Even though she was tense, Luna quickly scanned the hall.

Not a large number, but she saw the invited guests seated at the long table, watching their own positions. 

Among them was Deborah, whom she had sent an invitation to with a hope that she might come. Next to her was her mother, who still looked a bit frail but much improved. And surprisingly, Rosemary deep in thought and Prince Callion too.

Luna was momentarily stunned, but at Antes’s gentle urging, she took a step forward. 

Then, as if they had been waiting, the guests began to greet the two with applause, their faces beaming as if they were the ones getting engaged.

Thanks to that, Luna, feeling an indescribable emotion, firmly held Antes’s hand and moved towards the banquet table. 

They exchanged glances briefly, and then Luna slowly bowed her head in greeting to the visitors. 

“Oh my goodness…” 

Before she could say anything, Emma, who had been watching, let out an involuntary groan.

The thought that Luna, whom she had raised like a daughter, was truly promising to spend her life with a partner was too overwhelming. Laura, too, was tightly holding onto Royer’s sleeve, and Viscount Peils was already shedding tears. 

‘I never dreamed of meeting someone and receiving such congratulations for our future together.’ 

Luna suddenly remembered how just last year, she had hoped only for survival.

There were sleepless days, thinking that it would be absolutely impossible due to the huge barrier called Fersen and the enormous ordeal called Seira.

‘…Now all I have left to do is be truly happy.’

Especially with the final boss of the original story. The two ended up together, which was such a ridiculous plot, even the author would have been shocked enough to lose their appetite.

Thinking about this, Luna chuckled softly, and for some unknown reason, Antes laughed along.

How could this man, who genuinely liked her, be such a terrifying villain? Especially when she, in contrast, had a loving family and he became a lonely villain.

Luna looked straight ahead, holding Antes’s hand tightly once again. Everyone was eagerly waiting for her to speak. 

“Thank you for coming from far away, even though you must have been busy. I’m not sure if you like the banquet hall, but my father personally decorated it after days of consideration.” 

Everyone then turned their eyes to the Viscount. Caught off guard by the mention, the Viscount straightened up, wiping away his tears.

Many complimented the Viscount on the wonderful decorations, from the mansion’s main gate to the banquet hall, with vibrant flowers, warm ornaments, a well-planned layout, and musicians playing beautiful melodies. Even without saying, it was clear that a lot of thought had gone into it.

Luna intended to express her gratitude to the Viscount first. While he had volunteered to decorate the venue out of pure love for Luna and a promise to his late wife, he had been genuinely anxious.

Worried about possibly ruining the engagement ceremony, he had lost sleep.

The Viscount finally relaxed with an awkward smile.

After thanking a few more guests, Luna turned her gaze to Antes, seeking confirmation if she could speak her mind. 

“Of course, do as you please, Luna.” 

At Antes’ whisper, indicating that he would support her every decision, Luna blinked rapidly. What a surprising emotional touch in such a setting. Anyway, he was always such a man. 

“Also, using this occasion, there’s something we’d like to share with everyone here. It’s a very important matter for both of us.” 

The atmosphere tensed as if a significant announcement was about to be made.

Some guests’ eyes wandered, possibly imagining some shocking news. The Viscount looked horrified, as did Emma, Laura, and Rosemary.

However, Luna noticed the joy in the eyes of the Marquis and Marchioness, it seemed like everyone was imagining something completely different from what she wanted to do, so she quickly added:

“We’ve decided on a last name to replace ‘Rodrian’. Let’s discuss it together.” 

“Oh, was that it?” 

Callion’s voice echoed, suggesting he hadn’t expected that. Everyone seemed puzzled, wondering what they had imagined, when Callion added:

“From the way it seemed, I thought you were going to say not two, but three of you would be together.” 

“…What?!”

On such a beautiful day, what on earth are you talking about? Luna, who had been speaking seriously, couldn’t hide her surprise at the unexpected comment.

However, it wasn’t just Callion who felt this way; the Viscount hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead.

‘Who in their right mind would make such a sudden announcement at an engagement ceremony? That they’re having a child!’

Luna was taken aback, but she didn’t know that among the nobles who married for love, it wasn’t such a rare occurrence.

In any case, she couldn’t mention that she believed in chastity before marriage, so Luna struggled to maintain her composure and continued.

“We combined our two family names. It’s called ‘Palt.'”

Luna had been concerned about losing her original surname upon marriage, so she cautiously made a suggestion.

She didn’t want to be a stranger to the father who loved and cared for her.

Of course, she made the suggestion very carefully, thinking that Antes might not want to leave a trace of the Vincent family in his name. But Antes readily agreed.

Even if Luna said she wanted to see him wallow in mud, he would have been willing. If she suggested something, he was more than happy to accept.

Hence, the new surname of the couple became ‘Palt’, as Luna suggested. It didn’t have a special meaning, but Antes was eager to proceed with it as soon as the engagement ceremony ended.

‘I should express myself more in the future.’

Though her intentions weren’t pure, everything from their dating to the proposal had been driven by him.

She had come a long way from her former self, but compared to Antes, she still fell short in expressing affection.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Luna finished the significant announcement, took her bows, received applause, and sat down.

At the same time, dishes meticulously prepared by Emma began to be served, the halted music resumed, and guests approached the couple to offer their personal greetings.

The quickest among them were the young ones. They eagerly chattered, saying they had missed seeing Luna because she had been so busy.

“Congratulations. It feels like just yesterday when you introduced him as your boyfriend, and now you’re engaged! Will you move to the territory after your marriage?”

“That’s the plan. I don’t know much about the Rodrian territory. It wouldn’t sit right with my conscience to just collect taxes without understanding anything.”

“Can we visit sometimes?”

“Of course, please do.”

“Me too! I’ll visit.”

“Why not hold the next gathering in the Rodrian territory?”

“That’s a great idea. Let’s do that.”

Laughter erupted at Luna’s agreement. There were responses expressing utmost happiness, even making plans on such a joyous day.

“Is there another couple in the world that matches so well?”

“Ah! Maybe another one will come up soon? I saw a pair earlier that seemed very meaningful.”

The conversation suddenly became a guessing game. By this point, even Luna couldn’t help but notice.

She had been finding it a bit strange.

Had they sat separately, it might have been different, but as far as she remembered, the two who sat side by side weren’t particularly close before.

And given that this was an official occasion similar to a formal dinner, it was odd for them to be together unless they were in a relationship or something similar.

“…You’re not talking about Lady Rosemary and the Crown Prince, are you?”

“Why not!”

When she cautiously asked, a matter-of-fact answer returned. It was an unexpected pairing, so another young lady excitedly opened her mouth.

“Oh my, haven’t the two of them been together the whole time?!”

“My older brother who works at the palace told me that Lady Rosemary has been visiting the palace frequently!”

So that’s why the information traveled so fast. Luna had often found it strange when Rosemary seemed to know about reports that Luna had only shared with the imperial family. Now it all made sense.

While they were discussing this, Rosemary, who looked serious and was blushing, hurriedly approached and interrupted their conversation.

“You all have it wrong! There’s… there’s a reason for this…!”