Chapter 200: Side story 12

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***

“The wedding is already in a week.”

Begonia sighed. The dress she picked and decorated for a few days fit my body perfectly.

“Okay. You look magnificent.”

Then a light knocking sounded. Begonia’s assistant, who ran out, announced.

“The Grand Duke has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

Begonia couldn’t hide her joy, saying that Lesche came just in time.

“Now, let’s watch the Grand Duke blush.”

“Blush?”

As I looked skeptical, Begonia said confidently.

“Leave it. I am a good designer.”

Begonia turned me around with her confident demeanor, and she made eye contact with Lesche, who had just entered.

“You came right in time, Grand Duke. May I ask how dazzling your wife is?”

Lesche’s eyes fixed on me. He didn’t even respond to Begonia’s words. I wondered if Begonia was embarrassed.

By the way, I thought Lesche was going to say something but he just stood still. In silence, he just stared at me. It was strange.

“Lesche?”

It was only after I called him that he narrowed our distance. He frowned as he came closer. Then he made an unexpected statement.

“What did you do? Why are you so pretty?”

“I am always pretty.”

I said coyly but I couldn’t hide a smile.

“I know that.”

Lesche, who was staring at me, averted his gaze a little. A red glow appeared on his cheeks. It was like Begonia had predicted.

“…you are so pretty.”

‘Oh my gosh.’

It was a really raw reaction. My face began to heat up to the point that even doubts about whether I was responding nonchalantly on purpose were quickly dissipated.

Why was my face blushing over something like this? As Grand Duchess and Stern, I thought that I was immune to praises. I was embarrassed, happy, and satisfied.

In the distance, Begonia and her assistants clapped their hands, but my cheeks, once heated, did not cool down.

It was after I had finished changing my dress behind the partition that Lesche brought up why he had come. I found out that the doctor was with him. Why was the doctor here?

“Seria.”

“Yes?”

“I had a dream yesterday.”

“Dream?”

Lesche said with rare hesitation.

“They said it was a conception dream.”

“…yes?”

I reflexively looked down at my stomach. I was perplexed because I didn’t know anything.The doctor who seemed to be more nervous next to him swallowed dry saliva.

***

“Seria is getting married.”

Kalis mumbled upon receiving the letter.

“Did I get an invitation?”

“It didn’t come…..”

“I can get one….”

Kalis couldn’t finish his sentence.

“No.”

Perhaps even if they somehow managed to get an invitation, it would only be painful.

He couldn’t congratulate her on her marriage, as he knew she wasn’t marrying him and she would never become his wife.

Kalis closed his eyes and opened them. Seria was sitting by her desk, looking at him. He knew it was an illusion, but he was choked with breath at the sight of her smiling.

“Marquis, Count Horun has come to visit.”

“Why the Count again?”

“Isn’t it time for you to get married soon…?”

Kalis didn’t answer.

It wasn’t that he made a troubled expression, he literally didn’t react as if he were a deaf person. Leaving the office, the aide quietly shook his head to Count Horun.

However, this high-ranking vassal was the last.

Haneton’s vassals could no longer speak of marriage to Kalis.

They would rather see him angry, making a fuss. 

Now Kalis didn’t even respond to talk of his marriage. He seemed like a rogue when it came to that part. He felt nothing but dry emotions, like a doll filled with crumbling sand.

Talks about marriage in Haneton Castle had come to a stop.

There was no other heir in Haneton, so in order to pass on his marquis title, Kalis would have to adopt one of the children who carried one of the seventeen families’ blood.

Even if he wouldn’t make a choice in the end, the Grand Temple would be forced to make the decision for him.

Kalis, who was unaware of this and must have been deliberately ignoring it, sat by the window with a tilted chin.

An emerald ring was shining on his hand.

Not long ago, Kalis removed this emerald ring from Haneton’s official heirloom list. A beautiful ring that had been passed down from generation to generation to the Marquis of Haneton. No woman would ever get to  wear this ring again.

Kalis stared at the emerald ring for a long time.

***

The hectic week passed by.

“Grand Duchess. Do you like it?”

“Yes. I like it.”

“It’s really pretty…”

Perhaps it was true that Berg’s vassals said, ‘Let’s make it more glamorous than the emperor’s wedding.’

From the entrance to the ceremonial seat, a long red pedestal spread out. On both sides of the platform, light pink marble vases with gold frames were lined.

The vases were plentiful with flowers, some of them flowing down artistically like streams of water. So were the walls. Wide ribbons adorned with flowers and various fine gold ornaments hung around the edges. The ceremonial hall did not spare flowers and jewels, so it was really bright like a field on a spring day.

Was that all? I lifted my head and looked at the ceiling. The luxurious golden chandelier dazzled the eyes as if thousands of water droplets were falling gently. How much money had been spent?

‘Are you declaring war on the nobles who come to the wedding?’

When I saw the shockingly colorful ceremonial hall, it was an instant thought. Besides, from a few days ago, the annex was crowded with guests from all over the world.

“Grand Duchess, I…”

How to deal with a guest who wasn’t invited. After a bit of trouble with the words Ben conveyed with an annoyed look on his face, I went directly out to the parlor.

“What? Why did you come?”

Nissos, who had been sitting in the parlor, reflexively stood up. It had been a while since we had seen each other, but I wasn’t happy at all, and it seemed like he still hadn’t recovered from his weight loss. He would become a skewer soon if he kept getting thinner.

“Why did you come?”

Nissos avoided my gaze.

“If my blood is getting married, shouldn’t I come at least once?”

“You didn’t even send a single vassal to my previous wedding. Perhaps you thought it was a circus, not a wedding.”

“…”

“I have a conscience. I see you can’t say anything.”

“…”

“Hey, Kellyden has been devastated, so I guess you are trying to make a connection with the Grand Duke.”

“You are really… the snout of hell…”

“What?”

“What can I say? Please allow me to sit down.”

“Sit.”

Nissos sat down on the chair. He said in a low voice, biting his lips lightly.

“I’m sorry.”

I got goosebumps again.

“If you came here to say that, you can just leave.”

“I’m going. Kellyden knows shame. I didn’t come to ask to attend the wedding.”

“Then go.”

“I’m sorry.”

Nissos wiggled his fingers uncomfortably, and said in a hesitant tone.

“Next time when you have free time, how about coming over to Kellyden…father…”

“No.”

“…Okay. But if you change your mind…”

Nissos looked back at me several times and then left. Why were there too many carriages with him?

“He knows best how to look pitiful. It’s very Kellyden’s specialty.”

As I spoke with my arms crossed, Abigail opened her mouth.

“By the way, lady. He left the most gifts.”

“Most?”

Ben shook his head next.

“Yes. Grand Duchess.”

“More than in the Imperial Household?”

“That’s right. I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think Kellyden may have sold all the lands they own. All of that carriage procession is your wedding gift from Master Nissos Kellyden.”

Ben wasn’t the type of person to exaggerate…. The Emperor also sent a wedding gift so generously that my eyes couldn’t get bigger. If Nissos had sent something more expensive than that, he could have sold all the lands he really had.

I frowned silently.

I was not going to get along with Kellyden like a normal family, and I didn’t intend to. Well… Two of the four people were gone, and there were only two left.

“I should feed him some food.”

“I’ll catch him, Miss.”

“If he says no, you can grab him by the neck and bring him back.”

“Okay, Miss.”

Unfortunately, Nissos said that as soon as he saw Abigail, his face brightened and followed along.

***

“It’s amazing that you have a wedding party first.”

“What’s even more interesting is that? Under the silver tree.”

“Isn’t it really scary? They say it’s not far from the Beast Border.”

Even with that said, the nobles were loaded into carriages and diligently headed towards the silver tree.

Hundreds of people gathered under a huge shaded tree. They could not take their eyes off the huge tree.

“Myote Stern.”

On behalf of the high priests who were unable to attend any wedding ceremony, High Priest Jubelud, who had been released from these rites by officially returning the high priest’s seat according to custom, attended. His official ordination was ‘high ranking priest’, but all the nobles still called him, High Priest.

Myote was no exception.

“High Priest Jubelud.”

“How did you come to the Grand Duchess’s wedding?”

Myote said in a proud voice.

“I will not even set foot in the Central Territory for several decades, so I came here thinking it was the last commemoration.”

“I heard from High Priest Henoch. He said you like this silver tree.”

“To some extent.”

“Once you sit down, they say you don’t move for five hours.”

“… High Priest Henoch is talking too much.”

Myote Stern cleared her throat.

“Two metis flowers came in and one was made into medicine.”

One had already been brought to Seria as a gift for her wedding celebration.

“After the wedding, stop by the Great Temple and take it with you.”

“It’s better for us to give to Sterns.”

The smile was sincere. Priests were always sincere towards Sterns, and no matter what their personalities like Myote or Seria were, the priests were busy pampering them.

So, as a fake saint, Lina, who was declared a fake Stern…

Once they gave a deep affection, it would be difficult to take it back. Even if they were repeatedly disappointed. Or, it may be a characteristic of priests who were more focused on the person before they collapsed.

Anyway….

Myote turned her head away without asking further.