Imperial Crown.

Chapter 532 Viston's Wedding

I recommend my friend's new book, "This Hero Squad is a Bit Strange," it's really good.

……

"Pierre"

How credible do you think this person is?

After seeing the drunken Veston off, Habs, his face flushed, asked, "What you mean by drinking several bottles of wine and then instantly sobering up is a lie. Otherwise, this Angel's Tear wouldn't deserve the titles of 'high-end,' 'limited edition,' and 'collector's item.' Neither my internal fighting spirit nor my magic could dispel the intoxication. I could only offer slight resistance."

"Hmm—" Pierre pondered for a long time, clearly finding the question difficult to answer. However, keeping His Majesty waiting too long was not a good thing. Habs' patience was shorter than the time it took him to urinate, so he could only bite the bullet and say, "I tested him in the carriage, but he seemed to still hold the idea that 'family scandals should not be aired in public,' unwilling to admit the matter or say anything more." "At least 6% sure." "But we still need to observe one or two things."

“Very good.” “Your thoughts coincide with mine.” Habs smoothed his tightly furrowed scalp. “I also tested him with the recording crystal. He showed neither anger nor worry. This means he’s in a state of inner turmoil, both resentful of Raven and wary of him.” “You’re right, it’s indeed not the right time yet.” “If we rush this, it might backfire! Let’s take it slow.”

"Go and rest. Also, tell those old geezers not to bother me tomorrow morning." Habs's face was contorted with obvious anger. "How many times have I told you, the meeting is in the afternoon. These old geezers are all getting too little sleep, they're keeping me awake too. They're damned."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Pierre's thin figure slowly disappeared into the darkness.

……

"Visdon Targaryen, you barbarian from the frontier, tell me honestly, what does His Majesty want with you?"

The following day, Sowin Berenheim, who had seen Veston again in the classroom, shouted loudly.

As his voice rang out, Judd Van Doria, Melissa Hainholz, Murphy Qutherland, Chelsea Iryvonde, Susanna Melodian, Tiber Rosenville… even Jeffrey Gustave couldn’t help but prick up his ears like a donkey and twitch them slightly as he listened intently.

"Let's drink." Vesdon replied irritably, then yelled "Get out of here!"

Sowin obediently made way; otherwise, if he didn't, this border barbarian would grab his hand and force him to kneel and beg for mercy again. He couldn't afford to lose face like that.

"Drinking? What do you mean? Do you mean His Majesty the King invited you to drink?" Murphy couldn't help but ask curiously.

To be honest, although they were often bullied by Vesdon in the academy and didn't have much of a way to deal with it, they still looked down on him. "Border Barbarian," while a nickname they used to insult Vesdon for a bit of sarcasm, also reflected a part of their true feelings. Once they left this academy, who was Vesdon? Did he even have the right to speak to them? Especially after news of Raven's image in the Orc Empire spread, they looked down on Vesdon even more. However, Vesdon had been keeping his distance from Raven, so they couldn't use Raven's story to tease Vesdon. After all, Vesdon's insults were even harsher than theirs. So what if Raven was a marquis? He still had no land. Twice he was only granted a title without any land; His Majesty's intentions were clear. For a small-time hoodlum from the underworld of Mon'en City, a marquisate was probably the limit of Raven's life. There was absolutely no chance of him becoming a duke! Even if… even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance that this little bee of Raven would be promoted to duke, it wouldn't matter. There were differences between dukes.

But His Majesty the King personally summoning Vesdon immediately changed the situation! Especially when everyone saw Pierre's attitude upon arrival! His support for Vesdon was practically written all over his face. Those present, having grown up surrounded by such shrewdness, were all capable of discerning the King's tacit approval behind Pierre's actions. Otherwise, Pierre alone wouldn't possess the power to send a veteran instructor of the Imperial Academy to life imprisonment with a single word! It can only be said that Al-Abel was unlucky enough to walk into the line of fire. If anyone else had made things difficult for Vesdon yesterday, they probably wouldn't have fared well! Otherwise, why would Pierre have deliberately brought the Black Feather Guards to the academy?
This made the noble descendants feel as if a thousand ants were gnawing at their hearts; they were genuinely curious about the relationship between Veston and the king. If Veston had truly ingratiated himself with His Majesty the King, then the people's attitude towards Veston would no longer be the same as before!

"Could it be? His Majesty found out about the competition at the tavern yesterday? His Majesty is truly all-powerful!" Jade walked up, his burly frame parting the crowd as he spoke with a proud expression.

"Then why didn't I call you?" Chersh blurted out abruptly.

"Damn it, why bring up something you shouldn't be talking about?" Judd shoved Chersey, causing him to stumble.

Viston sat in the back row without saying a word, but he couldn't help but glance at Melissa from afar, seemingly unintentionally.

However, that one glance immediately made Melissa, who was reading the book in her hands, frown slightly. Mages possess extremely strong mental power and keen perception, let alone a genuine third-tier mage like herself! Veston's gaze baffled Melissa, and a surge of displeasure welled up within her. Could this fool really think she liked him because of what happened at the Dragon's Breath Tavern? Utterly delusional. Disgusting. If she weren't forced to marry Raven, with her looks, what kind of man couldn't she find? A piece of trash like Veston, almost 30 and only just breaking through to the second-tier transcendent, wouldn't even warrant a second glance. But for some reason, because of that one glance from Veston, her heart inexplicably began to pound with unease. Melissa dismissed this as a feeling of unease and didn't pay much attention. She calmed herself down and focused her attention on the book about magic in her hands.

"Miss~ Miss~~~~"

Suddenly, a breathless, sweet shout broke the noise of the classroom. A girl with a round face, sweet features, and wearing a Lolita dress was running towards the classroom, calling out repeatedly. Everyone fell silent, looking at the speaker with confusion.

"Beibei, what's wrong?" Melissa's heart skipped a beat. She closed the book, stood up, and asked with a frown.

Outsiders are not allowed to enter the teaching area on weekdays, not even servants from the castles of the eight great families.

"Miss! Miss! Something terrible has happened!" Beibei's eyes were brimming with tears, glistening droplets swirling within them. She was so anxious that she jumped up and down, unable to speak in front of everyone, and could only cry out, "Miss, come back with me quickly!"

Melissa's beautiful brows furrowed even more deeply. She silently got up and walked towards the classroom door, but Beibei grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly toward the castle.

"What on earth has made you so flustered?" Melissa couldn't help but ask halfway there.

“Miss—” Beibei called out in a drawn-out tone, but she really didn’t know how to explain, “You, you’re getting married soon! It’s at the Emerald Light Festival!”

"Oh," Melissa said calmly. "Wasn't this bound to happen sooner or later? Raven's back from the Orc Empire so quickly? Is he in such a hurry? Humph." Melissa's tone was somewhat disdainful, but the strange feeling in her heart couldn't be hidden from her. "Don't worry, even if I marry Raven, I'll take you with me. Are you afraid I won't want you?"

"No...no, Miss, it's you who's going to marry Veston!" Beibei finally blurted out the words she had been holding back, and then tears streamed down her face like broken pearls.

"What did you say?!" Melissa screamed, unable to believe her ears. She grabbed the limp Bebe and demanded, "What do you mean? What do you mean I have to marry Vistan?!" "It's true, it's true, Miss!" Bebe wailed, "His Majesty ordered you to marry Vistan, and Master had no choice. The family has already started preparing for your wedding! And it's next month, on the day of the Emerald Light Festival!"

"Impossible!" "This is absolutely impossible!" Melissa clutched her head in anguish, tears of humiliation streaming down her beautiful face. "What am I?" "Am I an object used by Grandpa and Father for trade and to curry favor?!" "Why?! Why are you doing this to me?" "I finally managed to convince myself to marry Raven, and now you want me to marry Veston?!" With that, she shoved Bebe to the ground again. "I don't believe it! You must be lying to me! You're lying to me, aren't you?!" With that, a resolute look appeared on Melissa's face as she headed towards the castle.

Soon after, a burst of light appeared.

It turns out that the eight great families had hidden a teleportation array inside a small castle within the academy.

Upon returning to her family home, Melissa saw the servants in the castle bustling about, their faces beaming with joy. The eldest daughter's wedding was naturally a matter of utmost importance, and they, the servants, were also enjoying the fruits of their labor. Melissa felt increasingly panicked. Recalling Vesdon's summons to the palace by His Majesty yesterday and the way he had glanced at her earlier, her heart sank. She had a vague idea of ​​the truth, but refused to believe it. She ran headlong towards her grandfather's room.

"grandfather!"

Upon entering the house, Melissa successfully met Gottfried Hainholz and cried out, "Please tell me, this is all a lie! Grandpa!" "I don't want to marry Veston!" "I'd rather die!"

“You’re utterly insolent!” Melissa’s father, Chad, shouted.
"Don't make a fuss," Gottfried interrupted, stroking his goatee. "My dear granddaughter, Grandpa has no choice. This is His Majesty's order!" "You must believe Grandpa. Grandpa didn't want to do this." As he spoke, a pained expression appeared on his old face. Tears streamed down his face. "But His Majesty's mind is made up. Even if Grandpa begs again, it's useless. Alas, Grandpa is useless! Grandpa has ruined you!"

"However," Gottfried quickly changed the subject, "His Majesty has promised me that he will promote Veston to the rank of Countess of the Court, so that it won't be too shabby for you to marry into the family. You'll be a countess."

Hearing this, Melissa's heart finally sank. She bit her lip hard, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Grandpa, didn't you say our family is old-fashioned and doesn't have a good relationship with the King?!" "Then why did you agree to his orders?!"

“Even you know our family has a bad relationship with His Majesty the King.” Gottfried shook his head. “That’s precisely why I can’t disobey this order, my dear.” “Usually, we oppose national policies and political affairs! Only those things can we oppose, and only those things do we have the courage to oppose.” “But your marriage is not included. If I disobey the order, that would be disloyalty to His Majesty! He’s just looking for a reason to deal with our family!” “Don’t be fooled by the fact that the old-school lineage has three families. If the Emperor really wants to deal with our family, the other two will be more ruthless than anyone else!” “Not to mention, there are also three new-school noble families and the Prime Minister’s family, who are eager to prove their loyalty!” “Grandpa can’t handle it, Grandpa can’t bear it, my dear!”

"So, whether you like it or not, you have to marry Viston." "If you die, or if you run away, our Hainhotz family, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, will be wiped out from the continent like the Fox family." "Do you understand, girl?"

Gottfried's words completely shattered Melissa's fantasy of escaping her arranged marriage.

"Alright!" "Now that you're back, don't go anywhere for a while. Stay home and wait for the wedding." Chad said, "I think marrying Vistan is much better than marrying Raven. Ever since your mother found out you were going to marry Vistan again, she's been in much better spirits. He's young after all, and he's deeply trusted by His Majesty. This is a good thing, Sasha!" "Why can't you understand?"

“Let’s go.” Chad pulled the silent Melissa outside. “This is a good time to spend with your mother. She’s getting married soon, and we’ll be two separate families.”

Melissa, like a walking corpse, was half-dragged and half-carried home by her father.

……

Soon, the news that Melissa was about to marry Veston spread throughout the capital.

As one of the most powerful, oldest, and most renowned families in the Keynes Empire, the marriage of the granddaughter of the Hainhotz family naturally caused a sensation in the capital! Especially when everyone heard that the Emperor himself was the matchmaker and that the wedding would be held in the Royal Court, the entire capital was instantly filled with activity and celebration.

Because the wedding was rushed, most people didn't have time to prepare a decent gift and could only pick and choose from their own treasures.

As the groom, Vesdon was also taken to live in the palace to avoid being disturbed too much and to prevent accidents.

Time flies, white horses pass by.

Time flew by, and it was May 5th, 1206. This was also one of the most famous festivals of the Keynesian Empire—the Festival of the Emerald Light.

On this day, the entire Royal High Court was brightly decorated, with all sorts of glowing magical plants hanging everywhere. Wave after wave of magical beast chariots and hordes of people surged towards the Royal High Court. To the uninitiated, it would have looked like Emperor Habsburg was getting married.

"Haha, damn it, I'm even a little jealous!"

Looking at Veston, who was tidying his appearance before the Angel's Radiance, Habs spoke with a sour tone. Habs, now 39, still hadn't married his princess. He had once deeply loved a girl, but unfortunately, his feelings were unrequited.

Wearing an expensive, high-class suit and a red bow tie, with his meticulously styled hair and made-up face, Vesdon indeed looked handsome and dashing. "Your Majesty flatters me," Vesdon said with a slightly shy smile. To be honest, he was quite unaccustomed to everything that was about to happen, especially since he was now the protagonist. Although he knew that his marriage to Melissa was merely a political alliance based on mutual interests, it was still his first marriage, and he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming surge of excitement.

Amidst the excitement, there was also a sense of regret and sadness. His elder brother, his mother, and the brothers and friends he cared about... none of them were destined to appear at this wedding.

Vesdon had to constantly remind himself that it was all a lie! It was all the Emperor's conspiracy! He needed to gain the Emperor's trust! This was driving him almost to the brink of a mental breakdown.

"Your Majesty, Cardinal Morenzo has arrived. The wedding may begin."

Pierre's voice rang out from outside the door.

……

(End of this chapter)