Side Story (1)
“…You’re having another wedding ceremony?”
“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”
Late in the morning, Vivi, who was helping me dress up, widened her eyes and asked.
It had been a month since the Crown Prince’s coronation, and Ian and I decided to hold another small wedding ceremony.
At first, I wondered if it might be a bit too much, but how could I refuse Ian Cloud—of all people—when he wanted to have a proper wedding ceremony with me?
‘And honestly, I’ve always wanted to wear a wedding dress and have a wedding at least once in my life.’
Glancing at Vivi, whose hands tying the ribbon had noticeably slowed, I awkwardly asked,
“Um, does it seem like we’re being a bit over the top?”
“What? Not at all!”
Before I even finished my sentence, Vivi jumped up and shook her head vehemently.
“Over the top? This is something the entire empire should know about! I’m all for it. It’s such a meaningful event!”
Seeing her eyes light up and a big smile spread across her face, it seemed the slowing of her hands was merely her processing the situation.
“I knew something was different between you two lately, but to think you’d come up with such a wonderful idea! Honestly, you both feel like completely different people these days.”
“Well…”
At least for me, I was a different person.
I couldn’t exactly confess with a smile that, in truth, it wasn’t me who had married Ian the first time, but another Eloise—and that by some twist of fate, I had taken over her body, received Ian’s proposal, and was now having a wedding with him as my true self.
As I kept my mouth shut, Vivi’s expression turned mischievous.
“Hmph, my lady, sometimes you can be surprisingly shy about these things!”
“It’s not like I’m embarrassed or anything.”
“Oh, come on, it’s obvious.”
“Well…”
I had more to say, but judging by Vivi’s expression, she was determined to interpret things her own way no matter what I said. In the end, I chose to nod quietly.
Vivi, who had finished tying the ribbon around my waist into a neat bow, shrugged her shoulders with excitement.
“Anyway, if it’s a wedding, we’ll have a lot to do. I’m already getting excited!”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“So, when is the wedding going to be?”
Taking a step back, Vivi looked at me with eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“…Huh?”
Caught off guard by her eager gaze, I froze.
“If we want to prepare properly, we’ll need about six months. First, we have to get the dress tailored, and then for the flower arrangements to match the scale of the ceremony… let’s see…”
Before I could answer, Vivi was already counting on her fingers, listing things off busily. I watched her, at a loss for words.
Sensing my gaze, Vivi stopped abruptly and stared at me.
“My lady, why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me…”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Don’t tell me, right?”
“…Don’t tell you what?”
Caught off guard, I asked with a guilty expression. Vivi squinted even more.
“Don’t tell me that you and Master were so passionately in love that you decided to rush everything and set the wedding for two months from now or something!”
“Oh…”
A sound escaped my lips—part sigh, part exclamation.
Vivi’s perceptiveness had been growing lately, likely due to spending every day with me for the past year.
I stared at her for a moment before shaking my head slowly.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Phew, that’s a relief. I thought for sure…”
“It’s next month.”
“What? My lady!!!!”
Oh, my ears!
I reflexively raised my hands to cover them. Vivi looked at me like I had betrayed her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You said you were having another wedding ceremony! But with the wedding next month, it’ll be impossible to prepare something big, no matter how hard we try!”
Well, of course.
We never intended for it to be a grand event.
When Ian first brought up the idea in the capital, he mentioned something about receiving the blessings of all the citizens. But honestly, I didn’t care much for that.
I didn’t need to make a big fuss, especially since we were already receiving plenty of attention as it was. For me, the most important thing was to marry the person I loved.
‘Besides, I don’t have the energy to spend half a year preparing for a wedding.’
However, Vivi seemed to have different thoughts.
“This is just unfair!”
“Unfair? How so?”
I responded playfully, and Vivi’s face turned into a pout.
Seriously, why did she seem more excited about the wedding than I was?
Our household staff tended to treat my affairs like their own, which was endearing but also embarrassing at times.
This wedding was my first, but to others, it would seem like a random second wedding for a ducal couple who had been living happily together.
The thought of the social circles buzzing about this made my head spin.
“Anyway, Ian agreed to this too, so you’ll just have to endure it.”
“Hmph.”
Even as she pouted, Vivi somehow managed to look adorable.
As I glanced away to check my reflection in the mirror, Vivi suddenly blinked rapidly.
“But if it’s next month…”
Through the mirror, I met Vivi’s curious gaze.
“Yes?”
“No, never mind. You must have thought this through better than me… Still, a month is just too short for wedding preparations!”
“Now, now, you’ll manage.”
I smiled mischievously, pretending to scold her.
“And don’t you think the staff at the ducal estate could pull off a fabulous wedding even in a month? Of course, I’ll help too.”
“Well, I guess, but…”
“Besides, it’s not about having an extravagant ceremony. It’s about creating memories for Ian and me.”
At the word “memories,” Vivi’s pout slowly softened.
“Alright, I’ll do my best with the time we have left.”
Of course, a month was ridiculously short, but I smiled at her reassuringly.
“Good. By the way, what time is it?”
“It’s almost noon.”
“Then I should get going.”
“Are you heading to Master’s office?”
“Yes, he’s going out today, and I promised to see him off.”
“Seriously, you two have been way too sweet lately.”
Vivi grinned mischievously again.
These days, she looked at Ian and me like we were the lead couple in a drama.
‘Well, I suppose it is a change from a year ago…’
I suddenly recalled the image of Eloise grimacing at Ian’s name.
Thinking of that made me understand Vivi’s reactions a little better.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, my lady.”
After one last check of my outfit, I quickly left the room.
When I knocked and entered Ian’s office on the third floor, I saw him just as he stood, putting on his jacket.
‘Wow…’
He’s so handsome.
How could just putting on a jacket make him look like a living magazine cover?
Leaning against the door, I openly admired the view until Ian’s eyes met mine.
He blinked a couple of times, then smiled and strode toward me.
Before I could react, he wrapped his arm around my waist, looking down at me.
“Enjoying the view, were you?”
“…Was it that obvious?”
“Very obvious.”
Caught red-handed.
At this point, I didn’t even feel embarrassed anymore. If he didn’t want me to stare, he shouldn’t be so handsome.
When I shamelessly looked up at him, he chuckled and gently pulled me closer.
His scent wafted over me, making me pause and widen my eyes.
A soft voice came from above.
“Did something happen? Your expression looked a bit unusual when you walked in.”
“When did you notice that?”
“I only ever notice you, my dear.”
“Wow, Ian, that was so cheesy.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“No? You’re handsome, so it’s fine.”
His face made everything seem plausible.
At my brazen response, Ian let out a small laugh.
• • •
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