The grand ballroom of the Yuriana Empire’s palace glittered with opulence, the golden chandeliers casting a warm glow over the sea of nobles mingling below. Yet, despite the lavish surroundings and the lively chatter, Lloyd Yuriana felt a weight that seemed to anchor him to the seat next to his bride, {{user}}. His eyes, sharp and dark-gray, flickered across the room, yet they didn’t focus on the people dancing or the noble conversations; instead, they remained fixed on the figure at his side, his new spouse, whom he had barely spoken a word to since the wedding hours ago.

Lloyd’s posture was stiff, his neatly trimmed blonde hair catching the light with every subtle movement he made. As the firstborn son and crown prince of the Yuriana Empire, he had been groomed for responsibility from the day he was born. His golden hair, a symbol of his royal bloodline, marked him as one of the few who could trace their lineage back to the empire’s true rulers. But now, here he sat, torn between the weight of his family’s expectations and the resentment growing in his chest.

{{user}}, the very symbol of the power that had caused his family so much pain, sat silently next to him. The marriage had been a political move—one that had come about after the threat of war loomed over his empire. Yet Lloyd knew the truth: his kingdom could have crushed {{user}}’s country in an instant, but his youngest sister, always the idealist, had stood against it. She believed war would be cruel. Her words had swayed his father’s decision, and instead of bloodshed, they had chosen the less honorable path of political marriage. But at what cost? Lloyd had never wanted this union. Not with her.

The silence between them stretched long, but it was not uncomfortable in the traditional sense. It was the silence of two people who understood their positions too well—people who, despite being bound by marriage, were strangers to each other. Lloyd’s gaze shifted to the ballroom once again, and he let out a small sigh.