Chapter 7 It had been a wedding, but — it’s so shocking
There had been a surge in my schedule starting from the engagement announcement until today, but I was somehow able to weather it through guts and spirit.
My sisters, who had gone to the countryside to be brides, were gathered for my wedding ceremony this time too.
Only Dorothea-oneesama, who lived in the royal capital, could not make it for some reason. It seems she was told to rest at home by the doctor. They say she’s about to give birth soon. Her scheduled delivery date had been a little while ago, so it’s not strange that she might give birth at any time.
Not only that, the diagnosis was that she’ll likely have twins this time. To think, a niece and a nephew will both be born in one go, it’s like a dream. I was eagerly antic.i.p.ating the birth more than before.
It’s too bad she couldn’t make it for the wedding ceremony right now, but she looked delighted for me when I went to visit her clad in my wedding dress just before the ceremony.
When Dorothea-oneesama said, 「I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. I’m sure your husband was delighted as well」, I realized I haven’t shown it to the person that will be my husband.
Since it looks like she’ll get angry at me if I told her that, I replied with a lie, saying 「that’s rightmonotone」.
And so, the wedding ceremony was held without delay.
I was clad in an extravagant wedding dress, and Erich Von Weimar wore white knight’s uniform.
When I praised him saying he looked quite nice, he humbly stated 「your words are too good for the likes of me」.
With such a flawless n.o.ble look, hearing the man being humble about his appearance only sounds sarcastic. But I thought how nice it would be to lead a future with him looking modest just like this.
I stood in front of the door to the chapel where the guests await.
It was our neice and nephew who transported the wedding bands and my veil for us. The children from the Weimar family were helping too, so cuties have gathered all around us.
As I looked at the children having fun at the chapel entrance, something unexpected happened.
「Kyaa!」
When I heard Agathe, the oldest of my sisters’ children, shriek and turned around, I saw a boy from the Weimar family pulling on her braids.
Surprised by the unexpected situation, I nearly dropped the bouqet I was holding.
In the next moment, I heard a rebuking voice to my side.
「――Emil, what are you doing！？」
It was Erich Von Weimar who gave the boy from the Earl’s family, Emil, a warning and forced himself in between him and Agathe.
He told the boy to let go of the girl’s braids then apologized to the teary-eyed Agathe.
「Why would you do such a thing?」
Under his severe questioning, Emil pouted and turned away.
When he pressed the question, the boy had answered, “It’s because Agathe looked prim”.
Even though Erich Von Weimar had his brows furrowed, as soon he heard the reason, he’d let out a deep, long sigh.
「Even if you like a girl, you mustn’t be violent. Ever.」
‘Ooh, I get it’, I thought.
Emil liked Agathe so he pulled her hair to make her to notice him.
In a six year old boy’s mind, that action probably had the greatest effect.
He had a serious talk with Emil on how to treat a girl.
I knelt in front of Agathe, who looked like she was about to cry.
Being the kind girl she was, she’d said, “your dress will get dirty”, but I a.s.sured her saying it was fine.
She’d boasted that she got her hair braided by her mother. It must have been quite a shock.
The braid that had been beautifully woven had come apart just a little.
Wiping the tears on the corner of Agathe’s eyes, I asked her if I could try tying it back. She gave me a small nod.
And so, I braided her hair just like how my sister had done it. I think I got it to the way it had been before.
Finally, I plucked a piece of flower that was pinned on my head and slipped it behind her ear.
「Are you sure?」, she asked with a worried look on her face. When I replied with an “of course”, she gave me a slight smile.
「T-thank you, Aunt Hermina」
「You’re most welcome」
I’m relieved that the smile returned on Agathe’s face.
To the other girls, I adorned their hairs with the flowers from the bouquet.
To the boys, I pinned it to their breastpocket.
Finally, I handed out a flower to Emil.
Since he’d already been thoroughly chewed off, I didn’t say anything.
Instead, I gave him a flower with a smile, and yet, I wound up making him terrified.
How did it come to that?
When I looked back at Erich Von Weimar, he had a troubled look on his face .
He offered a quiet apology when our eyes met.
With the commotion settled, the bell informing the commencement of the wedding chimed.
The door opened, and the solemn performance of the organ began to flow in.
I gently put a hand under my husband-to-be’s arm.
With what ended up to be a lonesome flower of a bouquet in my hand, we began walking step by step to the path leading to the altar .
The priest proclaimed the opening words and read out the oath of marriage.
We exchanged the wedding rings and wrote our signatures in the marriage certificate as proof of the oath.
Then the priest urged us to kiss as a sign of love.
A kiss worthy as proof of love? …how was that done again?
In the briefing sessions before the wedding, we only talked about miscellaneous things for the guests and how the children will be helping.
‘Don’t tell me, he won’t do it in the lips, right?’, I thought, alarmed.
In the midst of this, my veil was raised up.
I mouthed 「Do it on the cheek！」 at the man smiling as sweet as honey.
He nodded obediently.
While I was feeling relieved, he did something unexpected for me.
Why! He bent on one knee there, took my hand, and kissed the back of my hand!
I nearly shrieked in surprise, but I managed to stop myself.
I told you to quit doing that — or maybe not. I’d only retorted that in my head.
But who’d imagine he’d start acting like he was pledging allegiance to me in public?
When I did a quick check of the guests, I found that even the prince he was serving was in attendance.
And in the next instance, I almost let out another cry.
I was thinking I’ve seen the middle-aged man dressed like a servant sitting beside the prince somewhere before, but it was actually the king!! Don’t tell me, he was attending incognito?!
What’s more, sitting beside him as well, was the queen disguised as a maid!
The surprise hadn’t ended there. I became all the more startled.
Isn’t that next to the queen and disguised as a man, the first princess!?
And wasn’t the man in the knight uniform sitting behind her, the princess’s fiance, the third prince of the neighboring country?
And though I’d pretended not to see him, the crown prince was also at the back seat.
And he was heavily dressed in drags for some reason.
Maybe he was a fairy who was giving our wedding its blessings. I pretended that I hadn’t seen it all the same.
With the whole royal family in attendance, the outrageous deed that the man, who became my husband, did, was completely wiped from my mind.
We left the chapel behind in this disturbing situation.
A horse-drawn carriage had been prepared outside and we were expected to go on our honeymoon in that manner.
But I feel like my eyes had rolled back into my head and remained dazed for a while.
◇◇◇
“It looks like we’ve arrived”, I came to my senses upon my husband’s words. It had turned completely dim outside.
Outside the window, the large building, where we’ll be staying at today, towered over us.
He offered a hand to me when I alighted from the carriage still in a daze. I thanked him and decided to take him up on his offer.
「Are you alright? If you’d like, I can bring you to the room」
「No, it’s okay. I’m fine」
Even though I was a little unsteady, I walked to the room on my own two feet.
I settled myself on the couch in the centre of the room and let out a deep sigh.
「Good job today」
「――Yes」
My husband didn’t seem to be tired.
He might be used to staying in a place where a lot of people gather. As expected of him, it was all to serve the diplomat second prince.
「At any rate, it was surprising, wasn’t it?」
Oh, so I guess even someone like him would be surprised by the royal attendees — or so I thought.
「To think my nephew would do something like pulling a girl’s hair to attract her attention」
「――you’re stuck on that?!」
Upon his unexpected words, I wound up raising my voice and retorting unintentionally.
It seems for him, his nephew pulling a girl’s hair was more unexpected than the royal attendees.
I’m stupified at how far his mindset was to common sense.