"My brother left me the throne, so I had no intention of letting his daughter be used as a mere pawn in political games. That is why I gave her one of our royal artifacts—the Eternal Mask of Illusion. It allows her to move freely while keeping her identity hidden. As far as the world is concerned, she is nothing more than my personal maid. She has no official royal standing, nor any authority."
Michael glanced at Violet, noting how calm she remained despite the weight of her past. The king had said a lot, but Michael could already sense there was more to this than just an introduction.
"So," Michael said, leaning forward slightly, "what does all this have to do with me?"
"As you can see, she is now a grown lady," the king said, resting his chin on his hand. "Many times, I have encouraged her to find someone she could spend the rest of her life with."
Violet, who had been silently listening, turned her gaze toward the king with an unreadable expression.
"But she always rejected the idea," Wiesbaden continued with a small sigh. "She always said, 'I will choose when I find a suitable partner.'"
Michael raised an eyebrow, already feeling where this was going.
"And now," the king said, his gaze locking onto Michael, "it seems she has found one."
Michael blinked. Wait. What?
He had expected some political proposal—maybe an offer of land, a title, or even some responsibility over a noble house. But this?
He turned his eyes toward Violet, who met his gaze with a calm, composed expression. Unlike the king, she showed no hesitation.
The king, on the other hand, looked just as surprised as Michael. He had been planning to suggest the idea himself—after all, Michael was now a highly respected figure, a powerful warrior, and someone the people admired. But he hadn't expected Violet to make the decision on her own.
Michael let out a slow breath. Well, this is not what I expected... but—his thoughts paused as he looked at Violet, who was now smiling charmingly at him.
She's damn beautiful.
He wouldn't lose anything from this.
With that thought, he stood up and said, "It would be my honor to have Princess Violet as my life partner."
King Wiesbaden's smile widened, and he clapped his hands together. "Good! Good! I was worried about this, but since you have accepted her hand, let's not waste time. Marry her right now and introduce her at the party as your wife, okay?"
Michael blinked. "Isn't this too fast?" he asked, feeling caught off guard.
The king shook his head. "Rather, it is for her safety. You are an Archduke now. If others knew you were promised to a princess and the wedding was delayed, foolish nobles would surely try to interfere. I know their ways better than anyone. So do this for my niece… as well as your own benefit."
Michael considered this for a moment before nodding. "Okay, then."
The king's smile returned, even bigger this time. "Here, I have already prepared the ring. And as per tradition, the Goddess' Rebecca Priest will officiate the ceremony."
As he spoke, a priest dressed in elegant robes stepped forward, holding a pair of ornate rings .
"This is Bishop Maxwell," the king introduced. "He will conduct the vows and oversee the ceremony. Furthermore, by this union, it will be testified that you are the next heir to the throne.....Only if something happen to my foolish sons."
Michael looked at him as he just nodded, and then inspected the Rings.
[Ring of Pledge]
Rating: Unique
A token of eternal love.
You will be in a 'happy' state when you are with your spouse. Movement speed will increase by 8% and all stats will increase by 30 points.
* Depending on your spouse's liking, the emotion when you are with your spouse will change. Happiness, joy, contentment, normal, dissatisfaction, depression and hate. There are a total of seven emotions, and the Ring of Pledge can have different effects depending on the emotions.
If you spend a hot night with your partner while wearing this ring, the experience of all skills will rise by 10%.
* A hot night is only available once a month.
When wearing the ring, the affinity of all NPCs of the opposite sex other than your spouse won't easily increase.
If you are caught by your spouse not wearing the ring, your spouse's liking will fall by 90% and their chances of becoming pregnant will decrease dramatically.
Weight: 0.1 ]
Damn, another benefit! Michael thought, feeling a surge of excitement. Especially the skill proficiency rise. I was wondering how to raise the rating of my Death Guard skill, and now I got this! Though it'll still take ten months to level up the skill… which is a bit long.
As he pondered, the priest's solemn voice brought him back to reality.
"Do Archduke Michael accept Princess Violet Fianna Eternal as your wife?"
"I do," Michael responded firmly.
The priest then turned to Violet and asked the same question. Without hesitation, she nodded and said, "I do."
"Now, please exchange the rings," the priest declared.
Michael and Violet placed the rings on each other's fingers, sealing their union.
—
[Congratulations! You are now married to Princess Violet Fianna Eternal.]
[The spirits have rejoiced! A lonely child of fate has finally found a partner.]
[The spirits have blessed you.]
[Your EXP acquisition rate has increased by 100% for the next one month.]
[The chance of Violet becoming pregnant has increased by 100%.]
[You have gained one chance to form a contract with a Spirit.]
[Warning: If you ever make Violet cry, the spirits will place all sorts of curses on you.]
—
Michael's lips twitched as he read the notifications. That last part… feels like a threat.
[Spirit Contract Seal]
A one-time-use item that allows the player to form a contract with a Spirit.
The type of Spirit the player can form a contract with depends on their affinity.
[Description]
Spirits are elemental beings that reside in the Spirit Plane. Only the Tree of Life or a High Elf can directly communicate with a Spirit. High Elves are deeply connected to nature, and spirits naturally protect them. Gaining the favor of a High Elf is akin to gaining the aid of Spirits themselves. ]