Engagement Ceremony

The Illuminati's mobilization of the Silencers did not delay their "daily business" of presiding over weddings.

Three days later, at the engagement ceremony of Gao Kan Crown Guard and Miss Fiora Laurent, the Bishop of the Demacian Imperial Capital's diocese stood at the podium beaming with joy.

Because the Crown Guard family had always been rather low-key, and their manor in the Imperial Capital was limited in size, this engagement ceremony was arranged to take place in the Illuminati's church—there was no other way, the number of congratulatory guests was simply too overwhelming!

Even if the nobility were incompetent in their primary duties, they were always masters of scheming.

The Crown Guard family, which had always had a strained relationship with its collateral branches, was now openly supporting a relative from Silvermine City. Could this perhaps signify a change in their attitude?

After all, for the past nearly ten years, the cooperation between the Crown Guard family and the royal Lightshield family had been far too intimate for the nobility.

"Noble exemplar" was a formidable title, but for ordinary nobles, it was akin to the dreaded "neighbor's kid" that parents always brought up.

The Crown Guard family's attitude—I'll fight the wars, I won't claim the credit, I'll charge forward when the nation needs me—made many nobles extremely uncomfortable. Even with Ogesha's smooth and skillful handling, the Crown Guard family still felt somewhat out of place among the nobility.

As nobility, if you don't amass wealth, don't claim credit, and don't promote your relatives, what are you even doing?

Trying to seize the throne?

If it was about vying for the throne by seeking fame, that would be one thing. The throne of Demacia wasn't hereditary for all eternity. Although the Lightshield family had produced several generations of kings consecutively, a pause and some turmoil at this juncture wouldn't be impossible.

But…

The Crown Guard family was notoriously loyal, and they didn't have many descendants. Their current generation had only Garen—considering Garen's reputation throughout the Imperial Capital as a simpleton, he showed no signs of aiming for the throne.

This left the nobility of the Imperial Capital feeling rather uneasy.

Ogesha had complained to Peter, saying his bluntness led to his poor popularity.

But in reality, the main reason for this poor popularity was likely Peter's inability to blend in with the crowd…

Under these circumstances, if given the chance, the nobility would gladly cause some trouble for the Crown Guard family—it was just a pity that this family was truly formidable. Their male members were practically paragons of loyalty, and their women were all skilled and graceful. It was difficult to find fault.

Demacia had not yet reached the point where "unsubstantiated charges" were commonplace.

So, when the Crown Guard family was mentioned, countless nobles would privately curse them as "the King's loyal hounds"!

And now, this "loyal hound of the King," the Crown Guard family, was finally beginning to help a collateral branch seek status!

How could such news not excite the nobility?

The Crown Guard family was finally becoming one of us, like us!

This was how it should be; nobles should be responsible for their own families!

It was precisely because of this anticipation that, even though this was merely the engagement ceremony of a collateral branch family, almost all the nobility in the Demacian Imperial Capital had turned out in full force.

Come, join us, be a true noble—stop being the King's loyal hounds!

Because of their expectations, the noble guests' polite smiles held a trace of genuine sincerity.

However, Fiora, the protagonist of the ceremony, didn't even manage a polite smile.

This was her engagement ceremony.

Yet, she felt like an outsider.

The decision-makers were not her.

And the man she was engaged to was a playboy she completely disdained.

Although Fiora's father, Sebastian Laurent, thought highly of Gao Kan, believing Gao Kan's social skills would allow him to soar in the noble circles of the Imperial Capital, in Fiora's eyes, Gao Kan was useless.

Utterly useless.

His abilities might be enough for him to be a private in the Fearless Vanguard or a small captain in the Rangers, but Fiora found that level of skill completely unimpressive.

Even during their first meeting, due to Gao Kan's habitual flippancy, Fiora immediately put him in his place—under the guise of sparring, she effortlessly disarmed him, knocking his dress sword flying.

If it weren't for the fact that he was a guest, Fiora would have scratched that smirking face of his on the spot!

Unfortunately, this initial display of dominance seemed to have backfired.

After realizing Fiora's astonishing swordsmanship, Dili inexplicably set his heart on this daughter-in-law.

He and Sebastian hit it off immediately, and the two quickly arranged the marriage.

For Dili, he had gained a capable daughter-in-law. With Fiora's swordsmanship, she would undoubtedly have a great future in the military.

For Sebastian, the Laurent family was climbing onto the Crown Guard's bandwagon. The Laurent family was no longer the family that produced numerous swordsmen three hundred years ago. In the knightly dueling competitions of the past century, the Laurent family had achieved nothing, and their dazzling Waltz sword dances were becoming increasingly ill-suited for the current era. If they didn't change, the family's decline was inevitable!

If there was an opportunity to latch onto a powerful patron, they naturally had to seize it firmly!

And so, a political marriage of mutual convenience was settled.

Fiora, as one of the parties involved, was almost the last person to know the news—in fact, many guests received their invitations earlier than she did.

Fiora was naturally unwilling to accept such a surreal twist of fate.

After all, from childhood, she had been constantly rebelling against the expectations placed upon her.

Her mother hired Demacia's finest artisans to create lifelike dolls for her, but Fiora gave the dolls to her maid, picked up her elder brother's dress sword, and coerced him into secretly teaching her swordsmanship.

Her father hired skilled tailors and avant-garde designers to tailor exquisite gowns for her, but Fiora made a straw man, dressed it in the clothes, and used it as a target for practicing thrusts and parries.

Fiora was proud of the Laurent surname, but she yearned even more to prove with her own sword that the Laurents were second to none!

Then, at eighteen, she learned the absurd news that she was to be engaged—Fiona could not accept it under any circumstances.

She tried to reason with her father, swearing that she would bring glory to her family with her own sword and that she didn't need to gain status through a marriage alliance.

But Sebastian turned a deaf ear to her words, merely chattering on about how she should be a lady after marriage.

Ultimately, the father and daughter parted on bad terms.

On the eve of the engagement, while her family was busy preparing for the ceremony, Fiona was instead polishing her dress sword.

Now, she appeared at the engagement ceremony site, her expressionless gaze sweeping over the jubilant guests.

She didn't know what these people were happy about, nor did she want to.

The guests, for their part, didn't really care about Fiona's own thoughts; even if her face was like ice, no one paid it any mind.

Many marriage alliances among the nobility happened after the lovers were forcefully separated.

No one cared about those poor lovers.

As the guests' status increased, more and more arrived.

Finally, with the formal entrance of Lacsana Crown Guard, the representative of the Crown Guard main family, who had just turned thirteen, and the arrival of the King's envoy bearing the Lightshield insignia, the Bishop, acting as the host, officially announced the commencement of the engagement ceremony.

Amidst the choir's music, the ceremony's various segments proceeded in an orderly fashion. Gao Kan was exceptionally excited, while Fiona was like a puppet on strings.

During the parents' speeches, Dili and Sebastian expressed their approval of both children and praised the glorious history of each other's families.

One engagement token after another was also presented to the guests—Fiona, with a blank expression, looked at these "dolls she once loved the most" and "books she had read the most," feeling an indescribable sense of absurdity.

No, it should be called absurd!

When had she ever played with dolls?

When did she have any favorite books?

Unfortunately, no one cared.

Finally, amidst thunderous applause, the engagement ceremony reached its final stage.

The Bishop, clad in black robes, stood between Gao Kan and Fiona and asked the final two questions.

"Mr. Gao Kan Crown Guard, do you willingly prepare yourself for marriage and pledge your commitment to this union?"

Gao Kan's face was beaming. Even though he tried to appear calm, Fiona could still see his eagerness.

"I do."

"Ms. Fiona Laurent, do you willingly prepare yourself for marriage and pledge your commitment to this union?"

For the first time, Fiona smiled. Her smile was like a spring breeze sweeping over a snow-capped mountain, gentle yet still chilling to the bone.

"I—refuse!"