These Side Characters Have More Important Things To Do

The world faded as Ren Xiyang focused on Rian approaching him.

White petals started gently falling around them. Distant music from an unknown source played, soft and romantic.

“Marquis Rosewood,” Rian said, looking deep into Ren Xiyang’s eyes. “I couldn’t imagine living without you. With your presence, you make every day a pleasure. I love you.” He knelt down on one knee and presented an open ring box in his hand. He looked up at Ren Xiyang, full of earnest. “I want us to be together for eternity. Will you marry me? Will you become my beloved consort?”

There was the sound of cutlery and glasses being dropped.

Ren Xiyang nodded. He offered his hand. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Rian stood up and gently slid the new, very expensive ring onto Ren Xiyang’s ring finger. Then, he took out a second ring box, and had Ren Xiyang put the matching ring on his finger.

Then, he pulled Ren Xiyang closer and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

“Gasp!”

The gasps around the hall were quickly muffled, leading to silence (aside from the romantic music).

Florence’s clapping seemed very sudden. Hespera, Pollux, Hadrian, and other people who knew started clapping as well.

When Queen Mira started to clap, the guests in the hall started clapping automatically. However, their feelings were still in turmoil.

—What just happened? Who am I? Where am I? Why am I clapping?

Rian beckoned to some of his Royal Guards. These guards went onto the stage with blank faces. One held a huge bouquet of roses, and the other a large golden gardening fork.

“Marquis Rosewood, these gifts are for you,” Rian said.

Ren Xiyang’s lips twitched as he accepted the roses and the gardening fork. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Rian smiled brilliantly. He placed a hand on Ren Xiyang’s waist and turned to the hall. “I appreciate all your support. You will receive your engagement banquet invitations shortly. Now, please enjoy the rest of your dinner and tonight’s dancing.”

Dancing? What most people wanted to do was to find a private room, gather some good friends, and gossip!!!

Pollux felt butterflies in his stomach. Ayden and Rian were standing on that stage, confident, calm, and self-assured. They had revealed their relationship, and they had done it on their own terms. He admired them. He wanted that too.

Hadrian couldn’t help but replay the proposal in his mind. Would Prince Pollux propose to him in the future? Or should he prepare a proposal? He glanced at Prince Pollux, who in turn was still looking towards the front. Hadrian’s chest tightened. Perhaps he could ask Ayden to teach him how to conjure petals…

Cassiopeia was in a daze. Prince Rian was gay? He and Ayden were boyfriends? Prince Rian wasn’t gay in the original novel!

A few thoughts later, Cassiopeia made a wry expression. Right, it wasn’t explicitly mentioned that he was straight, and it was possible that Prince Rian was bisexual. Seeing how Prince Rian held Ayden’s hand in a possessive way, suddenly many things made sense, i.e., how Prince Rian always seemed to glare at her after she met with Ayden. Prince Rian must have viewed her as a romantic competitor.

Cassiopeia mentally sweated, feeling like she had escaped a terrible fate. Thank goodness she wasn’t romantically attracted to Ayden!

‘Suddenly, many things made sense’ was a common refrain in the minds of the guests. Prince Rian stuck with Marquis Rosewood whenever he could: they met every day, they exercised together, they duelled together, they worked together, they even shared accommodation together…!!!

This wasn’t the pure shining example of male-male friendship that they had thought it was!!!! It wasn’t pure at all, it was the opposite!

Duke Schauss, and all the other nobles who had tried to get Marquis Rosewood to marry their daughters, had complex feelings. This explained why Marquis Rosewood hadn’t even looked at them. This explained why Prince Rian seemed inexplicably suspicious of them. They couldn’t understand why Marquis Rosewood liked another man, but they had to admit that if Marquis Rosewood had to choose a man, then Prince Rian was the best. In the future, Marquis Rosewood would be only one step down from the king. This was even worse than their fears that Marquis Rosewood would become a duke!

Had Marquis Rosewood seduced Prince Rian?

A look at Marquis Rosewood’s indifferent expression made that impossible to imagine. It was more likely that Prince Rian seduced Marquis Rosewood, and that was also impossible!

While some guests were still befuddled and other guests were questioning great historical male-male friendships and the meaning of life, Rian led Ren Xiyang to the prepared ball room.

(The Royal Guards held the roses and golden gardening fork for Ren Xiyang.)

For tonight’s opening dance, he could finally dance with the person in his heart, Yangyang. He had wanted this for years.

He and Ren Xiyang assumed position, while King Edric and Queen Mira, Alexius and his partner, and a few other couples also got into position.

Ren Xiyang’s hand was in Rian’s hand. Rian’s other hand rested on Ren Xiyang’s waist. The very expensive and rare magical gems on their matching rings glinted attractively in the light.

The musicians started playing and the couples swept gently across the dance floor.

As Rian moved, he left a trail of fading sparkles in his wake. His every action with Ren Xiyang spoke of intimacy, connection, romance. His princely demeanour made some hearts yearn.

Rian could feel numerous gazes upon him, polite or otherwise. He basked in their attention, while pretending to not notice. His entire body emitted satisfaction—finally, he could show off his love and dissuade Yangyang’s love interests!

Ren Xiyang was focused on dancing correctly, but he had enough brain space for faint amusement at Rian’s behaviour.

It looks like you really enjoyed proposing to me in public, he commented.

Rian leaned in, eyes lowered, lips curling up. I want everyone to be jealous of me.

I assume that some are jealous of me, Ren Xiyang returned.

As they also should be. Rian’s thoughts were full of arrogance.

Unfortunately for Rian, the dance had to end. Since Ren Xiyang only learnt one dance (specifically for this event), the two walked out of the inner dance area, giving way to other dancers. Their friends and acquaintances swarmed them, with hundreds of questions on their minds.

“How long have you been courting?!”

“Engagement party???”

“When is the marriage?”

“Can we see the rings?”

Rian held Ren Xiyang’s hand, kissing it in front of everyone, before smiling at the questioners. “We have been courting for an unspecified amount of time. Yes, there will be an engagement party, and then a wedding. As for these rings, the gems on them are the extremely rare—”

King Edric and Queen Mira also stepped out of the dance area. Typically, they only participated in the first dance. The rest of the night, they would converse with various nobles.

As usual, many nobles came over to speak to them.

Others gave way for Duke Blewitt to accost King Edric first.

“Your Majesty,” Duke Karl Blewitt greeted in that reluctantly polite tone of his, with an edge of annoyance.

“Karl,” King Edric nodded in return.

“You’re accepting this matter?” Duke Blewitt said, frowning. “For all of Marquis Rosewood’s achievements, there is one matter he can’t achieve—producing a child!”

“Prince Rian has grown more stubborn of late,” King Edric said mildly. “If he doesn’t want to have a child, then so be it.”

“Then, will Prince Alexius be made Crown Prince?”

“Rian has naked ambitions to become king in the future. He intends to pass the crown to Alexius and Alexius’s children once he, in turn, abdicates,” King Edric.

Duke Blewitt’s face grew red with indignation. “That’s—” he spluttered. “Unorthodox!”

King Edric felt a surge of joy at Duke Blewitt’s anger and suffering. Was this how Queen Mira felt when he had first found out about his son’s relationship? At least Mira liked him. He didn’t like Duke Blewitt very much.

King Edric pretended to sigh. “How can I control Rian? At least Marquis Rosewood has a good work ethic.” He looked towards where Rian and Ayden were standing, surrounded by young people.

Duke Blewitt also looked over. His expression became worse when Rian lifted Ayden’s hand and kissed it! In public!

Normally, King Edric would have frowned at such behaviour. But seeing how Duke Blewitt’s expression was changing between bad and worse and overall looking like he was choking on air, he suddenly felt completely fine. Now, others had to suffer in the face of Rian’s effusive affections towards Ayden!

“Karl, are you quite alright? Perhaps you should see a healer,” King Edric said.

Duke Blewitt couldn’t bear it. “We will talk about this further, later,” he said meaningfully through gritted teeth. He glanced at Rian and Ayden again, only to see Rian tilting his head and leaning against Ayden. With a face of disgust, he left.

King Edric spoke with the other nobles with a calm state of mind. For once, he felt completely above everything. It was a great feeling to know the big secret ahead of time.

 

---

 

The explosive news spread quickly. Before the night was over, the news had reached Angio.

Lady Iris reported it herself to Queen Aurelia.

“I see.” Aurelia sipped the drink Lady Iris has prepared for her, gaze lowered. She had no idea that Marquis Rosewood and Prince Rian could have such feelings for each other. Did that mean, in the future, she would be facing a King Rian and Consort Ayden?

And, equally important, just who was her little brother courting, if not Ayden?

Was she really so bad at seeing others’ romantic inclinations?

Iris sipped from her own cup, while carefully watching Aurelia’s reaction. A heavy weight was lifted when she noticed that Aurelia didn’t seem disgusted or angry, only mildly surprised and mostly contemplative.

Iris didn’t like everything that Prince Rian did and felt that his behaviour was fickle and not as mature and stable as Queen Aurelia. However, she had to admit that Prince Rian had the strength to follow his convictions, brazenly proposing to Marquis Rosewood in front of so many people. She could now use Prince Rian as an example to slowly leverage certain actions.

“In addition to proposing to Marquis Rosewood, I understand that Prince Rian was also clear about his future plans for an engagement party, and later, a wedding,” Iris said slowly.

Aurelia inclined her head. “We may be invited. There must be Angio representation.”

“Yes.” Iris made a wry expression. “I believe they would accept gold as a wedding gift.”

The corner of Aurelia’s lips curled up. “Indeed.”

“Perhaps we should also modify our marriage laws,” Iris said. “If we wish for Prince Rian or Marquis Rosewood to visit Angio again in the future.”

Aurelia’s expression became contemplative once more, as she had a sudden thought. If Pollux was courting seriously, then he too should be married. It was best if he was married in Angio, even if it was to a Sedaverian. “Yes, put that on the agenda.”

“Consider it done,” Iris said.

“You’re always efficient. Have you thought of a reward for yourself?”

“I have thought of one,” Iris said.

Aurelia’s eyes brightened. “Oh?”

Iris smiled wistfully. “I enjoy our quiet evenings together. I hope we can have more of them in the future.”

“Of course,” Aurelia said, a bit puzzled. “However, that’s not a proper request.”

Iris shrugged helplessly. “Then I’ll have to think harder, don’t I? Why don’t you promote me to Marchioness, like Marquis Rosewood?”

“We will need to see if there any nobles whose lands should be confiscated,” Aurelia said.

“I was joking,” Iris said.

“I was serious.”

The two stared at each other.

Aurelia blinked. “You, Lady Iris Helios, the feared, harsh yet fair Chief Executive of the Queen’s board, joking?”

“There is much about me that you don’t know, Your Majesty,” Iris said.

“Then, I would like to know,” Aurelia said, full of seriousness.

Iris felt a pang in her heart. If only Aurelia realised just how devastatingly handsome she was when she said such lines with such gravity.

“What is one thing I don’t know?” Aurelia asked.

Iris’s heart jolted. A part of her wanted to express her affections, but now was not the time.

“You don’t know that I’ve been thinking that we should take a private, secret trip around the nation and surprise a few nobles,” Iris said.

Aurelia raised her eyebrows. “Surprise?”

“A surprise inspection,” Iris said with a small smirk. “I’d like to see if those noblemen have been farming properly, or whether they have made the servants do the work while they claimed the result.”

Aurelia nodded. “Very well.”

Iris smiled.

Yes, and on this trip, they could deepen their relationship by bonding over the suffering of those annoying gentlemen nobles…

 

---

 

The next day, the news started to spread in the Rosewood fief, as Rian had asked Ren Xiyang to make the Rosewood Group heralds announce the marriage proposal.

“His Highness Crown Prince Rian has proposed marriage to our lord Marquis Rosewood! Marquis Rosewood is now engaged to His Highness Crown Prince Rian!”

The Rosewood residents, who were expecting some everyday news about a new Rosewood Group team or product were stunned.

“Can you repeat that?”

The heralds repeated the news.

Reality sunk in.

Across the fief, there were people rejoicing that they had made the correct guess, and there were people moping that they had been wrong.

“Hahaha, I was right! Marquis Rosewood spends most of his time with His Highness! He certainly had no time for any noblewoman!”

“I was so sure that our lord liked Lady Florence Sage…”

“I thought Marquis Rosewood and Crown Prince Rian were good friends. How did that turn into a marriage proposal??? This isn’t one of your erotic stories, is it?”

“Wait, when is the wedding?”

The heralds, who had been thoroughly briefed beforehand by Prince Rian’s people, said, “His Highness Crown Prince Rian plans to hold an engagement party this coming winter. His Highness Crown Prince Rian would like to assure everyone that he would provide ample time between the wedding announcement and the wedding itself.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Alexius: If you’re courting, don’t you need a chaperone?

Rian: I dare you to say that again.

Alexius: Oh, are you guilty? Heheh

Rian: ALEXIUS!

Ren Xiyang: -_- Just the two brothers squabbling again…

 

 

 

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Now, for the amazing works 😍😍😍😍😍😍

 

Eignsweign drew one of Rian’s favourite past-times~

 

Murk drew the Sedaverian Royal Palace 😍

Murk also drew the Rosewood manor!!

 

Look at itsjidan’s art, Rian is thinking about Ren Xiyang~

 

AND dreaming made little Ren Xiyang and Rian!!!

 

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted something for the 2-year anniversary event, and thank you to everyone who made art or wrote fanfic prior to the event!

Winners’ announcement will be next chapter~

(And if I missed you (either on this chapter or earlier ones), please poke me again!)

 

 

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