CH 39

Daphne felt that the victory she had in her hand was taken away by Calib.

But that sort of thing didn’t matter.

‘Why… didn’t I think of that?’

She had never seen a person like Ellia, either in her last life or this life.

That’s why Daphne seems to be dumbfounded by the warmth she gives.

‘Yeah. As Grand Young Lord Calib said, the situation was urgent and he helped me, but… I cast off the curse on Sir Cedric.’

Although it was a mistake, it was true.

Ellia must have known this.

‘But that’s not what I did on purpose…!’

Daphne was embarrassed.

But even so, it was true that she did nothing after deflecting the curse on Sir Cedric.

‘I should’ve at least apologized…’

For some reason, there was no word from the Imperial Palace.

Thus, the Duke of Marinenest stayed still, and Daphne gradually forgot about that day.

When she taught Prince Renoir the Mirror Shield magic, she occasionally remembered that, but the situation had already been cleared up.

There was no need to scratch and create a stir.

‘But it didn’t work out that way.’

Daphne regretted it now.

[If she knew that you didn’t even apologize, Ellia wouldn’t even deal with you.]

At Calib’s cold words, Daphne clenched her fists drooping down.

After a while, she said in a weeping voice.

[W-What should I do?]

[…]

[How can I ask for forgiveness…?]

[…]

[How can I avoid being hated by Sister Ellia?]

Calib didn’t answer.

Instead, he bit his lower lip painfully.

In fact, Calib was only going to make Daphne face it.

Even if she’s loved now, in the end, Ellia loves herself more than Daphne.

Yet he changed his mind.

‘Even though I’ve said it to this extent, to think that she doesn’t apologize to Brother, that she doesn’t even reflect…!’

It was just too damn insolent.

Calib shot Daphne as if he was going to kill her, but she couldn’t see it as she kept her head down.

Her shoulders just shook as she was sobbing, begging him to show her how not to be hated by Ellia.

‘How can she be so selfish?’

Calib was once again fed up by Daphne.

‘Come to think of it, I heard that she’s very close to the Duke.’

On the street, the Duke of Marinenest was made fun of for being a daughter’s fool.

In fact, the daughter’s fool was concerned about the prestige of his family, so he turned her abduction into disappearance and investigated it, but anyway.

‘The reason she was able to grow up to be such a reckless and foolish person is probably because she received a lot of love from her family.’

Then she’ll be satisfied with that, yet she craves even Ellia?

He didn’t like Daphne, the greedy princess, even more.

But it didn’t mean that Daphne wasn’t really worth using.

‘Maybe they’ll fall apart, I don’t know.’

Calib said.

[Actually, I didn’t like the Princess being friendly with Ellia. But, alright. If you’re this desperate… Let me arbitrate.]

[I-Is it for real?]

Although she doubted the sudden change of attitude.

With Ellia in her head, Daphne blindly clings to Calib’s promise to arbitrate for her.

[Yeah. However, there is one condition.]

[Condition…?]

[Did you know that Ellia is getting married soon?]

[Yes, I saw it in the newspaper. Our duke also subscribes to the Verbium newspaper.]

Daphne looked into his eyes and lied.

Calib’s eyes narrowed.

He memorized all famous people who subscribed to the newspaper, so he could quickly spot that she was lying.

However, it was imaginary that she was trying to please him like this, that’s why he turned a blind eye for now.

[I want to make a happy wedding for Ellia, but I have a problem.]

[A problem?]

[Yeah. Gravity has its limits in handling water. The Princess’s family uses Water Magic as your family magic, right?]

If she can help, perhaps this story can be mediated.

Calib whispered wickedly like a demon.

‘That’s why I taught the Grand Young Lord Surface Tension Magic.’

Fortunately, Calib intervened properly.

The invitation to Daphne was proof of that.

The truth was that the invitation was solely Cedric’s opinion, but Daphne didn’t know.

Calib hasn’t done anything since.

“Come on, ride it carefully.”

Calvados’ kind words awakened Daphne from a long recollection.

“Ah, it’s already our turn.”

Daphne, who came to her senses, grabbed Calvados’ hand and boarded the gondola.

Daphne looked around as she got into the gondola that was moving with the Surface Tension Magic she had taught him.

“It’s really… beautiful.”

“I heard that the forest around the wedding hall was landscaping for the view from the air, and it’s true.”

Calvados stuck out his tongue.

No matter how much he thought about it, his heart ached.

He can’t afford to invest this much money for a one-day wedding.

If it hadn’t been for the money stolen from the Marinenest family, the scale would have been much smaller than it is now.

‘I feel like I’ve married someone with my money.’

Besides, because of Daphne, he recently subscribed to the Verbium newspaper of the Grand Duke of Indigentia.

The tip of his tongue was bitter, but Daphne was happy, so he thought it was a good thing.

Daphne pretended to be happy even though she worked hard.

If she stopped pretending to be excited even for a moment, she thought the Duke would ask how Indigentia could use surface tension magic.

‘I said I’d keep it a complete secret, but…’

The thief couldn’t help but numb their feet.

***

The wedding has begun.

Edwin hosted the ceremony, and the Pope himself took the oath.

The guest seats were filled by influential political figures and the Imperial Family, as well as large nobles, and they were all in gondolas.

A few boats floated in the air to watch.

Thanks to Gravity Magic, the ceremony was spectacular, with lamps, petals and ribbons floating around.

When the hall was somewhat cleared up, Edwin said.

“The groom, Cedric Kedyssel Indigentia, enters.”

Then Cedric, who was standing at the far end of the wedding road built on the water, slowly walked in.

The tuxedo, embroidered with silver thread on a white background and accented with blue similar to the color of his eyes, suited him very well.

“I heard that dress was made by Angela?”

“As expected of Angela. Even the groom’s robe is never plain.”

The tuxedo that Cedric was wearing was a bit special, as the babbling ladies said.

A little different from a normal tuxedo, it had an armband on the shoulder, just like a uniform.

Thanks to that, Dolman, who was flying behind his back, was also natural, and looked dignified.

To the extent that they can’t even remember the infamous nicknames that follow him, such as ‘adopted’, ‘cursed man’, and ‘a fool who has given up the right to succession to the Grand Duke’.

“He’s a really wonderful newlywed groom.”

“He’s on a different level from my husband.”

Neatly brushed black hair, a clear face, and red lips slightly stiffened by tension.

The face of the newlywed groom, where shyness and euphoria crossed, was very beautiful.

However, the praise for Cedric didn’t last long.

“The bride, Ellia, enters.”

The main character of this wedding is Cedric.

Because it’s the key to enter the Sanctuary of Knowledge and break the curse.

However, with Edwin’s words, the main audience was overturned.

“Wow…!”

Someone was in awe.

Ellia walked down the wedding road while being escorted by Calib, who was cutely dressed.

She moved as lightly as a person walking through the air as if she were dancing, and the lace fluttered with every step she took, adding to her beauty.

Her long dress that seemed to leave a lasting impression on the place where the bride walked was lovely even from the back.

“I heard that she’s a commoner, but how can she pull off Angela’s dress so well?”

“The hairstyle, the dress, they can be heavy and awkward, yet it’s so natural.”

“Besides, look at the way she walks. As if she were walking with wings flapping.”

“She really looks like a fairy…”

Ellia created a mysterious atmosphere enough for the nobles to gossip.

Thanks to this, the inside of the hall became quite noisy, yet Cedric couldn’t hear anything.

All he could see was Ellia walking towards him, holding Calib’s hand, with a long veil draped over her cheek.

‘Ah…’

Under the hazy veil, her pink jewel eyes shone as she closed her mouth and looked only at him, nervously.

At that moment, they felt like there were only both of them left in the world.

Across the veil, Ellia’s face was clearly visible, and a grin was formed on her eyes as she smiled awkwardly.

‘It’s embarrassing and awkward.’

As if to say so, he frowned and laughed, and at that moment, Cedric felt a shiver rising up his spine.

Cedric thought, helplessly deprived of his gaze at Ellia’s lovable figure.

‘No way.’

Not only that, but with a face that is so beautiful that you can’t even think of her as a human being, as well as her incredible strength.

He thought that it must be as simple as a fairy between her ancestors, but at this moment.

‘Ellia is definitely a fairy.’

Cedric changed his mind.

Without being a fairy, she wouldn’t be this beautiful.

Calib, who was approaching, handed over Ellia’s hand with his stiff face.

Cedric clenched his throat unconsciously.

‘If I hold that hand… I will be Ellia’s husband.’

He knows it’s a contract marriage.

He also knows that it’s a marriage to enter the Sanctuary of Knowledge.

But why does it feel so weird?

His palms felt wet.

If he hadn’t been wearing white gloves, he might have rubbed his palms against his thighs and grabbed them.