And so the days passed until the Founder's Day fête finally came.
Karolina was impressed by her maid's work on her makeup. She found Edward looked dashing as he complimented her beauty. Their form of bashful flirting was a bit much for Teodor, and he told them they should get a move on.
The new royal couple were announced in and walked together, with oohs and aahs from the crowd, and of course the typical jealous, annoying women. Following them was the older brother, His Imperial Highness, Prince Gilbert Ruby Martinez. Now the crowd really awed over his beauty.
Edward questioned if Karolina preferred someone like his older brother. The other ladies fancied Gilbert over Edward. He thought of himself as too unfriendly. Karolina told Edward she found his kindness and reliability far more charming, though. He took her for a strange one.
Then finally the emperor and empress came, and everyone was silent except for a solemn chant of glory to the great Malcosian Empire. The emperor's voice commanded presence as he thanked them all for attending today's party. He was happy to declare Edward and Karolina's official engagement in front of everyone.
Karolina felt relief. She had expected more backlash, but everyone seemed to be taking it well. The emperor called for a toast and everyone raised their glasses. Edward politely asked his fiancée for her companionship. She told him likewise, to an everlasting bond.
Everyone swarmed to try to get a word in with the newly betrothed, but Gilbert would cut the line. He had a pleasant private chat with the two. And while he was doing better, he wasn't completely cured. The symptoms were being suppressed by the Pope's divine powers, temporarily. The Pope had told him his condition was worsening by the day. If he were to leave the Diamond Palace without his protection, Gilbert would surely collapse.
Things seemed grim for a moment, but Gilbert put it aside. He didn't want to ruin the celebration. He congratulated them on their engagement before taking off.
Raymond would shortly make a visit to his daughter. Edward left the father and daughter so they could catch up on things. Her father commented on how nice Edward seemed. Rumors were not always to be believed. Karolina added that he was kind, considerate, and gentle. She was proud to be his bride-to-be.
Owen suddenly burst into the room, telling Karolina to get away from her father, claiming he was the one who had tried to kill her. Karolina thought there was no way. Teodor asked Owen to explain himself.
Owen threw down an apprehended man who had tried to poison Karolina's drink. And when interrogated, he had confessed to being hired by Duke Raymond. But Karolina would inspect the culprit herself, and this confirmed her father was not guilty.
The man had black hair and pale purple eyes. He was an Eastgoan, from a land located to the east across the sea. Malcosia had only just initiated relations with them. Since Celestia was a small nation, they had neither the means nor the capital to interact with Eastgoa.
Owen fell to the floor. He was so embarrassed at being fooled by such a transparent lie. The Duke made it clear that no father would want his own daughter dead. Owen felt bitter. Raymond thought nothing of it, though. He knew the knight was acting in Karolina's best interest.
Afterwards, Teodor asked Karolina if she had noticed anything amiss. Was there a reason she was being targeted? Karolina just assumed it was because she was Edward's fiancée, but Teodor said no. To the public, she was nothing more than an emissary from Celestia. Everything here now revolved around the succession of the Malcosian throne.
With this country having two princes, Edward thought his more intelligent, more sociable older brother surely would have succeeded. However, his illness had robbed him of his future. His condition was called mana hypersensitivity syndrome, a disease one normally contracts as a child and which clears up by adulthood. But for Gilbert, his condition had only worsened. His body was unable to withstand his overflowing mana. And day after day, he was plagued by nausea and dizziness.
That was why Edward had been so surprised today. Normally, his brother wasn't able to set foot outside of the Diamond Palace. It was the only place that was safe for him, thanks to a special barrier in place.
Because he hadn't been making appearances in high society, there were those who had grown wary of Prince Gilbert. And at the same time, Prince Edward began to distinguish himself in battle. Voices rallied for him to be crowned prince. Edward had no interest, though, and Teodor thought it made sense. He was a muscle head with no grasp of politics.
For these reasons, two factions had emerged. The first prince faction and the second prince faction. Of course, some within the first prince faction took extreme measures, such as the terrible rumors about Edward.
However, it was true that Edward had indeed cut down an innocent woman and child. It happened when they were defending a town to the east. The woman ran toward the injured with an explosion spell that had been planted inside hers and the child's body. She was likely an activist from an enemy nation. Edward had no choice but to cut them down, and the thought still traumatized him. Everyone else was saved, but the first prince faction exaggerated the incident in their reports, claiming Edward was a cruel prince who had slain an innocent woman and child.
Karolina told him he did nothing wrong. He was baffled, but her reassurance eased him in a way.