“Uh?”

Yujin’s observation caught me off guard. He calmly pointed out the flaw in my words.

“As you mentioned, marriage isn’t a gateway to happiness. It’s simply a commitment that provides social binding to a relationship between a man and a woman. I’m asking if you’ve ever considered sharing such a commitment with someone.”

“…Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Yujin was right. My cynicism was directed at my own experiences with marriage, not the institution itself.

‘And those marriages were ultimately issues with my partners.’

Realizing this felt like a revelation.

I had believed, based on my past experiences, that all marriages were unhappy. But the problem wasn’t with marriage itself.

‘Those marriages were choices I made out of desperation.’

My reality had been a mess, and marriage seemed like the only escape.

There were parts of me that were lacking, and the spouses I had met so far found those burdensome.

They were decisions made in haste. Naturally, living together revealed incompatibilities.

But now, I wasn’t in a situation where I had to rush into marriage to escape unhappiness.

‘Yuri isn’t that kind of person.’

On the contrary, he was the one who held my hand and gave me strength as I struggled to escape an unhappy life.

Realizing this felt like a veil had been lifted from my eyes.

Yujin murmured softly, as if he had anticipated this.

“It seems like you’ve found your answer.”

His lips curled slightly, but his eyes looked so weary that it didn’t feel like a smile at all.

Suddenly curious, I asked Yujin, “Does my marriage mean something to you?”

Yujin replied in a voice as dry as sand, “I think I need an ending to the story.”

His response had a peculiar resonance. I looked at him with trembling eyes.

“You…”

At that very moment,

“Wow!”

A tremendous cheer filled the wedding hall.

Startled, I turned back to the stage. A dazzling array of colors erupted around the bride and groom like fireworks.

‘Magic!’ A spectacular display that captivated everyone’s attention.

And at the center of it all was…

‘Yuri!’

Yuri was casting magic to congratulate the bride and groom, wearing a playful smile.

I stared at Yuri with a dazed expression. The bursting fireworks painted his face in vibrant hues.

‘So this was the task he took on for the wedding.’

I forgot all about my earlier excitement over Rosemary and was entranced, watching Yuri’s sparkling face.

“Ah!”

At that moment, as if sensing my gaze, Yuri looked directly at me.

And he smiled warmly, as if he could see only me, utterly enchanting.

Thump!

My heart began to pound wildly.

No, was it just this moment?

‘I knew all along. I was just pushing him away.’

I had been forcing him into the narrative of my unhappiness, ignoring his confession and my own feelings.

The answer had already been decided.

As the magic ended, the wedding moved on to the Archbishop’s address to the Crown Prince and his bride. Yuri stepped down from the stage and quickly returned to my side.

With his usual friendly smile, Yuri said, “Did I look cool today? I paid extra attention because Titi was here…”

“Yuri.”

I couldn’t suppress my emotions any longer. I tightly grasped Yuri’s hand as he approached and confessed.

“Let’s get married.”

Yuri’s eyes widened in surprise.

***

Sabina clenched her fists tightly. Even though she knew all eyes were focused on the platform where the royal family sat, she couldn’t control her expression.

‘What is this! Why am I stuck in this corner?’

Sabina, who had always been seated closest to the Emperor, found herself far away today.

Everyone was so engrossed in the lavishly decorated ballroom that they didn’t notice Sabina’s new position, but she felt as if everyone was mocking her.

Unable to contain her irritation, Sabina snapped at the attendant who had shown her to her seat.

“Is this really my seat? Isn’t there some kind of mistake?”

“This is your seat, Your Highness.”

“Why am I here?”

A sharp voice responded to Sabina’s fierce questioning. It was her half-sister, seated higher up.

“Sit quietly, little sister, and don’t get yourself thrown out like you did at the last dinner.”

Sabina’s stomach churned at the sharp words from someone who had never dared to respond to her before. When she glared at the princess with fierce eyes, the princess quickly turned her head to avoid her gaze.

Sabina snorted but sat down anyway. The Emperor’s gaze was directed toward her.

‘It’s not good to show Father that I’m angry.’

Sabina’s mother, despite her beautiful face, had never become a concubine due to her harsh personality and was eventually sent to a rural palace after giving birth to a princess.

Knowing this better than anyone, Sabina suppressed her resentment with difficulty.

‘Instead, I’ll make it seem like I’m so sad sitting in this corner. I’ll squeeze out some tears.’

Pretending to be sad wasn’t hard. She had gained much by putting on expressions since she was young.

And she knew from experience how soft the Emperor’s attitude became whenever she showed such a downcast expression.

But this time was different.

‘What?’

The Emperor showed no reaction and merely looked at her steadily before turning his gaze away, as if he didn’t even want to meet her eyes.

‘This is strange.’

Could it be that the Emperor really intended to distance himself from her?

The thought made her unbearably anxious. Sabina bit her nails until they made a clicking sound, stopping only when a lady-in-waiting intervened.

As the wedding progressed, Sabina’s mood worsened.

‘Why is she so happy?’

It bothered her to see Rosemary smiling as if she had the whole world.

‘While I’m so miserable.’

Her status in the palace began to decline with Rosemary’s arrival.

Sabina’s gaze followed the red bouquet tightly held in Rosemary’s hand.

‘Enjoy it while it lasts, because this happiness won’t last long.’

At that moment, a commotion arose in the wedding hall.

The young man with pink hair, whom she adored, lifted a woman in a blue dress into his arms.

It was Yuri and Titiana.

Since the royal family’s entrance was later than that of the nobles, Sabina hadn’t known that Yuri had arrived at the wedding with Titiana.

She had only been thinking about catching Yuri, who was bestowing the mage’s blessing, as soon as the wedding ended.

‘But he’s holding another woman?’

Furious, Sabina grabbed the head maid and demanded, “Who is that woman? Who invited her?”

“Well, uh.”

The head maid was at a loss. The situation was calmed by the Empress’s lady-in-waiting.

“The Empress has instructed you not to cause a scene on such a joyous day.”

“But…!”

Right now, Yuri is with some woman!

I’m here, and he’s with another woman!

Sabina, overwhelmed with emotion, opened her mouth to retort, but the Empress’s lady-in-waiting cut her off.

“How fortunate. It’s an opportunity for you to learn humility.”

“…Humility?”

“Your Highness has been far too free-spirited under the Empress’s mercy, hasn’t she? That’s why you keep causing disturbances even on a day like today.”

“Ha!”

Sabina was speechless and glared at the Empress. The Empress didn’t even glance her way.

She usually pretended to care for her warmly, but that cold demeanor was her true self. To her, Sabina was merely a reminder of a woman who had once stolen the Emperor’s favor.

Sabina ground her teeth.

‘If only my mother hadn’t died like that, she wouldn’t dare act so high and mighty in front of me.’

At that moment, Sabina’s target for revenge became fixed on Rosemary.

“…Yes. Humility, humility is important.”

She might feel like she owns the world now that she’s in the Empress’s seat.

But can she really stay in the highest position so easily?

‘Just wait until her son is disgraced.’