The Guild Master's sentence hung suspended in the air. The smile on the middle-aged man's face slowly faded, replaced by an awkward stiffness. He froze, staring at Kylen's face while blinking several times in rapid succession. His brain, usually so brilliant in business, was now forced into overdrive just to process the meaning of a single word the prince had just uttered: 'Husband'.
It was not only Mr. Kevin. The expressions of the dozens of people around the lobby who accidentally overheard the conversation instantly changed as well. They stood frozen with their mouths agape. Their faces reflected an extreme level of shock, as if the sentence that had just slipped from the mouth of the Fifth Prince of the Flamort Kingdom had forcefully ripped the sanity right out of their heads.
Amidst the gripping mass silence, Arvin, who stood beside Kylen, could only avert his gaze for a moment and let out a resigned sigh.
Goodness... he truly has no brakes at all. Arvin thought, unable to wrap his head around his sixth spouse's blunt attitude. Even though the reality of our relationship just caused a massive uproar inside the palace a few moments ago. But here, without the slightest hesitation, he so easily says something that triggers a public commotion all over again.
After blinking a few more times, Mr. Kevin's consciousness was finally yanked back to reality and instantly focused on the figure of the calm-auraed, blue-haired youth standing right next to the Fifth Prince of the Flamort Kingdom.
"H-H-Husband...?" the man repeated, his normally authoritative voice now stuttering. "D-Do you mean... this blue-haired man is your husband, Your Highness?"
"Yes, your guess is right!" Kylen answered proudly, not caring in the least about Mr. Kevin's shocked expression or the disbelieving stares of the people who were now beginning to whisper among themselves all around them.
"But... forgive me, Your Highness. Isn't... isn't he a man, just like yourself?" Mr. Kevin asked, desperately trying to find some logic behind the absurd confession.
"Yes, he is indeed a man!" Kylen shot back quickly, his chin raised slightly, challenging the existing social norms. "Even though he is a man just like me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with his gender! Because in this world, he is the only man who could make me fall this deeply in love with him!"
That confession of love, proclaimed so loudly, openly, and full of pride in the middle of the guild lobby, only made Mr. Kevin lose his words even further. He truly failed to comprehend what was actually going on.
As Mr. Kevin tried to piece his completely short-circuited thoughts back together, his gaze accidentally dropped. His eyes caught sight of something engraved on the backs of both hands of the blue-haired youth in front of him.
The white Life-and-Death Contract Symbol.
Mr. Kevin's breath hitched instantly. He knew exactly the meaning behind the number of overlapping symbols on the youth's right and left hands. In that very second, he realized that the man claimed as the prince's husband was already married to more than one person.
The man desperately wanted to question this, but he hesitated. He was afraid that his question would offend the Prince's pride.
However, after gathering his courage for quite some time, he finally bowed his head deeper. His curiosity was simply too immense to contain.
"F-F-Forgive me for my insolence, Your Highness..." Mr. Kevin said, his voice trembling slightly from nervousness, though he still tried to maintain his politeness. "But... seeing the numerous contract symbols on the backs of his hands... hasn't the person you refer to as your husband already married more than one person?"
Instead of being offended or embarrassed as Mr. Kevin had feared, Kylen actually formed a faint smirk.
"He has officially married five men before the Gods!" Kylen declared loudly without a shred of hesitation. He then patted his own chest with immense pride. "And I am his sixth spouse! Just so you know, it won't be long before that white Life-and-Death Contract Symbol is also engraved on the back of my right hand!"
The merchant guild lobby, which had momentarily fallen silent again, instantly erupted into a raucous clamor of whispers.
A same-sex marriage between nobles was already enough to spark a massive scandal. But hearing the fact that the blue-haired youth had married and built a household with six men simultaneously completely sent the entire lobby into an uproar.
To most people, a male noble marrying more than two female wives was already guaranteed to cause headaches and frequently trigger internal family conflicts simply over power struggles, jealousy, envy, and dissatisfaction.
But that blue-haired youth had married six men all at once. In their eyes, it was an incredibly bold and nonsensical act, yet utterly futile. They all thought cynically that the handsome youth must have lost his mind, having completely disregarded the continuation of his bloodline by marrying fellow men.
Hearing the harsh whispers and judgmental stares from the people around him, Arvin perfectly understood what they were gossiping about.
My bloodline? Why the hell should I care?! Arvin mused casually in his heart, indifferent to the opinions of others. Aside from the fact that I fundamentally have absolutely no interest in women, my desires are only awakened when I see a cute face, not when I see a beautiful one!
"B-But, Your Highness..." Mr. Kevin braced himself to ask the most crucial question, even while still in a state of severe shock. "H-Has His Majesty the King... given his blessing regarding the relationship between the two of you?"
Kylen nodded firmly, making no attempt to hide the truth. "My father has personally given me his blessing. However, the blessing was given on the condition that I must leave the palace and relinquish all my rights and status as the Fifth Prince of the Flamort Kingdom."
That statement was like a sledgehammer striking the entire room once again. A royal prince, willing to forsake his noble title, wealth, and status solely to enter the harem of a foreign man as his sixth spouse. Everyone was left completely bewildered by the prince's thought process.
"Let us get straight to the point!" Kylen said firmly, feeling that this small talk had already taken up far too much time. "Are you willing to appraise the items my husband wishes to sell here, Mr. Kevin? To be honest, we don't have much time, as we must head back to the Astoria Kingdom in a few days."
"H-Head back to the Astoria Kingdom?" Mr. Kevin repeated, his eyes bulging in confusion. His brain was still trying to piece together all the information coming at him relentlessly. "Are you truly going to move and settle down there with your husband?"
The bluish-white-haired youth once again responded with a firm nod.
"He is the person I have chosen to be my husband!" Kylen answered with a firm and blunt tone. "Because he is Arvin Vedegra, and as his spouse, it's an absolute certainty that I must live with him over there in the Vedegra territory!"