"You've already sent out the marriage proposal team?" The thick black mist swirled as Fernand's massive undead form emerged. Though terrifying in appearance, it was by now a familiar sight and failed to frighten anyone present.
"Mm."
"Isn't this a little rushed?"
"It's not rushed." Muria's expression was unusually calm. "The outcome has already been decided."
"You're that confident the Crimson King will accept your proposal?" Fernand was puzzled. He couldn't fathom where his son got this mysterious confidence, boldly assuming that such a young, talented, and powerful sovereign would readily agree to be his partner.
"Of course, I'm confident. If I weren't, I wouldn't have sent the proposal team."
"What if she rejects you?"
"There's no 'what if.' She won't reject me." Muria lifted his gaze, staring at the man who was, in this world, his father. The sheer force of his presence weighed heavily on Fernand.
"I am her only, and best, choice for a partner. There will be no one else," Muria declared, his tone firm. After speaking, he lowered his head again, allowing Fernand to exhale in relief.
"You've already spoken with her?" Fernand thought for a moment and continued to probe. He felt that it was necessary to stay informed about such matters.
"No need." Muria's confidence remained unshaken. This was, after all, the wife he had already decided upon.
"I still think you should contact her in advance. Talk things through to avoid any unexpected issues," Fernand advised kindly.
"It would be a waste of time."
"Muria, you can't think like this. The Crimson King is just like you—an ambitious, capable ruler. You absolutely cannot—" Fernand, his suggestions repeatedly shot down, began to lecture him incessantly.
"Fine, I'll contact her now." Annoyed by Fernand's persistent nagging, Muria finally relented. After all, regardless of his divine confidence, this man was still his father in this incarnation, and Muria had to show some respect.
…
"This is the second time I'm proposing to you." A low voice echoed through the vast, empty hall. Black mist swirled as a demonic entity with a single face floated before a queen cloaked in a divine radiance.
"I know."
"And it won't be the last time."
"Of course." A faint smile appeared on Mikaela's lips. "But this time, there will be some changes. It should feel a little different."
"What are you planning?" Sensing that something was off, Muria asked warily.
"Take a guess." Mikaela's expression turned sly, though she hid the playful glint in her eyes from Muria's ghostly avatar.
"Don't mess around," Muria warned, realizing that things might not go as smoothly as he had anticipated.
"Relax. The outcome may not differ much from what you expect, but the process will definitely surprise you."
"…"
…
"Your Majesty, the Crimson King, born of divine flames, the great Yanmo King wishes to…" The leader of the envoy, who had traveled countless miles from Gayle's capital to meet Mikaela's current incarnation, knelt on one knee. He recited the proposal speech he had memorized and rehearsed a thousand times in his mind.
"So, your king wishes to take me as his queen?" Ignoring the murmurs of her courtiers, Mikaela's face carried a subtle smile as she addressed the kneeling envoy.
"Yes, our king has long admired you and hopes—"
"If he has admired me for so long, why didn't he come in person? Why send you as his messenger instead?" Mikaela interrupted, her tone questioning as she glanced at the envoy.
"What are you doing?" Muria's ghostly avatar, which now existed as a black bead bracelet on Mikaela's wrist, immediately reacted in alarm. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
In Muria's plans, the envoy would deliver his proposal, Mikaela would graciously accept, and their two kingdoms would unite under a legitimate alliance, forming an inseparable and unstoppable empire.
But as Mikaela ignored Muria's words, continuing her dialogue with the envoy, Muria felt an ominous shift in the situation.
"Um… our king is the most critical figure in our nation. It's naturally impossible for him to leave our borders so easily," the envoy stammered awkwardly, wiping sweat from his forehead. This wasn't going the way he had imagined either.
He had even prepared himself for outright rejection, but the Crimson King's attitude completely baffled him. Anyone could tell from her tone that she and the Yanmo King had an unusually deep connection.
"So he sends you to propose on his behalf? How insincere."
"…" The envoy fell silent, unsure how to respond.
"Go back and tell your king: I will not marry him!"
"Wha—"
At Mikaela's words, the black bead bracelet on her wrist trembled faintly. Cracks began to form on one of the beads, as if it were about to shatter.
"However, there is another way." Rising from her throne, Mikaela continued, "Didn't your king admire me and wish to marry me? Fine, but it won't be him taking me as his queen—it will be me taking him as my consort."
The moment she said this, the cracked bead on her bracelet instantly repaired itself, returning to its original flawless state.
"…" The envoy, sent by Muria, was completely dumbfounded. He had imagined countless scenarios for his audience with the Crimson King, but this outcome was beyond anything he had anticipated.
"I will send an envoy of my own to accompany you back. They will represent me and propose to your king. You'll be their guide."
"As you command." Though the tone was commanding, the envoy bowed respectfully. He had seen enough to understand: the Crimson King and his king were destined to marry. It was just a matter of time.
In other words, she would eventually become his other sovereign. Whether she married his king or his king married her, it didn't make much difference to him.
The envoy decided it was best to leave the details to those two. As a lowly soldier, his job was simply to follow orders.
Meanwhile, Mikaela's unexpected move left her courtiers just as stunned.
Naturally, they would staunchly oppose their queen marrying into another kingdom. But the idea of their queen taking another powerful monarch as her consort? That was a different story. If successful, the merger of their two nations into a single, stronger entity—without a single drop of bloodshed—was an undeniable advantage. Only a fool would object.
…
"What are you doing? Why didn't you just agree? All this extra drama…"
When Mikaela was finally alone, Muria's ghostly avatar materialized from her bracelet, his tone exasperated.
"Why should I agree?" Mikaela asked, feigning surprise.
"But we already agreed before!"
"Agreed on what? All I promised was that we'd become a couple. I also told you the process might not go as you expected."
"This is what you meant by 'not as expected'? Refusing my proposal and then proposing to me instead?" Muria looked helpless.
"Why not? Before we reincarnated, you married me. Now that we've been reborn, isn't it boring if you marry me again? Let's switch roles this time." Mikaela's sly smile deepened. This was a rare chance, and she wasn't going to waste it.
"But I…" Muria opened his mouth to argue.
"What? Are you unwilling? Or do you think, as a king, it's humiliating to let me marry you?"
"Of course not. Why would I care about that?" Muria replied. As a being who had lived for millennia, he was far above such trivial notions of pride.
"In that case, when my envoy reaches your kingdom and proposes on my behalf, make sure to say yes."
"This…" Muria felt strange. It wasn't something he could easily describe.
"Enough. I know you're feeling conflicted. Take your time to think about it, but I suggest you start planning our wedding in this world instead."
"…Fine. I'll think about it."
…
"She turned me down." Back in Gayle's royal court, Muria opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh, looking toward Fernand with a melancholic expression.
"What?" Fernand, who hadn't yet prepared Mikaela's envoy team, was caught completely off guard.
"You said there might be an unexpected twist, and you were right." Muria fixed Fernand with a long stare.
"She rejected you? Why? You two seemed to have such a good understanding before. What happened?"
Fernand, who had been deeply invested in Muria's marriage, now felt a bit panicked.
"She refused my proposal but said she wants to marry me."
"…" Fernand was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Well… maybe you should think about it?"
______
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