CH 34

A week has passed since then.

And today, I declared surrender in the morning.

“Stop it now! I lost!”

There was one reason.

“I’m not going on a diet, I said I’m not going to do it!”

It was because of the incident where I said I was going on a diet.

“Is that real, Ellia?”

“Whew. I heard the story. Everyone, withdraw.”

Calib and Cedric said in my declaration of surrender.

At Cedric’s order, the people who brought food, desserts, and fruits to break the table began to clean up.

I watched it with tired eyes.

A week ago, while me, Cedric, and Calib were still in the capital’s townhouse, Renold’s death sentence was decided.

At that time, Cedric and I hurried back to the Grand Duke’s Castle in order not to show Calib the worst.

It was Calib who brought Renold to trial, but we had an obligation to protect his childish innocence (?).

Returning to the Grand Duke’s Castle, many changes followed.

The most representative was the attitude of the vassals who were negative about me and Cedric’s marriage.

[How would you like your wedding to be?]

[If the weather is nice, how about doing it outdoors?]

[How about supporting the will of the late Grand Duke and Grand Duchess and doing it in the Grand Temple?]

As they had opposed it, they changed their attitude like turning their palms over and put all their heart and soul to push  the wedding.

It was only natural for the group to disband as the leader, Renold, was executed.

But I didn’t expect them to stick this close.

In addition, a lot of the gazes that were ignoring Calib disappeared.

It seems that the reason why they had been cold to him was because of the unexpected profit they had received from Renold.

Anyway, thanks to the support of many people, most of the preparations for the ceremony were completed in just a week.

They proceeded with the work as if they had been waiting.

Having had such a crazy day, the wedding was just around the corner.

But there was one problem.

That is I, as a bride, wasn’t prepared at all.

I realized it three days ago.

So I made a diet declaration.

…Well, I’ve withdrawn now.

I sat down with my knees bent in front of the approaching Calib.

“Do you hate that I’m on a diet, Calib?”

“Yeah.”

Calib replied with a single sword.

He nodded his head so loudly that the glow of his red eyes remained as an afterimage.

Calib said as he fiddled with my hair, squatting in front of me.

“I don’t want Ellia to disappear from this world at all. When you lose weight, that weight will disappear.”

“…Uh, huh.”

I never thought I’d hear from a 7-year-old’s mouth the words I’d only seen on the internet.

Of course, I know why Calib and Cedric are so opposed.

Calib liked the food I made, and Cedric could only taste the food I made.

It was obvious that I would make less food if I went on a diet.

But just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I don’t cook…

For a moment with my trembling heart, I laughed softly as there was nothing I could do about it.

“Still, it’s not another diet, it’s a diet I do before marriage, though?”

“Anyway, it’s the same with diet.”

Just in case I tried to coax him, Calib said firmly.

“Alright, alright. I really won’t go on a diet.”

“Is that true?”

“Yeah. Well… It’s been three days since I made up my mind, but still.”

“It’s okay. If anyone says anything, just blame me.”

Calib said solemnly, as if he would be my strong backing.

At least he’s 7 years old.

These days, and even when we were at the townhouse, he ate well so his cheeks grew a bit.

In short, they’re cute enough to make you want to bite them.

I stroked his hair gently, as Calib did to me.

As if my hand felt good, he sat still, dyeing his cheek red.

It was at this time.

“Calib. It’s Business Administration class time.”

“Already?”

Cedric has delivered disappointing news.

“Time goes by too quickly when I’m with Ellia.”

Calib grumbled because it was sad.

I was puzzled and asked him.

“You don’t want to go to class?”

“It’s not that, but… I want to spend more time with Ellia.”

Business Administration is Calib’s favorite class.

Even in the townhouse, he used a video communication device to study, but I can’t believe he’s lazy because he wants to be with me!

I want to ask him to hang out with me.

But unfortunately, I also have a schedule today.

Even this schedule can’t be postponed.

Because today is the day to try on the finished dress.

Suddenly, Cedric looked at me.

‘It’s difficult.’

It was such an expression.

Cedric loved Calib, who was getting more and more childish as the days went on.

But he was sometimes perplexed.

Especially when he clings to me like this.

Maybe it’s because it’s not something he can do for him.

In the midst of this, time passed and the news that the business administration teacher had arrived.

Finally, Calib sighed and left.

With drooping shoulders and droopy steps…

I felt uncomfortable the whole time I was spending it like a child who was looking forward to whether he would catch me or call me.

I was only looking in the direction Calib was walking when Cedric said.

“It is said that the salon’s Madam has arrived. We’ll go too.”

He escorted me naturally.

Before the main ceremony, there was advice from the etiquette teacher that it would be good to get into a habit in the body even a little.

[From now on, Sir Cedric, please escort Miss Ellia as if you’re breathing. It’s as polite as walking on the wedding road.]

Following her advice, Cedric and I would walk side by side wherever we went.

Even if it means going to the kitchen for a late-night snack every evening.

Fortunately, Cedric was a natural born man in many ways.

Far from being escorted like me, he was able to walk comfortably even for people more accustomed to supporting people and pulling wheelchairs.

“I deliberately set it to Calib’s favorite business administration class, but I must have made a mistake.”

I put my hand on Cedric’s arm with a slightly more natural look.

“That’s right. I didn’t expect Calib to put business administration off…”

“It was really surprising,” He said with a sigh.

I shrugged my shoulders as if I were saying, “It’s because you told me to come.”

We headed straight to the dressing room where Madam of the dress salon was waiting.

In the meantime, the garden seen through the window in the hallway was so bright that I muttered without realizing it.

“The weather is very nice.”

“The day of the ceremony will be this peaceful.”

As Cedric said, the sound of birds chirping outside was very peaceful.

Suddenly, the words he said casually caught my mind.

After a while, Cedric and I are having a wedding.

Even if it’s a contract marriage, a marriage is a marriage.

Even others know that it’s a great love that transcends class differences.

Me too…

No matter how much I say I possessed a romance-fantasy, I skipped all flirting, dating, and started getting married right away…

I already knew everything and proceeded, but there was a subtle sense of reality.

Besides, what about the size of the wedding?

I got tired of thinking about the scale of the equations that had been set in the past week.

[If we replace this amount with money, it will be half a year of operating expenses for a commoner family.]

Edwin’s voice floated in my head.

No, all else aside, the most unrealistic thing is the fact that my husband is Cedric.

I glanced up at Cedric.

Ugh, he looks so damn handsome too, today.

I can’t believe this handsome man is my husband…

Of course, I know it’s only on the papers, but every time I remember it, it’s strange and unavoidable that it tickles my lower belly.

As if my stomach were full of butterflies flapping their wings.

But the thing that confuses me the most wasn’t the marriage of a young age, nor Cedric, but Calib.

To be honest, I’m a little confused these days.

I’m saying that it’s none other than the reality of Calib

What kind of child is he?

[Ellia!]

Is that bright and innocent figure shown in front of me really true?

I know that it’s such a frivolous worry to the extent that anyone who hears it would dismiss it as nonsense.

Because I know that Calib is going to be a villain in the future, and I know that he’s been a villain since childhood in the original story.

So the average person would usually say that the latter is true.

But I watched him change.

Calib, who had never eaten cocoa, now lives with chocolate.

Fearing that his older brother will fall into an eternal sleep, the child who buried his face in his palm plans to go play with him when the curse is lifted.

While he was afraid of the Grand Duke’s Castle, he now leads the vassal meeting stably.

Thanks to this, there was no major disturbance when Cedric officially declared that he would give up the succession to the Grand Duke.

I only knew that Calib had escaped from a future of darkness.

But it wasn’t.

[I’m going to make a formal complaint about this matter.]

The one who was pushing Duke Calvados Marinenest.

[This is a clear betrayal, and I’m going to formally put you on a noble trial.]

The one who would put Renold on trial for the nobility, was all Calib.

Because he really looked like a villain.

Like the villain that pushed this world into the depths of fear and dragged the Imperial Family to the brink of destruction…

The difference between knowing this and seeing it in person was considerable.

To the point it comes out in my dream!

I had a dream that once upon a time, even though Cedric hadn’t fallen into an eternal sleep, Calib had become a dark villain.

No, to be precise, I dreamed of Yoonie becoming Calib.

I woke up in a new shock.

To be honest, the reason I was able to show affection to Calib so quickly was because of Yoonie.

Because their faces, voices, actions, and even the situation they were in were very similar.

However,  that didn’t mean Yoonie and Calib were the same.

Yoonie is Yoonie, and Calib is Calib.

I thought I was making a proper distinction..

I can’t believe Yoonie became Calib and became a villain in my dream.

“…So, I’m going to send an invitation to the Marinenest family too, what do you think?”

Deep in my subconscious mind, I felt like I was faced with the identification of Yoonie and Calib.

“Ellia?”

Ugh, my head hurt so badly because of all these thoughts.

No matter how the stream of consciousness leads to thoughts, there are more than one or two things to consider…

“Ellia!”

“…Gasp, yes, yes?!”

I was startled as Cedric suddenly raised his voice.

“What are you thinking so hard about? All the way to the dressing room.”

It seems that I was really deeply engrossed in thought.

When I woke up, I was already in front of the dressing room.