The white-haired elder's impassioned speech stirred the people of the Star Kingdom into a frenzy of excitement.
But at the same time, the sudden appearance of a previously unheard-of relative of the Rose Duchess inevitably sparked doubt among some.
"The Rose Duchess's younger brother? Since when did she have a brother?"
"No idea. I've never heard of him before."
"I think there were rumors… something about her having a relative. But what I'm more curious about is—how does he possess star-blood? Isn't that something only the royal family can have?"
"Idiot! The Duchess having star-blood has been circulating among the nobles for years now. Otherwise, why do you think the old king granted her a ducal title?"
"Oh~ so that's how it is!"
"Then it's not strange for her brother to have star-blood as well."
"Still… something about this feels off."
"…"
Though confused, the people of the Star Kingdom didn't dare voice their doubts too loudly—not with the Rose Duchess presiding over the ceremony. They could only whisper among themselves.
After a brief pause, the white-haired elder continued his proclamation:
"And today is not only the wedding of our king—it is also the day our Second Princess is wed!"
"Huh? The Second Princess is getting married too?"
"What's going on?!"
"I've got no clue!"
"Who's the groom?!"
The crowd erupted into chatter, stunned by the announcement.
Their Second Princess… was getting married as well?
"Ahem! Silence!"
The elder raised his hand, calming the crowd before continuing:
"Because our groom possesses an exceptionally pure star-bloodline, his descendants are destined to lead our kingdom to greatness!"
"Therefore! Princess Katrin has chosen to sacrifice herself for the continuation of the star-bloodline! She shall also become a bride, united with our king as sisters, to walk together toward glory!"
The moment those words fell—
The entire Star Kingdom erupted.
"What?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Both princesses marrying the Rose Duchess's brother? Is this for real?!"
"Who's the main focus of this wedding—the king, or the Duchess's brother? Isn't this completely backwards?!"
"I don't support this! Two princesses serving one man? That's absurd! And Princess Vivian is our king!"
But where there was opposition—
There was also support.
"Hey~ think about it this way. If this marriage goes through, wouldn't it stabilize royal authority?"
"What are you even talking about?"
"How does that stabilize anything?"
"Use your brains! The two princesses would naturally be in conflict over the throne. But if they both marry the same man—doesn't that turn opposition into alliance?"
"That… actually makes sense! The kingdom's chaos comes from the vacant throne and competing heirs. If the two princesses unite, that's what the people want!"
"Besides, everyone knows Princess Vivian carries guilt, and her mother is the Night Witch. If she ascends alone, public support might waver!"
"But with Princess Katrin backing her, it's completely different! No matter how you look at it, those two are better than that useless prince!"
Prince Laps: "?!"
"Are you people insane? You can't just say things like that!"
"I support it! With both hands and feet!"
"…"
The scene descended into chaos.
Even the white-haired elder looked helplessly toward Idess.
He had never seen anything like this before!
Since when did two princesses marry at the same time?!
Idess ignored him entirely, instead sending a mental transmission:
"Prepare to enter on my signal. Remember—whether this succeeds depends on your performance."
"Got it."
Akira nodded, taking a deep breath as he suppressed the unease in his chest.
Then, the elder's booming voice rang out once more:
"Now! Let us welcome our three newlyweds!"
At once, Akira took the hands of "Vivian" and "Katrin," stepping forward into the open.
The moment they entered the crowd's view—
Silence fell.
And then—
Whispers erupted.
"Holy—Is that Princess Vivian? She's stunning!"
"Princess Katrin isn't bad either… she has the aura of a wise queen."
"So that's the Rose Duchess's brother? He's ridiculously handsome!"
"Well, of course! The Duchess is the most beautiful woman in the Star Kingdom—how could her brother be anything less?"
"Wait… none of us have actually seen her face though!"
"They look perfect together! I'm jealous!"
"I ship this trio!"
"…"
With his heightened senses, Akira caught every whisper.
He couldn't help but feel speechless.
So even in another world… there were looks-obsessed fans and relationship shippers…
"I object!"
At that moment—
A single voice cut through the noise, drawing everyone's attention.
Prince Laps stepped forward, arms crossed, striking a self-righteous pose.
He glanced at Akira and the two brides, then turned toward Idess.
"Rose Duchess, while we acknowledge your status, this so-called brother of yours—who appeared out of nowhere—I cannot accept him! And I believe the people of the Star Kingdom cannot accept him either! Am I wrong?"
With Laps stirring the pot, dissenting voices began to rise.
"That's right! We can't accept this!"
"You say he has star-blood, and we're supposed to just believe it?"
"Isn't this just fabrication? A made-up relative to control our kingdom through marriage? We demand a proper explanation!"
"…"
Faced with the accusations, Idess remained expressionless.
"If you want an explanation," she said coldly, "my brother—Ilai—will give you one."
She cast Akira a glance.
As for the name "Ilai"… Idess had clearly made it up on the spot, without even consulting him.
"…Right."
Akira nodded, stepping forward.
With a simple motion of his hand—
A thread of starlight emerged.
Like a fragment of the Milky Way descending from the heavens, it flowed into his palm.
The moment the crowd saw it—
Their eyes widened in shock.
"Stars! That's the power of the stars!"
"He really has star power—it's not a lie!"
"Such pure star energy… how does it compare to the old king's?"
"I'm a court historian—I swear, his star power is even purer than the old king's!"
"No way! Purer than the old king's?!"
"What about compared to Princess Vivian?"
"It seems… just slightly weaker than hers—but only by the tiniest margin!"
"No wonder they said their child would be the Child of the Stars!"
"If that's true, I have no objections to him marrying both princesses!"
"Wait—if they all have star-blood, shouldn't they be siblings?!"
"Fool! Star-blood is chosen by the Star God! How can it be compared to mundane lineage?"
"Perhaps this is the Star God's blessing—to save our kingdom!"
"…"
As the people witnessed Akira's display of star power, they dropped to their knees one after another, swearing loyalty to the stars.
Akira was stunned.
He hadn't expected star-blood to hold such overwhelming significance in their hearts.
But thinking about it…
It made sense.
The Star Kingdom wasn't founded through ordinary royal succession.
It was born from the descent of the Star God's seven Valkyrie Flowers.
Compared to the other human kingdoms—
Each had its own foundation.
The Sun Theocracy, though it had a royal family, was truly ruled by the Holy Light Church. Faith was its backbone, and the Pope, along with the other two high authorities, decided everything.
The Moon God Kingdom placed its faith entirely in the Moon God, receiving guidance through the High Priest.
None of the three kingdoms were truly centered on royal authority.
Faith outweighed kingship.
Without divine protection, royal power was fragile—destined to vanish into history.
"Well?"
Idess rose gracefully, looking down at Prince Laps.
"Are you satisfied with this explanation?"
"Damn it…"
Laps gritted his teeth, his pale face flushing red with anger.
He couldn't understand it.
Why, in just a few years, had so many people with star-blood suddenly appeared?
Idess. Vivian. Ilai.
He was the eldest son of the Star King!
The rightful heir!
So why—
Why was their star-blood purer than his?!
But he could only suppress his fury, forcing a smile.
"If his star-blood is so pure, then he is indeed worthy of my sisters. I wish the three of you eternal unity and a blissful marriage."
Grinding his teeth, he offered his blessing.
Idess didn't even bother responding.
Instead, she turned to the elder.
"Proceed."
"At once!"
The elder raised his voice:
"Let the three newlyweds exchange tokens and make their vows!"
Hearing this, Akira immediately took out the ring Idess had given him.
But the moment he did—
He hesitated.
He only had one ring.
As for the other—
Before he could finish the thought, a system notification popped up before his eyes:
[Your adventurer Roxia has transferred an Eternal Vow Ring to your inventory! Please check!]
Oh!?
Akira's eyes lit up.
So Roxia had prepared in advance!
With a thought, a platinum-white ring appeared in his hand.
[Eternal Vow Ring (Mythical): Forged from the heart-scale of a Golden Holy Dragon, it contains legendary power and stands as proof of true love!]
Its quality was no weaker than Idess's Abyssal Vow Ring.
The dark crimson Abyssal Ring symbolized desire.
The platinum Eternal Ring symbolized purity.
Holding one in each hand, Akira stepped forward—
And placed them on Roxia and Ivsha's fingers.
Then, solemnly, he declared:
"I love you."
"I love you too," Ivsha replied.
"May love endure eternally," Roxia said.
And then—
Before tens of thousands—
Akira kissed them both.
In that instant—
The entire kingdom erupted.
Cheers crashed over them like a storm.
For someone who had just graduated college, the overwhelming noise sent chills down Akira's spine.
But the softness of Roxia and Ivsha's lips steadied him.
Nearby, Idess watched the entire scene in silence.
Her crimson eyes remained utterly emotionless.
Only after the kiss ended did she turn toward the nobles, citizens, and foreign envoys.
"Let us raise a toast," she declared. "To celebrate the newlyweds!"
"The Elven Kingdom offers its blessings!"
"The Holy Dragon Empire offers its blessings!"
"The Sun Theocracy offers its blessings!"
"…"
Voices from every nation rose in celebration.
Cups were lifted.
The moment was sealed.
Akira let out a quiet breath.
The mission was nearly complete.
Just a little longer…
And his role would end perfectly.
But the moment that thought crossed his mind—
Idess handed him a wine glass.
"Soon, the delegations of each nation will come forward to congratulate you," she said. "By the customs of the Star Kingdom, the king must drink a cup of Starwine in response to each greeting."
"…Huh?"
Akira raised an eyebrow.
That wasn't in the script.
Idess didn't explain further.
"Since the two princesses must prepare for pregnancy, you'll drink on their behalf."
"I'm terrible with alcohol…" Akira said with a bitter smile.
Idess, of course, didn't care.
"Once the delegations finish, your task will be complete. You may then take them to the new royal chambers."
"…Fine."
Akira gritted his teeth.
He had no choice but to tough it out.
The moment he lifted his glass—
The first delegation approached.
The Elf Queen.
With graceful steps, she walked up to him, Princess Elena at her side.
The Elf Queen first cast a subtle glance at Akira, then turned to "Vivian"—Roxia in disguise.
"The elves offer their blessings to the King of Stars. May the friendship between our kingdoms endure forever."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," "Vivian" replied politely.
Then—
The Elf Queen shifted her gaze back to Akira, accepting a glass from Elena.
As the ruler of the elves, she could see through everything at a glance—
Akira's disguise.
The true identities of the two "princesses."
Though she didn't know his purpose, she had no intention of exposing him.
A mere wedding could not shake her will.
"The Rose Duchess's brother… Ilai, was it?" she asked.
"Uh… yes."
Akira nodded.
This wedding belonged to Ilai, Vivian, and Katrin—
Even if Ilai was nothing more than a fabricated identity.
"Little one~"
The Elf Queen raised her glass, lightly clinking it against his.
With a faint, knowing smile, she said—
"Congratulations on your marriage."