Chapter 5
Chapter 005.
Although it was a wedding arranged as quickly as roasting beans in a flash of lightning, Mom wanted a grand and splendid ceremony to her liking.
Her exceptional aesthetic sense, as a lover of art, was well reflected in decorating the venue.
The Central Temple, where the current Emperor's coronation had taken place, was the perfect place for her romantic fantasy.
Moreover, the partner was a Duke.
She had enough money and power.
He was a very fulfilling partner to satisfy Mom's overflowing ambition.
Thanks to that, the day before the wedding, I could see the silk blackout curtains decorating the side of the venue and the luxurious, intensely red velvet carpet covering the marble floor without a gap.
'Money wasting...'
Only then did I understand Mom's words that we could live within our means if we didn't have it.
She was living frugally, even though she was someone who could spend like this.
That was her being frugal.
I was admiring this new realization, looking around the empty venue.
"Ahem."
At the sound of a cough, I turned my head and saw someone lingering at the entrance that was not yet open.
'I heard they deliberately emptied this place from yesterday.'
I guessed it was a worker hired to prepare.
I paused at the dazzling golden color flickering beyond the pillar.
Even if I didn't want to know, there was no way I couldn't recognize whose hair that was.
'The Vice Duke is also... a person involved in the wedding.'
Of course, he could come here to check on the progress.
Mom was so active in decorating the wedding, and the Duke seemed to have no intention of getting involved at all, so I thought the Vice Duke would be the same.
He's such a diligent person.
'It would be easier for both of us if I pretended not to notice and left.'
The moment I turned my body, I heard a coughing sound that seemed to be pulled up from deep within his throat.
'No, is that even a cough?'
The sound echoed through the wide hall like a threat that he wouldn't let me go if I didn't turn around, so I finally turned my body.
He, with his unique gaze, was looking at me with sparkling eyes.
"It's only for a week."
"Yes, it is."
The Vice Duke strode closer and continued.
"You seem to have been quite busy during that time."
"Pardon?"
I tilted my head at the sudden remark, and he hesitated before speaking.
"The crystal ball, I couldn't reach you. At all."
"Ah."
"Could it be broken?"
"Maybe."
I had put the crystal ball in a corner of the room the day I received it and never paid attention to it.
It's probably somewhere in the room.
'I should go home and find it.'
I didn't want to create a situation where I would unnecessarily blush.
"If the crystal ball is broken, you should fix it..."
"I didn't think there would be anything to contact you about, so I didn't bother to check."
Orion looked at me with an incomprehensible expression and retorted.
"Even if it's a haphazardly arranged matter, it's a union of two families. What could there be nothing to discuss?"
This time, I was speechless.
That's right.
When it comes to marriage, that's what everyone would think.
I could guess that this person had lived a righteous life.
"Well, I thought of it as 'Mom's remarriage'..."
I hesitated and confessed honestly.
"I've never thought of it as gaining a new family."
Until now, remarriage hadn't changed much.
They were thoroughly 'Mom's men,' not my 'stepfathers,' so there was little chance of them clashing with me.
Come to think of it, it's strange that there isn't this much procedure when someone of the Empire's Duke remarries.
I must have been too complacent.
"How on earth does Madam treat the Lady..."
"Pardon?"
He stopped talking and pursed his lips.
He seemed to be holding back something he wanted to say.
After a moment of silence, Orion Miller swept his hair back and was about to open his mouth again.
A welcome figure who had entered the venue greeted me.
"Merian, you were here."
I bent my knees and greeted the elderly priest with a dignified appearance and neatly combed graying hair.
"It's nice to see you again..."
Pleased to meet you? It's an honor?
Either way, it was a strange thing to say.
Every time he officiated a wedding, he blessed the bride and groom to build a family with patience and responsibility and live happily.
Of course, Mom, who received that blessing, enjoyed happiness for a short month, or half a year at most, and then threw away patience and responsibility.
"This is the fifth time, isn't it."
"Yes."
"Madam is a very loving person."
Orion, watching the priest smiling kindly, asked me in a small voice.
"Why the fifth time? As far as I know..."
Ah.
It's true that she had a formal ceremony and was received as a couple three times.
However, she had booked the venue five times.
"Once, they fought at the venue and it ended, and once, the other person had something bad happen to them right before the ceremony, so it was canceled."
"Something bad?"
"He was caught for tax evasion and had his assets confiscated and sentenced to imprisonment."
I can still picture the man being dragged away by the security forces the day before the wedding.
'Fortunately, Mom came to her senses after seeing that.'
Mom is the type to not care who the other person is when she falls in love.
However, once love fades, she only focuses on the other person's flaws.
It's a convenient personality.
She can only see the good points when she's in love, and only the bad points after it fades.
The wise priest pretended not to notice our whispers and waited.
Orion, with a very troubled face, politely greeted the priest and asked him to take good care of tomorrow's ceremony.
"You don't have to worry. Marriage is a joyous occasion no matter who does it."
"Yes."
"The two of you who will become siblings already seem to be getting along well."
"Is that so."
Orion glanced at me with a complicated expression.
As the priest excused himself to prepare for tomorrow's ceremony, I also cautiously brought up the topic.
"I've looked around this place, and since there will be a ceremony tomorrow, I think I should hurry home to prepare."
"I'll escort you."
"I'll decline."
When I refused outright, he looked up at the ceiling of the venue and said once more in a choked voice.
"It's a plain carriage."
66 —-J ,9
"I didn't bring any knights either."
Why does this person want to ride in a carriage with me so much?
I stared blankly for a while and reluctantly nodded.
The law is far, but power is near.
I couldn't refuse to ride in a carriage when the young master of the Dukedom, who could make even birds fall from the sky, was showing so much sincerity.
"Yes, thank you."
I saw him clenching his fist for some reason, but I pretended not to notice.
I also decided not to think about why his cheeks were slightly flushed.
However, I was chilled by the uneasy feeling that there would be many more times when I would be placed in a situation where I 'had no choice but to accept' his kindness.
* * *
"How is it?"
'What do you mean, how is it?'
There was nothing special about the plain carriage that could be commonly seen on the streets.
However, there were cushions on the seats to make it easier to sit.
I didn't mind sitting on a hard surface, but he seemed to have suffered quite a bit last time.
He straightened his shoulders and said proudly.
"Now, you should be able to ride in our carriage."
"Pardon?"
I was briefly flustered and asked again.
"Don't tell me you didn't rent a carriage, but modified the Dukedom's carriage?"
"It's nothing much. I slightly modified the exterior and asked the Magic Tower to add a comfortable, non-shaking interior."
Somehow, it looked similar, but the ride was different.
The comfortable seat that didn't shake even when driving on rough ground wasn't just because of the cushions.
"I have fully considered the Lady's discomfort. You won't have any problems using the carriage when you go out in the future. I modified it to be as plain as possible."
I, who already knew the original appearance, was speechless.
Why would you modify a perfectly good carriage and pretend it's plain?
Just asking the Magic Tower would have cost thousands of gold.
Isn't this a carriage that pretends to be plain but is actually covered in money?
"I see, thank you for your consideration."
His lips twitched.
I pretended not to notice him struggling to desperately lower his rising lips and turned my head outside.
As soon as we arrived at the destination, the mansion, I quickly got out of the carriage and turned my gaze to the horses tied to the carriage.
The glossy mane and the split muscles were impressive.
The coachman, who felt me staring at the horses, smiled kindly and boasted.
"You have a good eye. They don't tire easily even when running long distances, and they're also fast. They're good bloodline horses that are hard to find domestically and have astronomical value."
Why are such good horses tied to this carriage here?
Steam was coming out of the horses' noses.
Perhaps because long-distance horses were tied to the carriage, they seemed to be severely frustrated.
"They look pitiful."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing."
I had just thanked him for his consideration, so I couldn't criticize him for abusing the horses like this.
I could only look at the poor horses with pity.
'There are so many ways to abuse animals.'
I deeply sympathized with my friend's words that it's better not to get involved with nobles.
Are nobles people with different ways of thinking or special people? Or did their way of thinking become special because they became nobles?
Either way, one thing was certain.
"Then, Lady, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Call me Merian. And speak casually."
At my words, he suddenly coughed dryly.
Then, with a slightly surprised face, he said.
"I thought it was a bit early to decide on a title."
"Pardon?"
"You have a more sociable personality than I thought. No, personality."
"Pardon?"
I, who am about a hundred million light-years away from being sociable, doubted my ears and asked again, but he didn't seem to be listening to me anymore.
Just looking at the words he added with a slightly embarrassed face, it seemed that he had taken it completely differently from my intention.
"So, are we a little closer now?"
"Did you feel that way?"
'In my heart, we're about a hundred million light-years away.'
Without realizing it, I took a few steps back, thinking only in my mind.
He didn't even notice that and left with a pleased face, politely saying goodbye.
Even when returning, I felt sorry for the horses struggling with frustration, but it couldn't be helped.
'They just happened to meet the wrong owner.'
Healthy horses that should be running on a wide prairie are only taking walks.
I couldn't help but look back at them several times because I felt sorry for them.
They're good horses.
They're really good horses.
