Chapter 178: visiting royal palace

There’s still so much time left before their carriage enters the royal palace,

Aria tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes on her husband-to-be. Sunlight spilled through the glass pane, catching the sharp contour of his jawline, the casualness of his posture, and that handsome smirk that always seemed to get to her nerves.

’He really is disgustingly attractive,’ Aria thought, a spark flickering behind her gaze. ’I should probably commission an alchemist to brew a mild disfigurement potion. Just enough to ruin that pretty face so the rest of the continent’s women stop throwing themselves on him.’

She rested her chin on her palm. A helpless smile on her lips. This bastard had not only shattered her cynical defenses, but he had also managed to claim her body well before their wedding.

"Why do you have to be so damn good at everything...?" she muttered under her breath in a tiny, almost fond grumble.

Eren blinked, pulling his gaze away from the neatly folded note. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing," Aria replied smoothly in theatrical innocence.

Eren stretched his legs out into the cabin aisle, rolling his shoulders and letting out a yawn.

Slumping back, he turned his head toward her with a spark of playful curiosity. "By the way... I heard you ran into Mira a few days ago."

"Oh, yes! She came across me a few days ago."

She leaned back, crossing her legs with grace. "Honestly, Eren, she is infinitely more adorable in person than in those images you showed me. How a degenerate like you consistently manages to stumble upon stunning women who happen to be generational prodigies."

She tapped her chin with a manicured nail, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. "Her mind for corporate logistics is extraordinary. I’m actually considering drafting an exclusive contract to poach her into the Reedings executive branch permanently. She would make an impeccable chief of staff."

"Objection," Eren cut in flatly.

"Objection overruled," Aria fired back with a laugh, waving a dismissive hand.

Eren sat quietly, simply watching her bright face.

Not so long ago, this very same woman had been a cold, paranoid villainess. Seeing her laugh so freely in the morning light was worth every trouble he got.

"Tell me, Aria," Eren asked, his tone softening into easy, affectionate banter. "Are you still angry about last time?"

Aria hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head.

Slowly, she uncrossed her legs and leaned across until the sweet, crisp scent of winter roses filled his senses. Her face was inches from his, golden eyes locking onto his blue gaze with breathtaking intensity.

"I will always despise you, Eren Volsver," Aria whispered playfully.

She leaned up, pressing a soft kiss on his forehead. "Unfortunately for my sanity... the love overrides the hatred every single time."

Thud. Clack.

The heavy carriage gave a smooth, final deceleration as the vehicle halted.

"Showtime, my darling," Aria murmured, extending a gloved hand for him to take.

Eren took Aria’s hand, offering a lazy smirk as they stepped down from the carriage onto the sunlit royal courtyard.

Waiting before them was a tall, sharply poised woman dressed in the immaculate, black uniform of the Imperial Guard. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail, highlighting her sharp jawline.

"Greetings, Lady Aria of House Reedings," the woman greeted with a disciplined bow.

"Good morning, Emily," Aria replied smoothly with polite grace expected of high nobility.

Emily rose, her eyes immediately shifting to the dark-haired youth standing beside the princess’s best friend. A flicker of cautious assessment in her gaze. "And this gentleman would be...?"

Aria’s golden eyes sparkled with mischievous pride as she linked her arm through his. "Allow me to introduce my fiancé, Eren Volsver. The only son of Duke Volsver."

The realization hit Emily. Her posture straightened an inch further before dipping into a respectful, formal bow.

"Lord Volsver. Forgive my lapse," she said crisply. "I am Emily, personal knight and direct aide to Her Imperial Highness, Princess Seraphina. It is an honor."

"The pleasure is entirely mine, Miss Emily," Eren greeted with an easy, charming smile.

Emily nodded, turning around to guide them through the maze of corridors. Yet instead of turning toward Seraphina’s personal annex, their guide took a western archway.

Aria arched an eyebrow. "Emily? This path leads toward the Rose Annex. Why are we heading to the Queen’s private manor?"

"Her Highness has spent nearly every waking hour in the Rose Annex over the past three days. Ever since... well, ever since Her Majesty the Empress broke her decade of silence."

Eren let out a quiet, knowing hum under his breath. ’So the suggestion actually paid off.’

Truth be told, Eren couldn’t claim full credit for some profound familial reconciliation. He was merely playing an insider’s cheat card. In the original game story, the Queen had died during her execution regarding The Substance. It was only after her execution that Seraphina discovered dozens of unsent letters detailing her mother’s desperate, suffocating love.

The silver-haired princess had completely lost her mind to grief and vengeance, willingly joining the demon army to burn the empire.

’At least this time the two stubborn royals talked it out while they’re both still breathing,’ Eren mused dryly. ’One less apocalypse on my checklist.’

As they walked past an ivory pergola, Emily glanced back over her shoulder, a sudden spark of curiosity burning in her dark eyes.

"Pardon my boldness, Lord Volsver, but carrying the name Volsver... would you happen to be well acquainted with Swordmaster Emma?"

Eren chuckled softly. "You could say that. We grew up under the very same roof since childhood."

Emily’s eyes widened, a breathless reverence washing over her stoic military facade.

"Heavens above... to grow up beside the continent’s youngest Swordmaster!" Emily practically gushed, abandoning her palace decorum for a moment of pure sword-worship.

"Emma is an absolute legend among our vanguard ranks! To awaken aura at such a young age and wield the divine blade arts with that level of terrifying precision... everyone in the capital’s chivalric order is convinced she is the only true contender to inherit the mantle of the next Sword Saint! Tell me, Lord Eren, just how close are the two of you?"

"Oh, exceptionally close," Eren replied with an unhinged smile. "She takes great personal interest in my physical conditioning. Daily, in fact."

Aria’s sharp elbow drove ruthlessly into Eren’s ribs with pinpoint accuracy as Emily looked forward for a moment. She offered Emily a dazzling, sugar-sweet smile.

"Is that so?!" Emily gasped, entirely oblivious to the silent domestic violence beside her. "Lord Eren, I beg of you, please introduce me to her! I would give a year’s royal stipend just to cross blades with her in a spar!"

"I’ll tell this to her," Eren coughed, rubbing his side as they finally pushed past a massive, wrought-iron garden gate.

"We have arrived," Emily announced, stepping aside.

Eren and Aria stepped out onto the open stone veranda of the inner courtyard—and both of them came to a synchronized halt.

The courtyard was a breathtaking sanctuary of blooming white and crimson roses. But it wasn’t the flowers or plants that stole their breath.

It’s damn Empress Rosalie.