As the sun gently fell through the windows of the Leaf Dukedom estate, a soft knock interrupted the conversation between Sion and Katherine. Before either could react, Janet burst into the room with a teasing grin.
"Hey little sister, what are you doing here?" she said, eyes narrowing playfully at Katherine.
"I'm here to rescue my dear brother," Janet declared proudly. "From these two terrifying women who keep bullying him!"
Sion, catching on instantly, dramatically clutched his chest and fell into the act. "Yes! My sweet little princess, save me! These two female demons are trying to take me down!"
At that moment, Sara stepped inside with perfect comedic timing. "Demons? Did someone call us demons?" she smirked.
Katherine crossed her arms and smiled slyly. "Then perhaps it's time we act like one."
And with a chorus of laughter, the room devolved into playful chaos as pillows flew in all directions. The tension melted away with each throw. The battle of fluff ended only when everyone collapsed from exhaustion.
As the moonlight filtered in, Katherine looked softly at Sion. "The future of the kingdom is in your hands, my dear future husband," she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.
Sara wasn't far behind. "Oi! Don't get ahead of yourself!" she snapped playfully, then kissed him too.
Later, as the others drifted off to sleep, Sion stared at the ceiling in silence. Raphael's voice echoed gently in his ear. "Everything is going according to plan."
"Not yet," Sion replied. "I still have to unite this kingdom, crush its enemies, and build something greater than what exists. An empire… but it's not time yet."
Raphael asked quietly, "So what will you do?"
"I'll refuse Katherine… for now."
The next day, the Leaf Dukedom buzzed with excitement. For the first time in its history, a grand celebration was being held—the birthday of Janet. Nobles from across Clover Kingdom gathered to witness the event. But none realized that beneath the elegance of the celebration, destinies were quietly shifting, and a new future was being forged.