Chapter 54

After Antonio’s matter was settled, Rivera sought out her two friends to reconcile. That night, the three women cried until their eyes were swollen the next day. 

Even Cassilia, who seemed like she’d never cry, apologized through tears, which made Julia and Rivera almost stop crying out of surprise. 

However, they promised never to deceive one another again and prepared to become the happiest brides in the world.

Cassilia found it strange that Adrian, who was always by Rivera’s side, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the Duke of Bartman?”

“Oh, that…”

That morning, Adrian had a nosebleed after seeing Rivera in her wedding dress and hadn’t been able to leave the bathroom. He seemed to have lost his energy. Considering how he moved his hips every night, it was no wonder his body couldn’t keep up.

“I told him not to come.”

“Why?”

“People feel uncomfortable when he’s around.”

Adrian, in particular, would glare at any man who came near and demand they stay at least two meters away. Watching him, one could hardly associate him with the infamous Black Lion of the past. 

Yet, there still seemed to be frequent issues arising near the border. In those moments, his cold and intimidating demeanor returned, as if to uphold his promise never to allow anyone to invade this land.

“You must have a hard time with him.”

“Well, it’s like dealing with a child.”

Rivera hadn’t expected Adrian to be this much trouble. Even though their wedding was the next day, he kept pestering her, begging for one last time. When she complained and suggested they call off the wedding, he pleaded even more. It had reached the point where she nearly shouted, “Let’s break up!”

As she held the bouquet and looked at her reflection in the mirror, Rivera began to worry about her future.

“How am I supposed to live with that guy?”

Was this marriage going to be okay?

* * *

The grand wedding hall was filled with people who had come to celebrate the couple’s union. As the ceremony progressed, Rivera found it increasingly difficult to maintain her composure. 

The person officiating the ceremony was the Pope, and the woman delivering the rings was the Saintess.

Why in the world were they doing this?

Rivera was left speechless as she watched the Saintess confidently walk up with the rings in her hand—rings that were supposed to have been brought by the flower children.

“Couldn’t she wear something different, just for today?”

“……”

When Adrian didn’t respond, Rivera turned her head to see sparks practically flying from his eyes.

“You didn’t know either, huh?”

If he’d known, he wouldn’t have reacted like this.

The Saintess, attending Rivera’s wedding, wore a pure white dress. Though it was her usual neat and modest attire, the fact that it was white made it seem as if there were two brides today.

Saintess Ariel smiled and handed the rings to Adrian.

“Here are the rings.”

“Get out, now.”

Adrian snatched them from her in an instant, gritting his teeth. His lips didn’t move, but his voice came out, an eerie display.

“If you kick me out, you’ll regret it. I have something to tell your wife.”

What now?!

Rivera was sick of secrets at this point. She grabbed Adrian’s shoulder, whispering in his ear.

“Is she your ex-girlfriend?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then a stalker who’s in love with you?”

“No.”

The Saintess chuckled, finding the hypotheses amusing.

“You’re adorable. You’re truly fitting as the Duchess of Bartman.”

Adrian ordered the Black Knights.

“Drag this woman out immediately.”

She had handed over the rings, so there was no reason for her to stay. Why was she disrupting the sacred ceremony and making eye contact with his wife?

It was incomprehensible.

To make matters worse, the Chancellor, who was supposed to officiate, had been replaced by the Emperor himself.

– The Chancellor said he wasn’t feeling well.

What a blatant lie.

Knowing it was pointless to argue, Adrian had given up and let them do as they pleased. But when the ceremony began, the Emperor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the Pope and the Saintess had taken his place.

As the Saintess was about to be dragged out by the knights, she protested.

“Duke Bartman, isn’t this too much? Even the Emperor can’t receive the Saintess’s blessing. I promised him I’d personally bless every royal descendant born in the future.”

“Are you insane? Who asked you to do that?”

“Hmph! Even if you don’t need it, your wife will.”

The Saintess reached out toward Rivera. An indescribable power flowed into her body, and at that moment, it felt like a mirage—a dark stain spreading across a blue lake.

“That’s your specialty, isn’t it?”

The dark stain lingered around Rivera’s abdomen.

Adrian froze.

“What is this?”

The Saintess placed her hands on her hips and replied.

“Ask your husband. He knows what it is.”

Rivera wanted to touch the strange presence around her belly, but she couldn’t.

“Adrian, do you know what this is?”

The Saintess, surrounded by Black Knights, grumbled in frustration.

“For the record, I planned to quietly give my blessing and leave. If you hadn’t treated me so poorly!”

The guests at the wedding watched the scene unfold in silence. The Emperor, in particular, was observing from the shadows with a peculiar smile.

The dark aura around Rivera’s abdomen felt strangely familiar. When she glanced at Cassilia in the audience, even the Countess of Iaron sitting in front of her froze in shock.

“Have you figured it out now?”

Saintess Ariel smiled proudly.

“Yes.”

I’m pregnant.

Rivera’s jaw dropped.

The Saintess clasped her hands together in prayer.

“On this day, I give thanks. May infinite glory be with the God who bestowed new life, and may the health of the woman carrying the child and the safety of the new life be ensured.”

A radiant light poured down from above, enveloping Rivera. Her complexion improved, and warmth spread through her body. For the first time, she could faintly sense the life growing inside her.

Rivera touched her belly, overwhelmed by a strange sensation.

‘Is this the Saintess’s power?’

But there was no time to admire it. Rivera covered her face with the bouquet, mortified.

‘Baby, did you really have to announce your presence at your parents’ wedding?’

Of course, Adrian’s child would make such a bold declaration on their wedding day. She hadn’t expected the announcement to be made in front of her parents, too.

* * *

The tumultuous ceremony finally ended. After exchanging rings and vows, Rivera hid out of embarrassment.

Her friends came to find her, saying she had to attend the reception, but Rivera’s face was as red as a ripe persimmon.

She couldn’t even imagine what tomorrow’s headlines would say. A small, sensationalist newspaper might run a title like, “One Husband, Two Brides?” and she wouldn’t be able to argue against it.

“I didn’t expect a normal wedding, but… this is too much. Am I wrong…?”

Sitting on the bed, Rivera muttered to Adrian, who was in the middle of taking off his clothes.

“What are you doing?”

He glanced out the window. The sun had set, and the guests were enjoying the reception. The absence of the bride and groom didn’t seem to bother anyone.

With the Duke of Bartman absent, people were likely relieved, enjoying themselves without fear of his imposing presence. Those aiming to climb the social ladder were busy networking with the Emperor, Pope, and Saintess. For those seeking wealth and power, this was the grandest banquet imaginable.

Adrian, however, was looking forward to the night with Rivera. There were no more interruptions.

“You’re not going to the reception, right? Since we’re not doing anything, why not enjoy some time as a couple?”

“Didn’t you hear earlier? I’m pregnant.”

“We can still do it.”

Rivera threw a pillow at him.

“Do what?!”

She declared that there would be no intimacy during her pregnancy, especially not before reaching a stable period.

“…Can’t we at least be careful?”

“That’s something you should’ve said before I got pregnant.”

Adrian slumped onto the sofa, defeated.

“Then what are we supposed to do tonight? The night is long, and there’s nothing else to do.”

Did he have a condition where he’d die without intimacy? Or was his seemingly endless stamina fueled by something else entirely?

Rivera seriously worried about whether she could trust Adrian to help raise their child.

“You make me nervous.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the kind of person who’d kill the Emperor if you had to.”

She feared that if Adrian ever killed the Emperor and found himself in a bind, he’d awkwardly approach her and ask, “Want to be Empress?”

Adrian didn’t deny it. While the current Emperor was fine, if the next one didn’t meet his standards or things went awry, he wouldn’t hesitate to act.

“Don’t worry. If I ever do kill him, I’ll handle it discreetly.”

That was precisely the problem.

* * *

The honeymoon proceeded as planned.

Rivera, who had never been on a proper trip before, wanted to visit famous destinations. Since Adrian’s presence eliminated any concerns about security, the two boarded a carriage with minimal personnel and left the estate.

“What are you going to do about work during the trip?”

Unlike Rivera, whose skin seemed to glow, Adrian’s face looked haggard.

“Work isn’t the problem. It’s feeling like I’m dying every night.”

It felt like his life was being drained away. Adrian endured by stabbing his thigh with needles all night.

“Just hold on a bit longer. You used to manage fine before.”

“That was then, and this is now.”

Adrian sighed deeply, regretting not being more diligent about contraception.

“What about you? Are you okay with me working during our honeymoon?”

“You said this was the only way to make time. I’m fine.”

Adrian had added several regions to the honeymoon itinerary. When Rivera found out it was a honeymoon-slash-inspection tour, she suggested they revise the schedule.

Although monthly reports were submitted, Adrian could still be deceived if the administrators were determined to hide something. While he had sent other officials to investigate suspicious regions in the past, it had been years since he personally conducted inspections. To instill a sense of urgency, she thought it was a good idea for him to visit in person.