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nThe morning of the wedding day.

nAstelle went to see Theor early in the morning and said, “Listen to Grandpa and have fun.”

nTheor rubbed his eyes as he sat on the bed with his still sleepy face.

n“Mom, where are you going?”

n“Today is the wedding day, so I have to go to the temple.”

nNeither Astelle nor Hannah talked about the wedding very much, so neither did Theor have much in mind.

nTheor asked Astelle, “Can’t I go too?”

n“Do you want to go to the wedding?”

n“Yes, I want to see my mom in a wedding dress. I want to go too.”

nAstelle was planning to leave Theor in the Empress Palace with her maternal grandfather without taking him to the wedding.

nThis marriage is not a happy marriage for the bride and groom. She didn’t want to leave the scene of an unhappy marriage in Theor’s memory.

n“Why don’t you take him with you?”

nHer maternal grandfather, who was listening to their conversation, asked sadly.

n“It’s is still his parents’ wedding. If he doesn’t attend, it might burden him later on.”

n“……”

nHer grandfather’s advice shook her heart.

nIt might be better for Theor to remember that the wedding was held like an ordinary wedding.

nAstelle smiled at Theor.

n“Then let’s go together. Get up, eat breakfast, and get ready.”

n“Yes!”

nTheor got up from the bed and went down to the floor.

n“I will take care of Theor. Shouldn’t you be getting ready too?”

n“I just need to put on some makeup.”

nThousands of people have been busy preparing for this wedding for over a month.

nHowever, Astelle, the bride, had nothing to prepare in particular.

nAll she had to do was put on makeup and a dress.

nShe had no intention of preparing any more than that.

nAfter leaving Theor for a while with her maternal grandfather, Astelle returned to her residence.

nWith the help of the maids, she bathed in water mixed with perfumed oil and got ready to do her makeup.

n“Lady Astelle. I brought the dress.”

nHannah went to the dressing room herself and brought the finished dress.

nA dazzlingly beautiful white dress was taken out of a big box.

nIt was the first time she saw the finished dress in person.

nThe bodice on the chest is tightly studded with small diamonds in a lily pattern.

nThe skirt is especially beautiful with layers of pearl silk and muslin.

nThe skirt has three layers, with embroidered pearlescent lace fluttering to the floor.

nIt was incomparably more glamorous than what she had worn to her first wedding before.

nVellian once asked if she knew how much this dress cost.

nIt certainly looks like it cost a lot of money.

nHannah handed the dress to the other maids and picked up the comb.

n“The duke contacted me,” she said.

nAs she dried her still wet hair, Hannah quietly reported.

nAstelle beckoned at other maids to leave.

n“It is said that they caught a man who sneaked into the dressing room at dawn.”

n“What was he trying to do?”

n“I think he tried to apply poison to the embroidery decoration.”

nAstelle looked into the mirror and raised one eyebrow.

n“Poisoning an embroidered decoration on a dress is a useless effort.”

nIf you apply poison to a cloth, it will be found out during the inspection.

nSince it’s a thin cloth, do you want the poison to seep into my skin over time?

n‘That much won’t kill me right away.’

nOr are you going to keep spending money like that to make me die slowly?

n“Go to Sir Lyndon and ask him to investigate the dressing room owner and clerks.”

nHannah said with a slightly confused expression, “I think the duke is still interrogating them.”

nIt was probably torture, not an interrogation.

nOne way or another, she just needed to reveal who was behind all of this, but it was still better for Lyndon to officially investigate and reveal the culprit than her father to find out.

nAstelle wore a corset and a crinoline to widen her skirt.

nA petticoat was put on it and finally, the dress was put on.

nIt was made according to Astelle’s size, so it fit her perfectly.

n“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

n“It’s okay.”

nThen she wore a white veil that stretched down her back.

nThe veil was also elegant and beautiful.

nIt was embroidered with delicate and elaborate floral patterns.

nAfter putting on the veil, she picked up a bouquet of lilies.

nShe could see a bride in a white veil in the mirror.

n“Congratulations, Lady Astelle.”

nHannah, standing behind her, looked at her calmly and said the same congratulations as she did six years ago.

nAstelle in a wedding dress, and Hannah standing next to her.

nEverything was the same as it was six years ago. But she was not as happy as she was then.

n“Let’s go now.”

n***

nKaizen was waiting for Astelle inside the temple.

nThe Great Hall was crowded with people.

nAlmost all the nobles in the capital gathered in the Great Hall for today’s wedding ceremony. As he wished to give Astelle an unprecedentedly splendid wedding, this wedding was much more extravagant and grander than their first wedding in the past.

n“Your Majesty, Lady Astelle has come.”

nKaizen, who was sitting in the waiting room, got up from his seat and went outside.

nAstelle, in a wedding dress, was walking into the temple.

nKaizen, who came out to greet the bride, stopped there.

n“…..!”

nAstelle in a white wedding dress was dazzlingly beautiful. Her face was beautiful even with light makeup, and her platinum blonde hair didn’t lose its radiance despite being covered in a long veil.

nMoreover, her dainty pearlescent dress made her elegant look even more dazzling.

nHer figure, standing with a bouquet of white flowers, was as graceful and noble as a lily.

nKaizen stood there mesmerized for a moment.

nAstelle approached him slowly and bent her knees.

n“Your Majesty, I apologize for being late.”

nHer cold and calm voice brought Kaizen to his senses.

n“……it’s okay.”

nHe hesitated and held out his hand, and Astelle put her hand on his.

nUnlike Kaizen, Astelle’s beautiful face had neither tension nor excitement.

nShe was just looking forward with an icy expression.

nWhen she held Theor’s hand and went out into the garden, she seemed happier than she was now.

n‘……’

nIt was his own fault.

nIn the first place, this is a forced contract marriage.

nThere was no reason for her to be happy.

nRather, he would be glad if she didn’t hate being by his side.

nIn his distant memories, a twenty-year-old Astelle in a wedding dress appeared in his mind.

nAstelle held his hand with her face full of joy and happiness.

nHer hand that he was holding trembled slightly. She looked nervous.

nCold sweat was also dripping from her forehead.

n“Are you nervous?”

nAstelle, who always smiled calmly and gracefully like a doll, was trembling with tension.

nTwenty-year-old Kaizen wrapped his hand around the back of Astelle’s hand.

n“Don’t be nervous, Astelle.”

nHe didn’t mean to calm Astelle down in particular.

nHe just smiled and comforted her just to make her feel better.

nBut Astelle looked back at him with an emotional look.

n“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

nHer voice was full of affection back then.

nBut now Astelle was holding his hand with a statue-like cold stare.

nAstelle never looked back at him as she walked toward the altar.

nKaizen held her hand tighter.

nBut the more he did, the more he felt distant from Astelle.

n***

nThe wedding ceremony was held in the main building of the temple.

nThe light of the candlesticks colored the quiet wedding hall with a soft golden light.

nThe two walked towards the altar.

nAstelle stood in front of the altar with Kaizen beside her.

nI can’t believe I’m repeating this boring ceremony with this man again.

nIs there anything more bizarre than marrying the same emperor again?

nAstelle herself will likely be remembered in the history of the empire as the empress who married the same emperor after being divorced.

nThe old high priest gave an endless series of sermons and congratulations to the two of them.

n“Now, please sign your marriage vows.”

nThe two most important things in marriage are the marriage vows and the first night.

nIf the two are done properly, the marriage is legally completed.

nKaizen first took the pen and wrote his long name that spanned two lines.

nAstelle also took the pen and wrote her own name next to the emperor’s name.

nThe old high priest, who confirmed their signature, declared to the two, “It’s done. In the name of the gods, you two are now officially married.”

n***

n‘What happened?’

nWatching the wedding ceremony, the Marchioness tightly gripped the handkerchief in nervousness.

nShe had sent someone to poison Astelle’s wedding dress but he did not return. Then she sent her maid to find out what had happened, but even her maid was gone.

nShe wanted to send the marquis’ knights, but to do so, she had to explain the situation to her husband, the Marquis.

n‘If things go wrong……’

nShe didn’t have the courage to tell her husband about this.

n‘What the hell happened?’

nWhat if they get caught?

nAs she watched the wedding ceremony anxiously, one of the guards approached her.

n“Madam.”

nAnd he said, “I have something to tell you. Please come this way.”

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