TVWRL Chapter 56
I was trying to wrap things up, trying to clear the situation, but Christian looked at me with a cold expression.
“I will explain why I have been lingering around Miss Adeline. The place where Miss Adeline should be is not the imperial family but the church. The power you possess should be used for the church. Miss Adeline should not live a mundane life in the imperial family but should live a special life in the church.”
I was even more upset when I realized there was a purpose behind his friendship.
“The power was temporary. I’d rather live for my own little happiness than believe in power that appears like a miracle. Cardinal, you’ve already had me examined by the church; are you still clinging to this?”
“May I have a look?”
Christian extended his hand. Instinctively, I felt that I should not take that hand.
He was a candidate for the next pope, and the pope was unparalleled in every aspect concerning divine power.
So, he was likely to be much more capable than the Cardinals who had examined me before.
I had the pendant… I could control my power…but…
Nevertheless, a warning signal of danger rang in my mind. I felt I needed to escape this situation quickly. I could not be led in the direction he wanted.
I spoke firmly in a sharp voice.
“Do you really think I would still trust Cardinal Verzel? You underestimate me too much. You could deceive me again this time. I won’t fall for it twice. Please leave now. As you know, my wedding is tomorrow; I have a lot to do.”
I stood up, avoiding Christian’s desperate gaze. It was an unspoken pressure to leave quickly.
Christian, who had been sitting, stood up and looked directly at me, declaring,
“I will not give up.”
Christian left with a terrifying threat hanging in the air. It felt too sincere, which made me uneasy.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The day of our (contract) wedding, which has received much attention as the empire’s lovers, has dawned.
Despite the many events that occurred, I was moved by the fact that we had safely reached the wedding day.
Entering the tiger’s den would undoubtedly be far more perilous than now, but I was confident I could handle it. After all, hard work ends in a happy ending.
“I can endure by dreaming of a future where I am wealthy and live a long, healthy life whenever times get tough.”
I got out of bed feeling quite refreshed.
It was early morning, but the imperial carriage was already waiting in front of my house. I changed my clothes and took the carriage sent by Ilias to enter the palace.
Since my house was small and it was difficult for all the people sent by the imperial family to come in, I decided to prepare at the palace.
The royal palace was astonishingly well organized.
The tasks that Sarah had been doing alone were now divided among dozens of people. So, I won’t bother explaining how much manpower was needed for the preparation of a princess’s wedding.
Before I arrived at the prince’s palace, Ilias had moved to the emperor’s palace due to the royal tradition that the bride and groom cannot meet until the wedding.
The largest reception room in the prince’s palace had been transformed into a space for the bride.
More than ten maids styled my hair and did my makeup. There were also separate maids who helped with accessories, the dress, and shoes.
“Are you okay? Is there anywhere uncomfortable?”
This was the question the maids asked every time they moved their hands to decorate me. It was exhausting to keep answering.
“I’m fine. If I feel uncomfortable, I will let you know, so don’t worry.”
“Yes.”
Under their diligent care, my hair and makeup were all finished.
I looked in the mirror and was pleased with my transformed appearance. The dress, chosen for its clean design rather than flamboyance, made me look fresh and pure.
“You need to wear the accessories.”
“Got it.”
Behind me, maids lined up, each holding a tiara, earrings, necklace, ring, and bracelet on a velvet display. Naturally, all the jewels were sapphires.
The imperial colors were blue, and the symbolic gem was sapphire. The founding myth of the empire was related to the legend of the blue dragon, which made all related colors royal.
Wearing a white wedding dress, I adorned my head with a large sapphire crown. The long, flowing veil elegantly cascaded beneath the sapphire crown.
The harmony of white and blue was perfect.
For a moment, I was speechless at the flawless beauty reflected in the mirror.
‘So beautiful.’
I was captivated by my own beauty, barely managing to hold onto my thoughts that were about to slip away.
‘This isn’t the time for that. What I’m doing today isn’t just a wedding; it’s a contract marriage. I never thought I would be in a situation like this.’
There was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect myself.
‘From now on, I really have to do well! I can’t let my guard down for a second.’
For a moment, I was entranced by the sight of myself as a bride in a wedding dress, but I quickly steeled my resolve.
“It’s time to go to the ceremony.”
“Understood.”
I followed the maids guiding me to the ceremony. Leading the way was the head maid, followed by four maids in front of me and twenty maids behind me.
At this point, it could be said that it was not just the bride moving, but a procession of the bride.
The wedding takes place in the most beautiful flower garden of the imperial palace. I was worried about the outdoor wedding, but thankfully the weather was nice.
I was already facing criticism for being a commoner, and if the weather had been bad, there would have been even more curses and gossip, which made me anxious.
I didn’t mind, but it would be bad for Ilias.
Upon arriving at the flower garden, I saw two flower girls waiting for me.
From here on, it was the flower girls, not the maids, who guided me. The path was covered with flowers, and I naturally walked on them.
Flower path. I remembered Ilias telling me that the path where the bride and groom meet is called the flower path.
‘It’s more romantic than I expected.’
I felt a slight flutter, as if I were truly getting married.
The flower girls stopped in front of an archway covered in flowers.
“Lin.”
At the gentle voice, I looked up to see Ilias dressed in a deep blue ceremonial outfit.
His appearance, with his forehead neatly exposed, was quite different from usual. Both covering his forehead and revealing it suited him well.
‘He looks perfect, without a single flaw.’
Though it wasn’t real, thinking that such a handsome man was my husband made me feel that a contract marriage wasn’t so bad after all.
‘The working environment is very good.’
When I smiled at him, he returned the gesture with a bright smile. It was such a sweet atmosphere that it felt like honey was dripping.
Ilias handed me a bouquet made of various blue flowers.
As I accepted the bouquet and took his hand, the music announcing our entrance filled the garden.
We walked behind the flower girls, who scattered flower petals as they entered.
In terms of scale, it was so modest that it could hardly be called a royal wedding.
Empress Sierra’s desire to hold our wedding quietly and cheaply was evident throughout.
Not even high-ranking nobles were invited, aside from the royal family. The banquet was also omitted and replaced with a family meal.
They likely intended to show the nobles how they were disregarding Ilias and me, trying to hurt us, but it didn’t have any impact. After all, this was all just a show.
In fact, a grand wedding would have been more burdensome, so this was just fine.
We approached the podium where the Pope was standing.
The imperial wedding was presided over by the Myaria church, signifying that it received the blessing of the gods.
For royal weddings, the Pope recognized the union of the couple, while high-ranking nobles were represented by cardinals, lower nobles by ministers, and commoners by local priests.
Perhaps because it was a prince’s wedding, the Pope’s words of blessing were truly boring and long.
Is this a common occupational hazard for officiants in any society?
Lost in thought, I quickly focused when the Pope raised his voice.
“Ilias Driopeia, please make your vow to the bride.”
“I, Ilias Driopeia, will walk with you through both rough and smooth paths to create a happy future together.”
“Adeline Senner, please make your vow to the groom.”
“I, Adeline Senner, will share both tears of sorrow and laughter of joy only with you to create a happy future together.”
The Pope nodded his head vigorously, looking satisfied with us. He then turned to the guests and proclaimed loudly.
“In the name of the goddess Aria, I declare that Ilias Driopeia and Adeline Senner are now husband and wife.”
The guests responded with a formal applause, their faces showing indifference.
I had somewhat anticipated the unkind glances from the royal relatives throughout the wedding.
As the atmosphere of congratulations felt awkward, the Pope hurriedly moved on to the next part of the ceremony.
He handed us red wine. After Ilias and I emptied our glasses, the Pope placed his hands on our heads and prayed.
“May the blessings of the goddess be with Ilias Driopeia and Adeline Senner in their future.”
With the prayer of blessing concluded, the wedding came to an end. Compared to how tense I had been, it felt so simple that it was almost a letdown.
Since most of the events that were supposed to take place in the palace had been canceled, Ilias and I were able to move directly to the prince’s palace.
“Are you feeling very tired?”
“It’s better than I expected.”
“Once we have our meal, we can rest, so hang in there a little longer.”
“Yes. Let’s both hang in there.”
At my rather trivial response, Ilias’s eyes softened slightly.
‘What’s this? Is he the type who likes encouragement?’
I thought it was a strange preference, but upon arriving at the prince’s palace, I couldn’t continue that line of thought. We each moved to different places to prepare for the family meal.
I changed out of my wedding dress into a deep blue gown and let down my hair, adorned with a headband studded with sapphires.
After finishing my makeup, I found Ilias waiting for me, already prepared.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After receiving permission to marry, the first instruction I received was to use the title Your Highness after marriage.
To be honest, I felt embarrassed by the title “As,” so I quickly switched it when I had the chance.
The walk to the emperor’s palace for the meal felt different from the last time I had been there. Back then, it was just a brief visit, but now it was different. I would be living here moving forward, with many responsibilities ahead.
‘It would be a lie to say my heart isn’t heavy.’
