The atmosphere in the main hall of the patrol station remained unusually calm as Luke, Agnes, and Eric continued their discussion behind the closed door.
Time passed.
Too long, in Noah’s opinion.
The silence had become so unbearable that he finally broke it.
"Do you think they’ve started killing each other already?" he asked casually. "Eric’s probably inside cleaning up the blood as we speak."
Rafe clicked his tongue and slowly turned to look at the knight, giving him a long, disapproving stare.
"What?" Noah raised both hands innocently. "It’s been too quiet. I’m just trying to make the waiting less boring."
Kyren merely cast him a glance before looking away again, saying nothing.
The senior guard finally raised his arm, beckoning one of his subordinates. The waiting patrol guard promptly stepped forward and lowered his head.
"Go and call them," the senior guard instructed. "They’ve been in there long enough. We don’t have all day."
"Yes, Sir."
Just as the patrol guard was about to turn, the door to the adjacent room creaked open.
Eric stepped out first, while Luke and Agnes followed close behind.
Every eye in the patrol station instinctively turned towards them.
As the second-in-command knight stepped aside, an unexpected sight greeted everyone.
Luke and Agnes were walking side by side... holding hands like a genuine married couple.
Noah nearly choked on his own saliva.
He leaned sideways toward Rafe and whispered, "Is that really necessary?"
Rafe lowered his head and cleared his throat, covering his mouth to hide the twitch at the corner of his lips.
"Knowing Eric..." he murmured, "I’d say this has his wild imagination written all over it."
Noah’s grin widened.
"Of course," he murmured. "Let’s see how far this act goes."
Meanwhile, Luke and Agnes stepped forward before coming to a halt in front of the senior guard.
The knight tightened his hold on the court lady’s hand before speaking.
"Sir," he began respectfully. "My wife and I have discussed the matter. We allowed our emotions to get the better of us, but we’ve now reconciled. I have no intention of pursuing this incident any further."
Agnes lowered her head slightly, though the stiffness in her expression remained.
"...I feel the same," she said quietly.
His eyes narrowed.
"Is that truly the case, or are you inventing this to save yourselves? Earlier, she claimed she didn’t even know you. Now you are admitting to being a real couple."
Luke nodded.
"She did."
The answer only deepened the senior guard’s suspicion.
Luke let out a quiet sigh before continuing.
"We argued last night."
He glanced briefly at Agnes before looking back at the senior guard.
"It was a terrible argument. My wife demanded a divorce before storming out. Before leaving, she told me..."
Luke hesitated, almost embarrassed to repeat it.
"...that from that moment on, we were strangers. She said we were to pretend we’d never met."
Silence filled the room.
Agnes’s head still lowered, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
Eric folded his arms as he watched the couple.
"That’s exactly what happened," he confirmed. "They argued throughout the night. By dawn, Lady Briar had already left."
Luke then continued.
"I followed her because I wanted to reconcile. She thought I was refusing to let her leave."
He looked toward Agnes.
"She was so mad, she refused to talk then. But we’ve got over it now."
Kyren rested his chin on one hand, listening quietly.
He knew the story was one of Eric’s improvisations. It explained their behaviour, but only on the surface. An experienced officer would never be satisfied with such a simple account.
The Grand Duke shifted his gaze to the senior guard. As expected, the man showed no sign of accepting it so easily.
He neither spoke nor moved, his fingers tapping lightly on the wooden table as his eyes travelled from Luke to Agnes, then back to the young knight.
After what felt like forever, he finally leaned back in his chair.
"It’s a believable explanation," the senior guard admitted. "Mr Parker, you’ve answered every question truthfully since you arrived here. Lady Briar, on the other hand, lied about her identity. That gives greater credibility to your words."
Luke felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
Beside him, Agnes quietly bit her lower lip. The remark stung her deeply, but now was neither the time nor the place to argue.
No matter how much she wanted to refute those words, she forced herself to swallow her frustration. If she lost her temper now, everything they had agreed upon would fall apart.
"However..."
That single word caused both Luke and Agnes to tense once again.
The senior guard crossed his arms over his chest.
"There are still a few things that don’t add up."
His gaze shifted towards Rafe.
"Earlier, when Lady Briar was identified as Her Highness Princess Callis’s court lady, your companion appeared genuinely surprised."
He paused before looking back at Luke.
"Likewise, she seemed unfamiliar with him."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"If the two of you are truly husband and wife... how do you explain? That your companion don;t even know you spouse?"
Luke’s heart skipped a beat. The question had never been part of Eric’s brief rehearsal.
Beside him, he felt Agnes’s hand tremble within his grasp. He turned towards her, her eyes betraying the same uncertainty he felt.
Without a word, Luke gently tightened his hold on her hand, silently reassuring her to stay calm. Before he could gather his thoughts, the second-in-command knight spoke up with his usual composure.
"Because Joseph never attended their wedding and they didnt know each other."
The patrol guards exchanged glances. Even Noah raised an eyebrow at the unexpected explanation.
The second-in-command knight continued without the slightest hesitation.
"Luke and Lady Briar were only married a few days ago in a small private ceremony," Eric explained. "Only a handful of us attended. Joseph reunited with us this morning after spending the night treating villagers outside the port. By that time, Lady Briar had already left after their quarrel."
As he finished, Eric subtly glanced towards Rafe.
The healer immediately understood.
"That’s true," he acknowledged with a nod. "I only returned this morning."
The senior guard gave a faint nod.
"I’ve heard about you," the senior guard remarked. "Quite many folks spoke highly of the young healer who refused payment and treated everyone who came to him."
Rafe offered an awkward smile while Noah let out a quiet chuckle from the healer’s side. It seemed even Rafe had been unknowingly dragged into Eric’s elaborate tale.
The senior guard then shifted his attention back to Luke and Agnes. His expression remained unreadable.
Neither accepting nor dismissing the explanation, he quietly considered every word before continuing.
"If that’s the case..."
A brief pause followed.
"There shouldn’t be any difficulty proving that the two of you are husband and wife."
Luke’s breathing halted while Agnes felt her heart sink. The hardest part had come, as expected.
Eric’s smile remained unchanged, though inwardly, he had already guessed what question would come next.
The senior guard looked directly at Luke.
"May I see your marriage certificate?"
The knight shook his head, a weary look crossing his face.
"She tore it into pieces and threw it into the canal," he replied. "I couldn’t stop her in time. It’s difficult to reason with my wife when she’s angry."
Agnes tightened her grip on Luke’s hand.
Not out of fear, but pure irritation.
She shot him a sharp sidelong glare, resisting every urge to stomp on his foot for dragging her deeper into the lie and putting all the blame on her.
Luke, however, kept his eyes fixed ahead, his expression unchanged, as though nothing had happened.
The senior guard gave a slow nod.
"...Yes. That would make sense."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"Just last night, a wife threw her marriage certificate into a Lantern Festival fire before the husband could save it. I’m hardly surprised anymore."
"Did she stab her husband too?" Noah suddenly asked.
The senior guard turned towards the knight, giving him a deadpanned look.
"No," he replied flatly. "She only punched him several times in the face. By the time we arrived, the poor man was already bleeding... and far more afraid of his wife than of us."
He paused for a moment.
"Even so, the two reconciled within the hour."
The senior guard then called up one of his subordinates.
"Bring me the report ledger and my writing tools."
"Right away, Sir."
Moments later, the patrol guard returned and placed the ledger, ink, and quill before him.
The man dipped the quill into the ink before speaking.
"I’ll file this under a domestic dispute."
He began writing.
"To be honest, I had already begun to suspect as much."
He glanced at Luke.
"The way you threw yourself in front of your wife when my men were about to escort her away... that wasn’t the reaction of a stranger."
His eyes shifted towards Agnes.
"The two of you should’ve done this from the beginning."
He shook his head before his expression eased slightly.
"That said... I can understand why you didn’t."
His quill continued moving across the page.
"Pride often speaks louder than reason during a quarrel. I’ve seen too many couples insist they never want to see each other again... only to get back together soon enough. I’m glad the two of you managed to come to your senses."
The senior guard finished writing the final line before blowing gently across the fresh ink.
After reviewing the report one last time, he lifted his head and looked up at Luke and Agnes.
"The report is recorded now. No further action will be taken."
A collective sigh of relief escaped the room.
Luke finally loosened his shoulders. Beside him, Agnes quietly exhaled, feeling the enormous weight on her chest slowly lift away.
It was over. Almost instinctively, she began pulling her hand away from his grasp.
"Just one more thing."
The senior guard’s voice stopped everyone in their tracks. He calmly folded his hands before the ledger.
"I’ll need your marriage certificate registration number."
Luke and Agnes exchanged a glance again, both searching for an answer that didn’t exist.
Unlike the rest of their story, an official registration number could not be fabricated. One wrong digit would be enough to expose the deception.
Even Eric was caught off guard. Kyren merely shook his head. A simple made-up story had become more complex, and the more convincing it became, the harder it would be to untangle later.
Nevertheless, the second-in-command knight quickly recovered.
"We’ll take them to the Registry Office later and apply for a replacement," he replied smoothly. "It should be ready in a few days. Once it’s issued, we’ll come back and provide the certificate number."
The senior guard shook his head.
"I’m afraid that won’t do. This report cannot be submitted without the marriage certificate number. It’s part of the official record."
Eric maintained his smile.
"It would be impossible to get it immediately," he replied. "It takes a few days for the Registry Office to process a new certificate. With the Lantern Festival still underway, many officers are on leave. I don’t believe we can have it issued immediately," he said.
The second-in-command knight had done his survey upon their landing on the island. Based on his observation, there was little chance the said Registry Office could process a replacement anytime soon.
Simultaneously, his mind was already calculating. By the time the office reopened, they would already have been on Semeta as planned. Eventually, this matter would be left behind.
However...
"Fortunately, we can settle this now," said the senior guard, now smiling.
Everyone looked at him, eyes wide.
"The patrol station is authorised to issue replacement marriage certificates in urgent cases. There is no need to wait for the Registry Office."
The words struck the room like a bolt from the blue.
Luke could only stare.
Beside him, Agnes felt the colour drain from her face. Even Eric’s composed expression faltered.
"...You can?" he asked.
The senior guard nodded.
"Yes."
He closed the report and reached for another stack of forms.
"It isn’t complicated."
His gaze swept across the room.
"We only require the husband and wife..."
He looked towards Kyren and the others.
"...a few witnesses..."
Then his gaze returned to Luke and Agnes.
"...and an officiator to certify the reaffirmation and ensure its legality. It is merely a formal reaffirmation required for the reissuance of a destroyed marriage record."
"B-But..." Luke stammered, his eyes shifting between the senior guard and Eric before giving an excuse. "The registrar... the registrar stood in as her guardian during the ceremony! So, this... this can’t happen now! "
Agnes nodded fervently. The senior guard frowned as his gaze shifted to the knight.
Luke’s throat tightened. He wanted to say something more, but no words came.
Then, the senior guard slowly looked around the room, his expression turning solemn.
"You’re not lying to me about your marriage... are you?"
He asked upon looking at Eric.
"You told me the ceremony had already taken place and that your companions witnessed it."
His eyes swept across the rest again.
"I expect every one of you to stand by that statement. Because if this is nothing more than a deception, the charges will be reinstated, and your entire company will be expelled from Sabel immediately."
"It’s not a lie!" Kyren immediately spoke up as he rose from his seat.
Everyone turned to him. The firm look on his face was enough for Eric and the others to realise that the grand duke had decided to take over the situation.
"As the Captain of the Blue Mantle Company, I can attest that the marriage ceremony did take place," Kyren declared calmly. "I was the officiator who conducted it. Since Mr Parker serves under my command, I presided over the ceremony on behalf of the company."
The knights were stunned.
That declaration had never been part of Eric’s plan. Yet none questioned it. They understood exactly why their captain had stepped in.
The senior guard gave a satisfied nod.
"That settles it then."
He closed the report before pulling another document from the stack.
"You may officiate the ceremony once more."
His gaze shifted to Agnes.
"As for the bride’s guardian, I shall assume that role. It falls within my authority as an appointed officer of His Majesty."
Kyren stepped forward and stopped before the couple. Their faces had lost all colour.
"It has come to this, Luke," he said calmly. "Every action has its consequences. You should have known that before choosing to pursue her."
Luke lowered his gaze. He knew there was no escape to this anymore.
"...Yes, Captain."
Beside him, Agnes’s vision blurred.
A lie born out of desperation had brought her to this inescapable situation. In a matter of moments, she would become the wife of a man she barely knew.
"Lady Briar."
Agnes slowly lifted her head upon her name being called by the towering captain.
"Whatever you have between you two can be settled later. For now, our priority remains unchanged. Do not allow your emotions to jeopardise what we’ve come to accomplish."
Silence followed.
Eric quietly exhaled through his nose.
Even he had not imagined his improvised solution would end with a real marriage. It was no longer a lie they could simply walk away from.
Noah scratched the back of his head, looking from Luke to Agnes before letting out a helpless sigh.
"This is one story nobody’s going to believe."
Beside him, Rafe looked at the pair with mixed emotions, speechless.
The senior guard placed the marriage document before the couple, who were still dumbfounded.
"Let’s begin."