Chapter 19
"It was difficult and extreme… so someone jumped out the window!"
Rose turned around to look out the window. The beautiful arched window where the sun was pouring in earlier was now painted black, shrouded in complete darkness.
The purple curtains fluttered unpleasantly as the wind blew through the ajar window.
Rose let Natalie retire for the night leaving her all alone in her room.
Finding out that there were such unexpected things going on behind the curtains, caused me to feel strange, and unnerved.
The air felt chilly, making gooseb.u.mps appear, as if there was another person in the room with her.
Whoosh!
Instead of a gentle breeze, strong gusts of wind blew through the widow billowing the curtains.
Rose walked straight to the window and opened it wide. Sticking her neck out, she looked down towards the ground, but only saw the dark stone steps and black forest. The moment Rose peered down from her tower window, memories of when she was pushed to her death by Ca.s.siax before returning overlapped with her vision.
Why did Olivia Lancert jump from here?
I knew this was the room where it happened in the past, but it didn"t feel scary or unlucky.
On the contrary, I felt suffocated and sad.
What pressured her to do it? Maybe she went through the same unfair thing as me because of someone"s slander.
That was the question that was constantly on rotation in my mind.
Rose locked the window with a very calm face and receded a step back into the centre of her room.
“No matter what happened to you in the past, I won"t end up like you. Just you watch me, Olivia.” Rose said determinedly, looking at her reflection in the window.
Four days pa.s.sed, and the wedding day had finally arrived.
The maids fixed the veil over Rose"s head, adding gold floral decorations. The golden veil, which fell gently, draping down her delicate back, and spread elegantly across the floor, as it trailed behind her.
After dressing up, Rose smiled and glanced back at Natalie as the maids stepped back. A dark green dress embroidered with intricate patterns of gold thread, perfectly tailored to her slim body.
Her red hair, which was laid out naturally on one shoulder with gold lace intertwined, looked exceptionally powerful in comparison to the dress.
“Miss… truly… oh, my G.o.d.” Natalie couldn"t speak properly and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
When did our Lady Rose, who is still as lovely as a little girl, become such a beautiful woman?
It was upsetting and such a waste to see a scene with such a brilliant bride alone.
If it were Solstern, our Lady Rose could have been the n.o.blest bride, receiving millions of blessings.
It was heartbreaking that Natalie was the only one with her in this precious once in a lifetime moment, without any family members to stand by her side.
“…What do you think?” Rose asked Natalie with her pretty eyes twinkling.
“You look like a G.o.ddess who just came down from the sky. I"ve never seen such a dazzling bride.”
Rose laughed bitterly at Natalie"s words.
“Yes.”
She doesn"t know, but this is the second time I"ve heard this from Natalie. I"ve already heard it at my first wedding before I came back.
Natalie was excited at the time, but now her face holds a very upset expression.
“There are no counts or personal attendants. If only the countess could see you too. Oh, my G.o.d, my lady is getting married all alone.” Natalie repeated this as if it were the most unfair thing in the world.
The sky was dazzlingly blue and the sun was high.
Whenever the cool, sweet wind blew, Rose"s veil fluttered in the chapel like an angel"s wings in the sky.
“Oh, my G.o.d.”
“Good Heavens!”
The servants and maids, who were busy preparing for the wedding, stopped walking and watched as the bride pa.s.sed by.
In front of the chapel, Maxim and knights were awaiting the bride. The knights dressed neatly in their uniforms that were a surprising white. Even the lunatic Tulio finally showed the charismatic side of a division commander, Rishar and Yansen, the administrator were also in attendance.
The maids and n.o.ble young ladies blushed as they peeped at the men.
“You"re finally marrying!” Rishar announced cheerfully.
“We, Helabant, are now able to ease our worries about the successors.”
“Tsk tsk. But Miss Alya is too depressing to look at.” At Tulio"s words, they glanced at Mrs. Katriana"s cousin, Ayla.
Ayla, as beautiful as a lily, had swollen eyes that were still puffy from crying all night. An expression of resentment, as if something precious had been taken from her, aroused sympathy from the onlookers. The knights clicked their tongues with a pitiful look since they knew how much she adored Maxim.
Maxim, who was about to marry, was so calm that today seemed like just another ordinary day in the year instead of his wedding. He was like a groom who had to have a wedding ceremony out of a sense of duty, and responsibility rather than love.
There was no excitement or joy seen in him that other grooms would usually emit on a monumental day, and no antic.i.p.ation to greet his lovely wife.
Yansen shuddered as he watched the scene.
“Oh! Here comes the bride!”
The knights took a few deep breaths and looked at Rose.
Maxim reached out his arm to Rose, who was just in front of him, but she looked down and hesitated.
“Are you regretting this already? It"s too late to regret now.”
He took Rose"s hand and put it on his arm.
“I don"t regret anything.” Rose spoke in a resolute voice and entered the hall alongside Maxim
The elders and n.o.bles of Helabant were standing on either side of the chapel watching them. The murmurs and stinging eyes focused on the bride who hailed from Solstern, became arrows that pierced Rose as she stepped onto the aisle.
This is not a real marriage. We"re just acting.
As they neared the podium, the more she faced the bishop"s face while smiling gracefully, the more uncomfortable Rose felt, and her stomach started to flip. At this sacred wedding, falsely pledging to be together forever as a couple seemed like committing a tremendous sin.
Maxim carelessly looked at Rose, who was slowing down like a sheep being dragged to the altar.
“You don"t have to feel guilty. I"m sorry if you look like a sinner.”
Rose looked up at Maxim, he was walking looking straight forward, completely emotionless.
“Why are you marrying me?”
Come to think of it, it was too late to be contemplating the reasons behind the marriage. He said he was marrying her because she was definitely worth using, to him, this marriage is just a means to accomplish his purpose.
But I haven"t heard his reason yet.
“Hush.” Maxim put his hand slightly to his mouth and glanced, telling her to look ahead.
Before they knew it, the two were at the front of the podium where the bishop stood.
I never wanted to get married again.
Standing like this again as a bride, the past came rushing back to my mind like a fragment of a dream.
A dreamy wedding with Ca.s.siax.
His cold treatment that soon began after.
The fall of a family.
Unlike her, who was losing her standing, Sasha, Ca.s.siax"s mistress was in high spirits.
It was a cloudy day when I was pushed out of the tower by Ca.s.siax.
Those moments were painful.
As if dead, the chapel suddenly became quiet and dark.
Maxim Lancert, the praying bishop, and all guests disappeared, so only she remained alone in front of the large cross.
Suddenly, her surroundings started spinning. Rose was reeling with sweat and dizziness. At that moment, a large hand held her back, his hand gently traced down her spine and wrapped around her waist.
Turning her head, Maxim Lancet had already completed his marriage vows and was waiting for her turn.
Rose vowed in a quivering voice br.i.m.m.i.n.g with embarra.s.sment, “Rose Etoile takes Maxim Lancert as her husband and vows to fulfill her… duty and live her life… swearing to love and respect him.”
When the bishop announced that they were now married, Maxim lifted the veil and grabbed her chin.
Rose looked up at him with shaky eyes.
It"s just one of these annoying rituals for him anyway, so I thought he"d brush my lips slightly then immediately draw back.
Maxim, however, held her waist firmly with one hand and attached Rose to his firm chest.
"Ah!"
Surprised, his lips struck against Rose"s slightly parted lips.
His tongue slid through her soft lips, and in a flash was inside her mouth, as if conquering her.
My lips that were drawn open forcingly tingled and my mind became numb.
I couldn"t breathe because I was surprised by the unexpected fierce kiss.
She clenched her fist and raised her hand to remove him, but Maxim grabbed Rose"s hand and wrapped it around his neck.
Her legs weakened and she had no choice but to tightly grab his neck. His golden eyes, which glowed in satisfaction, looked down at her like a beast looking at its prey.
When Rose looked at him with resentment as if asking what the h.e.l.l he was doing, Maxim slowly removed his lips.
I was finally able to breathe when I was released from his strong grip.
Maxim curved up the corners of his mouth and gently rubbed his salivcovered lips with his thumb.
His eyes were smiling coldly at her, looking straight at her embarra.s.sed face.
The veil once again fell over Rose"s stone-hard face.
What the h.e.l.l. For what…!
Rose looked at Maxim with angry eyes, but he looked calm as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary.
After the ceremony, a huge feast was set up outside the castle.
While everyone in the castle enjoyed eating and drinking, there was a subtle airflow from the most splendid table in the center.
“Congratulations on your marriage.” When a n.o.ble with a bulging belly gave a toast, everyone in their seats raised a gla.s.s for Maxim and Rose.
Rose sat somewhat calm like most new brides and watched the situation as the atmosphere flowed.
Strange faces, eyes that have already rejected her.
I could not come forward since I was still unaware of the problems that arose.
“Our Helabant is welcoming another Solstern mistress. I wish it to be peaceful this time.” Mrs. Kartriana proclaimed with a gesture of courtesy, but she couldn"t hide her scornful glare aimed at Rose as if looking down on a child.
The n.o.bles who sat together watched with interest how Mrs. Kartriana belittled the new queen this time around.