Chapter 7: The Verbal Engagement

The atmosphere was joyous for both hosts and guests, and even the young Lelouch in the nurse's arms was quite pleased. The belief energy he absorbed here was much purer and more intense than what he naturally absorbed elsewhere. This was because, whether intentionally or not, everyone present was filled with awe or affection toward him, which directly fed back into their brains, allowing the waves of consciousness they emitted to be absorbed by Lelouch, who was close by.

Gaia's curse seemed to be countered significantly at this moment, allowing Lelouch a rare sensation of relief.

Moreover, from the conversations of those around him, Lelouch sensed that the belief energy provided by the old man known as Ashford Duke was much purer and more substantial than that of others.

People in such high positions are crucial tools for rulers to control their subjects. Hence, as the King of Humanity, Lelouch subconsciously recognized that Ashford Duke would be a considerable asset.

With this in mind, allowing him a glimpse of royal majesty in exchange for his loyalty seemed fitting.

Thus, after Marianne and Lelouch accepted all the guests' congratulations, Ashford Duke approached alongside his eldest son and one-year-old granddaughter to pay their respects. Cradled in Cornelia's arms, Lelouch reached out his cute little hands towards Ashford Duke, his deep violet eyes exuding a strong psychic aura that enveloped the entire banquet.

Lelouch intended to use this opportunity to imprint his presence firmly in the souls of these influential guests. As long as they remained human, experiencing the majesty of the King of Humanity would instinctively instill reverence for Lelouch within them.

Just as an ordinary ant could never disobey the orders of its queen, this was an instinct engraved into their souls and bodies.

The lively atmosphere of the banquet suddenly paused; although guests continued to converse, their eyes were irresistibly drawn towards Lelouch in the center. There, the king's mark was emitting a powerful psychic field, awakening their inherent reverence for the king.

Simultaneously, in the World of C, the great consciousness fusion also seemed to sense something and began to tremble violently. A strange psychic ripple emanated from several already-discovered temple gates, radiating throughout the world, conveying the presence of the king to every human soul.

"King!"

"King!"

"King!"

The cries of defiance from the deceased humans at the end of the world finally found relief after feeling the soul imprints of the humans still present in this world.

They knew that the king had finally succeeded! He had arrived in the past, in the time when humanity was not yet extinct. History would henceforth follow a different trajectory from before.

The defiant roars gradually subsided, and new life rejoiced. From this moment on, the history of human destruction in the future was completely erased. Everything that occurred there, the lives lost, left no trace except the mark of the King of Humanity deep within Lelouch's soul.

Because the law of causality had been reversed at this moment. Since the cause had not yet occurred, how could there be the effect of human extinction!

Meanwhile, at the full moon banquet in the Imperial Grand Hotel, everyone, except Marianne and Cornelia, began to change their gaze towards Lelouch from initial respect for a prince or affection for a child to submission and reverence for the king, the ruler of humanity.

The time was still short, but as Lelouch grew and the king matured, these people would eventually become his followers, existing solely for the king's command, the king's desires, and the king's presence—his servants.

"It seems Lelouch also likes Ashford Duke!"

While Marianne was not influenced by Lelouch's kingly mark, she did sense the change in the atmosphere at the banquet. Noticing the unusual gaze everyone cast towards Lelouch, Marianne did not ascertain its true meaning, though she found it somewhat peculiar.

What's happening? The way these people are looking at Lelouch seems different.

It would be odd if just one or two people had changed, but with everyone, including Ashford Duke's family, sharing the same gaze towards Lelouch, that was truly unusual.

Due to the previous incident in the laboratory, Lelouch did not recognize Marianne as his mother. In his mind, he referred to her by name. Cornelia was too young to discern the strange gazes from all around or notice the deeper meaning behind them. However, Marianne was not so easily fooled.

Although Lelouch already possessed a consciousness beyond his age and quite a high intelligence, he was still newly born and unfamiliar with social intricacies and various schemes. But the guests were seasoned political veterans; while some might not match Marianne in intellect, they certainly held a variety of crafty techniques.

Sensing the king's urgency, a few not-so-genuine-looking nobles began whispering just loudly enough.

"Look, Ashford Duke and his son are bringing their one-year-old granddaughter over!"

"I heard her name is Milly!"

"Are they trying to set an engagement with His Highness Prince Lelouch?"

"It's not impossible; the Ashford family is no longer just a conglomerate!"

As the nobles' words spread, the other guests, despite not understanding why they felt more reverent and respectful looking at Lelouch, soon shifted their attention. They looked at the little girl Ashford was holding, speaking similar comments.

"She's a beauty in the making!"

"But is she worthy of His Highness Lelouch?"

"At most, just a concubine!"

"Yeah, I also think if an engagement were set, Milly could only become a concubine!"

So that's what it is!

Hearing the whispers around her, Marianne suddenly realized and looked at the little girl who had just learned to walk next to Ashford Duke. Is she called Milly? She indeed looks very cute!

"Marianne Imperial Consort Your Highness!"

Ashford Duke, accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law, greeted Marianne. It seemed that having their intentions laid bare by the whispers around made their expressions somewhat uneasy.

A prince's marriage requires the approval of His Majesty the Emperor before an engagement can be officially established. They might secure a verbal engagement between Milly and Lelouch with Marianne, but at most, she would only become a future consort, not officially recorded in the royal family's genealogy.

To put it more plainly, it would be akin to being a mistress!

Of course, given the Ashford family's status and the relationship with Marianne Imperial Consort, there's a considerable chance His Majesty would agree. So it's not surprising Ashford Duke had this idea.

Naturally, Marianne might not realize that Ashford Duke originally intended to simply introduce his granddaughter to Marianne Imperial Consort and Princess Cornelia.

"Milly Ashford, at your service, Marianne Imperial Consort Your Highness, Princess Cornelia Your Highness, Lelouch Your Highness!"

Young Milly, who had just learned to walk, lifted her pretty pleated skirt, bent one knee, and performed an adorably perfect etiquette.

"What a cute girl, so polite!"

Holding Lelouch, Cornelia brightened at Milly's action, gently crouching down and turning Lelouch's face towards Milly.

"Look, Lelouch, do you like this big sister, do you want her to be your bride?"

"Goo goo... bride! Goo goo goo... bride!"

"Seems like Lelouch likes her too!"

Originally meant as a joke, hearing Lelouch utter the word again stirred a bit of discomfort in Cornelia. She shot a jealous glance at cute Milly, further solidifying her own path.

To become as strong and outstanding as Lady Marianne, then become Lelouch's right-hand woman, helping him become the new Emperor, expand territories, just like the current relationship between Lady Marianne and the emperor.

Sensing a fleeting jealousy from Cornelia, Milly glanced at her warily. The minds of children are simple and can easily sense others' emotions. However, the feeling of fear vanished instantly when she looked at Lelouch.

Little Milly gazed into Lelouch's mysterious violet eyes, feeling as if her body and soul were about to be drawn in. Their gazes locked tightly together.

"Lelouch... Your Highness!"

"It seems these two little ones are quite fond of each other!" Marianne said happily, watching the two children seemingly exchanging sparks.

"Indeed, Marianne Imperial Consort Your Highness, might our little Milly have the honor of becoming His Highness Lelouch's betrothed Princess Consort?"

Seeing that Lelouch and his granddaughter seemed to have a good connection, and hearing no refusal in Marianne Imperial Consort's tone, Ashford Duke seized the opportunity to propose an engagement.

"Of course, the Ashford family has always been my strongest backing and an important pillar of the empire. I believe His Majesty will agree!" Marianne had anticipated Ashford's proposal and naturally agreed while smiling at Lelouch. Given Lelouch's unusual behavior since birth and his previous actions at the Aries Palace, Marianne believed that her son was now barely able to understand some of their conversations.

"Lelouch, did you hear that? From now on, Milly is your betrothed! Are you happy to have such a cute 'future' fiancée?"

"Goo goo goo..."

Lelouch responded to Marianne with laughter, but he turned his head towards his mother, leaving Milly, who wanted to maintain eye contact, slightly crestfallen. The feeling of their intertwined gazes earlier left Milly with a very unique sensation.

This sensation made her quite fascinated, despite her young age.

"Lelouch seems quite content as well!" Marianne, taking Lelouch from Cornelia's arms and turning him to face Ashford Duke, chuckled. Now that a verbal engagement had been set, albeit not officially, Ashford Duke could barely be considered half a guardian for Lelouch. Naturally, they needed to formally meet.

However, as she took Lelouch from Cornelia's embrace, Cornelia's expression mirrored that of Milly, as she too lowered her head in disappointment. Both Cornelia and Milly, feeling the same emotions, glanced at each other secretly.

Their eyes met inadvertently. It was at this moment that Cornelia and Milly noticed that both had light blue eyes. At that moment, there was a feeling of mutual understanding between the two girls of differing status and age.

Marianne, playfully interacting with Lelouch, noticed the odd reactions of the two girls and couldn't help but find it amusing.

These two remarkable girls, both showing such expressions over Lelouch, a baby only a month old, were indeed an intriguing sight! Unfortunately, whatever they did would be in vain.

The only one who could become Lelouch's wife would be my future daughter. They might be impressive, but they pale in comparison to Lelouch's potential. But rest assured, I will leave a sliver of hope for them.

After all, having more brides for Lelouch means producing more "vessels" that can serve as samples for my experiments and trials. This will provide more refined and rational data for the children of Lelouch and his sister, achieving the most perfect CODE adaptability in a vessel.