26: their first meeting

The guard reached Irene's chamber and knocked gently on the door before saying in a low voice:

"The princess is summoned to meet her fiancé."

Irene slowly lifted her head. She was calm—almost cold. Sally looked at her with concern and asked:

"My lady… isn't it strange that he didn't come to greet you himself?"

Irene gave a faint smile and replied,

"That suits me just fine, Sally."

With the help of the maids, Sally dressed her carefully. Irene wore a regal gown befitting a royal bride, her hair flowing softly over her shoulders, with part of it elegantly pinned back and adorned with a fine accessory. She was adorned with exquisite jewelry that only added to her natural beauty—she looked stunning in every sense of the word.

One of the servants escorted her to the meeting room and opened the door.

Inside, Lucas sat on a couch, arms crossed over his chest, one leg resting over the other. He raised his head and gave her a quick, indifferent glance.

In that split second, Irene analyzed his gaze—there was no interest, no curiosity, no admiration. She felt like an unwelcome guest at best.

She bowed slightly in formal greeting and said:

"An honor to meet you, Lord Duke."

Lucas stood slowly. He was tall—strikingly so—handsome, with long dark hair and features that reminded Irene of the portraits she'd seen in books. He had a commanding presence that couldn't be ignored. He responded coolly:

"Welcome, Princess."

The head butler gestured for her to sit across from Lucas and quietly left, closing the door behind him.

Silence fell between them.

They exchanged glances for a few moments… he occasionally cast her a scrutinizing look, unreadable, while she waited for him to speak.

Finally, with a deep, rough voice, he said:

"I wasn't able to attend yesterday… I hope that didn't break your heart."

Irene met his gaze steadily and replied:

"Don't worry, my heart isn't made of fragile glass."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, then said in a cold tone:

"Are you sure? Then I'm pleased to inform you that I have no interest in this marriage. Don't expect anything from me."

They were words she had been waiting to hear from the very beginning. Irene smiled, almost involuntarily, and said lightly:

"That's perfect. We'll get along just fine… I don't believe in love either."

Lucas looked mildly surprised by her reaction, but quickly composed himself and said:

"Good. The ceremony is tomorrow. I've heard you're not very social. Will you be alright?"

She replied with soft sarcasm:

"Don't worry about me… just make sure you show up."

He gave a faint smirk, then stood and said:

"Well, since we're in agreement… I'll take my leave. Wouldn't want to bother the very busy bride."

And with that, he left.

Irene remained seated alone in the hall, calm… then let out a quiet, satisfied chuckle and whispered to herself:

"This is ideal. I hope he truly means it… It seems fate is on my side. Everything is going according to plan. Now, I just need to win over his father after the wedding."

She then returned to her room in quiet confidence.

---

Meanwhile, after Crown Prince Raynold returned to his quarters, his wife was waiting at the door. She immediately noticed the anger in his expression.

She approached him with concern and asked,

"What happened? You look furious."

He didn't answer right away. His voice came out sharp:

"Tell the servants to summon my mother. Now."

Without another word, his wife obeyed the order. A few minutes later, Queen Elvira entered with composed steps, her eyes scanning the room for an explanation.

She spoke upon entering:

"What's wrong, Leonard? Didn't they agree to the land terms?"

He lifted his head, the fire still burning in his eyes.

"I just want to inform you that we're leaving right after the ceremony tomorrow evening."

Elvira froze for a moment, then walked closer and said calmly:

"Leonard… take a breath and tell me what happened."

He pulled off his gloves and threw them onto the table in frustration:

"I can't stand being in this filthy kingdom! That bastard… Lucas! Not only did he fail to receive us properly, but he had the nerve to speak to me coldly—as if we aren't royalty! Who does he think he is?!"

Elvira suddenly fell silent, her eyes narrowing slightly as though she had begun to see a bigger picture. Now was not the time for emotions.

She spoke in a low, deliberate tone—calm but laced with venom:

"Alright, Leonard… calm down. I'll inform Queen Elizabeth that we'll depart after the ceremony. There's no need to be upset. We are above them, after all. They've forgotten who truly holds the reins."

She leaned closer and whispered:

"When you take the throne, my son… you'll have every right to teach them a harsh lesson. But for now, we must play smart. Our goal is control—without collateral damage. Every step must be calculated."

Leonard watched her silently, then gave a slow nod as his fury began to cool.

In the corner, his wife stood in silence, watching the exchange—

and at last, she understood the entire game.

---