Chapter 7

‘So that’s why they so readily agreed to the triumphal ceremony...’

It seemed they were trying to make him the hero of the triumphal ceremony through some ridiculous romantic narrative.

It was a despicable method, but he decided to be satisfied with the fact that the triumphal ceremony was taking place.

If it could bring glory to the northern army, who had shed blood from afar, he could easily overlook such a low tactic.

“Nadia, quickly present the laurel wreath to your hero.”

“Yes.”

The young noblewoman called Nadia was wearing a white dress, as per tradition. It was a dress that fell straight like the skirts of goddesses in ancient myths.

Her slender figure exuded a refined aura, but it didn’t hold his gaze for long.

In fact, Glen had little interest in her.

He was certain that the laurel wreath she had prepared was not for him.

Who else but Yi Jihyo would the daughter of the Balazit Duke present the laurel wreath to?

The story of the black-haired foreign knight receiving sponsorship from the Balazit Duke was very well-known.

“...?”

That’s why when she stopped in front of him, Glen couldn’t help but be quite flustered.

No matter how long he waited, she showed no signs of moving.

Not only that, but among the nobles who had ascended the platform, murmurs of confusion could be heard.

“Isn’t that laurel wreath Sir Jihyo’s?”

“Why would the Duke’s daughter present it to the Marquis of Winterfell...”

“Just wait a moment. She’ll move soon.”

It seemed the young woman had made a mistake due to her nervousness. Glen whispered in a flustered voice.

“She must have mistaken the person. It’s not me, but the one next to me.”

“I haven’t made a mistake.”

“What?”

If she made a mistake in such a setting, she wouldn’t survive given the Duke of Balazit’s temperament.

Despite being the daughter of a political rival, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Just as Glen was about to quietly remind her of her mistake again,

“No, I haven’t mistaken the person...”

“I’ve always harbored feelings for the Marquis of Winterfell! The tales of heroism from the western border have only made my heart grow larger. Please accept my laurel wreath.”

“...!”

Nadia said this and extended the laurel wreath to Glen.

At that moment, the cheers of the crowd watching the platform grew even louder.

Waaaaaah!

Boom! Bang!

The sound of fireworks exploding in the distance could also be heard, as if someone had set them off.

Glen, who had received no prior notice of this situation, was utterly shocked.

With his mouth agape in disbelief, Nadia spoke in a singing voice.

“The moment I first met you, I fell in love at first sight. I realized at that very moment that you were the person I would entrust my life to.”

She was making a crazy statement.

No matter how beautifully she spoke, it didn’t change the fact that it was a crazy statement.

Glen hurriedly continued, as the cheers around them grew even louder.

If he didn’t act soon, it might become impossible to salvage the situation.

“Miss Balazit, you’re not so stupid that you don’t know what it means for a woman who has come of age to present a laurel wreath in this setting.”

“Yes, I know. I’m confessing my love to you, Marquis!”

Her final words were shouted loudly enough for the gathered nobles on the platform to hear.

The murmurs grew even more intense due to her bold action.

Unlike the crowd, who were cheering without understanding, the nobles, who knew the political dynamics, were quite taken aback.

Some of the nobles who hadn’t been informed of this plan began to whisper in shock.

“Is this with the Duke’s approval?!”

“Of course it is! An unmarried noblewoman can’t do such a thing without her father’s consent...”

“It’s even more of a problem if she’s already married!”

If she had impulsively done this, it would be a scandal that would be talked about for years. How would the Duke of Balazit and the king react?

People glanced nervously at the royal box where the king was seated.

The king, with a calm expression, spoke.

“Marquis of Winterfell, what are you doing, letting such a beautiful woman dangle in front of you without accepting her?”

“...!”

Glen’s expression twisted.

He had realized that this was a staged performance involving not only the Duke of Balazit but also the king.

‘What are you trying to do, sacrificing your child’s honor like this? ’

He couldn’t be swayed by their intentions. Glen looked at the king and said,

“Your Majesty, it is too much for me to receive a laurel wreath from the Duke of Balazit’s daughter. I cannot accept it.”

His expression was as cold as the eternal snow of the north, his eyes filled with the desire to dispose of Nadia immediately.

Nadia trembled slightly and thought,

‘I’m sorry... but marrying me will be beneficial for you too.’

At the very least, she wouldn’t act as a spy for her father.

It was a ridiculous performance from start to finish, but that wasn’t her concern.

The important thing was to change her future somehow.

The killing intent emanating from him made her shiver. It was a reaction she had anticipated, but Nadia put on a hurt expression.

Now was the time to squeeze out every bit of her acting skills. She looked up at Glen with a tearful face and said,

“Is it because I’m not a legitimate daughter, a bastard, that you don’t like me?”

“What?”

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to take responsibility for me! Please, just accept this wreath. If my feelings are conveyed, that’s enough.”

What a lunatic.

He muttered these words under his breath.

And he wasn’t the only one who thought she was completely insane.

“What did you just say...”

“Are you saying it’s okay not to take responsibility for you? Did I hear that right?”

“Oh my God.”

The platform began to buzz. Not taking responsibility for her but wanting her feelings to be acknowledged?

It was as if she was declaring herself a cheap woman.

Refusing her after she had presented the laurel wreath would be against etiquette.

A few people who had received prior notice from the Duke of Balazit began to create a scene.

“Marquis of Winterfell, are you planning to humiliate a young woman at a triumphal ceremony? How can you be so heartless!”

“Miss Balazit only admired you out of pure admiration!”

“Surely you’re not harboring ill feelings because of the brief argument with the Duke just now? How can a man be so petty!”

“...”

As the platform filled with voices pressuring him, Glen’s expression grew even sterner.

Killing intent was seeping out of his amber eyes.

Even the crowd, who had been cheering, began to murmur in confusion as Glen continued to refuse the laurel wreath.

If he ultimately refused her wreath, the atmosphere of the triumphal ceremony would turn cold and uncontrollable.

This triumphal ceremony was held at Glen’s request.

To comfort the soldiers who had died in a distant land and to bestow glory on those who had barely returned alive.

‘They must have planned this, knowing that I couldn’t ruin the triumphal ceremony with my own hands.’

Glen closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. Nadia could sense that he had suppressed a murderous impulse in that short moment.

‘I’m really sorry...’

To this man, it must feel like a bolt from the blue.

Although she felt sorry for him, who had been blindsided, there would come a day when he would think it was a good decision to marry her.

‘So, I’ll do a bit more annoying things now.’

Nadia, who had silently asked for forgiveness, began to immerse herself even more in her performance.

She even had to recall her deceased mother to produce tears.

Thinking of her beloved mother, her eyes naturally welled up with tears.

“Sniff, sniff.”

“?!”

The sound of sobbing nearby made Glen’s head turn sharply.

The woman holding the laurel wreath was shedding tears as if she were sad. It was truly maddening.

If this woman caused a commotion here, the triumphal ceremony would be ruined.

The crowd, sensing something was amiss, began to murmur in confusion.

For now, only those gathered around the platform had noticed the strange atmosphere, but as time passed, the unrest would spread.

Click. A sharp sound of teeth grinding came from between Glen’s lips.

It was a sound so menacing that Nadia, who heard it, was worried about the situation.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and replied.

“We’ll talk about this later, Miss Balazit.”

If the northern blizzard could be turned into a human voice, it would sound like this.

If he could kill with his killing intent alone, he would have done so dozens of times already.

She quickly lowered her eyes and continued her performance. It was time to wrap up this ridiculous play.

“If you accept it, I will consider it an honor for the rest of my life...”

Thud!

But before she could finish her sentence, he snatched the laurel wreath from her.

A slight trace of blood appeared on her hand, scratched by a branch, but it was a scene that the distant crowd couldn’t see.

Waaaaaah!

The final chapter of a legendary hero’s tale is always concluded with a romance with a beautiful woman.

The crowd cheered and cheered, moved by the scene that seemed like a grand epic.

To ensure her words weren’t drowned out by the loud cheers, Nadia leaned in close to him and said,