If their feelings were accepted, the recipient would take both the letter and the flower inside.
If not, they would remain untouched at the door.
As for words like "wife" or "husband," elves would never say them outright.
At most, they would use affectionate nicknames.
That was why Illiya had been so shocked to hear a human openly and casually call someone "wife" just now.
Darius hadn't expected to be asked such a question.
He, too, was surprised by the young master of the Taeharin family's behavior.
Raised under the strict standards of a royal knight from a young age, he had naturally developed a reserved personality.
Later, when he became the crown prince's personal knight, his demeanor became even more refined to match the royal etiquette.
That was why he would never, in public, call his beloved (future or otherwise) "wife."
Nor had he ever seen nobles or wealthy commoners do such a thing either.
Not all humans are like Young Master Taeharin!
"Don't misunderstand! I believe that the vast majority of humans wouldn't do something like this! Not all of us are so… straightforward!" Darius had no choice but to seriously defend his own race.
He finally understood the elf's reaction earlier— for a race whose restraint and subtlety were ingrained in their very bones, such words were simply too bold (in a complimentary way).
Illiya listened to his explanation and responded perfunctorily, "Oh, so that's how it is."
Darius wasn't sure if the elf actually believed him.
He suddenly felt like he was back in his days as a royal knight— every time he had to explain something to the crown prince, the prince's reaction was exactly the same as the elf's now.
It was exhausting.
Illiya realized that his attempt to change the topic had been incredibly foolish— it was obvious he was trying to cover up his own reaction.
After dismissing the swordsman beside him with little effort, he forcibly redirected his attention back to the main event unfolding in front of them.
Of course, he refused to focus on Young Master Taeharin— thinking about him would only remind him of the uncharacteristically elvish thing he had just done.
"Don't slander me by saying I have a marriage contract with your young lady! I don't even know her! Over all these years, I can count the number of women I remember on one hand. Those women are either my elders, my peers, or my juniors— so which category does your young lady fall into?"
Young Master Taeharin's tone carried a trace of grievance, along with a hint of genuine confusion.
"Besides, I don't even know which family you belong to! How could I have a marriage contract with your house? And don't try to tell me that it was arranged by the elders— everyone in the city knows that my family's elders never interfere in the affairs of their juniors. Have you ever heard of my family arranging an engagement in the past few hundred years?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of laughter spread through the crowd.
Someone with a mischievous spirit shouted from the gathering, "Exactly! My ancestors have lived in Haneulseong City for generations, and I can testify that the Taeharin family has never arranged a single engagement. Who doesn't know the unspoken rule of Haneulseong City? Any engagement must be sworn before the God of Magic, followed by an elaborate ancestral ceremony. In the past twenty years, I haven't seen a single family hold such a ceremony!"
The leader of the group seeking to annul the supposed engagement looked visibly grim, his expression growing darker and more ominous.
This was something he had not accounted for.
However, his master had insisted that the engagement was with the Taeharin family of Haneulseong City… Could it be that the engagement was actually fake?
"Young Master Taeharin, stop trying to confuse the situation! My master said that the engagement is with your Taeharin family! Are you telling me there's another Taeharin family in Haneulseong City?"
Young Master Taeharin let out a disdainful laugh and gave the man an increasingly unfriendly look.
He was done arguing— there was no point.
This wasn't worth his time when he could be at home sleeping.
He raised his hand, palm facing up, and suddenly, a finely carved statue of the God of Magic appeared in his grasp.
The sinister-looking man's expression changed the moment he saw the statue.
A strong sense of foreboding swirled in his heart, and he unconsciously took a step back.
When he realized what he had done, his face darkened even further, turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
"I swear upon the God of Magic," Young Master Taeharin declared directly, offering a straightforward solution. "Just as the people of the city have said, engagements must be sworn before the God of Magic. I swear that I have never been engaged to your young lady. Do you dare swear that your young lady is engaged to me?"
"I don't want the Taeharin family to be mocked as dishonest, and I certainly don't want people throwing around baseless claims like 'I'm engaged to someone from the Taeharin family.' The Taeharin family is not to be taken lightly."
Without waiting for an answer, Young Master Taeharin brought the statue of the God of Magic closer and began chanting softly to himself.
[ On this day, in Haneulseong City, I, Eoryun Taeharin of the Taeharin family, swear before the God of Magic that I have never been engaged to anyone. If I am lying, I shall be forever unable to use magic and become a true cripple. ]
Illiya was startled upon hearing this oath— he had placed his entire future on the line.
No one would gamble everything on something uncertain.
This could only mean one thing— the so-called engagement was entirely fabricated from the start.
Following this line of reasoning, a ridiculous yet perfectly logical truth emerged.
That other family had wanted to establish ties with the Taeharin family, so they sought an engagement.