CH 8

The wedding was held at the Cleart’s mansion.

Callie wore a wedding dress inflated with crinoline[1], trimmed with gorgeous lace at the hem, and adorned with fresh orange blossoms at the waist. A long veil was placed on top of her famous blonde hair.

All the guests looked on in admiration as Callie appeared in her wedding dress.

Even though she knew it wasn’t a marriage for love and merely a union with the purpose of divorce, her heart pounded when she tried out her wedding dress.

Brandon, too, greeted the beautiful bride with a smile.

Before stepping out in front of the guests, Brandon extended one arm to Callie, tilted his head slightly toward the bride, and whispered softly, “Finally, we’re getting married. I’m really looking forward to the first night. Aren’t you, too?”

After all, Brandon was this kind of guy.

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For a moment, the anticipation disappeared from Callie’s face, which was as excited as any other bride.

“I don’t know if it’s enough that I’d look forward to it.”

“What sad words. You can look forward to it, young lady. No matter how much you can imagine, it will be more than that.” 

The first night…

Yes, she’d have her first night with Sir Brandon here tonight.

Most of the daughters about to get married were taught about the first night by a tutor or their mother, but Susan had no interest in her daughter’s married life.

It was Noah who told her what to do on her first night.

Last night, before going to bed, Noah quietly knocked on the door. She came to relieve the tension and worries of the bride-to-be’s wedding day ahead and told her how to spend her first night.

Callie knew the general outline, but it was the first time she had heard it in detail, so it was quite an embarrassing lesson.

‘Can I really do something like that with Sir Brandon, whom I don’t even love?’

Ever since Noah left the room, the worries about the first night had haunted her mind.

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In the midst of all that, when Brandon talked about it, even though Callie tried not to show it, her face reddened.

Still, she felt like she was losing if she showed nervousness, so she responded boldly, “Okay, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Brandon was about to say something in response to Callie’s reaction, but someone approached them.

“Hello, Sir Brandon Cleart.”

Brandon, who didn’t know the face of the person who greeted him first, asked who it was with a friendly smile. “May I know who you are? I always remember a beautiful woman once I see them, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing you.”

Callie noticed that he didn’t really care, but he spoke in a way that would be friendly enough for a woman who didn’t know his character.

The corners of Romi’s mouth, who had never heard of being pretty in her life, curved in a long arc. Her face even flushed.

Misunderstanding her words, Romi let out a snort not befitting her size. “It’s the first time I’m meeting you today, Sir Brandon. I’m Callie unnie’s sister, Romi Loris.”

“Ah, you’re milady’s younger sister. It’s nice to meet you. Romi.”

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When he heard this was his bride’s sister, Brandon was courteous, quite different from what he did with Callie.

“Please take care of Unnie, Sir Brandon. Unnie, congratulations on your marriage.”

Romi, who had been sarcastic and looked coldly at Callie at home this morning, warmly congratulated her as they were the best sisters in the world.

Therefore, she couldn’t let it pass by roughly matching her rhythm. “I didn’t know you would celebrate my wedding like this.”

Romi looked embarrassed at Callie’s insinuation that they didn’t get along in front of the groom. “What are you talking about, unnie? Of course, I’d congratulate my sister on her marriage.

“Really? I thought it was the opposite.”

“Oh my. What a terrible joke, unnie. Sir Brandon would think you’re serious and misunderstand. What if he takes your joke seriously?”

Treat it as a joke, huh?

Well, Callie didn’t want to be part of her act.

Recognizing Callie’s expression, Romi, thinking of avoiding her at this point, looked the other way around her, pretended to be in a hurry, and ignored her.

“Oh, Mother is calling me over there. See you later, unnie.”

Romi could easily read what she thought and how she felt, so she hurriedly avoided the bride and groom.

After Romi left, Brandon, who had noticed how the siblings usually were, spoke nonchalantly, “My bride doesn’t know how to hide her secrets.”

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Callie turned to the side and tilted her head up to see the man a head taller than her. 

“Should I hide it?”

“It’s not like I’m forcing you.”

Brandon’s shrug as if it didn’t matter hurt her for some reason.

Why was she upset? Did she want him to be on her side?

Brandon always smiled, but if she looked closely, she could feel the cool energy in it. 

Callie noticed that he was a man who easily won the other person’s heart with a careless smile but did not easily give away his own.

The wedding party ended well after two in the morning. 

It was the third time she had danced with Brandon, who had become her husband at their wedding today.

It would have been enough to dance only twice, but they couldn’t resist it because the people around them kept encouraging the bride and groom, the main characters of the day, to dance.

Dancing wasn’t the only difficult thing.

She responded with a smile to those who congratulated them, but the corners of her mouth started to tremble later.

Most of the wedding parties of the noble family in Irze lasted until dawn. Fortunately, Hugo managed to wrap it up by telling the guests to let the newlyweds rest.

The couple finally left the wedding party and went to the bedroom.

Until then, she had hoped that this long, tedious wedding party would end quickly, but she changed her mind when she and Brandon found themselves alone in the bedroom.

‘Shouldn’t we have danced one more time in front of the guests?’

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Callie felt so awkward and nervous that she had to go through the first night with Brandon in the bedroom.

Brandon teased Callie when she looked as nervous as she had never been before. “Young lady, why do you look so nervous?”

“I’m nervous? Who said I was?” Callie bit back, even though it was clear that she really was.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but squirm, her hand on her leg fidgeting.

Watching her, Brandon got up from his seat and approached her. 

He came right in front of Callie with his long legs and stopped, leaving a space as large as the hem of her voluminous skirt. He was too close.

Callie had met him several times, but it was the first time they were at such a close distance. Nothing happened, but her cheeks felt hot.

“If you’re not nervous, is it because you’re looking forward to it?”

There’s no way she did. 

There was no way she’d look forward to her first night with a prodigal man like Brandon. Even if he became her husband today.

Callie vigorously shook her head.

He smiled and shifted his gaze elsewhere. “Would you like a glass of wine? It’s right over there.”

“That would be great.”

In Irze, wine was placed in the newlyweds’ bedroom on the first night, and at this time, the husband’s glass was decorated with an eagle pattern while the wife’s was decorated with a peacock.

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Before Callie could answer, Brandon picked up the bottle and poured wine into the peacock glass before doing the same to the eagle glass.

“What kind of wine do you like, young lady?” Brandon smelled the wine’s fragrance and then brought the glass to the tip of his lips to check the taste. “Hmm, I don’t know, but I don’t think this is to the young lady’s taste. How about sweet wine?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Callie was beyond nervous; it didn’t matter what the wine tasted like.

As long as wine could shake off this bursting tension, that was enough.

“I can’t give the noble Count’s daughter wine that doesn’t suit her taste. Wait, hold on. My friend Sir Howard has given me some fine wine to drink tonight, and that would be great.”

“I don’t care about any wine.”

“They say it’s suitable for a bride on her first night, so let’s try it,” Brandon said with a wink, ignoring her refusal. So this was why women seemed to fall for it.

“Is it in the wine cellar? Then, we can have a servant bring it to us.”

“No, no. I put it somewhere else, but it’s complicated to explain, so I’d rather get it myself.”

He’d get it himself? That was surprising.

Well, Callie had no intention of stopping him if he said he would. If Brandon left to get the wine, she’d be able to breathe for a while.

“Then, do so.”

“Wait a minute, Lady,” he winked again.

What’s with that sly look?

Callie nodded slightly, but tried hard not to react too much.

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When Brandon left her bedroom, saying he’d be back soon, Callie took a deep breath. 

“Is the first night really this nerve-wracking? Playboy Sir Brandon doesn’t seem to mind.” 

Talking to herself, Callie took the glass that Brandon had just poured for her, trying to relieve her tension.

Then, as if she had held back her thirst for a long time, she gulped down the wine and emptied the glass.

“Haa, I think I’ll live a little longer.”

She put the glass down on the table… Oh! Why was her head spinning all of a sudden?

It wasn’t because she was drunk. The pain of splitting the head into dozens of pieces came over her.