After the reconnaissance mission, the officials, knights, and soldiers were able to return safely.
The funerals for the casualties that occurred during the mission were simple and quick.
Since the deputy chief of the second office lost his life, most of the attendees, including Yohan, came to pay their respects.
“He was a good person…”
“He was boisterous, but he did things right.”
“Deputy Chief, may you rest in a good place.”
The officials expressed their sorrow over his death.
He was well-respected, so it was natural for many to mourn him.
Amidst such an atmosphere, a man was lost in thought with a grim expression in the corner.
‘This is unpleasant.’
He was Fedelian, the head of the second office.
‘Under normal circumstances, Yohan Harssen should have been lying in that coffin too.’
Most of the troops that had gone south—no, all of them—should have been in that coffin.
But that didn’t happen.
Yohan Harssen, who had just reached the rank of lieutenant, unexpectedly displayed exceptional skills and completely ruined the plan.
‘…This is exceedingly unpleasant.’
Fedelian silently clenched his fist.
His heart raced with anger, and though it thudded violently, he was a prince.
He knew when to wear a mask and hide his emotions.
Of course, the reason for his displeasure wasn’t solely this.
‘Francia.’
The flower on the cliff that should have been his had been sullied by someone else’s hands.
He couldn’t accept that above all else.
The plan failed? He could try again next time.
A capable deputy chief was dead? He could simply appoint a new one.
But the fact that a woman’s purity had been tainted was a different matter.
That was something irreversible.
‘Really… it’s unpleasant.’
Fedelian had never been unable to get what he wanted.
He just had to say what he wanted, and he could take whatever he desired.
However.
Francia Ferbache.
She was someone he couldn’t have, and no matter how much he reached for her, he couldn’t touch her. Instead of possessing her, she was taken by another man.
What was worse, that man took everything from the woman he so desperately wanted.
He took her, and even her purity.
It’s laughable to be so thrown off by just one woman, but losing her was more than a mere loss of possession.
It was as if his authority and very existence were being shaken.
A distorted psychology stemming from the privileges and power he had enjoyed throughout his life.
Fedelian had been born with everything and was raised in an environment where no one could defy him.
For someone like him, the concept of ‘not being able to have what one wants’ was unfamiliar, and he had a strong belief that he could possess everything he desired.
He tended to treat whatever he desired as his property.
Why was he obsessed with Francia? Because she was the first ‘uncontrollable object’ he had encountered.
She was special—a rare flower on a cliff with the ability to use healing magic and the best appearance in high society.
The fact that he couldn’t suppress or dominate her ignited his pride, which led to his obsession.
In his distorted psyche, he felt that by completely possessing her, he could reclaim his authority and self-esteem.
‘Francia, you will never slip from my hands.’
Fedelian clenched his fist.
He would be the one to claim her in the end.
After the brief mourning period ended, the officials returned to the training grounds.
They needed to submit their final reports before going on leave.
And most importantly, there was the ceremony for the appointment of the new lieutenant mage.
“Yohan Harssen, special mage. I officially recognize you as a member of the second office. Congratulations on becoming a special mage.”
The head, Fedelian, personally hung a necklace made of emeralds around his neck, concluding the appointment ceremony.
“I will do my best.”
Fedelian’s expression looked as if he had bitten into something sour.
Yohan desperately tried to hold back his laughter at the sight.
“Congratulations, Special Mage Harssen!”
“Yohan, congratulations!”
“Welcome aboard!”
On the other hand, the members of the second office sincerely congratulated their new special mage.
It was only natural.
Not only had he saved everyone during the initial reconnaissance mission, but he also dealt with a special monster.
He was like the new hero of the second office.
“Thank you.”
As Yohan smiled and expressed his gratitude to the officials,
“Yohan?”
Violet approached him with a charming smile.
She casually placed a hand on Yohan’s shoulder and continued speaking.
“Congratulations on officially becoming a special mage. But is my previous proposal still on hold?”
“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘on hold.’”
As Yohan’s expression turned cold, Violet traced a line with her eyes.
“What do you mean? I asked you to go with me as my partner for the upcoming social party, and you said you would think about it.”
Her lie caused a stir around them.
“What? Wasn’t the Ferbache special mage in a romantic relationship?”
“Seems it was just something casual. I get it.”
“With a face like that, they can’t help but get caught up in the whirlpool of social events.”
However, Yohan was not one to be shaken by such trivial matters.
He had experienced all kinds of tricks from the noble ladies of high society up to now.
“I have no idea what the first-class mage of Latalen is talking about. I clearly declined last time, didn’t I? I said I would go with the Ferbache special mage since I’m in a relationship with her.”
Yohan said calmly, tilting his head.
There was no change in his expression.
“Hmm. It seems I’ve been demoted from ‘Violet’ to ‘First-Class Mage of Latalen.’ Does that mean I’ve crossed a line?”
“You’re quite perceptive.”
“What a pity. I really wanted to go to this party with you. I guess I’ll have to look for another partner.”
Violet shrugged and leaned in close to Yohan’s ear, whispering softly.
“Look forward to it.”
After saying that, she smiled and turned to leave.
‘What am I supposed to look forward to? That crazy woman.’
Yohan could only ponder as he watched her walk away.
“Ahem, everyone, let’s focus on work! It’s right before the holiday, so we need to wrap this up quickly and go home!”
At that moment, a man who changed the subject to shift the atmosphere was Merlin.
He had kept Yohan and Francia’s relationship a secret on the first day he joined the office.
Perhaps he was changing the topic to help Yohan.
‘Didn’t he say he would propose after this reconnaissance mission?’
Maybe that’s why he had a full smile on his face.
‘That’s good.’
If Yohan hadn’t pushed everyone back and captured the special monster alone, he wouldn’t have survived, and his fiancée would have been left alone as well.
Thinking that way, a sense of pride welled up inside him.
“Yohan!”
While Yohan was organizing documents, another woman came up to him.
“Francia.”
It was Francia.
She seemed to have finished her preparations to leave and had already submitted her report.
A broad smile spread across Yohan’s face.
“Have you finished your work?”
“Yes. There wasn’t much to submit, so it was quick. How about you?”
“I still have some left. I need to properly report the characteristics of that special monster.”
Francia tilted her head, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders.
“May I help you?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll finish soon.”
“Alright. Then I’ll go out and wait first?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
As Yohan smiled gently, Francia nodded in satisfaction and went outside.
They had decided to return together to the Ferbache Imperial Mansion today because it was the day to see the result of the promise made with the Ducal of Ferbache.
‘The work went well, but…
Who knows what other issues might come up and what homework they might assign me.
I can’t let my guard down.’
Inside the carriage heading to the Ferbache Imperial Mansion, Francia spoke.
“My father said he would be coming tomorrow.”
“I see. Is his schedule alright?”
“Yes. He’s busy, but he said he would find some time no matter what.”
The four great families, which are called the core of the Empire, were in a busy period.
With winter approaching, they had to clear out the monsters and inspect the borders with neighboring countries.
Moreover, they had to stock up food and resources for the winter in their territories, so it was no wonder they were busy.
“Aren’t you feeling nervous?”
Francia asked, glancing up at him.
Yohan smiled awkwardly and replied,
“I can’t help but feel nervous.”
It would be nice if Ducal Ferbache could say, ‘That’s it! Now you’re our Ferbache family’s son-in-law!’ But he wouldn’t let it end there.
Rather, he would assign more challenging tasks to properly develop Yohan Harssen as a suitable son-in-law for the Ferbache family.
“Still, my father is a warm-hearted person, so it should be fine. He handled the special monster by himself, right? He saved many people, too.”
Francia dreamed of a positive future, but Yohan’s conclusion was, well, uncertain.
“I hope it goes well enough to make my worries seem unfounded.”
However, since he couldn’t say things as they were, he wrapped it up with a suitable response.
“By the way, there’s a social party coming up soon.”
“Are you worried about it?”
“No, I’m not worried, but…”
Francia twirled her long black hair with her fingers and continued.
“It’s just that many unpleasant people tend to gather at such events.”
As she said, the upcoming social party would include many unpleasant people since both the first and second officials would participate.
The deputy director of the first official, Cassis Renokhonen.
The head of the second official, Fedelian Rogino.
Fedelian’s fiancée, Rudella Bismarck.
And many others.
Even Yohan felt dizzy just thinking about it; how must she feel?
“You don’t have to worry too much. I’m here after all.”
“Ha ha, that’s right. Yohan has always protected me in difficult situations.”
Francia smiled and continued with her questions.
“Have you decided on your outfit for the social party?”
“I haven’t chosen my outfit yet. I was thinking of matching it with you.”
“I love that kind of thoughtfulness.”
It was common to match dress codes with a partner when attending a social party together.
Yohan knew that, so he was waiting for her to say something.
“Let’s go match our dress codes before we meet my father tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“Do you have a color in mind? I want…”
As they headed to the Ferbache Imperial Mansion, they engaged in a warm conversation.
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace.
Rudella Bismarck walked through the hallway in deep silence.
Crossing the long hallway she always walked, she stood in front of a large arched door.
“Haah…”
Unknowingly, she let out a deep sigh.
Even though it was the prince’s residence she visited regularly, she couldn’t ignore the psychological rejection and frustration.
But she had to go in.
They needed to discuss future matters.
She had to support him, who would become the Emperor.
That was what she had learned.
She knocked on the door and said,
“Your Highness, may I enter?”
Come in.
With a clatter, the arched door opened, revealing a luxurious room.
The crown prince, Fedelian, was sitting at his desk, examining documents.
“Your Highness.”
“What is it today?”
“It’s about the upcoming social party.”
“Ah, is that so?”
With a thud, Fedelian placed the documents on the desk and tilted his head.
“Are you here to request a partner?”
“It’s not a request; it’s only natural as your fiancée—”
“There’s nothing natural in this world, Lady Bismarck.”
Fedelian continued with a bored expression, as if he were feeling lethargic.
“I found that out this time. I thought I had it all, but that wasn’t the case.”
Sitting at the desk, Fedelian stood up and walked towards Rudella.
“What do you want to say?”
“While you and I are engaged, we’re not that close, are we? I believe choosing a partner is something that can be done freely in society.”
Rudella tried to say something, but her lips only moved, and she couldn’t utter a word.
Her mouth wouldn’t open.
“Well, it seems that the woman I was planning to take as my partner found another one, so just be satisfied with that, Lady Bismarck. Isn’t that good news for you too? You can be happy.”
Fedelian grinned and brushed Rudella’s cheek with his hand.
She frowned in disgust, but soon regained her composure.
“You love me more than anyone else, don’t you?”
“Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re right.”
“Since you’ve given me the answer I wanted, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Yes.”
Rudella slowly closed her eyes and bowed her head.
The love she had been taught through conditioning was somehow twisted.
Or perhaps, was love something that could be good to see?
She couldn’t even imagine it, but it didn’t matter.
She was just a convenient tool for the Bismarck Marquis family.