After handling the wedding invitations, we needed to decide on the venue and the guests’ meals.

Since renting the Imperial Ballroom for a wedding was uncommon, we had no idea how to proceed.

Surprisingly, Colin provided the solution.

“If you just ask the royal chefs to prepare everything, they’ll do it. That’s what I did when I became the Tower Master.”

“You held your Tower Master inauguration at the palace? That’s incredible…”

“What do you think of me?”

I didn’t see him as insignificant or laughable at all. It was just that he seemed like such a distant figure to me, almost unreal.

No wonder Rosemary said it was fine without hesitation.

With a lighter heart, I sent a letter to Rosemary.

[I am grateful for Her Highness’s kindness in allowing us to use the Imperial Ballroom. I wish to prepare a ceremony worthy of such a prestigious venue. However, I’m having difficulty finding chefs with both etiquette and skill. Could we possibly receive assistance from the palace in hosting our guests?]

Rosie’s reply came quickly.

[The Imperial family extends its goodwill to the future Tower Master and his wife. We would be delighted to assist in your once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

It would be helpful if you could share in advance how you plan to organize the ceremony, including the order of events and meal times.]

Deciding on the overall structure of the wedding, as well as how to allocate time for meals and events, was crucial.

If the meal time was extended, the entire ceremony would also be prolonged.

I pondered what Yuri and I should do while the guests were dining. Then I shook my head.

No matter how I thought about it, a long ceremony was too much.

In a typical wedding, time might be filled with parents reading letters, but we didn’t have any parents to invite.

As I sat in a chair, resting my chin in my hand and making a noise of frustration, I heard the front door open. I hurriedly opened my door and went down the stairs.

“Where have you been, Yuri?”

Yuri, who was hanging his coat on a chair and unbuttoning his shirt with his free hand, looked up to meet my gaze.

“I was… having a light discussion with my Master.”

It wasn’t unusual for Colin to be flustered by Yuri, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

“Why? What was the issue?”

Yuri sighed dramatically and slumped his shoulders.

“My Master wants to walk me down the aisle at the wedding.”

“……”

His response left me frozen, unable to take sides.

It seemed that the absence of a father to walk me down the aisle was bothering him.

But technically, Colin is Yuri’s Master, so shouldn’t he sit in the father-in-law’s seat? But then there’s Yujin for Yuri, so would that be awkward?

Having to worry about such things proved that marriage wasn’t an easy matter.

Yuri shook his head and continued.

“If that was all, I wouldn’t have minded. But he also wants to officiate the wedding and play the role of the bride’s father. He’s being overly ambitious. It seems he thinks he’s the star of the ceremony.”

“That’s a bit much.”

So he wanted to officiate as well?

I thought the cathedral sent a letter suggesting the Archbishop officiate.

Do I have to decide who will officiate the ceremony too?

No matter who I ask, won’t the other party feel greatly disappointed?

Ugh, my head hurts.

Thinking about issues I hadn’t considered before made my head throb.

“What about you, Titi? What were you worrying about?”

“I was thinking about the meal arrangements, but now I have another worry about who to ask to officiate.”

“Ah, I see.”

Yuri listened to my concerns, propped his chin on his hand, and nodded.

“There was unexpectedly a lot to think about and prepare for the wedding.”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t it be simpler if we just held hands and announced we were going to live happily ever after?”

Yuri laughed out loud at my complaint. Seeing his sparkling face made all my previous worries seem to vanish.

‘Right. The wedding was just an event to announce that Yuri and I were becoming a couple. Nothing was more important than that.

If he and I pledged our love, wasn’t that enough to complete the ceremony?’

When I was alone, my head hurt and I couldn’t find answers, but being with Yuri made everything seem trivial.

I shouted confidently.

“Yes, let’s aim for a simple wedding! Just like a banquet!”

“Huh? Weren’t you planning on making it as grand as possible?”

“That’s not really my style, and it’s too much work to prepare now.”

We didn’t need extravagant food at the banquet. Simple, bite-sized dishes, quality wine, and music would suffice.

‘After all, people are coming to celebrate and enjoy with us. There’s no reason to keep them seated stiffly, clapping and eating.’

“We’ll drastically reduce the ceremony time and, instead of elaborate wine and desserts, we’ll send guests off with well-prepared thank-you gifts. If we decorate it like a midsummer banquet, it should feel fresh and pleasant, right?”

Thinking of midsummer brought various images to mind: fresh green grapes, sweet ice cream melting in the mouth, lively music, straw hats, and cool water activities.

‘It’s a good concept. Since the ballroom is near the garden, we can open it up and decorate it like a big outdoor party for more fun.’

Until a moment ago, my heart felt heavy, but changing my perspective filled me with ideas and excitement.

Then, a sudden thought made me look at Yuri.

In my excitement, I had forgotten the important fact that the wedding wasn’t just my event.

“Yuri, I’m sorry. I was thinking only of myself. You’re the next Tower Master; are you okay with a casual ceremony?”

I didn’t have a family or any need to maintain appearances, but Yuri’s situation was different.

That was the only thing that concerned me.

However, Yuri replied lightly, as if telling me not to worry at all.

“If that’s what you want, there’s nothing that can’t be done. Do whatever you like, Titi.”

His words made my cheeks flush with excitement.

“Then let’s go with a picnic theme! We’ll decorate the venue cheerfully and serve desserts that remind us of early summer, like green grapes.”

“There are flowers that fit perfectly with that.”

“What are they?”

“My tulips. I’ve kept them instead of selling them.”

“Tulips!”

Even though they weren’t as expensive as when I sold them, tulips were still quite pricey.

‘Decorating the venue with tulips would match the concept and create a fresh and romantic atmosphere.’

It was as if he had saved the tulips specifically for the wedding; the timing was perfect.

I turned to Yuri, touched, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t you think you owe me a kiss?”

Instead of answering, I stood on tiptoe and kissed Yuri’s lips with a smack.

He always prioritized me and supported my opinions, which is why I took his hand even when saying marriage was madness.

Yuri smiled a refreshing smile, like the wind in a valley, and effortlessly lifted the burden from my shoulders.

“And let’s leave the selection of thank-you gifts to Yujin. He knows everything about the social scene, so he’ll choose well.”

I could easily imagine Yujin frowning silently, but since I couldn’t think of anyone else, I nodded in agreement.

‘Sorry, Yujin. I’ll definitely repay you later, so please help us out this time.’

With some burdens lifted, my worries disappeared, and I felt at ease.

As I stretched my arms and yawned, Yuri gently pushed me toward the door and said,

“If everything’s settled, shall we go do something we absolutely must?”

“What is it?”

Something Yuri and I absolutely had to do?

I blinked, unable to guess, and Yuri narrowed his eyes with a smile, then answered.

“We need to choose our wedding attire.”

***

Yuri took me to none other than the Esrenche family’s atelier.

As soon as we arrived, the atelier owner hurriedly ran out and bowed so deeply that his head almost touched the floor.

“Since there’s not much time, we should quickly choose a dress to allow time for alterations. I hope you understand.”

I felt a pang of guilt since it was my fault for coming so late.

I wondered why we had come to a place associated with the Esrenche family, and it turned out that the dresses worn by previous Esrenche family brides were carefully preserved here.