Side Story 1. Second Wedding

“Did you sleep well?”

Eli, who was awake before Ruby as usual, asked.

“You woke me up.”

Ruby stirred, noticing that the sun was now high in the sky, and Eli quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her slowly to her feet.

“Careful. There’s no rush.”

Eli handled Ruby as if she were glass that would shatter if he let go. Her stomach wasn’t out yet, and she wasn’t in any discomfort that Ruby could feel.

“Bella’s coming to get my dress fitted.”

“It’s not too late to start getting ready, but first you need to eat.”

He quickly piled pillows on top of each other to make a backrest for Ruby to sit on, then called for her maid.

“Are you sure?”

Ruby asked suspiciously.

“Of course.”

Eli answered Ruby’s question nonchalantly. He ordered the maid who came to his summons to bring the food he had prepared for Ruby to eat.

* * *

While Ruby was reassured by Eli’s words and had her meal, Bella had already arrived at the mansion.

“It seems they might be running late.”

One of the assistants asked, her eyes twinkling at the sumptuous meal prepared for them.

“I suppose so.”

The abundance of food on the table screamed for a leisurely meal.

“Thanks to you, I get to have a meal in such a luxurious place.”

While it implied a long wait, the meal filled with dishes that were rarely eaten was like a reward.

Eli Grit ordered a wedding dress and Bella vowed to focus on this for a while. In the meantime, she was paid in one lump sum, multiplied by several times the store’s peak earnings.

With no rush, Bella and her assistants enjoyed a leisurely meal.

* * *

“It’s been a long time, Bella.”

“It’s been a long time, My Lady.”

Eli and Ruby came downstairs after Bella and her assistants had finished their leisurely meal.

“I assume you have the dress ready?”

Eli asked, letting his eyes do the greeting.

“Oh, yes.”

Bella gestured, and two of her waiting assistants brought in the dresses that had been moved to the next room. Ruby’s eyes widened at the sight of the dresses in front of her.

“His Lordship said these were your favorite dresses, so I prepared them for you.”

Eli had ordered the dresses in advance. They were dresses that Bella could be proud to call her masterpieces.

“This…?”

“My Lady….?”

While Bella thought Ruby’s reaction would be positive, she didn’t expect her to burst into tears upon seeing the dresses. Bella’s face showed surprise at Ruby’s reaction.

Bella glanced quickly at Eli, who stood behind her.

“Ruby.”

But Eli was just as flustered.

“Is that……”

“Let’s take a break.”

Eli said to Bella as he wiped Ruby’s tears with his handkerchief. Even though they had only just met, Bella understood and left the parlor.

Eli ordered Damon to serve Bella and her assistants tea and snacks, then gently placed Ruby on the couch.

“I’m sorry, all of a sudden…”

“If you want to cry, you can keep crying, and if you don’t feel like picking out a dress today, we can schedule it for another day.”

Eli said, wiping away her tears.

“And if you don’t like the dress, you can ask for another one.”

The dresses in the parlor were the ones Ruby had wanted to wear at her first wedding, so Eli just asked them to take care of them in advance. Eli was about to call Damon, thinking it was a good idea to have another dress ready just in case.

Ruby shook her head, grabbing Eli’s arm like it wasn’t necessary.

“How did you know about the dress……?”

The dresses in the reception room were ones Ruby had wanted to wear at her wedding, but they had become meaningless worries as the wedding was moved up.

“I asked Baroness Blora.”

The main reason for holding the wedding again was Ruby.

Eli’s goal was to have a wedding she loved, so he reached out to Ruby’s best friend, Baroness Blora, as well as Dominic, to find out her taste in dresses.

The wedding dress was chosen in advance so that Ruby could try it on and feel comfortable with her choice.

“Did you… cry because of that?”

“My… tears just came out of my eyes unbidden. I don’t know why, really.”

Even though Ruby said she didn’t know the reason, Eli felt like he knew why and hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not because of you; it’s just… my mood suddenly… You also heard from the physician. They said there might be mood swings, but I didn’t expect to cry like this all of a sudden.”

“……Yes, I heard, so I’m sorry.”

Eli repeated the words, remembering how he hadn’t listened to or respected Ruby’s opinion.

Cursing his past self, Eli gently stroked Ruby’s back until she calmed down.

* * *

“Please rest comfortably while waiting.”

Following Eli’s orders, Damon served dessert and tea.

“Of course. When will we ever receive such treatment again?”

Bella said as she took a bite of one of the deliciously baked cookies.

“It’s so delicious.”

One of the assistants followed her lead and took a bite of dessert, her eyes widening.

“It must be; the chef comes from a famous dessert shop.”

“You don’t mean… ‘Sweet Delights Dessert Shop’?”

“That’s the one.”

At Damon’s answer, Bella and her assistants looked at the desserts with genuine surprise. The shop mentioned was a very famous dessert shop.

“Recently, the head chef there quit, causing a stir, so he came here.”

Although Damon didn’t mention the reason, it was clear that it was because of the mistress of the house.

“This is a dessert I’ve never been able to get without standing in line, so I’ll have to enjoy it more.”

Bella finished her cookie and bit into it, gesturing for the assistants to hurry up and eat.

As the assistant admired the reception room and got up to leave, Bella quietly asked Damon.

“Is the mistress alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t. Your skills have already been recognized by Lord and Lady Grit.”

After being informed of Ruby’s pregnancy by her physician and the precautions that came with it, Eli gave the servants instructions.

However, even though he had prepared himself mentally, every time Ruby’s mood suddenly changed, Eli always seemed flustered. Although he might appear calm to others, Damon, who had been with him for a long time, could see the slight panic in his eyes.

Unlike his servants, who had begun to handle the situation skillfully, they still found it endearing that their Lordship still panicked every time.

“If you don’t have enough dessert, please let the maid know, then.”

Damon gave her a reassuring smile and left the parlor.

* * *

“How about this?”

With the help of Bella and the attendants, the real Ruby began to try on the dresses one by one.

“It’s pretty.”

“You think so too, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Eli nodded, his eyes never leaving Ruby as she tried on the dresses.

“I can’t choose; they’re all so pretty.”

Eli wondered if Ruby was taking his compliment the wrong way, but the way she’d brought up the dress, it was clear they were communicating differently.

“You may be flattered by the compliments, but I’m not just putting words in my mouth; you really do look good in them all.”

“Thank you, Bella.”

Ruby shyly responded to her praise. Then, she looked in the mirror and pondered which one to choose.

“Buy them all in your size, Ruby.”

Eli, who had been quietly watching, said.

“But that’s a lot of dresses. I can only wear one wedding dress.”

“You can wear it often. You can wear it when you have people over, or even better, when we’re alone.”

Eli tilted his head and kissed Ruby lightly on the lips as she froze in surprise, then looked at Bella and gestured for her to take the dress.

Although Eli knew that his past self was intolerable, he always said that his wife was the prettiest and everything suited her well, without a change of expression or consideration for others’ opinions.

“I’ll do that.”

Bella replied with her business smile, accustomed to the situation by now.

* * *

On the eve of Ruby and Eli’s wedding, a heavily loaded carriage from the Imperial Palace rolled through Bonneuil, the site of Ruby and Eli’s new mansion.

In the middle of the long carriage procession, the most splendid carriage carried Emperor Shannua and Empress Katrina.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve traveled.”

At Katrina’s comment, Shannua glanced over at her. As she gazed out the window, a smile appeared on her face that hadn’t been seen recently.

“……I’m glad you think so.”

Shannua had not changed his mind about Eli, who had used his wedding invitation as an opportunity to request their attendance, utilizing the letter he had sent saying, “If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

When the imperial couple’s carriage reached the mansion, Damon, who was already waiting, greeted them.

“Raise your head.”

Shannua said to him as his head remained down.

Only then did Damon raise his bowed head.

“Where’s Eli?”

“He’s in the mansion. He’ll come to the guesthouse right after the mistress retires. I’ll make sure there’s no inconvenience in your stay.”

“……Please do.”

Shannua’s eyebrows rose for the briefest of moments, but he allowed it without comment. Only then did Damon step forward, riding on his prepared words.

* *

“Are you ready?”

This time, Eli confidently declared that he would handle everything, leaving Ruby unable to lift a finger. What she did was simply choose things like wedding dresses or jewelry.

As a result, Ruby didn’t know how the wedding was going to go until the day before.

“I’ve prepared a lot, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Eli sounded uncharacteristically unsure.

“I think I’ll like it.”

“Why?”

Ruby’s face was so confident as she answered, Eli asked.

“Because you prepared it for me. That’s all that matters.”

Ruby wrapped her arms around Eli’s waist.

“That’s good enough for me. Just for saying those beautiful words.”

Eli repeated the short kisses on her face, unable to resist her adorable and lovely actions, until Ruby protested and stopped him.

* * *

“You’re arriving rather quickly.”

Shannua said to Eli, who didn’t show up until long after they arrived at the guesthouse. His gravelly voice held a hint of discomfort.

“Damon would have been better than me to serve His Majesty.”

“Indeed. That’s a typical response from you.”

Shannua laughed lightly, more pleased than angry to see Eli’s steadfastness after all these years.

“It’s been a long time, Empress.”

Eli waved him off, then turned to Katrina.

“It’s been a long time, Earl Rox.”

Katrina returned the greeting, calling Eli by his other title, which had descended from Marquis.

“Thank you for coming all this way. My wife will be grateful.”

The mere mention of Ruby brought a small smile to Eli’s lips.

“Still the same.”

Katrina smiled at the sight. Shannua’s gaze turned to her.

“The mansion will be uncomfortable for you due to Ruby’s stability issues, so you can stay here while we attend to you.”

The mansion where Eli and Ruby stayed had quietly been arranged to have only a few servants.

“I understand. You’ve explained everything in the letter beforehand.”

“Thank you for your understanding. As His Majesty requested, you will both be staying in the same room. I’ve told them to prepare some simple refreshment and tea for you, but if there’s anything else you’d like, just tell my servants. They will serve you with the utmost care.”

Only at Eli’s continued explanation did Katrina’s gaze snap to Shannua’s, for she hadn’t asked for it, so it must have been his request.

Shannua pretended not to notice that gaze and replied.

“Thank you for your care.”

“You must be tired, and I must have talked too much, so we’ll save the conversation for tomorrow after the wedding.”

Eli replied, oblivious to the subtle exchanges of glances, bowed to Shannua and Katrina, and left the room.

The room was quiet in an instant. Until the tea and snacks Eli had prepared arrived,.

“I heard there will be a reception after the wedding.”

Shannua poured the tea into her teacup, declining the help of a maid since it was late at night.

“Let’s just have a simple cup of tea tonight and rest.”

“…There will be many noble young ladies attending the wedding.”

Katrina said, taking the teacup he poured for her.

“You might find a suitable person among them as the next consort.”

Her tone was nonchalant. If anything, it made Shannua’s brow crease as he listened.

“You can’t keep pulling the wool over my eyes like this forever……”

“I haven’t thought about it.”

Only after he cut her off did she take a sip of her tea.

“You know this isn’t something you can put off.”

Katrina retorted quietly, not backing down.

“If things don’t get better after being together this time, we’re going to have to think about it seriously.”

“…….”

“You know full well, Your Majesty, that we can’t put it off any longer.”

He was the first to avert his gaze as they stared at each other. Although he wanted to rebut, there was no denying that her words were not wrong, and he had no argument to counter them.

The two of them had been meeting on the day set by the Imperial Council, but there had been no news of an heir.

Katrina’s sudden change was due to her psychological problems.

Her psychological problems began to affect her physically, and she became sick and weak.

With no significant improvement even with medication, the doctor suggested that it seemed like psychological factors were preventing her from conceiving a child.

As a result, there had been no heir to the Luben Empire for several years.

Because of the lack of news of succession for so long, the voices among the nobles that a new empress should be brought in were growing louder.

But Katrina knew that it was Shannua’s consideration for her as Empress that kept them together. It was an expression of his desire to see her succeed him while also showing that she, too, was striving for succession.

In the end, not bringing in a new empress despite the nobles’ demands was entirely Shannua’s decision.

“You must be tired, so let’s go to bed.”

As he had been doing for some time, Shannua evaded the answer and went to bed first.

* * *

On the day of the wedding, Eli, who had been waiting for her on the first floor, held out his hand to Ruby as she came down the aisle in her wedding dress.

“Don’t you think it’s too fancy?”

Ruby asked, taking his hand.

“Not at all.”

Eli shook his head, not taking his eyes off Ruby except for a moment to answer.

“You’re beautiful.”

Ruby gave him a small smile at that. It was something she heard from him all the time, and she liked it every time.

“You look handsome too.”

“To think I look handsome to you makes all the effort worthwhile.”

Eli kissed Ruby’s lace-gloved finger lightly.

“Shall we go?”

Eli asked, and Ruby nodded.

As Ruby linked her arm through Eli’s and they stood side by side, the servants opened the gate to the garden, the carpet beneath them stretching out into the bright sunlight.

They looked at each other for a moment, then slowly stepped out.

Eli and Ruby stepped through the wide-open door and down the stairs.

Fluttering petals fell over Ruby and Eli’s heads, raining down like rain from the sky.

Ruby’s eyes were momentarily captivated by the beautiful sight, and when she looked straight ahead, she was surprised.

The garden was packed with guests, surrounding the carpet that had been laid out for the two to walk on. Ruby looked at Eli, surprised by the number of people—far more than she had expected.

Eli gently led her away, as if anticipating her reaction.

Ruby walked with him, gazing at the people who had come to celebrate her and Eli’s wedding.

As they walked along the carpet, Ruby’s heart swelled as she saw the genuine congratulations on their faces.

As they made their way through the crowd of guests and closer to the priest, they recognized everyone.

Emily Grit, now the Marchioness of Grit, and Baron Leton Bogar next to her, Dominic, and Aaron, who had married a few years ago and were carrying their child, Palman, as well as Baron and Baroness Blora, Count and Countess Chain, and Sorvan. And at the head of the table were Emperor Shannua and Empress Katrina.

But the most recognizable faces were Ruby’s parents, Viscount and Viscountess Rainier.

They stared at the two of them with tearful eyes, trying to force a kind smile onto their lips.

Ruby looked back at them, trying to smile more brightly.

At the end of the carpet, where Ruby and Eli had reached, was Priest Cedric, who had come to bless them.

“It’s been a long time, my lady.”

“Thank you for coming all this way, Father.”

“Your husband asked me so earnestly.”

Then Ruby looked at Eli with a questioning look.

“I told you, I’d make it the most glamorous. I wanted to make you the most beautiful, happiest bride.”

Because he didn’t do that for her first wedding.

Eli swallowed hard.

“And of course, as the officiant of your first wedding, I wanted to be there for your second wedding.”

Cedric added, implying that he was joking when he said he couldn’t resist Eli’s request.

“I am happy to see the two of you who have received the highest blessings in the temple so happy. May your happiness be everlasting.”
Cedric waved his hand as if to sprinkle something over their heads.

Normally, the sparkle of the blessing would be visible only to Cedric himself, but today he took special care to make it visible to others so that the guests could see the sparkling blessing landing on Ruby and Eli’s shoulders.

The spectacle drew gasps and applause from the guests.

A shower of flower petals also descended on the couple’s heads.

“What a beautiful wedding.”

Someone murmured from the audience.

Lynn clapped and agreed.

It was indeed a beautiful wedding.

It made Ruby’s first wedding, the one she’d been dreading, seem like a distant memory.

With everyone’s blessing, Ruby and Eli looked at each other and smiled.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories