family offered no objection.
"Your Majesty, this truly is an unexpected honor." Lizbeth Harrington finally spoke once the atmosphere had settled. With the servants gone, only the Duke's butler and the Emperor's own remained in the room.
"It is a privilege for our family, and yet, an astonishing piece of news. After all, marriage isn't merely a matter of whether our daughter is willing, it is about whether His Grace, the Duke, would accept her as his wife in the future, isn't it?"
"Isn't it a bit premature to speak of acceptance or refusal, Lady Lizbeth?" Etien countered smoothly.
"But we've come this far, surely, this is the time for such discussions."
"You're rushing things, Your Majesty," Etien struck back. "We've barely arrived, and already, you're eager to force me into marriage. Should I take that to mean you've also found someone for yourself, Your Majesty?" His lips curved into a sharp smile.
"Why the sudden interest in my personal affairs, Duke Etien?"
"Because you're so adamant about arranging my marriage, despite still being single yourself. If you're this insistent, that must mean you've chosen someone for yourself too, right?"
Glen's smile faded, replaced by an icy stare, his gaze laced with quiet menace.
"Why do you care, Duke Etien?"
"Because the moment I say I'll marry, you seem extremely invested in whom I'll choose. Isn't that intriguing?"
"I only want to ensure you make the right choice—marriage is a lifelong commitment, after all."
"Precisely. And because it's lifelong, deciding whether I accept your arrangement or not feels a little too rushed, don't you think?" Etien replied, taking a slow sip of tea. His butler, Bastian, promptly refilled his cup.
The Emperor's own butler attempted the same, but with a slight wave of his hand, Glen declined the offer. The tension in the room thickened once again. Viscount Harrington and his wife exchanged glances, baffled by how this meeting had spiraled into a clash between Duke and Emperor.
Then, after a brief pause, Etien set down his teacup and turned toward Silvana with a calm yet calculated smile.
"So, my lady, would you be willing to get acquainted first? Let's take some time to know each other. That way, an entire lifetime together might not seem so dreadful when spoken of as marriage."
To everyone's surprise, Silvana nodded. With grace in her posture and a delicate smile on her lips, she showed no hesitation in accepting Etien's suggestion.
That evening, their conversation drew to a close as Viscount Harrington personally escorted the two to their respective chambers.
Fatigue, frustration, and irritation clung to Etien like an unwanted cloak. He shed his formal attire, replacing it with a single shirt before sinking into the sofa, allowing himself a moment of quiet reflection in the West, a place he hadn't set foot in for three years.
"Did you truly ask His Majesty that question, Your Grace?" Bastian, having just finished sorting the Duke's garments, stood beside him, his tone laced with both admiration and disbelief.
"He has a plan, Bastian. I know it."
"What kind of plan are we talking about, Your Grace?"
"Obviously, one meant to ruin my life," he replied. "If this is what I think it is, then it's nothing more than a test of loyalty, to see if I'll truly use my power in Winterbraun to strip him of the authority I granted him."
"Would you really do it? After four grueling years of bloody reforms just to put him on that throne?"
"Of course I could." His answer was unwavering, brimming with confidence. "I don't care if he carries dragon blood, he is nothing in my eyes. Whether he is Emperor or just another commoner makes no difference to me."
"But he's the reigning Emperor."
"He's merely a descendant of Trigia—without a kingdom, without power. The world may marvel at the strength of dragons, but that doesn't change the truth. Right now, he is completely alone."
Etien's words sent a chill down Bastian's spine. He had always known the Duke was bold, but he had never imagined just how fearless he truly was, especially given his slightly smaller frame compared to the Emperor.
"Honestly, this is all too complicated for me to grasp, Your Grace. But whatever you decide to do, as part of Winterbraun, I will always stand by you," Bastian said hesitantly.
He had heard countless political insults and discussions on power, but this was something entirely new. The idea that the Duke could dismantle two ruling forces in less than a year seemed like something no man should even utter.
And if it ever came to pass, the empire would spiral into chaos. Winterbraun, strong as it was, might endure untouched, but the West and the outskirts of Falaun, barren lands without rulers, would suffer immensely.
"You don't need to dwell on it, Bastian. I certainly won't waste my time worrying about that damn dragon's ambitions. Because if he dares to do as he pleases, then I will bare my fangs as the cold snow lion that I am."
Etien's declaration was sharp, final. It didn't take long for their conversation to end, after such a long journey, exhaustion weighed heavy on him. Understanding this, Bastian excused himself, leaving the Duke to rest in the chamber Viscount Harrington had prepared for him.
Once alone, Etien should have slept, the candlelights had already been extinguished, leaving only a single lamp glowing near his bedside, which he would turn off before lying down. But his thoughts refused to quiet.
So, instead, he stepped onto the balcony for some fresh air.
As he slid open the glass door leading outside, the crisp night breeze carried the scent of damp grass. It was familiar, calming. The wind drifted softly, wrapping him in a quiet serenity.
Then, breaking the peace, a voice startled him.
"Can't sleep, huh?"
It was a voice he knew all too well. Etien stiffened, searching for its source, only to find Glen standing at the edge of his neighboring balcony.
"Y—Your Majesty?!"
Etien couldn't believe what he was seeing. How was Glen so close? He was certain Viscount Harrington would have given the Emperor the grandest, most luxurious chamber available, yet here he was, just a few feet away.
"W—what are you doing there?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to stand here and enjoy the night while I struggle to sleep?"
"What? No—that's not what I meant. I just… why did Viscount Harrington give you a room identical to mine?"
"Why? Is that a problem?"
Etien had no answer for that. He exhaled deeply. "No, Your Majesty, of course you can have whatever you want," he conceded, unwilling to argue. Glen Lancaster had the power to seize anything he desired—he was Emperor, after all.
"Wow, really?" Glen scoffed. "If that's the case, then I should've gotten what I've truly wanted long ago. But look, no matter how hard I reach for it, it only gets farther and farther away."
Etien arched a brow. Those words carried weight. Or they could be meaningless, spoken purely for amusement.
"Is it like a pet?" he guessed.
Glen erupted into laughter.
Like Etien, he wore only a loose ivory-colored shirt, its front tied with laces that could be loosened for comfort. Because of that, Etien could see his collarbone, the faint lines of his chest muscles.
"Why would you think it's like a pet?"
Etien shook his head. "Because when you say it keeps running away, I imagine something fast, something you wish you could tame."
"Why a dog? What if it's just a rabbit?"
Etien furrowed his brows.
"Yeah, sure, it can be whatever you want. Whatever." He brushed off the thought, finding the whole conversation ridiculous.
Glen laughed again.
"But unfortunately, it's worth far more than any pet. Still, if you say it's something I want to keep, maybe you're right. Because in my selfishness, my desperation to hold onto it. It keeps running away from me."