(Eri's POV)
While the rulers continued speaking among themselves during the coronation gathering, my attention drifted across the hall, my gaze eventually settling on Prince Haru. Ali had mentioned it before in his report—Haru and Princess Elara were close, very close, and many people had believed they would eventually marry. It made sense: two noble bloodlines, two allied kingdoms. But that possibility disappeared the moment I existed.
My eyes returned to Elara, and something about her behavior caught my attention. Whenever Haru stepped closer to her, she subtly moved away—not dramatically, just enough to keep her distance. Her space kept shifting, almost like she was trying to breathe. Interesting. Haru did not seem to notice, or perhaps he refused to. The way he looked at her was obvious, clear enough for anyone watching, which was why I decided to speak.
"King Ivan."
The conversation around us quieted slightly.
"Perhaps we should arrange the fulfillment of the Blood Oath soon."
The words dropped into the room like a stone into water. Several rulers turned their heads, some looking at me, others at Elara—but I only watched her. Her eyes widened slightly, then she quickly looked away.
Later that night, after the coronation celebration finally ended, I returned to my private chamber. The palace had grown quiet, servants withdrawn, the long day finally over. Lourice stood beside the window while I removed the heavy outer layer of my royal robe.
Then suddenly—the chamber doors slammed open.
Prince Haru entered without warning, the doors striking the wall with a loud sound, his voice following immediately.
"Are you sure you want to marry Elara?"
I slowly turned toward him. "Why wouldn't I be? I intend to fulfill the Blood Oath."
Haru stepped closer, his frustration obvious. "If you marry her, she loses her freedom. She will never be able to choose someone she truly loves. She will have no choice."
He looked directly at me. "Are you that desperate for the crown?"
For a moment, I said nothing. Then I glanced toward Lourice, and she understood immediately. With a quiet bow, she left the chamber, leaving only Haru and me in the silence that followed.
"Between the two of us… who is truly desperate?" I said at last.
Haru's jaw tightened, but I continued calmly. "I am the rightful heir. The only child of the late King Korei. His blood runs in me." I took a step closer. "So tell me, Haru—who here has been searching for ways to remove me from the throne?"
His expression hardened, but I did not stop. "First the council debates, then the succession arguments, and now the Blood Oath suddenly becomes a problem."
"This is insane," he said. "Did you even think about Elara? Does she want this?"
For the first time, my voice grew colder. "Did anyone ask if I wanted to marry?"
The question stayed between us, sharp and unanswered.
"All I want," I continued quietly, "is to protect my father's bloodline. The throne of Kazunaga will remain with its rightful heir. Elara has a role in that."
"You expect her to accept that?"
"Do you really believe I would step down because of your feelings for her?"
"No."
My voice remained calm, but firm. "I will fulfill the Blood Oath. And I will never step down in your favor."
I held his gaze. "You were always only an option, Haru."
The words settled heavily in the room. Haru stared at me for several seconds, then turned away. Without another word, he walked toward the door, and when it closed behind him, the silence that followed felt deeper than before.
For a moment, I remained where I was.
Then one thought rose quietly in my mind.
Princess Elara.
Does she truly hate this marriage… or simply fear it?
When the chamber finally settled again, Lourice returned, closing the door gently behind her. For a moment, neither of us spoke, as if the air still held the weight of the argument that had just ended.
"Did Prince Haru come to argue about the marriage?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied, moving toward the table and pouring myself a drink. "He thinks I should reconsider the Blood Oath."
Lourice sat across from me, her expression calm. "Then we should talk about Princess Elara."
We did.
Carefully. Strategically.
"What if she refuses to marry you?" Lourice asked.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why should I be the one adjusting? I am already crowned. If the bloodline of Vesperia does not want to fulfill the oath, what does that have to do with Kazunaga? I am willing to marry her."
"You are forgetting the meaning of the Blood Oath," she said, leaning forward. "The oath was created in favor of Vesperia. Kazunaga promised that one day the ruler of this kingdom would marry someone from the bloodline of King Victor. That is why this situation exists. Prince Luis will not step down, but that is not a problem for Vesperia… because they still have Elara."
Her eyes held mine.
"Which means your crown must adjust."
The words did not need emphasis.
They already carried weight.
"If the regent, the ministers, the generals, and the council decide to unite against you," she continued, "they can vote to remove you. Not easily, of course—you are still the rightful heir—but if they find a strong enough reason, it can happen."
I leaned back slowly.
"So that is why they keep pushing the Blood Oath."
"Yes," Lourice said. "Because the oath exists in the law. Any blood promise made by Kazunaga must be fulfilled."
Silence followed, but this time it was quieter, heavier, more deliberate.
"If Princess Elara refuses to marry you… you may have no choice. The law could turn against you."
I stared upward for a moment, thinking, while Lourice moved to the desk and began writing—names, alliances, loyalties—laying out the balance of power in ink.
"These are the people on your side," she said. "And these are the ones closer to the regent."
I studied the list.
The kingdom, reduced to lines and names.
"It is not only Aryanda that you must keep as an ally," she continued. "You also need Vesperia. If all the major kingdoms support you… no one inside Kazunaga will dare remove you."
I let out a quiet breath, then looked at her.
"Are you suggesting that I should court Princess Elara… so she agrees to marry me?"
A small laugh escaped me.
Lourice did not laugh.
She did not even move.
And in that stillness—
I understood.