“Take off the jacket.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
In response to Karl’s command, the knights immediately tore off the man’s jacket rather than simply removing it. The rough hands of the knights pressed on the wounded areas, causing the man to grimace in pain.
“Hand.”
Do you want to see his hand?
As the black coat was taken off, the man appeared younger and smaller than expected. With such a petite frame, he could easily flutter over the rooftops.
After stripping off the man’s clothes, a knight drew a knife and cut the binding around the man’s hands. Just when it seemed like they might release his hands, they brought them to the front and tied them tightly again.
Only then did Karl slowly advance toward the man.
His deep blue eyes, filled with inscrutable thoughts, stared at the man from head to toe. Karl’s gaze lingered on the back of the man’s hands where a sentence in a script that seemed like a foreign language was written. Though difficult to decipher at first glance, Karl judged it to be ancient.
Recalling a recent conversation with a merchant, Karl remembered a story about a tall man with a tattooed foreign phrase between his thumb and index finger, who sold bread to him after flipping his black coat inside out.
“These are your marks.”
To Karl, this tattoo seemed to be a symbol of belonging to a certain group.
Having encountered individuals with the same tattoo at a train station on their way to the capital and now on Celeste in the Kellever Square, Karl was now certain that both terrorist attacks were orchestrated by the same person. All he needed to do now was uncover who was behind it all. Karl’s expression turned cold.
***
When Karl made up his mind, things progressed rapidly as though at the speed of light. The day after I woke up, Karl sought out the Lady Pulcheria immediately at sunrise, requesting the presence of a bishop to oversee the proceedings, even though no priest was necessary for the occasion.
Thus, with the bishop to assist in the oath-taking ceremony and Lady Pulcheria as a witness to the marriage, a simple ceremony with just the two of them in attendance was conducted. It had only been two days since I unexpectedly found myself under attack at Kellever Square and awakened.
I still felt queasy and dizzy when moving suddenly or walking for too long. It was a clear sign that my body had not fully recovered. However, thanks to Karl’s consideration, officials from the Ministry of Magic visited every hour, generously using magic stones to perform healing spells, quickly alleviating major symptoms.
“I will officiate the ceremony of union between Karl Rudolf Johann Albrecht, the Grand Duke, and Celeste Aisha Louisette, the Viscountess. May these beautiful lovers, blessed by the divine, be filled with grace and abundance…”
A man clad entirely in white from head to toe ascended the platform. Presumably, he was the bishop who would witness the ceremony.
The setting for the ceremony was not the Marquis’ Castle or the Viscountess’ Manor but the Grand Duke’s palace gardens.
Due to the incidents from two days prior, Karl decided to keep Valerie and me hidden securely in his mansion, away from prying eyes. Consequently, the Grand Duke was busy receiving guests from early morning. Lady Pulcheria arrived first, followed by the bishop.
The rush to conduct the ceremony left no time for elaborate preparations or grand attire. In just one day, the Grand Duke’s servants managed to ready everything needed for the ceremony, making it a truly splendid event given the circumstances.
“With love, peace, and faith towards each other…”
The deliberate pace of the bishop’s speech unexpectedly prolonged the ceremony.
However, it’s amazing how I can feel so detached from Karl and Louisette’s wedding as if I was just attending a distant relative’s wedding to eat, without any real thoughts. It didn’t feel real to me, almost like I was just there to eat at someone else’s wedding, not my own.
After this ceremony, I will become like the male protagonist of the original, marrying Duke Karl Albrecht.
The original title, “Roses of LaHart,” with the rose symbolizing Laila, is completely shattered, so the original is completely destroyed. It was now irreversible. Well, it was already irreversible since Valeri appeared, but now it was truly set in stone.
“Please face each other.”
As I momentarily drifted in thought, the officiator finished. Now it was time for the bride and groom to exchange vows, following the order. Carefully, I turned to the side to avoid stepping on my gown with my dress shoes.
“Please now profess your love to each other.”
This is so awkward. Is this how wedding ceremonies always are? Unable to muster the courage to face Karl in front of me, I nervously eyed only the second button of his shirt.
“We will seal this vow with a kiss.”
What? What is happening? My hand, hidden behind the bouquet, tensed. As Karl slowly lifted the veil covering my face in my surprise, I was left blinking, not knowing what to do next.
We might end up kissing for real at this rate. My heart pounded loudly, the sound echoing in my ears. Karl showed no sign of hesitation.
Our faces drew closer bit by bit. Where should I even look?
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his approaching face, but I couldn’t avoid his gaze since he was holding my cheeks. In an awkward moment, Karl’s face came right up to mine, just inches apart.
“Take a break.”
“Yes?”
A small sound, difficult to distinguish between laughter or whispering, brushed against his cheek along with his breath.
Before Karl could understand the meaning of what was said, a dense scent was felt at the tip of his nose. Before he could react, something landed on his lips.
His shoulders involuntarily tensed. Karl’s words meant to relax, for he was now going to kiss my lips.
I couldn’t believe that this strange and unfamiliar experience of meeting lips with another person was happening to me as well. His hand on my cheek felt warm. I was so nervous that I even forgot to breathe.
A chuckle. This time, it was clearly a laugh. As Karl parted his lips, he gave a faint smile, visible only to me.
What did that smile mean? My face grew warm. My chest trembled, and even my breath quickened.
I couldn’t tell if it was the embarrassment of kissing in front of others or the fact that my heart was racing from kissing Karl that made me feel this way. All I could sense was my heartbeat pounding throughout my body.
***
There was a good reason why the engagement ceremony was hurriedly arranged.
While discussing a serious matter with Minister Linke, the head of the Magic Ministry, Karl announced that he had to leave Lahart and go to Duke Otto.
When asked suddenly why he had to leave the capital, Karl’s expression as he answered that he needed to keep me and Valerie as far away from danger as possible was more determined than ever before.
Summoning both the head of the Security Forces and the head of the Magic Ministry, Karl explained that the curse on me was a forbidden dark magic in the empire.
If someone is cursed using dark magic, it is a grave offense. It becomes not just a matter for the Magic Ministry and the Security Forces.
While I was asleep, Minister Linke called the officials from the Magic Ministry to thoroughly investigate the dark magic affecting me, discovering that the curse was very ancient. Although the identity of the caster of the curse was unknown, Minister Linke advised Karl to keep me away from the host as a precaution.
The warning also included that unless the caster of the curse is found and the dark magic completely removed, such incidents could occur again at any time.
After deciding to hide completely or stay as far away as possible, Karl chose to entrust his safety in a distant place.
After the engagement ceremony, preparations to leave began immediately. How long they would be gone for was uncertain.
As they had to move inconspicuously, following Karl’s orders to prepare minimally and simply, the servants packed accordingly. They packed two sets of everyday clothes and pajamas, minimizing decorations on the outing clothes for ease of movement.
“Please make sure to take this with you.”
“What is this?”
Minister Linke approached and handed something over in his hand. What he handed over was a small pocket the size of a palm.
A clinking sound could be heard from inside. Is it a stone?
