The marriage ceremony was complete, and now both Violet and Michael were officially bound by name and title. Though the king congratulated him, Michael's mind was elsewhere.
He glanced at his status screen.
[Affinity with Violet: 70]
A small sigh escaped him. "Only 70, huh?" he thought. Not too surprising, considering we barely know each other...
In truth, this wasn't a love story—at least, not yet. It was more of a political alliance, a sudden arrangement sparked by status, power, and circumstance. A royal favor exchanged in the name of peace and protection. And now, he found himself the husband of a half-High Elf noblewoman, beautiful and mysterious, yet still somewhat distant.
"Well... guess it's up to me to close that gap." He smirked slightly. A challenge was a challenge, after all—and Michael never did back down from those.
"Now that you both are married, a heavy pressure is lifted off my shoulders," the King said as he faced Michael. "I will be heading back. You may go to Grand hall once again—this time with your wife," he added, smiling as he left.
Michael turned to Violet and led her gently.
"Um, I haven't mentioned this before, but... were you forced into this?" he asked, looking at her as she came closer.
In response, Violet leaned in and gently kissed him. "Does that answer your question?" she asked with a soft smile.
Michael blinked as she held his hand. "I'll make sure you eventually fall in love with me," he said confidently.
She giggled and replied, "But I might already be halfway there."
[Affinity with Violet increased by 10 points.]
"Hmm, I guess so," he said, brushing her silvery hair behind her ear. Then she smiled slightly and added, "Shall we go and greet the rest of the court as a couple? After that, we can head to our chambers tonight."
Michael chuckled as they both exited toward the golden hall, their steps now in sync.
"My lord, may I ask something?" she said playfully as they walked.
"Of course, my wife is free to ask me anything," he replied.
"Well… it may sound odd, but… am I truly a wife to you? Or is this just political?" she asked, a flicker of genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Michael stopped for a second and turned to her. "Didn't I already said, i will make you fall in love with me, cause I have already fallen for you. So if this is just the start, then I can't wait for what comes next."
Violet blushed slightly and leaned into him. Being a high elf and of royal descent, her beauty was undeniable—but now, she looked even more radiant as she smiled at the man who'd just become her partner in name... and perhaps, soon, in heart too.
After a moment, they returned to the Grand Hall once again. Many eyes turned toward them—especially toward the beautiful lady walking gracefully beside Michael.
The King approached with a warm smile. "I was wondering where you went," he said, chuckling. "But it's good to see you back."
Then, with a knowingly amused look, he asked, "And who is this beautiful lady with you?"
Michael stepped forward and answered calmly, "She is my wife. Her name is Violet."
Gasps and murmurs spread across the hall, but the King simply laughed in delight. "Oh-ho! I thought I could introduce some of the Eternal Kingdom's hidden jewel—but it seems fate beat me to it. None can hope to compare to your wife now."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty," Violet replied with elegance, bowing slightly.
The King nodded, clearly pleased. "Then it is time to make it official," he said as he turned to Michael. "A man of your station, an Archduke, having no surname for your house is something I cannot overlook."
He raised his hand dramatically. "Therefore, I shall bestow upon you your official noble house name."
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty," he said, bowing.
The King nodded. "Very well. From this moment on, I bestow upon your house the name von Drukstahl."
"It means 'a house forged under great pressure—whose very name makes the enemy feel fear simply from its Power'," he added, smiling as Michael respectfully shook his hand.
"Now go and mingle with the other nobles," the King said as he turned to leave. Many nobles were waiting to greet Michael, especially those who had aided him during the Reidan City defense.
After another hour of discussion, laughter, and forced diplomacy, Michael finally felt the exhaustion sink in. "This is exhausting..." he muttered under his breath.
Violet, now sitting beside him, chuckled softly. "You'll get used to it."
"I guess you're the one everyone's talking about again," Michael heard, turning to see Grid approaching him.
"You're here too?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm a noble now as well," Grid replied, taking a seat beside him.
"Hello," Violet greeted politely, offering a graceful nod.
"This is Irene, my wife," Grid said, introducing her. Irene stepped forward with poise, her noble demeanor unmistakable—clearly the daughter of a powerful household.
"It's a pleasure to meet the daughter of the Lord of the North," Michael said courteously.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lord Michael, Savior of our Kingdom," Irene replied with a warm smile, taking a seat beside Violet. The two women quickly engaged in conversation, leaving the men to talk.
Michael turned his attention back to Grid. "So, what do you want?"
Grid smiled confidently. "I want you to join my guild. It's newly formed—called Overgeared. We've got me, the Pagma's Successor, the only Legendary blacksmith in the world. I've already created seven legendary items. We've also got a hidden Epic class user, Lauel, the first-ranked prodigy of this generation, and the entire Tzedakah Guild has joined under me."
Michael leaned back, arms crossed. "Yet I can make you and your entire guild criminal within seconds?"
Grid blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?" Confused by the unexpected threat by Michael.
Michael smiled and pulled up a message window only Grid could see. "I got this after claiming the Last Ancient Weapon."
A message floated in front of Grid's eyes, his face gradually turning pale as he read: