After that, the officiating priest was handed the marriage certificate.
Everything progressed in the blink of an eye.
“Please take good care of us, Priest.”
Edwin said with a smile to the priest.
“Y-Yes… Of course.”
The priest, feeling an inexplicable chill, accepted the certificate.
Then, he quickly made his escape.
He instinctively sensed this was something that needed to be handled above all else.
High Priest Rohas, watching him flee, felt a pang of envy—before clearing his throat.
“Ahem. I sincerely congratulate the two of you on your union.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you, High Priest.”
Dana and Edwin looked at each other with satisfied smiles.
‘Poor thing…’
Rohas sighed to himself as he glanced at Dana.
Still, his own safety came first.
He gently suggested to Edwin:
“Now that the marriage is complete, you’re free to go.”
Please… just go.
But Rohas’s silent plea didn’t reach Edwin.
Instead, Edwin turned warmly to Dana.
“Senior, I heard that the entire temple is influenced by divine power.”
“Really?”
“They say that’s why there are flowers in the garden that never wilt, no matter the season. Their petals even shine like gold.”
“Seriously?”
Edwin remembered how much Dana loved nature.
He looked to Rohas.
“Would it be alright if we took a look around?”
“…Excuse me?”
“The temple is open to everyone equally, isn’t it?”
“…Yes. Please, enjoy yourselves.”
If he refused, he had the feeling it wouldn’t just be his beard going up in flames next time—but his hair too.
Rohas, looking utterly drained, sent them off.
He pointed to a nearby priest.
“Priest Bill, please escort them to Priest Ian.”
“Understood.”
Priest Bill guided the two of them, all the while nervously glancing back, worried about what Edwin might pull.
To his surprise, the Third Prince wore a constant smile as they walked.
“Senior, we’re really a married couple now.”
“That’s right.”
Dana smiled shyly.
Seeing her like that, Edwin subconsciously rubbed the back of his stiff neck.
He was going crazy wanting to kiss Dana’s cheeks, which were growing pinker by the second.
‘He’s totally about to devour her…’
Watching Edwin’s burning gaze, the priest shook his head and decided to stop glancing back.
The two were already completely absorbed in their own little world.
The three of them walked down a corridor lined with tall white columns for quite some time.
Gradually, the fresh scent of grass began to fill the air.
The sound of birds chirping accompanied it.
At last, they passed through an arched hallway, and sunlight poured down around them.
Dana squinted for a moment at the dazzling light, but quickly adjusted and looked around.
“Wow…”
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
The garden of the Imperial Palace’s temple was truly beautiful.
Around a central pond, colorful flowers bloomed in radiant glory.
Just like Edwin had said, the flowers, influenced by divine power, were in fuller, more vibrant bloom than they would ever be in the wild.
Their petals were lush, releasing a rich floral fragrance.
Everything touched by divine energy seemed tinged with a golden hue.
As the wind gently passed through the trees and blossoms, golden flecks sparkled in the air like fine dust—
Even the surface of the pond glimmered with traces of sunlight.
“It’s so beautiful…”
Seeing Dana more enchanted than he’d expected, Edwin smiled brightly.
As long as Dana was happy, that was enough for him.
At that moment, Priest Bill called out to someone.
“Priest Ian! You have guests!”
From afar, a priest tending to the trees approached them.
He was a man with long, silver hair that shimmered in the light.
“Yes? How can I help you?”
Unlike the other stiff and formal palace priests, Ian had a calm, gentle demeanor that put Dana at ease.
Bill introduced the couple to him.
“These two just received the High Priest’s blessing and are newlyweds. They wanted to take a look around the garden.”
As soon as he finished the introduction, Bill quickly slipped away.
His fearful demeanor left Ian puzzled for a moment, but he turned to Dana and Edwin with a friendly smile.
“Congratulations on your marriage. I’m Priest Ian. I oversee the general maintenance of this garden.”
Dana returned the smile politely.
“Thank you. We’ll just have a look around, so please don’t worry about us.”
“Are you sure? I was in the middle of pruning the trees…”
Just then, a small bird flew in.
It was a parrot, with a bright yellow face and a soft green body.
The bird perched on Ian’s finger and suddenly spoke.
“God loves everyone~! God loves everyone~!”
“Oh my, how cute!”
Dana exclaimed in genuine delight, making the parrot wiggle excitedly from side to side.
“Offering a blessiiing~!”
Ian watched the bird with pride.
“This little one is quite clever. Living in the temple, it’s picked up all kinds of phrases.”
“It must be really smart.”
“It never forgets anything it hears even once. If it likes a phrase, it’ll repeat it for years.”
The parrot suddenly fluttered over and landed on Dana’s shoulder.
Startled, Ian tried to coax it back.
“Come here—don’t be rude to our guests.”
“It’s fine, it can tag along.”
And so, Dana, Edwin, and the parrot set off together to explore the garden.
Ian returned to pruning trees.
“Edwin, look! The flower petals change color depending on the angle!”
“They really do.”
Dana was completely absorbed in the garden, her excitement bubbling over as she walked.
Her joyful energy was contagious—it lifted Edwin’s spirits too.
‘Maybe I should build a greenhouse garden…’
He wanted to give Dana a place where flowers bloomed all year round.
Just then, another bird fluttered around Dana in circles.
“You’re really popular with the birds today, Senior.”
Dana chuckled at Edwin’s comment.
“I’ve always been like this. Animals just seem to like me.”
“You’re like a forest fairy.”
“You and your nonsense…”
“I mean it.”
Seeing Dana blush at his words, Edwin found her even more adorable.
And so he teased further.
“You’re as beautiful as a forest fairy.”
“Oh, stop it…!”
Her face turned even redder, making Edwin laugh out loud.
They continued walking for some time.
As they drew closer, their hands brushed.
Slowly, Edwin’s fingers crept over Dana’s hand.
“……”
“……”
Dana’s steps slowed, all her attention now focused on that gentle touch.
The two kept walking, eyes forward, but hearts racing.
Edwin’s hand slid over hers and intertwined their fingers.
Unlike before, when they’d only lightly touched, now his long fingers wove between hers.
He gripped their interlocked hands more firmly.
“Senior, we really are a married couple now.”
“Yeah…”
“A real couple.”
“Right, you’re my husband.”
“And you’re my wife.”
Even after saying it aloud, Edwin still couldn’t get enough of the affirmation.
He kept confirming it, over and over, through Dana.
They sat down on a long bench near the pond.
Then Edwin spoke gently, like a comforting pat on the back.
“Being a couple isn’t just about sharing good times.”
“……”
“It’s when you share the pain and struggles too—that’s when the relationship really shines.”
“When it’s painful and difficult…”
“So promise me.”
He softly squeezed her hand.
“No matter what happens, don’t carry it alone. Share it with me.”
“…Okay.”
“That’s what being a real couple means.”
“So, you’re saying… if I cry, you’ll be sad with me.”
Dana nodded, her blue eyes curling into crescents with a warm smile.
Then, she opened her arms.
There was no hesitation from Edwin.
He immediately pulled Dana into an embrace.
Her small frame melted into his arms.
As he held her, Edwin gently stroked the back of her head, savoring her comforting warmth.
Share the sorrow?
No—whoever made Dana cry… he’d make sure they…
Edwin smiled to himself, entertaining dangerous thoughts.
***
After the guests had left, the parrot perched on Priest Ian’s shoulder.
“Did you have fun?”
Ian gently petted the bird’s head.
The parrot suddenly spoke.
“We’re really married~!”
“Huh?”
Ian tilted his head at the bird’s random outburst.
“You’re like a forest fairy~!”
“What…? Why are you talking like that? That’s kind of… cheesy.”
But the parrot didn’t stop. It gazed lovingly at Ian and chirped again.
“You’re as beautiful as a forest fairy~!”
“Parrot!!”
Ian’s face flushed with panic as the overly flirty bird kept trying to charm him.
