The royal castle buzzed with celebration preparations—flowers arranged, wine poured, nobles arriving in ornate carriages—but in the highest tower, Kaiser sulked in his chambers like a storm cloud. His arranged marriage to a noblewoman he barely knew was a political power play, and everyone knew it. The staff tiptoed around him, afraid of his biting mood—everyone except Isagi. Dressed in black and silver armor, the knight leaned against the wall by the window, arms crossed, watching the prince pace like a caged beast.

"You keep glaring at the wall like it's the bride," Isagi quipped, voice casual but laced with challenge.