On the second floor of the newly built main manor, outside was a spacious open-air balcony where Catherine accompanied her mother, Jeanne, in sipping red tea and whispering.
Meanwhile, in the study, Johnson sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk, his brows furrowed.
"You mean the King and the Princess are both under your control now, and the Albert Family can replace the Royal Family as the rulers of the Kingdom at any time?"
"Yes."
Lock had a faint smile on his face, holding a stemmed glass in his hand. As he gently swirled it, the red liquid emitted a rich aroma of wine. He lowered his head slightly, sniffing the fragrance, completely unfazed by his father's question.
Johnson looked up at his son, feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity in a daze.
Although he had shown astonishing combat talent since he was young, Johnson once thought he would become an excellent warrior, distinguish himself in wars with the Empire, and become a great noble of the Kingdom through his merits.
But he never expected that in just six short years of taking over the territory, this son would build a powerful army, one even capable of intimidating the Royal Family.
"So, you didn't just bring your mother and me to the Royal Capital for the engagement with the Golden Princess, did you?"
"Of course not. Father, I need you to stay in the Royal Capital and help me deal with the conflicts between the noble factions. Compared to the Princess I control, I still trust my family members from the Albert Family more. I'm sure you understand that replacing the Royal Family is not a simple matter. If the family were to be branded with the reputation of rebellion and regicide, it would truly disgrace our lineage!"
Seeing Lock say this, Johnson's face couldn't help but show a relieved smile, and he nodded, "My son, you have finally grown into an excellent member of the Albert Family. I originally thought you would be misled by powerful martial might and become an arrogant madman, but it seems I worried too much."
"Of course, I always remember your teachings, Father," Lock responded.
After understanding Lock's complete plan for controlling the Kingdom, Johnson fully understood the role he was about to play: assisting the Golden Princess in continuously expanding the 'Princess faction.' Once it reached a certain level, Lock and the Princess would officially marry, and the Old King could then abdicate.
At that time, the Albert Family would rightfully become the rulers of the Kingdom.
Just thinking about such a thing made Johnson excited. The goal of several generations of struggle was finally realized through Lock; the Albert Family had become the great nobles of the Kingdom.
"The priority now is to complete your engagement ceremony with the Princess. Are all the relevant courtesies prepared?"
"Naturally, everything has been prepared by the King's side. A banquet will be held tonight, and the agreement will be finalized in the presence of all the Kingdom's nobles."
Lock took a sip of red wine, a sense of anticipation for the evening's banquet suddenly rising within him. After all, no matter what, this was his first marriage in two lifetimes.
Men always attach an inexplicable importance to their firsts, though Lock would probably be even happier if his fiancée weren't the two-faced Golden Princess.
Somehow, the image of Vier in a white wedding dress suddenly appeared in his mind. Hmm, he'd have her wear it again for him later.
Thinking of this, Lock's lips couldn't help but curl into a slight smile.
At the same time, in the Royal Palace, within Princess Lana's bedchamber.
The Golden Princess, attended by several maids, changed into various beautiful long dresses, all custom-made engagement gowns according to royal specifications.
Standing before a full-length mirror, Lana scrutinized herself in the reflection. The white, ruffled princess dress perfectly concealed her slightly youthful demeanor, while her bare shoulders exuded a hint of mature allure.
"Lana, you're so beautiful!" Lakyus, standing nearby, clapped her hands in praise as she looked at the Golden Princess in her wedding attire. They say a woman is most beautiful when getting married, and Lana now was even more captivating than usual.
Lana's face also showed a satisfied smile. Receiving praise from another woman was indeed a joyous thing.
Although she was wearing the wedding dress for Lock this time, there was a slight regret, because she knew that the man would not truly marry her; this engagement ceremony was, in the end, just a transaction.
She had already agreed with Lock that as soon as the throne was handed over to him, the Golden Princess would fall gravely ill and then pass away a year later. At that time, she could take her favorite pet—Climb—away from the Royal Capital, become a Baroness in a border village, and live out her life.
With her life in someone else's hands, such an outcome could be considered fortunate.
Pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Lana turned to Lakyus, "Thank you for coming to help, Lakyus."
"Actually, I didn't do much at all."
Lakyus showed an apologetic expression. Although she was invited to help Lana choose a wedding dress, having never attended a noble wedding, how could she have experience in choosing attire? Not to mention that a princess's wedding dress had far more specific requirements than that of an ordinary noble lady. This time, she was purely there as a conversation partner.
"How can you say that? With Lakyus accompanying me, I'm not so nervous anymore," Lana said comfortingly, her voice sincere and warm, her unique amiability making Lakyus smile.
This Princess possessed such charm; being with her always made one feel better.
This was also the most important reason Lakyus became her close confidante.
"Hmm~ It's a rare opportunity, Lakyus, how about you try one on too? I want to see what you look like in a wedding dress, it must be beautiful!" Lana's eyes suddenly lit up, and she suggested.
"Eh~" Lakyus paused slightly, then quickly waved her hands, saying, "No, no, no! I don't need to!"
Despite her refusal, Lana still took her hand and then picked a larger gown from a nearby maid, "Don't be so quick to refuse! One day, you, Lakyus, will also get married, just think of it as a rehearsal."
"Lana... don't drag me!"
With a helpless smile on her face, Lakyus was pushed into the changing room by Lana. What else could she do? After all, it was her best friend.
Just wearing it, it should be fine, right?
In the Grand Hall of the Royal Palace, soldiers of the Kingdom Warrior Troop were setting up the venue for the Golden Princess's engagement banquet under the direction of the court etiquette officer.
Due to a shortage of palace servants, these rough-and-tumble men were called upon. However, it was just moving and carrying work, so no major problems would arise. More delicate tasks like flower arrangements and tableware placement were handled by trained maids.
The Old King arrived at the hall with the Warrior Captain, looking at the familiar setup, and suddenly remembered the first time he married off a daughter.
He was still young then, thinking of using his daughter's marriage to win over powerful nobles, to provide support for his rule, and thereby lead the country to prosperity.
But now, he was old, and for his youngest daughter, who was about to be engaged to Lock, there was only reluctance.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to worry, I'm sure the etiquette officer will handle it well," Gazef, not understanding the Old King's current feelings, could only offer this comfort.
"My Warrior Captain, no matter what, this is the most important occasion in Lana's life. As a father, I simply cannot rest easy without seeing it," Ramposa III shook his head, speaking in a tone Gazef wouldn't understand, "If you also become a father like me, perhaps you'll have the chance to experience this complex emotion."
"Haha, you're joking," Gazef could only give an awkward laugh. After all, everyone in the Kingdom knew that he was still single and unmarried, so he didn't know if he would ever have the chance to experience such feelings.
"Perhaps I should also concern myself with your marriage. All this time, because of me, you seem to have had no personal time. Please forgive me." Ramposa III's face showed an apologetic expression. Thinking about it carefully, he owed the Warrior Captain quite a lot. "I've also noticed a few suitable matches for you. Although it's a bit shameful to say, if they were your children, they would surely be excellent warriors. How about having them inherit the Warrior Captain's position then?"
Gazef suddenly felt a bit helpless, not knowing why his descendants were suddenly brought up. However, it was the King's good intention, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I haven't considered having descendants yet. Serving you has already made my life very meaningful."
"...Thank you."
Ramposa III looked at Gazef before him. He had originally planned for Gazef to leave the Royal Capital, go to a border village in the Kingdom, marry, have children, and live out his life peacefully. This was his small way of repaying him, but unfortunately, Gazef refused.
Alas...
Night quickly fell, and as time passed, carriages of nobles arrived outside the Royal City.
Guarding the city gates tonight were no longer members of the Kingdom Warrior Troop, but a squad of Tiger Knights in silver-white armor.
All the Kingdom's nobles basically knew the insignia on these soldiers' armor, representing the Earl who was about to be engaged to the Princess, so no one dared to act presumptuously at the city gate.
The minor nobles among them cautiously handed over their proof of noble status to the Tiger Knights, and only after confirmation by the adjacent court guard officer were they allowed to pass.
A thin man walked forward alone and presented his noble proof.
"Marquis Leiwen!"
The guard officer didn't even need to verify the credentials to confirm the identity of the newcomer. He immediately bowed to the Marquis. This great noble of the Kingdom had previously been in close contact with the Second Prince residing in the Royal Palace, and in the past, he was not someone the officer could even speak to.
If not for the soldiers of Earl Lock standing nearby, the guard officer probably wouldn't have dared to stop the Marquis's carriage.
"Is my identity in order?" Marquis Leiwen said faintly.
"Of course!" The guard officer, somewhat flustered, returned the proof to his hand. Although he was here on Earl Lock's orders, that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of this great noble.
Just as Marquis Leiwen was about to enter the Royal City, he was stopped by a Tiger Knight nearby.
"Please wait! Marquis Leiwen. My master requests your presence."
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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