“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ares muttered as he made his way to the Great Hall. An ominous sense of unease clung to him. He tried to brush it off, but the moment he heard that the envoys from the Kingdom of Katen had arrived, he knew it wasn’t just his imagination.
His gut feeling materialized as soon as he stepped into the Great Hall.
Viarte.
Once upon a time, the Artium Empire and the Kingdom of Katen had an exchange program where they taught and learned each other’s martial arts, fostering a close relationship. Ares had also spent time in the Kingdom of Katen, where he learned their unique combat techniques.
The person he became closest to during that time was none other than Viarte.
“Ares Arensis, I have come to propose marriage to you,” Viarte declared, leaving everyone gasping for breath.
A marriage proposal—directed at none other than Ares Arensis.
The knights, in particular, were utterly dumbfounded.
“Is she out of her mind?” one knight muttered.
“Did she seriously just propose to our captain?” another asked.
“I mean, come on, he’s not exactly worth it—aside from his face,” a third commented.
Yet, Ares, the man at the center of the storm, remained unnervingly calm, as if he had seen this coming all along. However, he couldn’t hide the discomfort in his expression.
“Have you considered changing your mind?” Ares asked.
“If I had intended to change my mind, I wouldn’t have come this far,” Viarte replied. Ares remained silent.
“Then let’s settle on a time—one week from now. I’ll notify you of the location later,” Viarte said.
After one last glance at Ares, Viarte briefly looked over at Kirine before apologizing to the Emperor for causing a disturbance. She then left the Great Hall, followed by the other envoys from the Kingdom of Katen.
What in the world just happened? Kirine covered her mouth with both hands, her gaze flitting over Ares’ face. He, the person who should have been the most surprised, remained as calm as ever.
Wait a minute… Kirine thought, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
In the Artium Empire, polygamy was strictly forbidden. To openly propose to someone who was already married was essentially like suggesting an affair in broad daylight.
So, does that mean she wants Ares to divorce me and marry her instead? Kirine wondered. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t grasp Viarte’s true intention in proposing to Ares.
As she absentmindedly fiddled with her lips, still perplexed, the Emperor approached her. “Well, what can you do? You’ll have to protect your husband yourself,” he said, rising from his throne.
“Excuse me?” Kirine replied, startled.
The Emperor patted Kirine’s shoulder with a look of feigned sympathy and left the Great Hall.
“What the…?” Kirine muttered.
Everyone leaving the hall cast sympathetic glances in her direction.
Just as she felt her temper rising under the weight of their pitying stares, Ares, who had yet to leave, caught her attention. “Come with me for a moment,” he said, beckoning her outside with a silent nod. Begrudgingly, Kirine followed.
***
They headed to Kirine’s research lab, the most private place for a conversation between just the two of them. Though she hated letting Ares into her precious workspace, there was no better spot for a quiet talk.
Feigning politeness, Kirine set a glass of water in front of Ares and smirked mischievously. “So, how do you feel?”
“About what?” Ares asked, ruffling his hair.
“How does it feel to get a public marriage proposal?” Kirine replied, her disbelief plain on her face.
“This isn’t something to take lightly,” Ares said, frowning at her.
“Of course not. Proposals aren’t child’s play,” Kirine agreed, but her playful smile suggested she was having too much fun. She looked like a child about to pull a prank, her bright face completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Ares let out a small, incredulous laugh at her obliviousness. “Wait, are you seriously telling me you don’t know about Katen Kingdom’s marriage proposal customs?”
“Why would I need to know?” Kirine asked.
“Because…” Ares paused, sighing as he looked at her blinking red eyes. “In Katen Kingdom, a marriage proposal is a challenge to a duel.”
The people of Katen Kingdom were deeply rooted in the belief that the strong have the right to claim everything.
“Once you receive a challenge, you can’t refuse. If the challenger wins, you have to get married. It’s the law,” Ares explained.
“What? That can’t be real,” Kirine said.
“But if the one who’s challenged wins, the challenger can never propose again,” Ares continued.
Kirine nodded in brief understanding, her expression clearing up for a moment. Then she tilted her head again. “But what does that have to do with me?”