The two of them slept straight through to the next day.

Shiayar awoke bathed in the morning sunlight. The messy traces on the bed were still clearly visible.

Ennie had gotten up half an hour before him. The girl was too shy. Although she had let go somewhat the previous night, having taken the initiative, now that she had woken up, her shyness had once again taken hold. She tried to sneak away under the pretext of preparing breakfast. This luxurious hotel in Lokiya City naturally provided meals. However, Ennie insisted on buying groceries to cook breakfast for them herself. She claimed the food outside was unhealthy, made with gutter oil, and it was safer to eat what she cooked. The excuse sounded eerily familiar.

Shiayar naturally wanted to cuddle for a while longer. As he playfully pulled her to him, he suddenly discovered a bittersweet reality: the girl's resonance with the Sacred Spear had further increased. Under the feedback of the Soul Pact, it seemed… she had also broken through to the 6-Ring rank.

Your husband fought tooth and nail in the Echo of History just to break through to the 6-Ring rank, and you've caught up just like that?

Oh, thinking about it carefully, I'm actually the laziest one. I hardly ever train, except when developing my abilities.

Ennie, on the other hand, spends most of her time either in the meditation room or on missions with the Military Department… Well, that explains it.

I forgive you. Who else would it be but my own dear girl?

Shiayar stretched leisurely, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. He had always felt like he was playing a long-term beauty-raising game. Back when Shiayar still lived in Northern Territory Ceylon and Ennie was very young, he had seen her potential as a beauty at a glance. So, he painstakingly cultivated her affection, employing head-pats and grilled fish as his go-to charms, one after another. Even during the most difficult and perilous times in Ceylon, he had never abandoned her. In the end, he maxed out the affection meter. He had obtained a beautiful girl who belonged to him and him alone.

And now, this dear girl of his, whom he had raised from a young age, was finally paying back some dividends. Although they hadn't taken that final step yet, as the saying goes, where there's a first, there's a second. Now that Ennie was willing to actively overcome her tsundere and awkward nature to be intimate with him, his frequency of getting intimate could undoubtedly increase significantly.

Hmm… Ennie will come of age in just a few months.

By then, I just need to arrange a gorgeous and grand wedding, really build up the atmosphere, and I can seal the deal that very night.

Shiayar finished brushing his teeth and washing up in the hotel's luxurious suite bathroom. Then, sitting in a recliner, he perused the newspaper while fantasizing about his amorous and happy future.

But before that, I have to correct this erroneous history.

Shiayar's spiritual power stirred slightly, sweeping over the newspaper in his hands. The Arcane Arts Capital was a neutral entity, a melting pot of a region. Therefore, the publications issued within the Arcane Arts Capital were relatively objective, mostly offering commentary from a bystander's perspective. Nevertheless, almost all assessments of the Fresta Empire, now referred to as the Scarlet Empire, tended toward the negative.

This was once a flourishing and prosperous land. But in the end, because of the obsession of that immortal King, the entire country became increasingly twisted. This was the view of the majority within the current Order Faction. An ideal king should be rational and pure, not swayed by personal feelings—but the former Knight King, now the Queen, had taken an entirely opposite path. And under her influence, the once Sacred City Camelot had also become lifeless.

In this rewritten world, the Eight Great Oath-Sworn Families no longer coveted the throne. After all, any sane Family Head of an Oath-Sworn Family knew they couldn't defeat a Throne that had survived from the Ancient Era. However, such unwavering rule also meant complacency and a pool of dead water. Of course, if the sovereign herself were wise enough to lead the Empire forward with centralized power, this wouldn't be an issue. Clearly, however, the current Queen of the Empire had long since lost interest in such matters.

This won't do at all.

The wedding—I'm planning to hold it in the grand cathedral of the Empire Capital. But with the Empire in such a sorry state, it won't work.

Moreover, while I do fancy the idea of being the Empire's Crown Prince, that's true.

But what I want is not Her Majesty the Empress, if her very existence could be erased at any moment by the Power of Historical Correction…

But a healthy Her Royal Highness the Princess who can accompany me in realizing our ideals and ambitions.

Shiayar murmured his thoughts aloud. Although it was unintentional, as he had no idea in the Echo of History that Artorigus was the Second Princess's alter ego across time and space, putting oneself in Isadella's shoes, one would understand how deeply etched in her heart and soul, how agonizingly painful, such feelings must be. And since it was a cross-temporal emotional debt he had unwittingly incurred, he naturally had to take responsibility for it. Not to mention, he already had a certain fondness for Her Royal Highness the Princess.

His particular fondness for white hair and red eyes was only part of it; though Shiayar was lustful, he was never the type to let desire cloud his judgment. Furthermore, through interactions over several years in both the real timeline and the Echo of History timeline, Shiayar had long discovered that in the current era, compared to the Holy See, the Princes' Alliance, and other forces, Isadella was indeed a more outstanding monarch. Many of her ideas and concepts were advanced for this era and her social standing. If he wanted to slowly bring the utopia of his dreams into reality, she was the best option. If not for this, he wouldn't have accepted her invitation, become her Swordbearer, nor would he have sided with the Knight King in the Echo of History.

It's said that a man's knees are as precious as gold, meaning he shouldn't kneel easily. Now was the time to 'cash in' on that principle, and who better to pledge himself to than her?

MEOW.

A soft meowing came from the window. Shiayar stopped his contemplation and looked over, only to see a white cat crouching by the window, giving him a pitiful look. It turned its body slightly, posturing for pets and cuddles.

For some reason, even though Silvia herself had arrived, this white cat hadn't been recalled to her Soul Pact Space; instead, it often clung to him. And, unsure if it was an illusion, Shiayar clearly saw large dark circles under the white cat's eyes, as if it hadn't slept well the entire previous day.

"Sorry, did Ennie and I keep you up last night?" Shiayar asked with a hint of apology, stroking the white cat's small head before holding the eager animal in his arms. He had activated a soundproof barrier. However, since the white cat was Silvia's Pet Beast, its rank was probably high. Coupled with a Pet Beast's senses being far sharper than a human's, it might have still heard something through the barrier. But there was nothing to be done about it, especially when last night was the first time the shy Ennie had taken such initiative.

"And your master…" Shiayar began softly, petting the cat. "I truly want to see what Silvia would look like in a pure white wedding gown, becoming my bride. She would surely be very beautiful."

Shiayar's voice carried a faraway tone. Upon hearing his words, even the white cat relaxed completely. Wearing a wedding dress… becoming Brother Shiayar's bride?

In the adjoining suite, the Cangyin Witch lay on her bed, her silver eyes shining. She hugged the pillow, conjured from the light of dusk into the shape of a young man, and couldn't help but roll over beneath the covers. However, Silvia had not yet had the chance to savor the joy rippling through her heart when, the very next moment, her body stiffened as Shiayar spoke again.

"Ennie, Su Lun, Silvia Babe, Her Royal Highness the Princess… Oh, and I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to try being a disobedient disciple—one who even dares to challenge their master…"

"With that many brides, I wonder if the grand hall in the Empire Capital can even accommodate them all."

MEOW.

Angered, the white cat lunged as if to bite Shiayar. But just as it was about to, it hesitated, seemingly reluctant. In the end, it merely extended its tongue and gently licked Shiayar's cheek.

TAP, TAP.

A knock came at the door. Silvia, who had been lost in thought hugging her pillow on the bed, composed herself and cleared her throat. She got up from the bed and opened the door.

A blonde girl stood there. Upon seeing Silvia, she handed over one of the three bento boxes she was holding. "Your breakfast, Tower Master," Enola said. Enola, aware of the relationship between Silvia and Shiayar, had prepared an extra breakfast. The third bento box had originally been for Su Lun, but now that the Dawn Saintess had returned to the Holy See, it was spare.

"Thank you." Silvia nodded elegantly, accepting the bento box filled with sandwiches. Although just the previous night she had been a jealous 'lemon cat' because of the girl before her, when facing a rival in love, she still had to maintain the elegance befitting the White Tower Master. Maybe Brother Shiayar likes this mature older-sister type?

But then, Silvia's gaze suddenly froze. Her eyes fixed on what Enola held in her other hand—more specifically, on the alchemy serum bottle. It seemed Enola had purchased it from an alchemical magic potion store she passed while out getting breakfast. The Black Tower's headquarters were in Lokiya, so many rare potions were available there. The label on the alchemy serum bottle bore several ancient-looking characters. Though somewhat abstruse, with her vast knowledge as a Throne, Silvia still identified the alchemy serum's effects.

'Safety Secret Medicine.' This was an odd name, but its function was quite simple and clear—contraception.

"Well then, I'll be going back to my room, Tower Master Silvia." The blonde girl bid farewell and turned to leave. Shortly after, the sound of a door being unlocked came from the next room.

Only the white-haired witch remained, standing there, dazed and utterly discomposed. Just last night, in the room next door, she had wanted to peek. But each time she tried, she would grow embarrassed and withdraw her spiritual power midway... In the end, she had only listened to the commotions through the soundproof barrier all night long.

It was I who stole Brother Shiayar's first kiss, and according to the timeline, I was the one who met him first. Silvia's eyes lost their sparkle. But why, why has it turned out like this?