```
Over three months had passed.
Ivan had long since finished negotiating with the other families. The nobles did not ask for magic stones, and with the face of the Grand Duke at play, no one made outrageous demands, although there were some rather peculiar conditions.
For instance, the Giant Waves Marquis shamelessly stated he would let his granddaughter or daughter marry into the Cassia family, single or in numbers, as long as he could ensure at least one offspring would remain in the Cassia household.
Such a request was, of course, rejected by Ivan. He wasn't a seeding machine, and it was outrageous that the Giant Waves Marquis had the audacity to make such a proposition.
