I never thought my city would be so lively. Though there were residents present right at the start, after bad harvests and being stripped of one thing after another, how could they have money to waste at bars and in the entertainment district? Freya said that a city must have an entertainment district to be stable. The people need entertainment, but that wouldn't be a need when filling your belly and staying warm are problems themselves.

People came here one by one. They were all dignitaries and people from all over the lands. Many of them came because they admired her majesty while some came to see me. As a result, the main thing I've been doing these days has been receiving different people. Their ident.i.ties were intricate and complex. There were musicians, academics, and even a sculptor who came to sculpt a statue of the top half of my body…… Of course, I turned him down……

I'm still alive! I don't want to see my statue staring at me! I don't need it yet!

We've begun preparing for my wedding. What was most ironic was that the person who sent me blessings for my wedding was the young pope. When he saw me, his face turned white as a sheet due to fear. It looks like what I did that night left him with a huge fear.

Nier however, really liked him. Every time she saw him, she would stare at him. Her hands would quiver and she would keep on asking me if she could hug him.

I didn't care since he was just a kid in Nier's eyes. I didn't want to b.u.t.t heads with the church either as they had completely become the royal family's subordinate. Their religion's doctrine had been changed to have the empress as the sovereign. Basically, they now wors.h.i.+p the empress. Wait, no. They wors.h.i.+p the royal family.

But the "royal family" only consisted of two people. One was Elizabeth and the other was me.

That's why Mommy-Elizabeth let Nier who had no surname take on the royal family's surname without hesitation. Normally, Nier wouldn't be able to take on the royal family's surname even if she were to marry into the royal family with her background and ident.i.ty. However, due to the royal family members being very few and Nier being liked by the empress, she was able to become part of the royal family. Thus she was able to go from a Valkyrie to a royal family member.

Lucia took on the Galadriel surname. However, I don't have a clue what Vyvyan is thinking. Based on fragments of what Vyvyan has told me, I only know that the Galadriel tribe is very strict about bloodlines. Back then when my father eloped with Elizabeth, the elf-king sent out virtually everyone to hunt down Elizabeth. Not even Vyvyan could resist the pressure and got forced to bring her brother back. The reason I can now do as I please is because the demi-good Vyvyan now has complete control over the Galadriel tribe.

If Vyvyan didn't become the yandere that she is now, she would now have a daughter that would be made my wife for the sake of maintaining the purity of the Galadriel tribe's bloodline…… If I didn't have such a sister…… I imagined Vyvyan's blood-red eyes and a chill went up my spine…….

I really would be forced to marry Vyvyan then, wouldn't I?! I would be forced to for the sake of keeping the Galadriel tribe's bloodline pure. Elves aren't against free-love. However, the royal family is very strict about their bloodline since mana was power.

"How is it? How is it?! Your majesty!! How is it?!"

Nier smiled cheerfully as she held the bottom of her dress and spun around. The diamond necklace she wore which was captivating, swayed along like a rainbow followed her graceful movements which emphasised her face even more. The beauty of the pair made one marvel at the sight. A colourful phoenix was sewn onto a corner of the wedding dress. Under the swaying of the light, it looked like the phoenix was dancing. The crown she wore wasn't as heavy as I thought. It actually looked very light. The divine shape of the phoenix must've been made from pearls. At the back of her head was a thin veil which revealed her white neck.

Others are not permitted to use this bird shape which resembled a phoenix as it was the creature that represented the empress. Hillier's means "the phoenix's nest". I think Nier is the only one who has this special honour of using the same totem as the empress.

"That's cow-t.i.ts for you. You can still move around in such heavy clothes."

Lucia snorted with disdain and then wrapped her arm around mine. She blushed as she flapped her white dress and then said: "Your highness, mine's looks better, doesn't it? Since… since… I wore this… for our first time… the moon that night sure was beautiful……"

Nier looked at her grouchily and then me with her s.h.i.+ny eyes. My whole body jerked and then I shook my head.

There's no way I'm going to do it with you while you're wearing that dress! There's nothing on Lucia's dress. It's just a plain white dress, while yours has diamonds hanging off of it. I'm afraid I'll throw my back out! And you never listen to me. You pounce me whenever you feel like it. If you mount me while wearing that dress, don't you think my ribs will bend inwards and I'll burst some organs?!

"Tch. How shameless. You elves sure are stingy. You only get married once in a lifetime, yet you're so stingy. Or were you planning to get married a few more times after his majesty pa.s.ses away?"

Nier fired back. She hugged my other arm and showed Lucia she wasn't going to lose.

All of the hairs on Lucia's pet.i.te body stood up. She looked at Nier furiously and angrily exclaimed: "Don't apply you humans' lowly view of life to us! Our love is absolutely loyal and devoted! I will only love his highness for my entire life! If his highness's life comes to an end, mine shall too!"

"Don't say something so scary!"

I held my hand to y forehead. I had a beauty on each side, but my days weren't peaceful.

The designer tapped on her wrinkly forehead and with a smile said: "So then, your majesty, if you feel that the princess, her majesty's dress is alright, I shall take my leave."

I nodded and replied: "Thank you very much. I am very happy with her dress. Thank you."

The designer bowed deeply, sighed and then said: "You need not thank me, your majesty. The empress, her majesty's body is more suited than the princess, her majesty. When I took the princess, her majesty's measurements, the empress, her majesty looked on with envy. It seems that the empress, her majesty really wants to wear a wedding dress again…… Actually, I would say that her majesty is thinking of her own family. Your majesty, we have never seen your father. Perhaps he pa.s.sed away in battle? Marriage is a very important matter for women. I have lived for a very long time and designed countless outfits for the empress, her majesty. I want to design a wedding dress for the empress, her majesty. All of her current clothes are my works, so my dream as a designer can be said to be achieved."

I silently nodded. Elizabeth is like that. It looks like the majestic and imposing empress desires a family more than anyone in reality. She's a gentle woman, a kind mom, and definitely a virtuous… okay, not virtuous… wife. Elizabeth's emotions must be like a roller-coaster ride seeing Nier get ready to get married so cheerfully.

I looked at the designer and quietly asked: "Why didn't you?"

"Your majesty?!"

"This is my personal request." I chuckled softly and then elaborated, "Please design a wedding dress for the empress, her majesty. Place it in her room on my wedding day. Although I am not her husband, I am her son, so…… I do look like her husband, right……?"

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