CH 30

Chapter 30

Elysia looked in the mirror one last time and calmly adjusted her dress. The woman in the mirror looked completely different from a month ago. Her skinny cheeks had recovered to some extent, and she was wearing an expensive-looking dress instead of the scruffy maid outfit she wore every day.

If she had transformed this much, she usually thought that her heart would burst, and she must have been preoccupied with the instant luxury and walked into Damon’s mouth.

AD

But…

“No matter how much you dress up, people don’t change.”

It was Elysia Caitlyn, who was treated like a maid in the end, even with expensive dresses and jewelry.

* * *

“….”

Estelle, who looked tired, was sitting in the waiting room. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anything major had happened.

“Your Grace, I’m sorry for coming here so early in the morning.”

“No, it’s okay.”

The maid dragged the tray and started setting the food on the table. It seemed as if hunger was gathering in the sight of the food filling the table one by one.

Perhaps, thanks to Estelle’s all-out effort, Elysia’s short mouth was recovered to some extent.

“You couldn’t even eat breakfast properly because of me.”

“I can eat it now.”

“Because you have a weak body, you must eat your meals on time.”

Certainly, not only was she skinny, but she was also very short. It was only natural that she was not properly nutritiously fed during her growing years when she was supposed to be growing up.

“Though I’m glad it’s a lot better than before.”

“How tall can I be at this age? It’s kind of embarrassing.”

When the unbalanced nutrition was balanced, she grew taller, which she had not been able to grow. Thanks to this, it was Madam Catherine who was dying because she was busy adjusting her dress as her measurements changed every time.

“Being tall is a good thing. Come on and eat.”

As expected, Estelle was unlikely to tell her why she had arrived early until she had breakfast.

“Estelle must have missed breakfast, let’s eat it together.”

“Then, I will eat without refusal.”

This wasn’t the first time she had a meal with Estelle. As she learned dining etiquette, she shared a few meals with her, just to test it out.

“You’re not eating anymore.”

“I’m full.”

Even if her appetite returned, she had a very short mouth from the beginning. Even when she recovered, it was about half of the average person. Because before that she ate only enough to not really die.

It was natural for her to miss meals several times, and it wasn’t until she was really hungry that she put the food in her mouth.

“Still…”

“Right now, I eat snacks three times a day. Don’t worry too much.”

Estelle didn’t seem to be holding a spoon anymore. Elysia lightly wiped her lips with a napkin, watching her with a squint.

…What made her come so early in the morning?

“Dessert is…”

“I can’t eat dessert in the morning.”

Waiting any longer here didn’t suit her temper. Elysia gazed straight at Estelle around the time the maids had cleaned out all the dishes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yes…?”

“Is it something to do with the Grand Duke?”

Elysia chose the orthodox method rather than going around. Anyway, when it comes to Damon, she’d prefer a head-on break than a twist.

“How did you know?”

“Actually, the Grand Duke visited my room yesterday.”

Estelle was completely unaware. It was just from the look on her face that was surprised.

“Usually, you can’t see the bride’s face during the preparation period.”

There was a legend that if you looked at the groom’s face during the preparation period, the marriage would not last long. So, all prospective couples in the Empire never met each other until the day before their wedding.

“You mean the Grand Duke has appeared…?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t he say something to Your Grace?”

Damon didn’t say anything to her, so it was safe to say that he didn’t say anything. Thus, Elysia proudly nodded her head up and down.

“Is that so…”

“Is there any problem?”

The wedding was now less than ten days away. If something went wrong, it would be a big deal.

“If it’s a big deal, it’s a big deal.”

“Yes? What…”

“The Grand Duke has promised to remove the bride’s veil.”

That was what he told her yesterday. It didn’t seem to work, so he went to Estelle and threatened her.

“Then… Bridal veils are a tradition. I have to wear it and enter the wedding hall…”

The bride’s veil had more meaning than expected.

As a country where divorce was impossible, the Empire also had a slightly special tradition of weddings. The bride entered wearing a veil embroidered with the family seal that covered half of her body.

It meant that the bride was now fully a member of that family and was born as a new person. In a way, the veil was also a reminder that divorce was difficult.

“He’s saying he won’t do it.”

“That can’t be true. Yesterday, I said for sure that I would make it.”

“Why is the Grand Duke suddenly like this?”

“That…”

Elysia could never say that she had pierced many of her fingers with needles while she was making the veil. It was because they seemed like a couple who loved each other terribly, although Damon and Elysia were far from that.

“If he comes and changes the plans now, it will ruin the wedding.”

“I know.”

Estelle’s heart was understandable. Even in her opinion, the most important thing during the wedding preparations was the bride’s veil. However, to leave it out, it was clear that it would be a truly absurd wedding.

“Maybe, it’s because I don’t like making the veil?”

“What do you mean?”

“Actually, last night when His Grace came, my hand was pierced by a needle.”

It seemed that she had no choice but to reveal that he was doing this because her hand was pierced.

As Elysia spoke, she felt embarrassed by the burning sensation on her face. Even though it was not an unfamiliar situation at all, as she talked about it, such a situation was created.

“It doesn’t matter, so go ahead.”

“Your Grace, is that really okay?”

“Yes, I think Estelle should help instead.”

Now, there was little time left, and this was the only way to satisfy Damon and Estelle.

“Anything…”

“Remove the veil.”

“What? The veil…?”

Her eyes, startled by Elysia’s words, seemed to have doubled in size. Seeing Estelle, who was not usually surprised, doing that, she was very embarrassed.

“Yes.”

“Your Grace… that….”

She couldn’t bear to say no, and at Estelle’s reaction to her words, Elysia held back her laughter.

Apparently, Estelle had a solid misunderstanding. That was also understandable. She came to Elysia after hearing Damon’s order to remove the veil, and Elysia told her to remove the veil, too, so it was only natural for her to respond like that.

“Is Your Grace also saying that we should proceed to remove the veil?”

“Oh, no. I must have said that Estelle misunderstood.”

This was the only way for Damon to be satisfied with the current situation, and for her to take a less painful path.

“Cut the veil in half.”

Originally, the bride’s veil was a length that covered about half of her body. So, the groom’s escort was absolutely necessary, and it was difficult to take it off by herself.

…To say she would be reborn as a member of that family, though she didn’t feel it at all.

It was like shackles. A veil that was so gorgeous that the bride can’t even take it off by herself… It was a tradition befitting the Caesar Empire that divorce was not allowed except in three cases. It was terrifying to think about how frightening the bride in the veil was.

“Half the veil…?”

“Yes.”

“But…”

Hence, Elysia thought of cutting the veil in half. If she made a simple veil that she could take off herself, the number of parts she made would be reduced, and then she could satisfy Damon’s needs to some extent.

Above all, she wanted a veil that she could take off herself.

“I think it would be better to cut it long enough to cover the face that reaches to the chest?”

“But, the veil was originally…”

“I know. It’s something that the bride can never take off alone, as it covers more than half of her body. The groom has to take it off before he takes the oath himself.”

Although it was called a romantic tradition, none of it was romantic in her eyes. The heart of the bride, who was trembling inside, was a tradition that no one could count on.

In Elysia’s case, it was a better case.

Among the brides, they often married without ever seeing the groom’s face. During the long preparation period, they never saw the groom’s face and made their own veil to lock themselves in.

She was wearing a veil that she couldn’t take off properly by herself and had to walk, relying on the hands of a groom whom she didn’t even know the face of. Then, even if she wanted to let go of that hand for the rest of her life, she was walking into an impossible path.

In the Caesar Empire, divorce was like a non-existent word. Death was the only way to complete freedom.

“The Grand Duke told us to remove the veil at all, so we can do that. Then, we will keep the tradition and there will be nothing against His Grace’s intention.”

Elysia never intended to do that. After she had safely divorced Damon, she thought of breaking up with him.

“Then, cut it in half.”

For her to do that, she was going to change the little things one by one.