Chapter 7
Chapter 07
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Alroze, Argenta, Kartiel.
Weddings involving the three Duke families were always unique. That's why their marriages were always a hot topic in high society.
"I wonder how extravagant this wedding will be."
The weddings of the three families, who controlled water, fire, and wind, each had their own distinct characteristics.
But this time, it was a wedding involving two of those families, so it was bound to be even more spectacular.
—Fwoosh!
The venue, where the soon-to-be newlyweds would enter, was only lit with soft lighting.
The subtle flames from the upside-down candles created a mysterious atmosphere.
That must be Argenta's Power.
"Ooh..."
"As expected of the Argenta family."
Among the admiring guests, there were those who kept their mouths shut.
They were people close to the Kartiel family of wind, who were not involved in this wedding among the three Duke families.
Those gathered around Duke Kartiel were quietly observing the situation.
—Swish...
And among those people, water slowly began to flow along both sides of the wide wedding aisle.
It was a waterway that had been prepared in advance.
Naturally, it was created by the power of the Alloze family.
The one controlling it was Duke Alloze, sitting in the bride's family section.
"Congratulations, Your Grace. You've formed a wonderful bond."
"What a joyous occasion..."
People gathered around Duke Alloze, trying to make an impression on him in any way they could.
Duke Alloze casually accepted their greetings while watching one side of the wedding aisle where the bride would enter.
'Krua Alroze.'
He recited his illegitimate daughter's name in his mind.
It seemed she had done well with the marriage.
If only she could seduce Dielo Argenta even more deeply and steal his potential.
His eyes gleamed.
If they could completely end this generation's Argenta, who didn't even know how to use his power properly, and have someone from Alloze take Argenta's Power of fire...
Alloze could become the undisputed best family.
He smiled silently.
* * *
—Click.
My foot, clad in a pure white shoe, stepped onto the stairs.
I could see the noisy crowd of guests murmuring.
Since weddings consisted of the bride and groom walking out from either end of the wedding aisle and meeting in the middle, Duke Alloze was probably...
There he is.
It wasn't hard to find him.
He was staring at me with sharp eyes.
My face might not be visible from over there because it was covered by the bride's veil, but I could clearly see Duke Alloze's face.
'Make it a success.'
He mouthed those words for a brief moment when our eyes met, then turned his head away.
It seemed he thought things were going well so far.
In other words, Dielo's and my plan hadn't been discovered yet.
Next to Duke Alloze, Pentas Alroze, the young Duke of Alloze and Krua Alroze's older brother, was also visible.
They were sitting there with faces full of joy.
To someone who didn't know, they would look like people smiling at their beloved daughter and sister's wedding.
But their minds were probably filled with sinister schemes.
True to the Alloze family, who wouldn't hesitate to do evil to seize power, they were not only reaching out to Argenta but also eyeing Kartiel.
Since the original story was told from the perspective of an Alloze family maid watching the power struggles of the three Duke families, there was no way I, who had read the original, wouldn't know.
"But in the groom's family section..."
Their faces were annoying, but there was something else that bothered me even more.
Even if this was a contract marriage...
"...it's a wedding."
A place where the main character should be congratulated. A place of blessing and celebration for the whole family.
But the groom's family section was coldly empty.
A bouquet of chrysanthemums sat in the spot where only direct family members could sit according to imperial law.
Because they were no longer in this world.
The problem was that Duke Alloze, sitting across from them, was the one who had killed the Duke and Duchess Argenta, who should have been sitting there.
It was a tragedy.
Did Dielo know that?
"..."
I recalled Dielo's brightly smiling face.
No matter how I looked at it, he didn't seem to know.
Even when the original story described Dielo in the early chapters, there was no foreshadowing that he knew about his parents' deaths.
Besides, if the daughter of the enemy who killed his parents came and proposed a contract marriage, would he be able to greet her with such a gentle face?
"He wouldn't..."
I muttered softly.
Of course, even if Dielo knew the truth now, it wasn't like he could call off the wedding.
Poor thing.
I bit the inside of my lip and steeled my resolve.
Okay, Dielo! I'll help you when you kill Duke Alloze!
I could definitely help him with his revenge.
So even if this wedding was a bit miserable... I hoped he could endure it.
I clenched my fist tightly and took another step forward.
—Clack.
It was the moment I placed my pure white shoe on the wedding aisle.
—Swoosh...
The water in the overflowing waterway began to sparkle under the soft lighting.
"..."
"..."
And from the opposite end of the wedding aisle, which was gradually beginning to shine, Dielo's figure appeared.
As he walked, the chandeliers that decorated the sides of the waterway like vines began to flicker with flames.
—Clack, clack.
Amidst the silence of the guests, only the sound of our footsteps echoed.
Dielo, walking towards me, looked neat and tidy.
His slightly flushed cheeks and somewhat nervous smile seemed to show his true nature.
'Don't be too nervous.'
I whispered to him, moving only my lips.
I didn't know if he heard me. And I didn't know if others saw me.
But it didn't matter if others saw me.
This was the kind of thing that even sweet couples, not just those in contract marriages, could say.
"..."
Had he understood my words? Dielo's expression became more relaxed.
And soon, my eyes met Dielo's in front of Duke Alloze.
"We will now begin the wedding ceremony of Duke Dielo Argenta and Lady Krua Alroze."
The officiant's voice rang out.
The words that followed were cliché.
"The gods will watch over the sacred vows of these two souls..."
No one was interested in those words. The guests' eyes were only focused on us.
Had these two really married after a passionate love affair?
Wasn't the last engagement all staged?
There must be those among them who had such doubts.
Since the pillars of the two empires, who had been checking each other, were now connected by marriage, they couldn't help but be suspicious.
"..."
Above all, I could feel Duke Alloze's burning gaze.
These guests, and Duke Alloze, were all people that Dielo and I had to deceive.
From now on, we were truly accomplices.
"...Then, please give the bride and groom a warm round of applause."
The officiant's last words, which had been going on for a long time, rang out.
Then, the venue was completely lit up.
Not only the chandeliers surrounding the wedding aisle but also the lights that seemed to be attached to the walls, were burning brightly with Argenta's Power.
—Swoosh...
And in the waterway behind us, a small sprout emerged.
The sprout absorbed the water magic of Alloze and quickly grew, arching over our heads.
—Tap, tap.
Flowers resembling lilies drooped down, almost touching Dielo's head.
And drops of sparkling water fell from above our heads, enveloping us.
—Plop.
A cold drop of water hit my exposed shoulder, causing me to flinch slightly.
It's colder than I thought.
That's what I was thinking when.
"...!"
I could tell because I was so close.
Something was beginning to shine white under the shirt near Dielo's collarbone.
That was probably the black Lily mark. A mark that prevented the head of the family's ability from fully blooming.
If Pero took that Lily and erased it, the head of the family's ability would explode, but if someone other than Pero took it, the head of the family's ability would no longer grow and would stop.
What Dielo and I had to protect was that Lily.
"My lovely bride."
Dielo's blue eyes sparkled in the light.
As if telling me not to be surprised, his fingertips, which gently caressed my veil, lifted it slightly.
If the engagement ceremony had been about lifting the bride's veil slightly and sharing a kiss inside, this time it was different.
—Swish.
Dielo, who had taken the veil off my head, strongly embraced my shoulders along with the veil.
The cold droplets of water bounced off his arms.
"Ah...!"
This time it was an undisguised kiss. That's why it was a kiss that couldn't be a mistake.
And as if knowing that fact, Dielo's kiss was aggressive.
Even though I knew he was coming, I was somewhat surprised.
But it wasn't as long as I thought.
"Ha."
We shared a short breath and looked at each other from a distance where our noses almost touched.
Fortunately, the wedding aisle was wide enough for us to share very small whispers.
"Shouldn't it be a little sweeter?"
His whispering breath tickled my cheek.
Even though I knew all of this was acting, my ears were burning because of the uncontainable heat in his breath.
It was natural to blush. This was instinct.
There was no need to suppress it.
It would greatly help our acting.
"Yes."
Of course. I nodded slightly.
If you're not confident, I'll lead.
I slightly raised myself on tiptoes and hugged his waist.
It was that moment.
"Then, I'll try leading this time."
Dielo whispered.
Huh?
It was the moment my eyes widened.
Unlike before, he devoured my lips as if he were a different person.
His hands, which tightly embraced my shoulders and waist, entangled me like vines.
"!"
His leg penetrated between the wedding dress.
There was no time to see how the guests were reacting.
As I ran out of breath, my vision gradually blurred. The thrilling sensation that was transmitted from where he touched and penetrated wrapped around my whole body.
Thud, he caught my body, which was about to buckle at the knees.
And suddenly,
"Oh my!"
"Kyaa!"
He supported me under my knees and lifted me up in his arms.
Short exclamations burst out from the audience.
"Thank you, my lovely bride."
For marrying me.
He whispered and blushed.
That was probably the embarrassment of unfamiliar acting.
You're doing great!
It was a problem that he whispered smaller than I thought, but judging from the reaction of the audience, some of them must have heard his words.
Rather than saying it loudly as if telling them to hear it, the naturalness of now was good.
I hugged his neck as a sign of praise.
I lightly kissed his lips.
"Wow!"
A splendid wedding that hadn't happened in decades, with a splendid performance.
It was a wedding that was enough to satisfy the guests.
Applause filled with cheers and congratulations poured down.
