Chapter 83

The sounds of an elegant wedding anthem echoed through the venue as numerous guests took their seats.

The Duke and Duchess’ wedding had finally begun.

Beneath the shimmering light of the chandeliers, the couple walked side-by-side along the red carpet.

“To think the Saintess came to bless the wedding in person.”

The guests’ eyes widened as they took in the sight of Rebecca standing at the officiant’s podium.

Rebecca faced the guests with a smooth smile, even though her stomach was churning on the inside.

‘How dare they try to turn us down when we offered to officiate?’

The High Temple had taken the initiative to offer an officiant for the Duchy’s wedding. In its own way, the Temple had swallowed its pride and extended a gesture of reconciliation.

However, the Valencia Duchy had not received the offer with much enthusiasm.

Only after several repeated proposals did an affirmative response finally return from the Duchy.

‘…Truly, so arrogant.’

Rebecca gritted her molars.

Yet, there was nothing she could do. The Valencia Duchy was the foremost representative of the nobility.

Maintaining an uncomfortable relationship with the Duchy would inevitably cause friction with the other nobles as well. Thus, she had intended to use this opportunity to somehow shift the atmosphere.

‘What on earth… is that?’

Rebecca bit down on her lower lip as she looked toward the guest seating.

The sight of Sabina and Adrian sitting side-by-side made her stomach turn on its own. That affectionate display of theirs…

‘No, stay calm.’

Rebecca took a short breath to steady her mind. She couldn’t afford to show any composure breaking here.

She was attending this event representing the High Temple, after all. There was also the matter of her pride.

‘If I waver here… it’ll really look like I’m jealous.’

Jealous? Her, jealous?!

The Saintess of the Regalis Order, jealous of some lowly magician rolled in from who-knows-where?!

‘That simply won’t do.’

Feigning composure as she bit her lower lip, she turned back toward the Duke and Duchess.

However, the couple facing Rebecca did not wear particularly welcoming expressions.

‘Knowing full well what an incredible thing it is to receive a blessing directly from the Saintess!’

Overstepping their bounds, truly.

Her stomach twisted once more. But if she revealed those feelings here, all the behind-the-scenes effort the High Temple had put into improving relations with the Duchy would go up in smoke.

“Today, these two stand ready to take each other as their one and only partner,” Rebecca spoke, her voice clear and resonant as she pretended nothing was amiss.

“Do you, Edwin von Valencia, take Elizabeth Winder as your wife, swearing to respect and love her forever?”

“I do,” the Duke answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Rebecca glanced fleetingly at Elizabeth.

“Do you, Elizabeth Winder, take Edwin von Valencia as your husband, swearing to trust and love him forever?”

“I do,” Elizabeth answered just as clearly.

Watching the couple gaze at each other with eyes full of love somehow twisted Rebecca’s mood even further. Perhaps that was why she rushed to deliver the next line.

“Then, you may seal your vows with a kiss.”

The Duke took a large step toward Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, looking up at him with a slightly nervous face, reflexively closed her eyes tight.

With a soft chuckle, the Duke wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

The moment their lips touched, a quiet chorus of gasps burst from among the guests.

“They look so good together.”

“Indeed. They were engaged for quite some time, weren’t they?”

“It’s finally coming to fruition.”

And so, Rebecca’s even voice announced the end of the ceremony.

“Please send a round of celebratory applause to the couple newly bound before God.”

Clap clap clap!

The guests applauded generously, celebrating the newly formed union.

Meanwhile, among the distinguished guests, one person stood out above the rest.

The nobility carefully cast polite, fleeting glances toward a man clapping his hands.

“His Imperial Majesty attended as well.”

“My goodness, to think I would see His Majesty here.”

It was the Emperor.

Despite declining various events under the pretext of pressing state affairs, he had personally graced this wedding with his presence.

The nobles, who had been covertly conscious of him for a while now, lowered their voices and whispered.

“Well, it is the marriage of Duke Valencia .”

“It’s hardly surprising he would attend.”

‘So that’s the Emperor.’

Meanwhile, Maybel—wedged between Sabina and Adrian—tried with all her might not to glance at the man seated so close to them.

Neatly slicked-back ash-gray hair. And noble violet eyes, the symbol of the imperial family.

He was, by all accounts, a man who looked like a painting.

‘Honestly, you really can’t judge a book by its cover.’

Maybel clicked her tongue softly in her mind.

Looking at that neat, refined appearance, it was utterly hard to believe that this man was an outlaw who had ousted the rightful heir to the throne, Dominic, to claim the crown for himself.

Just then—

As if feeling Maybel’s gaze, the Emperor glanced back over his shoulder.

Why was it?

Though they shared the exact same hue, his eyes gave off a completely different impression from Dominic’s clear gaze.

Those murky violet eyes brought to mind muddy water that had just been churned up. Unreadable, giving away no hint of his thoughts…

‘Umm…’

Maybel unconsciously pulled her shoulders in.

‘He’s… a bit gloomy, isn’t he?’

At the same time, Sabina gave her familiar a puzzled look.

“May?”

Ah.

Maybel hurriedly shook her head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

It was right then.

The Duchess, wearing a playful expression, tightly gripped the bridal bouquet in her hand.

The eyes of the guests gleamed with lighthearted anticipation.

“Oh my, look at that!”

“It looks like the Duchess is about to throw the bouquet!”

On the day of a wedding where a new couple is born, superstition held that whoever caught the bride’s bouquet would enjoy a happy marriage.

Perhaps because of that, the unmarried young ladies subtly sparkled their eyes as they stared at the bouquet. Even the young noble lords covertly glanced at the Duchess, pretending not to care.

The only person among them who showed little interest in the bouquet was Sabina.

“Here it comes!”

The Duchess, who had been watching Sabina intently, threw the bouquet with vigor.

The bouquet drew a large arc through the air.

And the place where it finally landed was—

Thump!

‘Huh?’

Sabina blinked twice, looking down at her lap.

The gorgeous wedding bouquet rested right on top of her knees.

“My?”

An embarrassed sound escaped Sabina’s lips.

Simultaneously, the Duchess spoke up lively.

“Sabina caught my bouquet!”

…Could this really be considered catching it?

Strictly speaking, it felt more like it had suddenly dropped onto her lap.

Sabina carefully picked up the bouquet. The blossoms were so large and magnificent that the bouquet felt heavy in her arms.

“I’m so jealous, Lady Sabina.”

“I wanted to catch the bouquet, too.”

The ladies chattered in unison.

“Well, they say whoever catches the bride’s bouquet gets to have a happy marriage.”

A happy marriage?

At those words, Sabina unconsciously turned to her side.

Adrian, sitting beside her, was looking at Sabina’s bouquet with an intrigued expression.

“Wow, Sabina.”

Adrian reached out abruptly.

He gently stroked the soft, purple petals of a violet within the bouquet.

Then, he lifted his eyes, flashing a bright smile.

“This flower looks just like you.”