It was a Political Marriage, But I’m Being Loved - Chapter 73

“…It’s not even a royal wedding. Was sending out formal invitations really necessary?”

Traditionally, when a successor to the throne regardless of gender was getting married, invitations were sent to foreign dignitaries. But Charlize’s wedding was different. The Empire already had a Crown Prince, and as the daughter of the reigning emperor, her marriage would typically be a quieter affair handled within imperial borders.

“But this is the first time a Tower Lord is marrying into royalty, isn’t it? Not only that, this one was even granted a noble title by the Empire. The Emperor probably wants to show that off.”

Across the sea, Prince Ryuhan—the fourth prince of the Lushan Empire—looked disinterested as he gazed out at the distant harbor. The thought of arriving there only to then make a long journey to the imperial capital was already exhausting.

“Still, the magic of the Western Continent is no match for our spellcraft!”

“That’s true, Your Highness.”

His attendant nodded in agreement, offering polite affirmation. Prince Ryuhan was known throughout Lushan’s royal family for his strong sense of pride in his skill—and in their continent’s superior mystical arts.

He aspired to be Lushan’s greatest spellcaster, but he could never surpass Chunryeo, the famed master living atop Mount Cheonhwa. Time and again, he’d been told he fell short.

In truth, Ryuhan wasn’t even the second most powerful spellcaster in the East—he was roughly ranked eighth. But no one near him dared to say so. After all, even being eighth was impressive.

In the Lushan capital, encountering a spellcaster of that caliber was rarer than spotting a tiger. Even those ranked lower than Ryuhan lived lives indistinguishable from nobles.

“Still, Your Highness, please remember that you are attending as an envoy of Lushan. You mustn’t cause any trouble.”

“Why would I cause trouble?”

Ryuhan scoffed, but the attendant looked at him with concern.

“For example, if you suddenly challenged the Tower Lord—the princess’s husband-to-be.”

“Unless the Tower Lord acts rudely toward me, I won’t pick a fight.”

That said, Ryuhan had a history of provoking Chunryeo’s disciples—and being swiftly beaten and chased off. To someone like Ryuhan, who had his eyes on the title of the world’s greatest spellcaster, the Tower Lord of the Western Continent would seem like a rival—or, at the very least, a useful sparring partner to measure his skill against.

Let’s hope nothing happens…

As the worried attendant pondered, the ship approached the harbor.

The Emperor hadn’t summoned Achilles for anything serious. He simply wanted to ask that the Tower Lord stand by his side when the visiting envoys arrived in a few days—to show his presence as the Emperor’s future son-in-law.

Achilles accepted without hesitation. He saw it as part of his role, now that he was marrying Charlize. The Emperor seemed quite pleased with his response.

Thankfully, the Emperor isn’t insisting I remain in the capital.

If the Emperor had tried to force Achilles to serve as a royal mage in exchange for marrying the princess, things would’ve become complicated. But it appeared the Emperor was satisfied simply by securing the marriage.

As Achilles stepped out of the Emperor’s office, he began thinking about the things he still needed to prepare. His residence in the Mage Tower had already been made ready for Charlize, thanks to the tireless work of the automata.

The castle on the eastern coast, which Charlize had chosen for their honeymoon, was unfamiliar to him. Still, he had heard that the servants dispatched by the Empress had gone ahead and completed all necessary preparations.

“Once I marry Charlize… how will our life look?”

Achilles didn’t think his lifestyle would change much. As the Tower Lord, he had always split his time between staying at the tower and traveling outside it. He couldn’t completely separate himself from the responsibilities of the tower, so he would have to spend a certain amount of time there—but he typically spent more than eight months of the year out in the field.

The one major difference now… was that Charlize would be with him.

“I should clear out the dragon’s lair too… She might actually like it.”

He thought of the lair he had claimed after slaying a dragon, which he’d been using as a private research space. Half of it was a palace adorned in gold and marble, and the rest was a training ground designed for magical practice. It could be a perfect place for Charlize to study magic.

Just imagining how happy she might be made the corners of his lips twitch upward.

Charlize was on her way back to her palace after spending some time with the Empress, just as Achilles returned from his meeting with the Emperor. Their promise was to meet in her palace after handling their separate duties and spend the evening together.

“I know you’re busy with wedding preparations, but you should still attend at least two gatherings before the big day.”

The Empress suggested two events. One was a tea party hosted by herself, and the other, a picnic organized by a duchess.

Both seemed safe and appropriate, as expected from events the Empress herself had chosen.

The tea party was to be attended only by carefully selected guests, handpicked by the Empress herself. The second event—the picnic—was hosted by Duchess Gianni, who was one of Charlize’s childhood friends.

Duchess Gianni, Amelia, had grown up close to Charlize. Though originally a count’s daughter, she was selected as the young princess’s playmate and had remained her friend ever since.

When discussions about Charlize’s marriage to the Tower Lord first began, Amelia had been away on her honeymoon, so Charlize hadn’t been able to consult her. But now that she had returned, she was planning the upcoming picnic.

‘I couldn’t make it to Amelia’s last tea party. I really should see her this time.’

When Amelia returned to the capital, Charlize wasn’t there—she had already left to spend time at the northern fortress with Achilles.

Thinking of how surprised Amelia must’ve been upon hearing about the engagement, Charlize felt a pang of guilt. She should have told her first.

Though she’d sent a letter explaining everything as soon as she returned to the palace, a letter could never replace speaking face-to-face. The only problem was…

‘It’s a picnic, so I should probably bring a partner. Which means I’ll have to take Achilles.’

But she wasn’t sure how well he would get along with others. Thankfully, Duke Gianni wasn’t a friend of Valter’s. While he was older, he was a close associate of Oscar’s and trustworthy.

So even if Achilles happened to act aloof or disregard some of the less polite nobles, the duke would smooth things over.

“Hmm…”

She was even tempted to bring Oscar instead.

But Oscar was swamped—still neck-deep in the investigation into Valter’s crimes. While all signs pointed to Valter orchestrating the assassination attempts and kidnappings, they still lacked concrete evidence.

‘Well, he’s my fiancé now, so it’s my job to figure things out, right?’

She truly liked Achilles, and she wanted to marry him—but somehow, it still felt unfair, as if she was left to clean up after something the Emperor had started.

As the wedding day approached, envoys from various nations began arriving in the Imperial Capital to offer their congratulations. Normally, no such formal delegations would be sent unless it was a royal wedding. But this wasn’t just curiosity—it was also strategy. The marriage of the Tower Lord had piqued interest across the continent.

Some kingdoms, hoping to fill the long-vacant position of Crown Princess, had included young noblewomen in their delegations—no doubt calculating their chances.

“That young lady is the niece of King Hisson. I heard she broke off her engagement last year—and apparently, she’s done it again.”

The Empress, Roxana, leaned toward the Crown Prince and whispered. With her vast network of connections and sharp eye for gossip, there was little she didn’t know—even about neighboring kingdoms.

“King Hisson wouldn’t have sent her himself. She must have begged him. She’s quite ambitious.”

A striking young lady entered the audience chamber, bowing with elegant grace. While the Emperor and Empress greeted her, they quietly watched Oscar’s expression.

He didn’t let his displeasure show openly but began working hard to keep his expression neutral.

“I have no interest in marriage.”

He whispered it softly so only those near him could hear. The Empress shot him a quick side-glance.

To the Emperor’s left sat Charlize and Tower Lord Achilles.

Charlize kept her attention on the envoys only when protocol required it. The rest of the time, she whispered to Achilles. He, in turn, held her hand and murmured explanations about anyone he recognized among the guests.

As King Hisson’s niece flashed Oscar a meaningful smile, one of her relatives—another young lady—gently nudged her to signal that it was time to step aside.

The girl cast a sidelong glare at her cousin, then reluctantly stepped back.

A moment later, the ceremonial announcer’s voice rang out with sharp clarity:

“Now entering—His Highness, Prince Ryuhan of the Eastern Continent’s Lushan Empire!”

A tall, dark-haired youth strode confidently into the chamber, flanked by a full envoy. The Emperor of Lushan was said to have eighteen sons, but Ryuhan was one of his most favored.

Charlize’s father seemed aware of this and received Ryuhan’s greeting with a satisfied smile.

“Congratulations on the Princess’s marriage, Your Majesty. Your Highness, the Empress.”

Though the wedding was between Charlize and Achilles, Ryuhan had directed his official congratulations to the Emperor and Empress, as expected. Then he turned to face Charlize and Achilles.

“Ah…”

The moment his gaze moved past the Emperor and landed on Charlize, his eyes widened as if he had recognized something.

Achilles, holding her hand, instantly felt a wave of unease.

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