When the morning sun appeared in the sky, Valencia and Kael wore their formal clothes, preparing themselves to go to the Royal Palace together. Nuredus and Ezrael came along in a different carriage.
Once they arrived at the palace together, they entered the Main Hall, where all of the other noblemen stood and waited.
All eyes were on Valencia as she entered.
“Who is she?”
“Why did an Izekiah marry such a random lady?”
“Is she from the slums? I remembered seeing purple hair in the slums.”
Valencia glared at them. Purple hair? Are they implying that they have never met my mother? She frowned.
Lucentis looked at Valencia and smiled.
“Come… sit. Sorry to bring you here instead of letting you enjoy your honeymoon,” Lucentis taunted.
Gerald scoffed before he sat down.
Kael bowed and shot his glare at them.
“Sorry?” he echoed, then he smirked. “Shouldn’t you be sorry for trying to appoint me as a Commander after my wedding?”
Lucentis’s smile faded. Valencia rolled her eyes with a grin.
“Oh, son… there will be plenty of days ahead in your married life with our lovely daughter-in-law,” Ezrael added.
Nuredus chuckled as she glanced at Gerald.
“At least… the love is purely emotion, not with potions or drugs,” she gaslighted lightly.
Gerald clenched his fists, his face creasing. He looked at her.
Valencia furrowed her brow. Potions? Drugs? Are you saying Lady Hydenna could possibly not have loved an idiot like him? She gazed at Gerald.
They all sat down, straightening themselves. Kael held Valencia’s hand in pretense to steady her. She chuckled lightly as he smiled.
“So… Lady…?” a baron asked.
Kael gazed at the baron with the corner of his eye.
“Lady Izekiah…”
“Well, before she married you… what’s her maiden name?”
Kael scoffed, relaxing his elbow on the armchair.
“Why do you care? Does it matter who I marry? She could be a Goddess for all I know,” Kael retorted.
Some of the noblemen coughed, choking on the words that they wanted to say.
“Valencia… Elyane,” Valencia revealed.
Everyone gasped, staring at her in silence. Kael tightened his jaw.
“If it makes you uncomfortable—”
“They will find out somehow…” Valencia interrupted.
Lucentis lowered his gaze toward Valencia.
“As in… Persai’s daughter?”
Valencia moved her focus to him and smiled faintly.
“Oh… I didn’t know my mother’s name was that important,” she replied nonchalantly.
Lucentis’s jaw tensed as his eyes could barely stop twitching.
“Your father…?” Lucentis asked.
“I’m not sure. It was only my mother and me…”
“And how old are you?”
Valencia grinned, averting her eyes.
“Why does it matter how old I am?” she asked.
Kael hid his smile, leaning to her ear and kissing her head.
“Ignore him… he’s supposed to announce the reason why we came here for this meeting,” Kael diverted Lucentis’s agenda.
Lucentis groaned, seething.
“Since you married, you have become the Duke of the Izekiah House. And since you have found your guide… you will be returning as the Commander.”
Everyone widened their eyes and looked at Kael.
“And…?” Kael added, raising one brow.
“You will be heading to the Black Forest to search for the monsters that appeared in the kingdom lately. Check for any signs of the Demon King that the late Void Esper claimed to kill,” Lucentis explained, staring at Valencia.
She locked eyes with him with her hollow eyes.
“Claim? Where did you hear that from?” she questioned.
Lucentis’s nails scratched the table as his breath unsteadied. He forced a smile.