It was a Political Marriage, But I’m Being Loved - Chapter 74

“Your Highness?”

The envoy standing behind Ryuhan gently nudged him. Snapping out of his daze, Ryuhan quickly masked his expression and gave a charming smile.

“I must’ve been momentarily blinded by Her Highness’s beauty. The Tower Lord is truly a fortunate man. I sincerely congratulate you both on your marriage.”

He said the words, but in truth, he hadn’t really seen Charlize’s face clearly. When his eyes shifted from the Emperor to her, the sheer aura radiating from her body had overwhelmed him—it was shocking he hadn’t noticed it sooner.

“The Tower Lord is a man, and he’s marrying the princess. So that must be the princess…”

Her face glowed so brightly that all he could see was a soft golden hue. Below that shimmer, he saw the outline of a gown. Yes, she had to be the princess. Ryuhan quickly composed himself and lowered his gaze.

He was indeed curious about her, but this was not the place to act strangely. And it was clear the Tower Lord was already watching him with suspicion.

Ryuhan subtly stepped aside as the envoy presented their gifts to the Emperor, explaining each one. Meanwhile, Ryuhan continued stealing glances at the princess—but her face remained obscured.

“Such tremendous power…! The Tower Lord must have approached her because of that! I knew something was odd when the Tower suddenly started interacting with the Empire after a thousand years of neutrality!”

Even while answering the Empress’s questions and exchanging polite words, Ryuhan’s attention remained fixed on the princess.

Ah.

A cold, piercing pressure brushed against his skin, and Ryuhan instinctively shifted his gaze slightly to her side. The Tower Lord was staring directly at him—with open hostility.

He’s got his eye on me.

Ryuhan understood that much, but he only smirked. After all, he already planned to challenge the Tower Lord and prove that Eastern spellcraft was superior to Western magic.

Because every envoy who came to congratulate the royal couple brought with them extravagant gifts, piles of offerings now filled the side of the audience hall. Each delegation had gifts for the Emperor and Empress, of course—but also for Charlize and the Tower Lord.

It was a sight Charlize had seen once before—during the Crown Prince’s engagement. But this was her own wedding, not an engagement, so it was even grander.

She had assumed things would be more modest since she wasn’t the heir—but she had underestimated the situation.

Once the final delegation finished presenting their gifts, the Emperor and Empress withdrew first. The Crown Prince followed shortly after, and finally Charlize and Achilles began to exit.

Achilles, unconcerned with order or ceremony, focused only on Charlize, who had taken his arm and clung to it affectionately.

Hehe… This is only the beginning of the hard part.

Though it was technically an imperial event, the wedding wasn’t large enough for the Emperor and Empress to personally attend all the banquets. Instead, the job of entertaining the envoys fell to the Crown Prince and…

“Me, the bride.”

To be fair, the Emperor hadn’t intended to involve the Tower Lord in any formal duties. Even in today’s audience, he had taken the time to explain things to Achilles personally, assuming the Tower Lord wouldn’t show up on his own.

But Achilles seemed determined to attend the banquet simply because Charlize would be there.

“Prince Ryuhan from Lushan was acting a little strangely earlier…”

Lushan was a vast empire far across the eastern sea. While the Western Continent used “magic,” the East practiced “spellcraft,” or beopsul—and Charlize had heard that their system worked differently.

“Magic, spellcraft… I bet it’s all just different names for the same thing.”

For now, the banquet would be handled by the nobles assigned to receive the envoys. Charlize and Achilles didn’t need to appear immediately. It made sense to rest first and then enter later alongside Crown Prince Oscar.

“Aren’t you tired?” Oscar asked.

Charlize shook her head. “I’m fine.”

He gave Achilles a quick glance—but Achilles was looking only at Charlize.

“The banquet won’t start right away. Take your fiancé to the lounge and rest for a bit. I’ll send a maid when it’s time.”

Though this was the main palace, there were private rest areas reserved for members of the royal family during official functions. It wasn’t the Emperor’s or Empress’s private quarters, but spaces arranged for the Crown Prince and his close aides, as well as other royal children.

The palace was vast, with more than enough rooms to accommodate everyone.

Normally, Charlize would rest in the same room as Oscar or his attendants—but now that she was engaged, they were giving her and Achilles more privacy.

“Aren’t you going to rest, Oscar?”

“I’ve got a few documents to review. A report should be coming in soon… I wish times like this were a little less busy.”

Oscar looked a little downhearted. With Charlize’s wedding drawing near, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. The two of them had always been close, and the thought of not seeing her every day, not having her nearby in the palace, left an emptiness in his heart.

As he gently patted her head and walked away, Achilles looked less than pleased. He knew Oscar was the princess’s older brother—but still, he hoped they wouldn’t keep exchanging such tender glances.

“Let’s go,” Charlize said, taking Achilles’s hand and following the attendant.

Perhaps because the Crown Prince had left, the attendant guided them to the lounge Charlize usually used. She quickly realized this was Oscar’s way of being considerate—letting them rest in a more familiar space.

Once inside, Charlize collapsed onto the sofa. Sitting beside her, Achilles barely had a chance to settle before she wrapped herself around his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

They had stood for hours, receiving formal greetings from envoys. The Emperor and Empress had remained seated during the ceremony, but Charlize, Oscar, and Achilles had to remain on their feet the entire time.

“My feet hurt. My legs ache.”

When she was younger, there would have been chairs for her. But not anymore. She was older now, and with no chair available for Achilles either, it was only natural they were made to stand.

“Why did so many envoys have to show up for a princess’s wedding anyway? This isn’t even a royal succession.”

What annoyed her more was the huge smile plastered across her father’s face. True, she had fallen in love with Achilles and was happy to marry him—but if she hadn’t, this would have been miserable. The idea of the Emperor gloating over it made her stomach twist.

“Bring some tea,” Achilles ordered softly.

Then, without a word, he lifted her legs and gently placed them across his lap, starting to massage her calves. Though he had already used magic to ease some of the pain, she was still startled when he suddenly removed her shoes.

“…No wonder your feet hurt in shoes like these,” he murmured.

She could no longer complain about how forward he was. They were already too close for such formalities. Even her ladies-in-waiting, familiar with their relationship, didn’t seem surprised.

Charlize sank further into the sofa, exhaling deeply. A maid brought her a drink just the way she liked it, while Achilles’s tea was placed on the table—he was still busy kneading her aching legs.

“There’ll be even more people to greet at the banquet. Are you sure you’re up for it? You don’t have to go if you’re uncomfortable.”

If Achilles didn’t show, people would gossip. Still, Charlize knew those formalities could be unbearable for someone unused to social events.

And it wouldn’t be just a brief appearance—it would go on for hours.

He had spent his life immersed in magic at the Mage Tower. After what he had endured at the northern fortress, she didn’t want to force him into anything.

“No. I want to be by your side, Princess.”

He understood it was their wedding celebration and that his absence would feel inappropriate. More importantly…

“That prince from Lushan was looking at you oddly.”

It was probably nothing, but Achilles couldn’t shake the feeling. He feared the prince might have recognized her power. From just observing him, Achilles could tell Ryuhan was a spellcaster. Any seasoned mage or knight could recognize the way mana moved through someone’s body.

“If it becomes too much, promise me you’ll say something. We can slip out halfway through if needed.”

“Princess… you’re treating me as if I’m fragile.”

“Am I? But I know how strong you are, Achilles.”

Even just his hands, now gently massaging her feet, were larger and firmer than hers. He was a mage, yes—but his presence felt anything but delicate.

“Did I offend you?”

“No,” he replied quietly, placing a hand over his chest. “It just… tickled a little.”

His expression as he said that was soft, warm in a way words couldn’t quite capture. Charlize believed him—he wasn’t upset.

Suddenly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his chest.

“Princess?” he asked, a little surprised.

“No reason. I just looked at you and felt like hugging you. Can’t I?”

Her eyes were playful, slightly challenging as she clung to him. Achilles gave a faint smile and embraced her back.

“Why wouldn’t you? You can hug me or touch me as much as you like.”

Charlize smiled, gently cupping his cheek before resting her head against his chest.

As she nestled in his arms, she thought: It’s okay to change slowly like this. He and I… we’ll be happy.

And with that, she held him just a little tighter.

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