Side Story 5

The news that shook the Holy Kingdom came just as winter faded and spring began to bloom. While whispers had long circulated that the former Pope’s divine power was waning, the official announcement was that a new successor had ascended the throne.

It was none other than Julius Pendrill, the man who had once taught Leticia how to wield her divine power. Having received grace from two gods, he rose as the new Pope.

The former Pope, Nicholas, announced his retirement and intended to live out his days quietly in a castle owned by the Holy Kingdom. Though the loss of his divine power meant he began to age again, he still possessed the appearance of a man in his late thirties. People gossiped that he must feel as if he were starting a second life.

Julius’s first act as Pope was to officially recognize Leticia as a Saintess—a title she had never formally held before. Since neither she nor her family particularly desired the title, this move dragged a settled matter back to the surface. However, with Leticia’s wedding just around the corner, the gesture felt largely symbolic.

The Imperial Family was indignant, claiming the Church was trying to hijack Leticia’s achievement of stopping Entinus’ resurrection, making it seem as if her feat was only possible because she was a “Saintess of the Order.” They felt the Church was snatching the credit the Empire had already bestowed upon her.

For Leticia, who hadn’t found the task all that difficult, it didn’t matter—as long as they didn’t try to drag her away to the Holy Kingdom.

After elevating Leticia to the rank of Saintess in name, Julius set out for the Empire to fulfill a promise made by the former Pope: to officiate Leticia’s wedding. Since this was an honor welcomed by both Ducal houses and even the Imperial Family, he was received with open arms.

***

Under a brilliant blue sky where soft clouds drifted by, the air was warm and flowers were in full bloom—a perfect day for an outdoor wedding.

Leticia thought back to the wedding she had when she ran away with Terdis. Back then, her dress was wrinkled and the ceremony didn’t feel like a wedding at all, yet she remembered how her heart had raced.

‘But I love this wedding too! No, I think I love it even more because it’s this one!’

Though they were already legally a couple and living as husband and wife, her heart fluttered just the same. Leticia looked up at the pale pink petals fluttering through the air.

She had no idea how much money had gone into this collaboration between magic and floristry; the Dukes of both families had fought over who would foot the bill. All Leticia and Terdis had to do was consult on what kind of wedding they envisioned.

‘I guess since this is a “K-RoFan” (Korean Romance Fantasy) world, there’s even someone like a wedding planner…’

Thanks to that, Leticia was able to have a wedding as fantastic as something out of a dream. Pale pink petals drifted everywhere—not just over her head, but over the guests as well—filling everyone with delight. White pillars were erected throughout the venue, decorated with dark pink roses and crystals, making it clear that this was both a wedding and a grand celebration.

Leticia looked at her brothers, who seemed to have coordinated their outfits. To be honest, except for Cesare, the others didn’t quite feel like brothers to her yet, but she accepted the reality of their blood relation.

And then there was her father.

Aaron still hadn’t quite let go of his lingering desire to keep his daughter at home, and his expression remained grim until the moment they entered the venue. His face softened briefly when he saw Leticia in her wedding dress, only to freeze up again as the ceremony began.

“I’m happy right now. I’ve been happy ever since I married Ter, so I’ll keep living well,” she whispered.

“…I see.”

Aaron’s voice was thick with emotion, and he eventually let a single tear fall, causing all his sons to freeze in shock.

Finally, the processional music began to play.

Aaron wiped his eyes with a handkerchief offered by an attendant and stood up. As he took Leticia’s hand and walked toward the altar, he thought of his late wife, Theresa.

‘If Theresa could see this, she would have loved it.’

The sight of his three sons—none of whom had a fiancé, let alone a lover—annoyed him, but he decided not to think about it. It wasn’t as if they were ugly, unskilled, or lacked background; they’d manage to get married eventually. They seemed popular enough, after all.

As they entered the ceremony grounds, he saw Terdis standing at the end of the flower-strewn path. Seeing Terdis’s face, which radiated pure bliss, Aaron felt a surge of petty resentment despite the occasion.

‘If you ever make my daughter suffer, I’ll hunt you down and kill you!!!’

He was on the verge of radiating intense murderous intent, but his face melted into a soft expression the moment Leticia tugged on his arm.

“Let’s go.”

He really didn’t want to let her go. He felt like there was still so much he needed to do for her, but he had to send her off. Aaron gritted his teeth, forcing himself to take each reluctant step.

As they drew closer, Terdis’s gaze remained fixed on Leticia, unable to look away for even a second. Finally, the moment came for Aaron to hand Leticia’s hand over to Terdis.

Aaron stood frozen, refusing to move. Unable to wait any longer, Terdis reached out with a bright smile and took Leticia’s hand himself.

‘Ah… Father…’

Only when Leticia nudged Aaron’s arm did he finally, with a dejected face, linger over her hand before finally letting go.

Crown Prince Edward, attending as the representative of the Imperial Family, twitched an eyebrow at Aaron’s expression. Seeing Duke Tesseia look like that was enough to cause nightmares.

As Aaron slumped into his seat with the look of a man who had lost the world, Cesare shifted his gaze awkwardly. Godfrey, anticipating that his father would cry, took out a handkerchief, while Sebastian ground his teeth inwardly, thinking they shouldn’t have let the marriage happen after all.

Leticia adjusted her hold on Terdis’s arm and stood before Julius. The newly crowned young Pope wore a relaxed expression.

“We are gathered here today to bless these two young people…”

As the address began, Leticia looked at Terdis, and Terdis looked at Leticia. She knew she shouldn’t laugh since her father had just walked away with such a tragic face, but she was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling.

Carlyle, Duke Lyon, was already in tears. He thought he wouldn’t cry on such a happy day, but thoughts of Hellemine brought the tears on.

‘I thought I’d barely manage to get them engaged, let alone married! To think this day has actually come…’

Part of him wanted to place a portrait of Hellemine in the seat for the groom’s mother, but he knew she would have hated such a stunt, so he didn’t try. His secretary quickly offered a handkerchief to his wet cheeks. Carlyle wiped his eyes and, disregarding his dignity, even blew his nose. The secretary looked at the “deceased” handkerchief with a look of mourning.

“…And so, as these two have become husband and wife, the Goddess’s blessing shall fill their path ahead.”

With those words, Julius used his divine power to bless the couple. Since the bride was the Saintess Leticia, the guests watched with curiosity. While it was common for a couple to glow slightly during a blessing depending on the priest’s skill, the one officiating now was the Pope himself.

“Oh my!”

“Whoa…!”

Gasps erupted from the crowd as a subtle, five-colored light overflowed from the couple and showered the guests. This was not just the Pope’s divine power; it was a sign that the gods themselves were blessing the union.

Leticia and Terdis’s eyes widened at the sight of the light before they turned to each other and kissed. As their lips met briefly and they smiled into each other’s eyes, smiles spread across the faces of the guests as well.

“Boo! Stop kissing already!”

“You’re supposed to walk out now!”

Ignoring the jeers from their friends, Leticia and Terdis shared one more light kiss before boldly heading out of the venue hand-in-hand. At that sight, Aaron finally burst into tears, and Cesare, receiving a handkerchief from Godfrey, hurried to hand it to his father.

“Be happy!”

“Congratulations! Live well!”

“Congratulations, Young Duke! My Lady!”

Amidst the shouts of well-wishers, Leticia left the ceremony with Terdis. The reception party was to follow. Terdis swept Leticia up into his arms and strode toward the area where they would change clothes. He intended to give her a proper kiss once they were inside.

‘Finally!’

No one could take Leticia away from him now. At that moment, Terdis was overflowing with happiness.

***

After a soulful first dance between Leticia and Aaron, it was her father-in-law Carlyle’s turn. He asked her to take good care of Terdis and thanked her once again. Next was Cesare.

Terdis had wanted to snatch her away, but he couldn’t do anything with Cesare there, so he just waited on the sidelines.

“I know that fellow loves you dearly, but if he ever troubles you, let me know.”

“Are you going to scold him?”

“Of course. Or I’ll just bring my precious sister back home.”

Though he said it with a smile, it felt like Cesare wasn’t joking. After their dance, Leticia intended to finally dance with Terdis, but Godfrey approached her with an earnest face.

“I may not have the right… but please.”

Leticia, who didn’t dislike Godfrey as much as she used to, gave her reluctant consent. She knew he had changed a lot from the past. Although she couldn’t fully trust him yet, she acknowledged his efforts.

“Be happy, Leticia. Never doubt that I will grant any help you ask for. I am completely on your side now.”

When the dance with Godfrey ended, Sebastian stepped forward. Knowing he couldn’t force her, he pleaded.

“Just once. You never danced with me even before the wedding.”

Since he asked with such a pitiful face, Leticia decided to dance with him for the first and last time, despite her displeasure. Sebastian was a significantly better dancer than Godfrey; while Godfrey’s movements were stiff due to his physical profession, Sebastian was quite graceful.

“I and the rest of us are behind you. You might not like it… and you might not think we’re trustworthy yet! But if anyone ever hurts you or breaks your heart, I won’t stand for it.”

‘Weren’t you the ones who hurt me the most?’

The thought flickered through Leticia’s mind, but she didn’t voice it. As if sensing his own guilt, Sebastian added: “That will never happen again! I swear. I am eternally on your side. So…”

Even with the marriage, their relationship wasn’t over. It seemed their fates would remain intertwined for a long time to come.

Finally, after the dance with Sebastian, Terdis took her hand. His face was full of complaints, but the moment he pulled Leticia into his arms, his dissatisfaction melted away.

“Finally… I’ve got you.”

“Got what? I wasn’t going anywhere. If anything, didn’t I catch you?”

Terdis had, after all, once run away and hurt her, even if it was just a one-night commotion.

“You don’t know. You don’t know how hard I worked to become your husband… Do you know how hard a swan paddles beneath the water? That’s how I’ve been this whole time.”

Even when he was by her side, he felt like she could be taken away at any moment. She was that precious to him. He had exerted himself desperately to stand as her equal.

“I’ll keep doing that. I’d do anything to be loved by you. So, from now on… Stay by my side,” Terdis whispered as he pulled her close and kissed her. His kiss was deeper and more lingering than the one at the ceremony, making her feel shy, but this time, Leticia accepted it too.