#48

At that moment, a fluffy dandelion seed, carried by the wind, landed on the black door. The white seed, using its tuft as wings, settled on the door, swaying gently.

It was so small it should have been invisible, yet its stark contrast against the black door made it stand out, like a white weasel among black lions.

“Ah.”

Zerakiel let out a soft sigh. In that instant, he felt he understood a little of where his fear originated.

That day, Cersia gave Zerakiel a flower. The tiny, pure white flower reminded him of Cersia. The indescribable emotion that small flower evoked made Zerakiel feel slightly dizzy.

* * *

Shortly after the invitations were sent out, the gates of the Jabis castle needed repairs once again. Rachel had stormed in upon hearing about her son’s wedding and broken the door.

It was said that Zakari, anticipating her arrival, had greeted her at the entrance.

“You’re always so full of energy.”

That remark sparked another round of arguments. They fought like an old married couple, delighted to see each other, yet always quarreling.

When Rachel, still fuming from her fight with Zakari, came to see me, I thought she was here to kill me. She had such a fierce aura.

Had it not been for her aide, Kiera, I might have retreated in fear.

Having heard about Rachel’s dramatic entrance, I could only watch in amazement as she calmly examined the dress designs in front of her.

She could switch from raging to laughing like a young girl in no time, which was quite bewildering. It wouldn’t be surprising if she started breathing fire again.

“They’re all so beautiful. Why can’t you wear more than one wedding dress?”

Rachel was now reselecting my wedding dress for the ceremony. She completely ignored the one Zakari had chosen.

Rachel was very serious about it. Her aide Kiera had said she came unannounced to help me, and it seemed to be true.

Rachel had rushed over not because she was angry about her son’s sudden wedding announcement, but to support me, knowing I had no family to rely on.

It was a relief, as neither Zakari nor Zerakiel could handle everything on their own.

If Rachel hadn’t come, the wedding might have turned out very strange. For instance…

“How absurd! Who planned for you to wear this black dress at the ceremony? Are we attending a funeral?”

Rachel frowned as she looked at the original dress list. I vigorously nodded in agreement.

Before Rachel arrived, my wedding dress was entirely made of black fabric. The absurd logic was that since I was marrying into the black lion family, I should wear a black dress.

Let’s not even consider Zerakiel’s remark.

“Cersia looks good in anything, though.”

He seemed to enjoy seeing me in difficult situations.

In any case, it was Rachel who saved me from being forced to wear a black dress, thanks to Zakari’s insistence.

Grinding her teeth, she said.

“They tried to pull the same stunt at my wedding. That black lion family never changes! I knew it.”

“We should question Zakari’s taste.”

“He must have wanted to use a clueless child as a pawn to satisfy his selfish desires.”

The “clueless child” was very displeased by this comment.

“You should tear up several dresses like I did. That’ll teach them to drop their selfish desires.”

“There were quite a few torn dresses back then…”

Kiera murmured nostalgically. How many dresses had been torn? Zakari, who kept bringing new dresses, must have been out of his mind too.

“Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll fix all these ridiculous plans before the wedding.”

Her reassuring words still left me with plenty of time until the wedding.

That meant Rachel would stay in Jabis Castle to help me until then.

It wasn’t something she would do for someone she’d only met once.

Sensing my confusion, Rachel smiled awkwardly and explained.

“I haven’t done anything for Zerakiel all this time.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just moved my lips without speaking.

According to Ayla, Rachel and Zakari had divorced shortly after Zerakiel became human. She didn’t go into details, but it was clear something unpleasant had happened.

Had I not read the original novel, I might not have realized they were mother and son.

Zerakiel and Rachel’s relationship seemed quite distant, almost like strangers maintaining a certain distance.

‘In the original, their relationship wasn’t exactly great either.’

Rachel was portrayed as an ally of Ella. She helped Ella, who had been kidnapped by Zerakiel, and constantly opposed him.

Back then, I thought she was just opposing Zerakiel to help Ella…

Seeing Rachel’s awkward smile now, my perspective changed. Maybe she wasn’t very good at handling her relationship with Zerakiel.

Perhaps Rachel wanted to prevent Zerakiel from becoming a villain across the continent.

Rachel, who I thought had heartlessly abandoned her child, also seemed to have her reasons.

Her face briefly showed a hint of sadness before she quickly put on a stern expression and snapped.

“And! I came because I was annoyed that you ignored my warning and suddenly decided to marry into Jabis. I wanted to see how well you were doing with my own eyes. You’re quite bold for someone so tiny!”

Trying to understand Rachel, I was taken aback by her blunt words and shouted in protest.

“Stop calling me tiny! It’s insulting!”

“No matter how much a tiny thing gets insulted, it’s still just a tiny thing, right?”

“Ugh.”

I glared at Rachel but sighed in resignation. She was too scary to argue with.

Who knew when she might flip and start shouting curses that would make my ears bleed.

As I fumed silently, Rachel snorted and chuckled.

Then Kiera, standing beside us, joined the conversation.

“Excuse me, miss. Are you saying you’ll stay here until the wedding?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But if the head finds out, you’ll be in trouble. Besides, the head had arranged for your remarriage…”

Rachel’s eyes flashed dangerously as she cut Kiera off with a cold tone.

“Watch your mouth, Kiera. That’s already over.”

The atmosphere instantly turned icy. I rolled my eyes at Rachel’s frosty response.

‘Did she just mention remarriage?’

I blinked in surprise at the sudden news.

‘That’s strange. In the novel, Rachel was single.’

Rachel, the cherished youngest daughter of her family, had maintained a luxurious lifestyle even after the divorce. With three older brothers to inherit the family, she was even more free-spirited.

She had a natural talent for business and ran a trading company. She lived an enviable single life, and readers had cheered for her.

Moreover, her beauty attracted many admirers, though she showed no interest in them.

She had focused all her energy on work and intervening in Zerakiel’s affairs.

But now, she was considering remarriage?

This was the first I’d heard of it. Rachel, who always said she’d never marry again if she had to live alone, was now considering another marriage?

Could the original story have changed?

Then again, with Ella gone without a trace, there was no guarantee that Rachel hadn’t changed either.

The original novel didn’t delve into the detailed circumstances of Rachel, a mere supporting character. So it was impossible to know if this situation existed in the original story.

While I was deep in thought, feeling Rachel’s persistent gaze, I looked at her. She issued a stern warning.

“Don’t tell Zakari or Zerakiel. It’s already over, and it’s something my father is pushing for on his own.”

“I understand.”

I said, nodding, sensing the seriousness in her tone.

“Good.”

Rachel replied, her stern expression softening slightly.

“I’m here to help you, not to stir up old wounds. Let’s focus on making your wedding a success.”

Despite her rough exterior, I could see Rachel’s genuine concern for me. It was reassuring, even if it came with a lot of tough love.

With Rachel’s help, I felt more confident about the upcoming wedding and the challenges that lay ahead in Jabis Castle.