Chapter 17 Bertia (18 Years Old) [1]

Chapter 17 Bertia (18 Years Old) [1]

Translated by LynneSuzuran & Senhiro

Author’s Note:

This is the extra epilogue that I wrote of fluff I wanted to incorporate, but I might have incorporated too much and it became quite long so I separated it into two parts.

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*Ding dong*… *Ding dong*…

The chimes of the cathedral bells resounded through the clear, blue sky.

The capital was full of smiling people, and there were stalls lined up every which way.

There was an overwhelming number of people on the short road leading from the royal palace to the cathedral, surging forward to try to get even just a glimpse of today’s main characters. The knights tasked with maintaining peace and order tidily lined both sides of the road at a set distance from one another.

“Congratulations to His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Cecil and Crown Princess Bertia-sama!!”

“Long live His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Cecil and Crown Princess Bertia-sama!!”

Surrounded by a number of mounted knights, today’s main characters… in other words, me, Cecil Glo Alphasta and my wife-to-be, Bertia Ibil Noches—our carriage was slowly advancing.

At long last.

Today is the wedding day of Bertia and I.

***

It’s been about two years since the [downfall] turmoil.

Finally, Bertia graduated from Halm Academy.

Once she graduated, what awaited was naturally her marriage to me.

It seems that, for Bertia, who was busy with her student life, preparations for the marriage, crown princess training, etc., the two years passed by in the blink of an eye just as she’d said, but from my point of view, these two years that had seen increasingly fewer chances to meet with Bertia had been an exceedingly boring and long two years.

Unintentionally, I was so bored that I ended up forming an alliance (that favored us quite one-sidedly, almost like bullying) with the neighboring country, sweeping out the internal ‘dirt’, teasing Zeno, and a variety of other things.

Just a little, I jokingly considered invading a country that I’d discovered to have an unstable state of internal affairs, but I didn’t want Bertia to cry, so I quickly stopped that line of thought.

Instead, I tried to have our country build a friendly relationship with them, and from the shadows, secretly backed the country’s fifth prince born of a concubine. I was asking him to usurp the throne, though.

That country still hasn’t seemed to quite settle down yet, but the fifth prince was an excellent individual in my eyes, so they should be able to manage somehow or another after some time.

Like that, I continued to kill time on occasion, arranged environments in which Bertia could come and peacefully relieve any mental strain, and quietly waited.

Such a time finally ended today.

From now on, I would be able to lead a peaceful yet amusing and enjoyable life together with her.

As I thought about it, my mood inevitably lifted, and the smile I was displaying to the citizens who came to see us turned into a natural smile.

I guess this uplifting sensation that filled my heart was surely feeling [happy].

And then next to me, Bertia…

“I’m so nervous. In time like this, I guess there’s that, right?! I’ll be fine if I write the character of person on my palm and swallow it. Oh my? In this kind of situation, I wonder if [kanji] is better? Or rather, when in Rome, do as the Romans do and write it with this country’s alphabet? Aah, what should I do?! Being seen by a lot of people like this, I’m so nervous that my heart might pop out!!”

She was dressed in a pure white dress, and with her beautifully done-up self that was several times more refined and wonderful than her usual appearance, as usual she was muttering things that I couldn’t never understand and concentrating very hard on outlining something onto her palm with her finger.

…I don’t understand what you’re doing, but from your words just now, that thing that resembles a good luck charm should have been done before you went out in front of the public, no?

If you’re able to be doing it while among these throngs of people, in the middle of a parade heading towards the cathedral, I think that good luck charm(?) is unnecessary?

“My adorable Tia, I feel bad for saying this when you’re in the middle of doing something interesting, but can you wave for the citizens for the time being? I’m sure they’re all anticipating it.”

“Ah!! T-that’s right!! As a first-class villainess, I… that’s not right, as I aim to be a first-class crown princess, I must work hard in order to become an existence that will be loved by the citizens, even if it’s only a bit!!”

In response to my words, she lifted her face in a fluster and after looking around at her surrounding, Bertia waved both of her hands.

She felt a bit overly energetic for a crown princess, but, well, the citizens seemed to be delighted, so let’s just consider it a good thing.

…More than anything, I also had fun seeing her like this.

When the carriage arrived at the cathedral, Bertia and I separated and went our own ways.

Originally, we were supposed to enter the cathedral together after coming down from the carriage, but since Bertia said she wanted to [walk the aisle] together with Father-in-Law, I entered the cathedral ahead and waited for her arrival inside.

The inflexible members of the church hated breaching custom, so they were disapproving at first. However, since there was no particular rule stating the two of us had to enter concurrently, there was no need to make a fuss over it so I disregarded them.

When I whispered, “Who is your favorite nun these days? Isn’t the red-haired girl currently 3-months pregnant?” in the ears of the particularly persistent priest, he turned quiet, so there was no particular problem.

After seeing Bertia off, I was going to go where I was supposed to as well when Kuro, who usually dressed in a maid uniform as black as her fur but was now in a beautiful, light blue dress adorned with a sheer yet vibrant, rainbow prismatic layer, came up to me, pulling at my sleeve stealthily and handed me a notebook that seemed entirely handmade.

“[List of things I want to do for my wedding, Best 100, written by Bertia]?”

…‘Best 100’ sure is quite a lot, huh?

When we were arranging for the ceremony, sometimes she also said things like, “I want it like this,” or “Aah, I want to do that,” in a low-key manner, but perhaps she was trying to control herself though there were still lots of things she wanted to do?

I would have granted anything and everything within the scope of my ability for my adorable bride, so it would have been better if she’d told me.

I quickly scanned through the notebook as I flipped the pages.

It was too late for some of them, but there were many that could still be done.

“Kuro, thanks for letting me know. I will ask Tia to make [Inarizushi] later on, okay?”

I smiled as I tried to pat her head… but my hand was brushed off.

Well, she basically didn’t want to be patted by anyone other than Bertia, so there was nothing I could do.

However, she seemed to be satisfied with my answer since she gave me a thumbs-up with her usual stoic expression····

“Zeno.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

When I summoned him while glancing down at the notebook in my hand, I received a reply from beside me right away.

“For the time being, please prepare this, this and this. We’re going to need Marquis and Marquess Noches and my father’s cooperation for these, so please let them know. I want to do this for her as well, but… will there be enough time for the preparation?”

“Understood. This… Well, I can if I borrow the power of another spirit in my acquaintance. After that, it should be up to whether or not we’ll be able to make arrangements for the personnel.”

“Do your best, then.”

“…Your Highness?”

“If it’s Zeno, you can do it. Good luck!”

“Wait! Isn’t this too absurd?! It’s too absurd, okay?!”

“It’s fine. Charles and the others are accustomed to my absurdity, so they have a somewhat large number of servants on standby just in case something comes up. Worst case, you’ll be able to manage somehow or another if you ask for them for help.”

“There’s no way I can just arbitrarily borrow servants from other families!!”

“Don’t you think it’d be bad if you still haven’t gotten permission by the time Bertia and I enter the venue? Shouldn’t you hurry up?”

“It’s already settled then, isn’t it?! Isn’t that right?!”

“I will also walk as slowly as I can. Since the bride enters the venue after me, if I were to not enter, then Tia won’t enter either, so you would make it in time as long as you run. Do your best!”

“Your Highness, you idiotttt!!”

When I smiled and imitated Kuro’s gesture of giving a thumbs-up, Zeno ran out while screaming.

Even though he said this and that, he’s a good kid who’d be able to do it when he tried, so this should be all right.

Since I was the one being selfish this time, I’ll just ignore that [Idiot] just now.

“Now then, I should also go do what I can.”

Most of the things written in the Best 100 list of things she wanted to do were of her bridegroom—in other words, me—so, I fully committed them to memory so that I leave out anything. I had to insert them into the schedule.

“Even so, Kuro, I’d be happier if you’d only given this to me sooner…”

When I informed this to Kuro who was silently watching the exchange between Zeno and I,with her usual expressionless face, she waved her tail once and turned her back on me and walked away looking satisfied.

Looking at the way she acted, deciding to hand the list over to me so late in the game had to be her usual mischief, or taking revenge on me for taking away her master.

“Well then, let’s do our best. …Kuro had gone through the trouble of submitting her homework, and more than anything else, I want to make Tia the world’s happiest bride, after all.”

As I flipped through the notebook’s pages,, I leisurely headed over to where my adorable wife was waiting.

***

A happy music to welcome the bride resounded within the cathedral.

Originally, it was custom in this country for the cathedral to be silent apart from the applause of the audience, but Bertia’s wish was to have music spill forth.

The selection of the songs was also done by her, but surprisingly, this kind of atmosphere was quite good.

Perhaps the people present also felt the same, and though they appeared slightly surprised at first, now everyone’s expressions were broken out into smiles.

The door of the long corridor in front of me slowly opened, revealing Bertia and Marquis Noches.

Looking at Bertia who was adorned in a beautiful veil, everybody had their breaths taken away.

A beat late, applause to bless us began to resound within the cathedral.

With her hand in Marquis Noches’, my bride walked one step at a time towards me.

Tears began to well up in the corners of Marquis Noches’ eyes.

When I took Bertia’s hand from Marquis Noches, he threatened with a dreadful face, “Let me repeat it over and over again!! I’m entrusting my daughter to you,” so I gave a firm nod while answering, “Leave it to me.”

When I received Bertia’s hand, I experienced the actual feeling of ‘Aah, she is really going to be my wife,’ and I felt a warmth surge forth from my chest.

I felt sorry for Marquis Noches who looked sullen as he refrained from breaking out in tears before my eyes, but my face reflexively relaxed.

“Shall we go, Tia?”

A nervous and trembling “Hahiii!!” floated out from beneath the veil in a small voice in response… She then fell over immediately.

Since I had predicted things might turn out like this for some reason, I wasn’t really flustered as I circled my empty hand around her waist, supporting her naturally.

“I-I-I-I’m sorry, Cecil-sama.”

“It’s a husband’s duty to support his wife. I just did what was a matter of course.”

When I whispered softly next to her ears and kissed her head over the veil, a small gasp and “Hyuu!” could be heard from under the veil.

It was regretful that I couldn’t see her expression due to the veil, but her face was surely flushed under the veil right now.

The proof of that was that the temperature of the hand that I grasped rose, and the part where her skin was exposed faintly turned crimson.

“There’s no need to hurry. Let’s go slowly at Tia’s pace. Even if something were to happen, I will handle it, so there’s no need to be worried, okay?”

“C-Cecil-samaaaa…”

I wonder if it was only my imagination that Bertia’s voice had already become a tearful voice?

What should I do if she was dripping snot and tears the moments I lifted her veil?

That would look cute to me in its own way, so it was fine. However, Bertia herself would mind it, so when I lift her veil, I wonder if I can angle it so that the attendees wouldn’t be able to see her face, so I can quickly mop it up with a handkerchief?

“Everything is going to be fine, okay?”

When I turned to face her with a smile, perhaps Bertia had regained a little bit of composure, and she began to walk slowly.

Of course, I kept one hand on her waist so that she wouldn’t fall again, while other hand was still tightly grasping hers.

…I just have to say, this was a measure so that she’d be safe, and it was by no means because I had an ulterior motive, all right?

When we arrived in front of the archbishop who managed the cathedral, even if I was quite reluctant, I still took my hand off her waist and faced forward.

“From here on, the marriage ceremony of the Kingdom of Alphasta’s crown prince, His Highness Cecil Glo Alphasta and his crown princess, Bertia-sama is going to be held.”

The archbishop adorned in a fine robe declared with a voice that echoed inside the whole cathedral.

In accordance with the archbishop’s custom, the heads of both families… in other words, my father who was His Majesty the King and Bertia’s father, Marquis Noches, had to confirm there was no mistake in proceeding with this marriage ceremony. After that, there’d be a signal for the attendees to sit down, and the ceremony would begin.

…From here on, it would be long. Really long.

Basically, for this sort of a ceremony, the higher one’s status is, the more it’s unforgivable if things are simple, so it ends up getting so long.

In short, this ceremony of country’s most prominent status, i.e. the royalty, was so long and boring to the extent that one could inadvertently fall asleep.

Bertia was stiff with nervousness so she probably wouldn’t fall asleep, and even if she were to doze off, she was covered with veil so more or less, it wouldn’t be exposed. However, if I were to carelessly close my eyes, it’d turn into a catastrophe, so I had to pay attention.

Since it couldn’t be helped, I staved off the boredom by thinking about the schedule after this and the fun, fun honeymoon plans later on.

Let me say this, but I definitely also feel respect and gratitude towards the God who let me meet Bertia, okay?

However, I think that it should be permitted for my mind to wander a bit while listening to the church’s meritorious services being rattled off.

After all, I think that those were definitely not for God’s sake, instead those were done for the sake of people, for donations, and for the church’s social status.

“Well then, we will proceed to have His Majesty the King to bestow the Crown Prince Emblem and the Crown Princess Emblem. Your Majesty, please.”

“Mmhm.”

The ceremony approached its final stage, and my father would bestow the seal.

The seal was in the form of a ring, something very important in signifying our social statuses as royalty.

Speaking of which, in Alphasta, the emblem for a member of royalty would be reforged when they were born, when they became an adult and when they married.

The seal of royalty when one was born until one matured was only something to display their social status, so even if it was used on official documents, it wouldn’t do much.

Obviously, it won’t be good if one could use it that easily, and since it was something to be used before one turned into an adult, it was used to distinguish those without heavy responsibilities.

After becoming an adult, the seal proved that they were royalty who shouldered the responsibility of the country, so it was necessary to treat that power with a tremendous caution.

Then, lastly, the seal at one’s marriage would have their wife’s symbol engraved within the man’s own emblem… creating the seal that would be used for all his life.

A new seal would be made for the person who became his wife signifying her as a member of royalty, but it was indispensable to include both of their individual representative symbols and her husband’s symbol in the emblem.

By doing so, it would assure that both mutually recognized each other’s statuses as husband and wife.

Therefore, the ring ceremony was especially essential even within this marriage ceremony.

“I shall bestow these rings from the royal family to Crown Prince Cecil Glo Alphasta, and Crown Princess Bertia.”

Father stood in front of us and lifted the rings that were on top of the red velvet cushion handed by the archbishop to show them to the attendees, before he slowly lowered his hand to present the two rings to us.

One ring had the motif representing all the elements circling around a crown, and the other was the motif of a black fox with a crown.

The former ring had the dark element portion of my original emblem changed into the motif of a black fox.

The latter ring with the motif of a black fox which was designed according to the image of Kuro who was her contracted spirit, but it held with the same crown that was engraved in the center of my motif.

The ring ceremony would be finished after Bertia and I picked up our respective rings and slid them onto our own fingers, then held them up for the audience to see.

However…

“…Eh?”

I ignored the faint sound of surprise heard from next to me as I picked up Bertia’s ring instead of my own ring.

“Tia, could you give me your hand?”

“U-uhm, Cecil-sama?”

I took her left hand she was still bewildered, then gently slid the ring ontp her ring finger, lightly kissing the ring as a little bonus.

Although the venue slightly became noisy, I completely ignored it.

Rather than criticism, I felt that the noise from the women was something closer to admiration, so it would be fine for me to not be worried over it.

Rather than that, Bertia who was in front of me right now was more important.

When I first mentioned the ring ceremony to her, Bertia made an extremely happy face. But after listening to the details of the ceremony, she showed a somewhat dejected expression.

Although I was bothered by it, she quickly recovered right after that, and since she was delighted about our wedding, I hadn’t asked her for the reason. However, after looking at the list that Kuro gave to me, I now understood the reason.

She yearned to have the [Exchange of Rings] ceremony.

That kind of custom didn’t exist in this country so I didn’t know about it. However, more than understanding the reason, I just wanted to grant her wish.

Moreover… When I tried to put the ring on her, this felt similar to a ceremony to bind our partner with the ring, and it was surprisingly not that bad.

Also, even if I couldn’t tell her expression was under the veil, the finger that I touched was hot, indicating that she was delighted, and so I felt happy as well.

“Tia, will you also put the ring on me?”

When I smiled sweetly and held out my own left hand, she gulped and with a slight nod, picked up my ring.

Towards her putting the ring on my finger slowly and cautiously with her faintly trembling fingers, I felt something warm in my chest.

For me to be able to have these kinds of feelings, surely it was all thanks to her.

Having finished putting the ring on my finger, she peeked at my face through her veil.

She was definitely worrying over whether or not she should finish by kissing my ring, after having seen me do it with hers.

In that case, perfect.

Next was the Kiss of Vows ceremony. Instead of on the finger, let’s exchange a kiss on the lips.

I glanced intentionally at the archbishop, and though he was still surprised, he understood my meaning and progressed with the ceremony.

“Well then, next is the Kiss of Vows.”

As I slowly raised the veil, my gaze met with Bertia’s watery eyes.

…Thank goodness. Her face might be bright red and her eyes were brimming with tears, but her condition wasn’t as miserable as I’d thought.

Perhaps she was still in shock due to my unexpected action or she might be nervous, but Bertia was frozen in place and trembling just like a small animal. I put Bertia’s hands together and gently wrapped my hands around her hands.

“Bertia Ibil Noches… No, Bertia Ibil Alphasta. I, Cecil Glo Alphasta, vow that I will continue to love, respect, comfort, and help you in sickness and in health, through happiness and sadness, for richer, for poorer, and to fight together with you no matter what other hardships may surface, until the end of my life.”

At my words, her eyes widened even further. Feeling satisfied, I softly brushed my lips over hers.

“……………!!”

She silently screamed as her face turned bright red and her small mouth flapped open and closed.

Her reddening skin further contrasted with her white dress, looking even lovelier.

Her face was hidden from the attendees under her spreading soft veil and perhaps her expression couldn’t be seen clearly, or perhaps people were drunk on the atmosphere and even this expression full of surprise and bewilderment was taken as [lovely]. Sighs of sweet admiration filled the whole venue.

…It was only from the direction of Marquis Noches’ seat that I felt like I heard the sound of teeth gritting full of bloodlust, but I’d lose if I were to pay mind to it.

After all, the father of the bride was surely always like that.

If it were me, if my cute daughter who resembled her mother were to get married someday, I might just test her partner thoroughly, glare at him with eyes full of bloodlust, and inadvertently harass him once, twice, or even three times.

Now that I’ve obtained an existence that could move my heart, there was no way I didn’t understand how he felt.

“Tia?”

I tilted my head- an action loaded with double meaning: “Wasn’t it the vow you wished for?” and also, “Won’t you make your vow as well?”

“…Uhm, that… errr… that… right?”

Perhaps she discerned the meaning behind my gaze, or perhaps she was trying to say [the words of the vow] in her own way while in panic, but while opening and closing her mouth over and over again, she shifted her fidgeting gaze and looked towards the archbishop, seeking his help.

However, in this situation where I suddenly added the lines that I believed she wished for, the archbishop who couldn’t understand what was going on was powerless.

Actually, he put on a wise and gentle smile on his face to hide his discomposure, but perhaps he was sweating with an impatience unlike his usual self, he only woodenly nodded in response to Bertia and did nothing else.

“Uhm… uhm… uhm… I, Bertia Ibil Alphasta, will continue to l-l-l-love Cecil-sama no matter what!! I promise to support him!! Until death do us part!!”

The words of her vow echoed throughout the venue in a voice full of fighting spirit.

…I thought that she was bewildered by the sudden development and was just wondering what she should do, but Bertia, you were stumped because you forgot the words of your vow, right?

I sensed traces of her trying so hard to remember, but it was abridged quite considerably, huh?

Well, speaking of what Bertia was like, it was so like Bertia, though.

The corner of my mouth curved up naturally, and a smile escaped.

No matter when, she was a very amusing person.

“Hey, Tia. Where is the [Kiss of Vows]?”

Towards the girl who was making a satisfied expression over how she declared the considerably abridged lines of her vow, I smiled and asked for a kiss with a slight playfulness.

Truthfully, according to the custom of this country and based on her previous life, there was only one kiss of vows, but with how things were going, it shouldn’t be strange for me to ask for a kiss from her, right?

“K-k-k-k-kiss of v-v-v-vows, earlier…”

“I also want a [vow] from you, okay?”

I leaned my face in towards her as she protested that the kiss was already completed.

Of course, as I wanted a kiss [from her], it went without saying that I stopped approaching her just before her trembling lips.

“…………!!”

Her breath hitched, and I embraced her waist as she was so bright red to the extent that I thought she’d fall over at any moment now.

Usually by this time, Kuro’s tail attack would come, but as expected, she couldn’t interrupt now.

Speaking of which, it would be bad if she were to interrupt us in the middle of the ceremony, so Zeno—who returned before I even noticed—held her to back in his arms.

“Ti-a?”

I called her name with a small voice that only she could hear, sweetly coaxing her.

She swallowed perhaps to prepare herself, then closed her eyes and touched her lovely lips to the edge of my lips.

…What is it? This strange sensation where warmth gathered on this face.

My heart beat even more relentlessly than usual.

As if I had just finished exercising.

Also, for some reason, like I was feeling itchy, like I wanted to let out a cry, it was very strange… but I felt so comfortable.

“…Cecil-sama?”

After Bertia’s face left mine, perhaps she thought that my lack of reaction was strange, and she timidly opened her eyes.

“…?! …Cecil-sama, your face is so bright red. C-c-could it be that you’re feeling shy?”

Feeling shy…

At Bertia’s words, I suddenly became conscious of my own condition, and I reflexively covered my mouth with a hand.

For some reason, I felt very [embarrassed], and I unintentionally averted my gaze from Bertia.

I saw Bertia—who was just as bright red as me, no, even redder than me— smiling very happily at my reaction from the corner of my eye, but that was the last thing on my mind right now.

“Archbishop, proceed…”

I couldn’t endure being gazed by Bertia with her glittering eyes, so I urged the archbishop to proceed while I looked away.

The archbishop who came to his senses at my words declared with a face full of smiles that we would be recognized as a married couple now, presenting the [Book of Vows] in front of us.

After that, we needed to sign this and have the closing speech, then the wedding ceremony would finish.

I managed to recover somewhat after hearing the archbishop’s voice, and signed the written oath with my usual smile before urging Bertia to sign as well.

With this, we would officially be husband and wife.

As I felt relieved that the wedding ceremony ended safely, I listened respectfully to the archbishop’s closing speech that was superbly tedious again.

I wanted it to finish while feeling refreshed, but this was also something that couldn’t be helped.

“…With this, we recognize these two as husband and wife!!”

By the time the same old declaration was finished, the cathedral was filled with applause.

Looking out over the venue, the two of us faced the attendees and smiled together as we waved.