Later that afternoon, when Ard, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin returned to the palace, the sharp "clang... clang" of practice weapons echoed through the air. They spotted Adeline in the side courtyard with Eva and the rest of the girls. Taking a detour to get a closer look, Ard saw Adeline sparring with Eva using wooden swords.

Eva effortlessly parried every swing and thrust without striking back once. She didn't look like she was looking down on her; on the contrary, she seemed to be mentoring her. Adeline looked like she was having the time of her life, grinning ear to ear as she pressed the attack.

"See? I told you it would be fine, bro," Geoffrey said.

"Relax. They wouldn't do anything crazy to their own sister-in-law... future sister-in-law, I mean," Ainsley added, pushing up his glasses.

"If I'd known that, we should have stayed at the tavern and kept relaxing. We didn't need to rush back," Irwin muttered.

"I couldn't help it. I couldn't just leave my sister and stay worried all day, could I?" Ard replied.

They kept watching. After Eva stepped back, Mirea took her turn. Along with swordplay, she taught Adeline some magic, and the girl nodded along enthusiastically, soaking up the lesson. Then, starting with Alicia and Milia, everyone pitched in. Beatrice and Rosalind shared knowledge about dragons, Pyria spoke about the Elven tribes, and Claudia explained Barbarian customs and laws. Eventually, they all sat in a tight circle in the garden, talking excitedly without a hint of conflict.

But then, Ard and the others noticed something.

"Bro, this... this isn't an entrance exam to join the pack, is it?" Geoffrey asked.

"Why does it look like... a selection process? It's weird," Ainsley added.

"What are you guys even talking about? Isn't it a good thing they're getting along?" Ard asked.

"Look closer, bro. They're all teaching your sister different things, right? Plus that duel and the magic demonstration... doesn't it feel exactly like the academy entrance exams?" Irwin pointed out.

Ard took another look at the circle. With Adeline and Eva right in the center, it really did look like some sort of initiation ceremony. Without another thought, Ard marched toward the group. His three friends were a second too late to stop him and ended up trailing behind.

"Hey," Ard said.

All the girls and Adeline turned to see Ard approaching. Adeline immediately stood up, broke from the circle, and threw her arms around him.

"Brother! Now I'm part of the group with Esmeralda, Alicia, and the others!" Adeline chirped happily.

Ard was stunned by the news from the girl in his arms. He looked at Eva, Alicia, Milia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Pyria, Mirea, and Claudia one by one. Every single one of them avoided eye contact, though none of them looked the least bit sorry.

"What... exactly did you teach Adeline?" Ard asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing much," Eva replied casually, looking off into the distance.

"We just explained the way things are. Don't worry your head about it, my Prince," Alicia added, also looking the other way.

"Don't worry, we didn't cross any lines," Mirea added, also averting her gaze.

"That's right. We just explained what needed to be explained... in great detail," Milia added.

"And we tested her abilities while we were at it," Beatrice added.

"Princess Beatrice is right, Ard. Bottom line: we guarantee Princess Adeline won't be spoiled like Princess Beatrice anymore," Rosalind said, giving a thumbs up.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I'm not spoiled!" Beatrice yelled, annoyed.

"Well... it is what it is. Don't overthink it, Princess," Rosalind said casually with a faint smile.

"Claudia and I just explained things about the Elves and the Barbarian tribes, right?" Pyria asked, glancing at Claudia.

"That's right. We were just telling her what the world is like outside the palace," Claudia confirmed.

"Hmm... is that so?" Ard asked.

"It's true, brother! As of now, I am officially your ninth fiancée," Adeline answered.

The entire area went dead silent in an instant. Ard gasped, his mouth hanging wide open, but not a single word could come out. He turned to look at the eight girls in front of him again, but they weren't just avoiding his gaze anymore—they had completely turned their backs on him. Then Ard looked over at Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin, who were all struggling to hold back their laughter. Their faces practically said "told you so—they recruited your sister."

Ard immediately grabbed his sister by the shoulders.

"Do you even understand what being 'engaged' means?" Ard asked.

"Of course I do, brother! It means we become husband and wife and live together, right?" Adeline replied.

"We're siblings, so we can't get married. You understand that, right?" Ard pressed.

"But they said that when you have your own palace one day, I can live there with you," Adeline answered.

"Your own palace?" Ard asked, confused.

"Since you're going to create your own kingdom and then rule over everything, I'm allowed to live with you as your ninth fiancée," Adeline stated.

"Hah," Ard let out, completely at a loss for words.

Ard stared at the girls who still had their backs to him. He let go of Adeline and walked toward Eva and Alicia, throwing an arm around both of them from behind.

"What exactly did you tell her?" Ard asked, his voice low and serious.

"Um... the truth?" Eva offered.

"We just invited her to be one of us, that's all," Alicia added.

"Alicia, you should know better. Adeline is my flesh and blood—same father, same mother. Why would you plant the idea of her being my fiancée? Dad already has someone picked out for her eventually," Ard muttered to Alicia.

"Hehe... I just figured she'd be better off staying with us," Alicia said.

"Please, don't make things any more complicated. You guys already talked to my dad while I was asleep, and I had to listen to him lecture me almost all night because of it," Ard replied.

"Alright, sorry. I'll go fix it," Eva said.

"Me too, I'm sorry," Alicia added.

"My bad, I just got a little too excited teaching her," Milia chimed in.

"Ugh... I actually wanted to take her back to my kingdom. I've always wanted a little sister," Beatrice grumbled.

"Princess, please be quiet for a second," Rosalind said, nudging Beatrice with her elbow.

"We were just trying to explain how serious we all are, and she wanted in, so... we went a little overboard," Mirea admitted.

"I just wanted to show her my village and Claudia's village... that was it," Pyria added.

"Yeah, we just enjoyed introducing ourselves. She's going to be a sister to all of us anyway," Claudia finished.

Ard looked at the eight of them as they crowded around him. They looked up with sparkling eyes, their faces clearly showing they wanted his approval.

"Fine, fine... she can come with us later. But please clear up the fiancée thing. I don't want her getting the wrong idea. Please," Ard said, raising his hands in surrender.

The faces of Eva, Alicia, Milia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Pyria, Mirea, and Claudia instantly lit up with wide smiles. They turned back to Adeline and whisked her away again to who-knows-where. Ard shook his head at the sight. His three male friends then walked up to him.

"I'll go keep an eye on them," Ainsley said, adjusting his glasses.

"Me too," Irwin added.

"Leave it to us, bro. We'll make sure they stay out of trouble," Geoffrey said, patting Ard on the shoulder.

"Alright... thanks," Ard said.

The three of them turned and jogged after the girls. Suddenly, "psiuuu"—a red flare shot up from the palace. Ard knew exactly what that meant; a red flare fired from the palace was a signal for the entire capital to see. He sprinted inside toward the King's study. "Blam!" He threw the door open to find Arthur standing by the window, staring out. Alexis and Abel were seated at the desk, turning to look at him as he entered and shut the door.

"What is it, Alexis? Abel? Dad?" Ard asked.

"We're going to help the Kingdom of Ateras attack the Orthus Empire," Alexis answered.

"The Orthus Empire is holding Prince Devon hostage and demanding Ateras surrender. The envoy from Ateras explained everything," Abel added.

"And one more thing," Alexis continued. "Emperor Ellard III died a week ago, but the palace kept it a total secret. According to Abel's spies, today is Edmund's coronation. He is officially the Emperor of Orthus."

"Is... is that for real?" Ard asked, shocked.

"It is. You need to tell Princess Eva about this. Then, I want you, your friends, and all your fiancées to leave the capital immediately—especially Eva. Somehow, Edmund knows she's here. You should head to the Rellios Kingdom or hide out in the Elven village for a while," Arthur said, still looking out the window.

"Hah... how is that possible? How did you find out, Dad?" Ard asked.

"From my spies. There is a possibility that there is a traitor among your friends. You have to be careful, Ard," Abel added.

"It's not that we don't trust them, but for the Empire to know Eva is here in just one day... it's suspicious," Alexis added.

"I understand," Ard replied.

His mind began to race. He walked to a nearby window that overlooked the side garden. He could see Adeline, Eva, and the other girls chatting happily, while his three male friends watched them from a distance.

"A traitor among them? But who?" Ard wondered to himself, watching them all closely from the window.

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