139.

“Lady Seymour, how unexpectedly shy she is.”

Lady Stang, or Ektra, flapped her fan as she spoke in an amused voice, clearly delighted.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a bride lock her door before the ceremony just because she doesn’t want anyone to see her face. Hoho! What an entertaining wedding!”

Ektra was thrilled to have discovered a “cute” side of Erika for the first time in ten years. Of course, Erika wasn’t shy but merely didn’t want senior retainers like Ektra barging in and teasing her with their brazen humor.

Still, locking her door after finishing her preparations until the ceremony began was a wise choice. Almost everyone at the wedding had come to catch a glimpse of the bride, “the Beast of the West,” Erika Seymour.

Thanks to Erika’s threat that she wouldn’t tolerate anyone entering her room, the guests naturally gathered in the room where today’s groom, Harry Forn, was waiting.

“Well now, Sir Forn! It seems our groom is quite nervous. To help you relax, shall I show you the gift I brought? It’s something you’ll absolutely need tonight…”

“Lady Stang, hush for a moment. Who parted Sir Forn’s hair in the center? His looks are best with a right-side part. You there, come fix his hair.”

“Aunt, it’s not the hair that’s the problem. Just look at Harry’s face! It’s even funnier than yours was on your wedding day. Anyone would think he’s being forced into this. Right, Antoinette?”

The cub cradled in Archie’s arms purred contentedly, as if agreeing.

“Young master, you must be careful with your words. Someone might misunderstand.”

“Oh, look how grown-up you’ve become… To think I’d live to see your wedding day… Sniff.”

Lady Seymour, startled by Archie’s sharp tongue, was taken aback, while Sir Glen Dogman burst into tears as usual.

The already nervous groom looked as if he might faint from the noise. Finally, Harry, drained of energy, couldn’t stand any longer. He sank into a chair, head bowed, clearly at his limit.

Watching this from a short distance, Von Bains frowned subtly. Having been demoted to menial work for a month after returning to McFoy alone from Baghdad, Von had only recently resumed his duties as a knight under Norma’s command.

To Von, who had no direct involvement with the Seymour family, the scene looked like nothing but harassment. He observed everyone surrounding the timid Harry with a skeptical gaze.

Leaning slightly toward Norma, Von whispered in his ear, “Sir, perhaps it’s time to bring Lady McFoy out. At this rate, Sir Forn might collapse before the ceremony even begins.”

“Yes… That might be for the best,” Norma muttered coolly as he watched Aisa, still engrossed in debating Harry’s hair parting with Lady Stang. The low tone of his voice made Von hesitate.

‘Poor Sir Forn. My apologies for not being able to help.’

It was only then that Von realized Norma had stopped smiling entirely.

Norma strode decisively toward Aisa, who was deep in discussion about Harry’s hair.

“Aisa.”

He reached out a hand to her, his characteristic sunny smile back in place.

“It’s time to greet the guests. Many are waiting for you.”

Although he wasn’t the main figure in today’s ceremony, Norma looked almost ready for battle with his polished appearance.

Aisa stared at him for a moment, as if seeing him in a new light, before curling her lips into a faint smile. When she clasped his hand, he blushed reflexively, as always.

Ektra, watching them closely, exclaimed with exaggerated delight, “Oh my, my!”

“Sir Harry Forn, you’re looking quite dashing today.”

Just before leaving the room with Norma, Aisa offered a rare compliment to Harry. Her words, sparing as they were, amounted to the highest praise.

However, rather than calming Harry, the compliment drained the color from his face even further. It was because Norma, standing behind Aisa, looked utterly ice-cold.

* * *

A surprising figure attended Erika and Harry’s wedding.

‘He really came? I have no idea what he’s thinking.’

My father-in-law, Milan, had been staying at McFoy for two months, claiming it was to check on my health.

Right. A grand excuse. He had brought carts loaded with medicinal herbs and food, which had been instrumental in fattening me up recently.

Once, he had even commented with a serious face that he couldn’t understand why I wasn’t gaining weight. I began to suspect he wasn’t here to check on my health but to ensure I put on some pounds.

In any case, while I knew he’d attend the wedding since he had nothing else to do at McFoy besides overseeing my meals, it was the figure behind him that caught me off guard.

This morning, a letter arrived out of the blue announcing Nicholas Diazi’s intention to attend. Despite being in the capital, Nicholas had decided to escort his father back to Diazi personally—and detour to McFoy in the process.

I thought he might not actually show up, but here he was. Seeing Nicholas after such a long time, I realized nothing about him had changed, not even the indifferent gaze he cast my way.

“It’s been a while, Nicholas—”

I usually called him things like “that bastard” or “this jerk,” but—

“—Lord Diazi.”

Mindful of Norma and my father’s presence, I barely managed to correct myself.

“It has been a while, Lord McFoy,” he replied.

Nicholas rarely called me by name, usually addressing me with casual terms like “hey,” “you,” or simply “McFoy.” Even now, he made an effort to use a proper title.

“…So. Did you come alone?”

“As you can see, I came with my escort.”

His answer made me want to scrunch my face immediately. Did I ask about the Bains brothers? Conversations with Nicholas were always this infuriating.

And the thing I disliked the most—

‘That I still haven’t heard news of your marriage to Ophelia.’

Of course, I understood that marrying Ophelia might require forging an identity and other formalities, but still, it was taking far too long. The silence was suspicious.

…I decided. Here and now, I would make sure this man also ended up in a whirlwind marriage like mine.

“When did you say your wedding was?”

“…My wedding?”

“Don’t play dumb. There’s a young lady you’ve kissed, after all. From what I know, it’s happened three times already.”

For the first time, Nicholas looked genuinely caught off guard. I didn’t remember every detail, but in ‘Ophelia and the Night,’ they kissed at least three times.

And yet, you’re still not married? I couldn’t help but smirk as I delivered the final blow, already infected by Diazi’s peculiar sense of propriety.

“If you’ve kissed, it’s only proper to marry, isn’t it? Isn’t that right, Lord Milan? Or rather, Father!”

Milan’s expression darkened quickly when Nicholas couldn’t deny my words.

“Come with me for a moment.”

After a moment of tense silence, Milan spoke in his grave voice. He turned on his heel, and Nicholas followed without complaint.

Norma, watching the two of them retreat, finally spoke.

“I suspect my father and Nicholas might miss the ceremony. Father’s lectures can be quite lengthy.”

In Norma’s case, he once had to endure a sleepless night of reprimands after staying at my estate for a week. I wondered how long Nicholas’s ordeal would last—and how quickly his wedding would follow.

“Let’s head to our seats.”

Victorious, I turned to Norma with a satisfied smile. Our eyes met as he looked at me, as if he had been watching me the whole time.

“You seem especially happy today.”

“…Do I?”

“Yes, though you’ve been cheerful lately. But today, even more so…”

Trailing off, he glanced around before planting a quick kiss on my lips. The unexpected kiss left me momentarily speechless.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered with a grin. It was his signature compliment, something that never failed to make me feel proud. I later realized that, instead of “cute,” Norma preferred to say “amazing.”

“Well then, shall we go?”

Taking my hand, he led the way. Even from behind, I could see his earlobes turning red. His unchanged demeanor made me laugh softly.

* * *

In the season of budding greenery and blooming flowers, Erika and Harry’s wedding was held outdoors. Standing before the officiating priest, they made a striking couple.

Though the ceremony was solemn, Glen’s sobbing from behind made it difficult to keep a straight face. Tears, after all, were contagious. Even Lady Seymour, who had seemed impervious, eventually shed a single, long tear. Without a word, I reached over and held her hand.

After the traditional rituals, it was time for the bride and groom to make their vows.

I didn’t know what Erika vowed, but Harry’s tears suggested it was deeply moving. By then, Glen was practically wailing.

Finally, the priest instructed them to seal their vows with a kiss. As the couple kissed, a gentle breeze stirred, brushing my cheek. A single purple petal fluttered past like a butterfly.

‘Teretza?’

The moment I recognized the flower petal, an array of blossoms followed, cascading in the wind like falling cherry blossoms. From pale lavender to deep purple reminiscent of McFoy, the petals showered down in a breathtaking display.

“…Ah.”

The scene drew gasps of admiration from the crowd. It was a sight that would remain etched in memory forever.

Mesmerized, I reflexively extended my hand, catching one of the petals as it drifted down.

You’ve always had a flair for the dramatic, haven’t you? A small smile tugged at my lips.

‘Of course. Nicholas Diazi wouldn’t come to McFoy for no reason. He must have followed someone here…’

“Ha.”

Distracted by the petals, Norma turned toward me at the sound of my laughter. His eyes, filled with affection, seemed to ask what I found so amusing.

“Nothing. It’s just…”

Happiness. I still wasn’t sure what others meant when they spoke of happiness. But perhaps there was no need to overthink it. Surely the way I felt now was close enough.

“…I’m just in a good mood.”

Norma smiled as if he were the happiest person in the world. Watching him laugh, impossibly beautiful amidst the fluttering purple petals, I grew more certain of my feelings.

Turning, I saw the people I loved. Talking and laughing with them, even on days when my mood wasn’t the best, always seemed to lift my spirits. Spending ordinary days without grand events—perhaps that was the closest thing to happiness.

‘I’m happy now. What about you?’

I asked silently, watching the scattering Teretza petals.

And right now, kissing you feels like my happiness.

Without another word, I pulled him by the collar and kissed him. As always, the kiss lingered.

―After My Dead Ending The End.

Tl/N: Imma cry now TT… All from 2022 to 2024 has been a journey for me im thankful to all my readers who were here and read my translation through my difficult times. Im really happy this novel ended and i hope you guys enjoyed it too as much as i did. Thank you all for staying. Lots of love and a happy New year from Bree. :heart