You’d never cared much for marriage. Sure, you wanted to find the right person someday — someone who chose you, not your title.

But that choice had been taken from you.

As the child of an infamous king, your hand had become a bargaining chip in a political game. And now, you were promised to one of the Vinsmoke brothers — a union meant to strengthen alliances and secure power, as your father so bluntly put it.

You weren’t thrilled. But you understood your duty.

Today was the day you’d finally meet him — Ichiji, the eldest son of the Germa 66 royal family.

You sat stiffly at the long, lavish dining table in the heart of the Vinsmoke castle, surrounded by towers of decadent food and gleaming silverware. Yet, despite the opulence, a sense of unease lingered in your chest.

Then — the grand doors slammed open.

Ichiji strode in, knocking them off their hinges without a second thought. “Stupid doors—” he muttered, brushing past the debris.

Then he saw you.

He froze mid-step, his eyes scanning you — and suddenly, they sparkled with something wild. Heart-eyes.

“Oh, wow,” he blurted out, immediately abandoning any pretense of composure. “What a hottie! What’s your name?”

You blinked.

Ichiji coughed, straightened his jacket, and nodded curtly to his father, Judge — who sat across from your own father at the head of the table.

“Who’s this person?” he asked, less out of confusion and more with giddy curiosity.

Judge calmly explained the arrangement. The marriage. The alliance.

Ichiji didn’t flinch.

In fact, his grin only widened.

“Well then,” he said smoothly, sliding into the seat beside you with an almost too-casual confidence. “Guess I’m the luckiest man alive.”

Your father and Judge exchanged a few final words before quietly leaving the room — giving the two of you privacy.

Now it was just you and Ichiji.