All of Delfinia's nobles are thrown into a tizzy by the king's new concubine, Viscountess Endover. What's particularly shocking is that Woll has never shown any special romantic interest in a woman (or man, for that matter) before, and everyone's wondering if she's going to be the de facto queen. Woll wants to let her move into the castle, but his advisors believe that to be a bad idea at such an early date, particularly since he's not married yet. They all turn to Lee to talk him out of it, but she doesn't understand the problem.Lee explains the situation to Even, the one person who knows Woll's history with Lady Endover. Even is furious at his friend, berating Woll for being so lenient with a woman who dumped him for another man. He swears she's only using Woll. Lee visits the woman and likes her, wondering why she seems so much nicer than Even portrays her. She doesn't act as if she's using Woll--she doesn't even appear to enjoy being the king's concubine (in name only).
The other assassin, Vantser, confronts Shera to kill him. It comes out that Vantser is also a survivor of a destroyed village. Though he knew he should kill himself, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He shatters Shera's illusion that all dead people become powerful ghosts, throwing the boy into confusion. All Shera can think is that he wants to live, no matter what, and he manages to defend himself until Lee arrives and Vantser retreats.
Woll is faced with a bigger problem than Lady Endover. Tanga's king wants Lee's hand in marriage for his heir Najeck. Knowing he can't agree to such an offer, Woll is stuck with figuring out a valid reason for refusing such a good match or else it could result in war. The only plausible grounds for turning down such a generous offer is to say that she has a prior engagement to someone more prominent. The only eligible candidate for that position is Woll himself.
Lee balks at the idea of marrying a man, even if only for show. Woll's friends are surprised that he'd consider marrying someone who's not human. The palace staff are concerned about their country's queen not having royal blood, and being barren besides. Many of the nobles believe that it is a scheme to gain an official queen so that Lady Endover can move into the castle with no fuss.
Lee has a talk with Lady Endover and hears that the woman had loved Woll, but she had attempted to test whether he loved her by trying to have an affair with his best friend, Even. She didn't feel that he was passionate about her, merely nice to her, so she broke off their engagement. Lee discovers that the lady's husband is still alive and being used by Pallast to force her to get close to Woll. Lee frees Viscount Endover, releasing the woman from her undesired status as the king's concubine, though the man dies shortly afterward from a fever.
Lee finally accepts Woll's proposal...on the condition that they have separate bedrooms. <Proposal> The night before the wedding, however, she and Woll are attacked by soldiers who believe a monster has seduced their king and it's their duty to kill her to protect Delfinia. Left weaponless during the fight, she is forced to defeat her opponents by ripping out their throats with her teeth. When it's over, she assures Woll that she doesn't ever kill humans for fun or for food, but he's still shaken. She says she'll understand if he wants to fake her death after the ceremony so that he won't be stuck married to a monster.
The next day during the ceremony, Lee is about to say "I do" when she is interrupted by a messenger bearing news that Tanga has attacked. The fort on the border is resisting, but they won't last long. Woll and Lee race to the fort, still in their wedding finery. Lee faces the leader of the enemy, her would-be suitor Najeck, and defeats him with ease. With their prince held hostage, the Tanga forces have no choice but to fall back.
Woll and Lee complete their wedding ceremony in their own fashion, swearing on their swords to fight at each other's sides as long as they live. To prove that he hasn't given in to fear of her, Woll seals the pact with a kiss. Lee is moved almost to tears that at last she has a friend who accepts her without calling her a monster.