Sigil Online: I became the duke's third son
Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Chapter 83

The next two weeks passed in a whirlwind of activity, leaving everyone exhausted but satisfied. Marriage meetings, fief planning sessions with Liana, and engagement preparations consumed each day from dawn until dusk.

Luan found himself just as busy as he had been when preparing to open The Silver Coin, moving between discussions about the fief with Liana and the illusory figures and meeting noble ladies eager to secure an engagement. Whether out of personal ambition or family pressure, most came chasing status or wealth. A few were more subtle about it, but all looked surprised when they saw another girl sitting beside him.

And when she introduced herself as Liana Alderon, most were immediately intimidated. Some tried too hard regardless, but Liana shut them down swiftly, aided by her ever-watchful attendants.

Though Luan still intended to take multiple wives, none of these women caught his interest. They were superficial, more intrigued by his lineage than by him. He couldn’t be bothered.

Evenings brought a welcome reprieve, spent reading letters from The Silver Coin. Time seemed to blur—days blending together as the date of the engagement drew closer.

Through Liana’s direct contact with the Empress, they learned they would need to leave soon or risk missing the event entirely. A disaster, considering most prestigious noble houses would attend with their heirs. The Empress had personally sent invitations to all of them.

One glance at the letter told them everything: they had to be there. An imperial engagement announcement wasn’t something anyone could afford to miss.

Luan prepared accordingly. He packed everything he would need for an extended stay in the capital, knowing there would be no time to return home. The Imperial Academy’s entrance exam would be held that same week, just days after the celebration.

Outside the castle stood a long row of carriages. Luan looked at them from his window with a look of excitement on his face.

All his servants stood behind him, also looking through the window. When they saw the large amount of carriages, they glanced at one another. Seeing the excitement flash through their eyes, the girls started giggling.

Kian just sighed, and Luciano and Kafele were off into their own worlds, fantasizing about who knows what.

"Now some things will change, because Liana will be joining us. You will need to watch your behavior more so as not to disgrace me and her," Luan said, turning around.

All the servants nodded frantically; they expected this. After all, Liana was from the imperial family; with only Luan, some slip-ups could be tolerable, but now with her in the picture, that wasn’t the case anymore.

"As for when we’re in private. You’ll have to discuss that with her; for me it doesn’t matter all that much, honestly, but maybe for her it’s different," Luan explained, shrugging.

"Understood, my lord," Kian said with a bow, followed by all the other servants bowing as well.

Luan grinned, nodding his head a couple times, very satisfied with their display. "Make sure you pack everything you need; we won’t be returning here for a long time."

With that, everyone dispersed, getting ready for the journey ahead. Luan, on the other hand, just went outside and took a seat at a table, gazing at the sky.

Time passed in a blur, and it was now time to depart. Luan and Liana entered a carriage together, even though technically they weren’t engaged yet. She didn’t mind this, unlike sharing a bedroom, which was an absolute no-go.

And together with the royal guards, Luan’s servants, Luan’s parents and a large part of the duke’s army set out toward the capital.

Hana glanced around nervously, holding a single letter with a foreign crest on it.

"What is it?" Drago asked; he had noticed it earlier on but was too busy with the preparations to head to the capital, but when that letter arrived, Hana’s whole attitude changed drastically.

"It seems Father and Mother and maybe even my older brother will be coming as well," she said, a somber look on her face.

Drago’s whole body froze; he stared at Hana for a while. "Make sure they don’t cause a scene, especially not in front of the Emperor and Empress; that would be a disaster," Drago replied with a defeated sigh.

Why did they have to come now of all times? Did they want to see their grandchild that badly? He had no idea he was just hoping nothing would go horribly wrong.

He knew the emperor’s temper very well. And even though he didn’t know the Empress that well, he had heard a lot about her from Caelius during their expansions.

She was extremely protective of her children, and Liana was the youngest of them all, so she was pampered rotten.

"I know, I’ll make sure to intercept them before they arrive at the palace," Hana declared, glancing out the window at the carriage her son and his fiancée had entered.

"How nice it is to be young," she muttered, a dreamy look on her face.

Drago just smiled. Right now wasn’t the time to play around. Even though they had lots of security, anything could happen; he needed to be alert all the time.

Inside another carriage, Luan was lazily lying on the couch while Liana was playing cards with the maids and her attendants.

At first the atmosphere was very tense, with Luan leaving everyone to their own devices and just jumping onto the couch and falling asleep almost instantly.

Kian, Luciano, and Kafele were on guard duty, so they were also out of the picture, leaving the maids and Liana basically alone.

But after Lily and Tokiko started playing cards to avoid talking with the princess, she became curious about what they were doing.

But she was not sure as to how she should approach the two playing cards, so she had a quick emergency meeting with Anna and Eva.

The two attendants then basically dragged Liana toward the table, and just like that, they all started playing.

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