Chapter 150

The day of Enria and Caldeon’s wedding finally arrived.

The ceremony was drawing far more attention than even the Crown Prince’s wedding, largely because of the unprecedented decision for both the Emperor and the High Priest to deliver congratulatory speeches. While Enria had originally intended to remain the public face of the Oracle, the Great Sanctuary had discovered evidence that Hayden was the true owner of the Oracle and revealed the truth.

Initially, Enria had been anxious, fearing people might try to exploit Hayden. However, her concerns proved groundless. Instead, they treated him with immense care and protection, viewing his existence as a divine arrangement.

The High Priest insisted that as Hayden’s parents, the couple deserved a divine blessing delivered personally by him, while the Emperor stubbornly argued that as the Sun of the Empire, it was only natural for him to give the speech for the parents of the Oracle’s owner.

Unable to settle the dispute between the two unyielding men, Caldeon had irritably told them both to do it—and so, they did.

Consequently, the wedding became a massive spectacle. The thousand seats provided were nowhere near enough to accommodate the crowds desperate to see Hayden. This was also partly due to Enria’s wish not to issue specific invitations; she wanted everyone, from commoners to nobles, to be able to celebrate their union. As a result, the wedding felt less like a formal ceremony and more like a grand festival for the entire Empire.

“You look truly beautiful,” Belona gasped, admiring Enria in her wedding dress. Beside her, Roseanne was overcome with joy, covering her mouth with both hands.

“You two look gorgeous as well,” Enria replied. Both of her friends wore formal attire adorned with the same shimmering, ethereal lace that flowed over Enria’s gown, giving them an elegant and sophisticated aura.

“Lady Germandie kept pestering me about what a ‘bridesmaid’ was,” Belona said with a shrug. “I’m not even that close to her since I’m a mage, so it was quite bothersome.”

Roseanne laughed. “She’s getting married soon, so she probably wants to include bridesmaids in her own wedding.”

“New things always become a trend,” Enria noted.

“Let’s do it for each other. Enria and I will be your bridesmaids when you get married, Belona,” Roseanne added, making Belona’s eyes widen playfully.

“A Grand Duchess and a Marchioness as my bridesmaids?”

“Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Roseanne smiled.

“It’s too early for that. I don’t even have a lover yet,” Belona laughed, shaking her head.

“Try looking for one this time. Not far away, but somewhere close by,” Roseanne teased, causing Belona to glare at her with a laugh. Enria watched them, hoping that just as she had found happiness with Caldeon, Roseanne would have a beautiful wedding soon and Belona would begin a new love.

“I can’t wait to be a bridesmaid for both of you,” Enria said warmly.

***

The ceremony began. While the bridesmaids drew attention, the real star of the show was undoubtedly the flower boy, Hayden.

The guests in the thousand seats—and the crowds standing packed in the aisles—all let out a collective gasp as Hayden appeared. Dressed in a tiny checkered suit, he rode atop a massive White Tiger. As he scattered petals from a basket with his small, chubby hands, cheers erupted from every corner. The noblewomen of the Empire whispered that Hayden, who shared Caldeon’s striking features, would surely grow up to surpass his father’s beauty.

Somehow, Hayden and his tiger stole the spotlight from the grand scale of the wedding and the dual speeches of the Emperor and the High Priest. Even the golden hatchling, Panz, sitting on Hayden’s head, became a hot topic, though he couldn’t quite outshine Hayden’s own radiance.

“Where did they say they were going for the honeymoon?” Tearen whispered to Rahar while listening to the Emperor’s lengthy speech.

Rahar, who was stifling a yawn, replied, “The Spirit Village.”

“The Spirit Village?”

“Yeah,” Rahar nodded. “Silri lent them her house as a wedding gift, saying she wanted to give them a peaceful time alone without any interruptions.” He added that the spirits would be looking after Hayden so the couple could enjoy their privacy, and joked that he should ask for the same favor for his own honeymoon.

“Oh, then we should—”

“Don’t even think about tagging along. You’re not even a spirit summoner,” Rahar cut him off, leaving Tearen squinting at him in annoyance.

***

The wedding, delayed considerably by the long-winded speeches, finally came to an end.

To avoid being trapped in the lavish imperial banquet prepared by the Empress, Caldeon summoned Graum as soon as the ceremony ended and vanished toward the Spirit Village with Enria and Hayden. This left Caldeon’s friends, Rahar and Tearen, and Enria’s friends, Roseanne and Belona, to handle the aftermath. While they were busy soothing the Emperor and Empress—who were frantically looking for Hayden—Caldeon and Enria began their private time at Silri’s house.

“Is it really okay to leave Hayden at Windel’s place?” Enria asked. “If I’d known, I would have brought Chavel along.”

Caldeon pulled her into a back hug. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. Leave Hayden to Windel and keep your eyes and mind only on me.”

Enria let out a soft laugh as Caldeon’s kisses landed gently on her ear, cheek, and the corner of her eye. Who would have imagined this man could say such cheesy things so naturally?

“I’m thirsty. Shall we have some wine?”

“Ah, sure.”

As Enria tried to pull away to go to the kitchen, Caldeon’s grip on her waist tightened. “Where are you going?”

“To get the wine. There are no servants here, so I have to do it myself—”

“Why would you do it when I’m right here?” Caldeon kissed her cheek again and finally let her go.

“You’re going to prepare it?”

Caldeon nodded. “Just sit comfortably. While we’re here, I’ll handle everything—the meals, the cleaning, all of it.”

Enria let out a disbelieving laugh. This was a man who likely hadn’t even seen the inside of a kitchen, let alone a wine cellar. “Do you even know where anything is? Can you even cook?”

“Don’t worry. I’m actually quite skilled.”

“You’ve cooked before? How? Where?”

Caldeon explained that after graduating from the Academy, he had lived in the Monster Forest for a while. Because teleportation stones were scarce, he had rented a room nearby instead of returning to the Grand Castle. Back then, he had been obsessed with living solely by his own strength, never telling anyone he was the heir to the Dukedom.

“You certainly had a lot of things to be obsessed with,” Enria teased.

“I did,” Caldeon chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Anyway, I’m good at it, so just wait. If you’re bored, use the communication tool to call Hayden; Windel has it.”

“Maybe I should just ask Windel and Hayden to drop by for a bit…”

“No,” Caldeon said firmly. “From now until the end of the honeymoon, this space belongs only to you and me.”

Enria giggled at his stubbornness, and Caldeon, unable to help himself, cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. “Rest. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

As Caldeon left to prepare the wine, Enria sat on the sofa by the window. After spending so much time looking at the snow-covered North, seeing the spring-like scenery outside warmed her heart. She thought back on the days since she had possessed this body—meeting Caldeon and falling in love. She remembered the days she misunderstood him, thinking he was sending her to Endelie to marry Roseanne; the days she carried and gave birth to Hayden; and the day Caldeon finally found her.

‘So many things have happened….’

She still didn’t know why God had chosen her to come here, but she felt incredibly lucky that she got to meet Caldeon and have Hayden. Her eyes grew moist at the thought that her future happiness would be shared with Caldeon, Hayden, Roseanne, Belona, and so many others.

“We’ll have to go grocery shopping together tomorrow. There’s nothing to eat but cookies,” Caldeon said, returning with a tray of wine and snacks.

Enria turned her gaze toward him. As their eyes met, an indescribable wave of emotion surged from deep within her chest. Her nose tingled, and she felt as though she might cry from sheer happiness.

“Lord Caldeon.”

“Yes, Enria,” he answered, setting the tray down.

She loved how he matched her tone, calling her by her name when she called his. Overcome with emotion, Enria stood up. Caldeon walked around the table and approached her. When she opened her arms, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Enria clung to his neck and whispered, “I love you.”

More than she thought possible.

Caldeon smiled brightly, his rich, deep voice resonating softly over her head.

“I love you too, Enria.”

<The End of Main Story>