CH 4

The reason why the high society was in a turmoil was because of their affectionate marriage since a marriage full of affection was rarely found in high society.

“I heard that Argenta and Alors were on bad terms.”

“Yes, the three duke families are always on bad terms.”

“So how…”

It was natural that their marriage would be a story that shook the empire. It was a marriage between two conflicting families, after all, just like Romeo and Juliet.

It was given to announce their relationship as an affectionate one, despite knowing it would cause a lot of turmoil in the high society. Otherwise, they had no choice but to let the outsider know about Ferro.

The three duke families have an unrivaled position due to their abilities.

It was a fatal weakness if it was known that their family head could not properly develop their abilities without Ferro. So, this marriage had to be an affectionate one that blossomed despite the hostile atmosphere between the two families.

In short, they had to be seen as very sweet newlyweds to them.

“Are you confident in acting that way?”

In the original, Diello Argenta was criticized for failing to act. The original description was as follows.

⎡ The innocent and sweet man who couldn’t lie was busy following Krua Alors around, overwhelmed by her unruly behavior. ⎦

However, today would be different. She had no intention of letting them gossip about her and Diello. Meanwhile, the Duke of Alors kept nagging her for not being able to control her husband.

“That’s…”

Diello Argenta’s response, who smiled slightly as if he were troubled, was as expected.

There was only one solution.

“Then, promise me one thing.”

He needed to act. So before entering the banquet hall, Krua got very close to Diello Argenta and whispered.

“I’ll lead, just follow me.”

Just don’t be awkward… he could at least do that, right?

The way to propose in this empire was unique. To be exact, the process of informing others of their engagement was unique. She thought as she walked carefully so that the white veil covering her face wouldn’t fall off.

“The Duke of Alors’ daughter, Lady Krua Alors is entering!”

After that, she saw the nobles waiting to hear about the groom. Even though she couldn’t see properly beyond the white veil, none of them wondered why she didn’t enter with Diello.

It was because that was how proposing worked in the Empire.

It was already known that Alors and Argenta would be related anyway through gossip between the nobles. It was the job of both families, the parties of the marriage, to ‘pretend to leak the information by mistake.’

After that, when both families host the banquet, the other nobles participate as if they did not know anything. And while looking at the bride-to-be in a white veil, they begin to talk about the gossip of the two families, guessing who the groom that would take the bride.

“I didn’t know that Duke Argenta and Duke Alors would be related like this.”

“Who would have imagined it?”

“What would the Duke of Cartiel feel?”

They were talking quietly, but she could hear everything.

Since two of the three duke families that kept each other in check had become related, it was certain that the state of the remaining family, Cartiel, had become unclear. So, people were divided between talking about her wearing the bride’s veil and Duke Cartier’s family.

‘Cartiel of the Wind.’

Duke Cartiel was now in its heyday thanks to the powerful head of the family, Siette, who was ranked among the top five heads in Cartiel’s history. It was common knowledge that the stronger the head was, the stronger the knights who received the power of Cartiel would be.

The desert Cartiel defended was said to be empty of monsters due to their strong winds.

The people of Cartiel Duchy were talking among themselves with serious faces. Among them, a man who appeared to be in his thirties was the great Duke Cartiel.

“….”

As a family that controlled wind, he often wandered around when he was young, and because of that, unlike the other dukes, he was able to befriend not only the upper echelons of the Empire but also commoners.

Even so, they would have less intelligence than Argenta, who had planted their people throughout the Empire for several generations.

“Oh my, here’s the new bride.”

While she was looking at Cartiel, she saw young ladies acting awkwardly and greeting her. In the meantime, the nobles who came without any information were surprised to see that there really was a new bride.

“What kind of gentleman will lift the veil of the new bride…”

Only those who want to be her husband could lift this white veil. And implicitly, it was impossible for prospective newlyweds to enter together, so the new bride had to walk alone in the banquet hall until her husband came.

While struggling with the ladies who talked, the rest were still talking about who would take the daughter from one of the three duke families.

“The Duke of Argenta, Diello is entering!”

Then a loud servant’s voice was heard.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

She remembered the conversation she had with Diello before they parted.

“I’ll lead, just follow me.”

“Is that okay?”

A black-haired young man who blushed at her words was coming into the banquet hall.

“Oh, my.”

“The Duke of Argenta has grown up without me knowing.”

“Oh…”

The white suit had dark blue decorations, it symbolized the infinite sea that Argenta defended. In addition, the decoration also matched his blue eyes.

Diello, who neatly arranged his new black hair, was going straight to me.

The time had come.

Krua smiled under the veil. Originally, grooms who were good at acting or funny would come to the bride after snooping around, pretending not to have found the bride. They did that just to pester the new bride.

However, Diello Argenta was not a man like that.

Step, step.

He went straight to her and stopped in front of her.

“….”

The nobles who made way for him were holding their breath around them.

“Krua.”

Diello’s slightly quivering voice rang in the banquet hall. It may be because his acting was awkward, but it seemed to have set fire to the hearts of the nobles around him. He was like a really shy new groom.

“Yes, Duke of Argenta.”

When she looked up at him, his fingertips touched her white veil slightly.

Contrary to the novel description of him not being bulky, he had strong hands. When she nodded to him, who touched the veil carefully, his fingertips lifted the veil. The pure white veil that covered her neck was lifted. Then, he lowered his body and entered the veil.

“….”

“….”

Under the veil, all the other lights were covered as she could only see herself in his blue eyes. Krua’s heart leaped even though she knew it was only acting. At this banquet, only the two of them know the secret of this marriage.

They were accomplices from this moment on.

“Be my bride, Krua Alors.”

His low voice rang through the quiet hall. As he went a little closer to her, Diello left a light kiss at the tip of her nose.

Ding.

The sweet sound of a bell rang through the hall.

“Diello.”

As she whispered softly, Diello came a little closer to her and kissed her.

It was a light kiss on the upper lip.

It was also this kiss from the original that made revealed his actions. At this moment, when the groom had to show his possessive desire for the bride, he kissed her as if he were really reluctant to do so and quickly escaped the veil of the new bride.

Of course, he had a reason.

“…It would be embarrassing to take away the first kiss of Lady Krua, who doesn’t really have feelings for me.”

In the original, even though he made it clear, it now had become a problem. Krua put her hand slightly on his shoulder when he was about to step back.

“….!”

She whispered to him.

“I’m fine.”

She whispered with a voice that would only be heard within the veil before opening her mouth slightly again.

“I said follow my lead.”

Uttering very quietly, Krua glanced up to face him.

‘So, do it properly.’

As she wrapped one hand around his waist, this time, she kissed his upper lip slightly with her mouth and took his breath away. On the other hand, Diello opened his eyes wide as if he was embarrassed by the surprise kiss.

It was a kiss so deep that it heated up a little under the veil.

“Oh, my…!”

People cheered. For those around them who couldn’t see the inside of the veil, they would be seen as a sweet couple.

Still, this was not enough.

Krua whispered when their lips parted from each other.

“Do it boldly.”

Diello’s hand did not even cover her back yet, so she pushed his back with the hand that circled his waist.

“….!”

Naturally, they became closer. Only then did Diello’s arm, which was wandering in the air, embrace her.

“Act as if you love me.”

They became newlyweds after loving each other passionately.

It should look like that, right?

Come on.

The last thing she saw after she whispered like that was his blue eyes that sparkled. What was he thinking?

While she was thinking about that, he suddenly embraced her tightly.

As if he was determined, his arms were completely glued to her waist and back. Before she could breathe in, Diello took her breath away completely. It was a kiss that was so intense that her legs became weak.

“….!”

She felt like she was in a daze. After a long kiss for a few minutes, he whispered to her.

“Like this?”

He whispered something that was only heard inside the veil. At the same time, his blue eyes facing her were shaking slightly as if he felt bad.

Krua managed to catch her breath by looking into his eyes.

“Don’t think you’re taking away my first kiss. This is what I want.”

Diello seemed a little surprised by what she said, as if she must have read his mind.

The next moment, she hugged him once again, more deeply this time. Today, they had to trick a lot of people. Even before she even had the chance to talk, Diello’s powerful hands wrapped around the back of her head.

“Ah…!”

He soon kissed her so deeply that she forgot for a moment that this marriage was a contract marriage—close and fierce enough to feel the heat even over several layers of cloth.

“Wow!”

Above us, cheers and applause from the nobles poured out.

⌈ Diello Argenta and Krua Alors were passionately in love, despite the feud between their families. ⌋

Today was the beginning of a story that would shake the empire.