Episode 49
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Even the musicians stopped playing. Time seemed to freeze in the banquet hall as if by magic, with only the chirping of clueless birds echoing through the silence.
“……”
Aileen clutched the bouquet in her hands, trying to hide her trembling. She fixed her gaze diagonally downwards, just ahead of her steps, and moved forward.
She had already been incredibly nervous. Despite bracing herself, the unusual reactions of the guests made her feel like she was going to throw up from anxiety. She resented the thin veil that revealed her face.
It would have been better to hear jeers than to be in this silent void where no one spoke.
The most miserable part was knowing that Ornella was watching this entire spectacle of her being ridiculed.
How gleefully she must be laughing inside. Aileen could easily imagine her blowing cigarette smoke in her face and saying, "Enjoyed the wedding?"
After hearing Rohan's warning last night, she had worried about a possible shootout at the wedding, but now she felt like she would rather be shot.
‘No, I can’t think like that…’
Everyone was risking their lives to protect her, and no matter how difficult it was, she couldn't afford to think that way. Aileen shook her head inwardly and focused solely on taking each step.
The musicians, who had been frozen for so long, belatedly began to play again. However, the guests remained silent.
In the dreadful silence, she finally reached her father. He was neatly dressed in a suit and faintly smelled of alcohol, but Aileen pretended not to notice. It was a relief that he wasn't completely drunk on a day like this.
"You look beautiful,"
Her father said, seemingly moved, but Aileen quietly replied, "Thank you," and closed her mouth. Then, she took the hand her father offered and stood before the pure white aisle.
She kept her eyes fixed on the clean fabric, then lifted her head ever so slightly. She wanted to see Cesare. Just seeing him would give her the courage to endure the rest of the wedding.
Cesare would tell her she looked cute no matter what.
Perhaps he would even like Aileen all dressed up. She carefully raised her head and looked ahead. There, at the end of the white aisle, stood the man.
It had been a week since she last saw him. Cesare was wearing his Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief uniform. He had removed the hat and cape from the uniform he wore during the Triumphal March, and a white lily boutonniere was pinned to his chest, adorned with ribbons and medals. He was waiting for Aileen in the way she loved most.
As the groom of this wedding.
The moment she saw Cesare, Aileen felt like she could breathe again. The outdoor wedding venue, decorated with thousands of fresh flowers, finally came into view.
The rich, fresh scent of the flowers, the beautiful processional music played by the musicians, the applause of the guests. The colorless world she hadn't been aware of until now regained its original colors and poured over Aileen.
Aileen slowly let go of her tension and fear, replaced by a different kind of anticipation that filled her chest.
Standing on the flower-lined path decorated with lilies, she was reminded of the lily field where she had first met him. The voice that spoke while holding the young Aileen was always vivid.
"So, you're Lily."
She had fallen in love with him at first sight. A little girl who knew nothing dared to love the Traon Empire's Grand Duke.
Cesare had repaid Aileen's love in abundance. He cherished Aileen as if she were his own child, watched her grow, and showered her with affection that even her parents couldn't give.
Aileen could exist because of him. Cesare was Aileen's world.
She had gone from being his child to his wife, but as long as they could be together in any form… Aileen was willing to pay any price.
Looking at the man she loved, Aileen took a step forward. Her father, a little late, hurried to follow and escort her.
Aileen, who had been looking only at the ground, now looked only at Cesare. The closer she got to him, the less everything else mattered.
Finally, she stopped in front of Cesare. Standing before him, Aileen slowly closed and opened her eyes. The man before her was not an illusion; he didn't disappear no matter how many times she blinked.
But it still felt like a dream, and she wanted to pinch her arm. This man was going to be her husband. It felt so unreal that if someone were to run up and shout that she wasn't the bride, she would accept it as fact.
Her father handed Aileen's hand to Cesare. Cesare quietly took Aileen's hand. Her father, having completed his role in the wedding, immediately stepped aside, but she didn't even notice him leaving. All her attention was focused on Cesare.
She felt the pressure of his grip as he squeezed her hand tightly. The slight pain brought a small sense of reality. Aileen called out to him in a trembling voice.
"Cesare…"
She felt like she could fully realize that this was real if he called her name. Beyond the veil, with her vision obscured, she looked at Cesare with longing.
Even through the blurry veil, his red eyes, clearly visible, held Aileen. At that moment, Cesare let go of Aileen's hand. Startled, she watched as he lifted her veil.
Her hazy vision cleared. Aileen and Cesare gazed at each other.
Thump, thump, her heart pounded in her ears. Looking at the unbelievably handsome man, Aileen unknowingly parted her lips slightly.
The man who had lifted the bride's veil wore an expression she had never seen before.
The man who always had a clear gaze now had dreamy, dazed eyes, as if intoxicated by a fantastical dream. He looked at Aileen with eyes that seemed captivated by a peerless beauty, just as Aileen looked at Cesare.
His gaze, scrutinizing every detail of her face, was intense and fiery. Every place his eyes touched felt like it was burning. After an eternity-like moment, Cesare slowly opened his lips.
"Aileen."
He called her name in a faintly trembling voice, then whispered again.
"Aileen…"
He sighed as he spoke, completely lifting the veil and handing it over. The thin, light fabric fluttered and fell gracefully behind Aileen.
Having been completely lost in him for so long, she belatedly remembered the officiant waiting on the platform. The high priest of the temple stared at Aileen with wide, bulging eyes.
‘Is it because he lifted the veil first?’
Normally, the veil was lifted just before the vows. It was an unusual action, but not exactly wrong. It shouldn't be this surprising…
Perhaps they were being stricter with customs because it was the Grand Duke's wedding. She wasn't sure, but Aileen stood properly with Cesare, facing the officiant.
The old high priest was momentarily stunned and couldn't regain his senses. He only started the ceremony with a start after Cesare frowned slightly.
While the high priest recited the wedding prayer, Aileen fidgeted with the hand she was holding with Cesare. Cesare then gently squeezed Aileen's hand as if to press it down, then released his grip.
After the prayer, Cesare made his vow first.
"I, Cesare Traon Cal Erzeht, as the Grand Duke of the Traon Empire, swear in the name of God. An eternal love that will never change. A true trust. To be a winged lion guarding our new home."
He paused after uttering the phrase only royalty could say, then completed the prayer.
"...To draw my sword without hesitation for my lady."
The last phrase was a wedding vow made by soldiers. And the last of Aileen's prayers was also a vow spoken by a woman marrying a soldier.
"I, Aileen Elrod, as a woman of the Elrod Baron family, swear in the name of God. An eternal love that will never change. A sincere obedience. May peace like an olive tree dwell in our new home."
With a more earnest heart than ever before, Aileen offered her prayer to God.
"To create a laurel wreath for my knight."
Wishing that Cesare would always be filled with the glory of victory.
