Visconti Duke stamped the final document he needed to handle today.

At another time, he might have enjoyed the thought of how to relax now that his work was done, perhaps with a pleasant sense of satisfaction. But not today.

Alfred sighed, his heart weighed down.

“When I married off my sons, I only felt the stress a week before the wedding, and even then, it wasn't this troubling. Now, with Erica about to leave, I don’t know why I feel so uneasy. It’s not even the real wedding yet—just the formalities for finalizing the marriage.”

In noble families, it’s …