PART 1.

Chapter 6. Marriage and War

The cathedral of Costonia is narrower in width than that of Westenia. Instead, the ceiling was incredibly high. Unlike the mostly single-story cathedral of Westenia, the tiered seating extended up to the third floor, offering a unique structure where one could look down at the chapel from the railings of each floor with a wide-open view.

Cecilia Rosti did not like anything about Costonia. She disliked the unsophisticated culture typical of a secluded country, the greasy food, and the coarse people. However, she was quite fond of this unique architectural style.

“If you stick right behind the railing on the third floor, no one on the first floor can see you.”

Cecilia muttered to herself as if she was explaining to a friend. She placed a lamp-shaped table clock on the railing and used binoculars to look down at the distant first floor.

The lens captured the altar decorated with white cloth, the cross, and the altar painting of the Virgin Mary. A priest with a neat impression stood in front of it, busily moving his mouth.

— Bride Phenelity Cochrun, will you forever share a progressive and happy life with your husband, Viett Hartmann…

Thanks to the pocket watch hidden on the altar being connected to the table clock on the railing via magical communication, the priest’s officiating speech flowed continuously from the table clock. At the end of the clichéd officiating speech, the priest added a question.

— Bride, do you promise?

— Yes!

Phenelity’s lively answer flowed from the table clock. After a short silence, Prince Viett whispered.

— I, I promise.

— Ah, I promise!

Phenelity corrected her answer with an awkward laugh. Cecilia moved the binoculars downward.

She saw Phenelity’s back, dressed in a white dress that fell to her ankles. Though it was a wedding, she seemed to have dressed up to some extent, since her usually messily twisted hair was calm today.

If she had neatly braided and twisted it up, she might have looked quite like a bride.

Cecilia smacked her lips in regret and turned her gaze. Prince Viett, neatly dressed in a military uniform, stood upright beside Phenelity.

While the groom stood straight without a single movement, the bride playfully nodded her head to the gentle and somber music.

Cecilia moved the binoculars following the sound of the music. Behind the officiating priest, an old phonograph stood alone. She could see the record spinning round and round.

“Is that the magical phonograph?”

Cecilia muttered softly as she observed the phonograph. The piano piece recorded by Prince Viett flowed gently from the table clock that was eavesdropping.

— What piece is this?

Phenelity, swaying her upper body to the music, suddenly asked.

— …Ga, Gaeta’s Sa… ‘Beloved Ghost’.

“Chaul’s ‘Death of the Pig King’… that’s not it.”

Viett and Cecilia answered almost simultaneously. Viett gave the correct answer weakly, while Cecilia confidently gave the wrong one.

“Damn it.”

Cecilia muttered a curse and put down the binoculars. She then meticulously recorded the recent conversation in her notebook.

“I got it wrong again. I was sure it was a piece by Chaul.”

It often happened even during the time she pretended to be his fiancée. Because of the damn music, her relationship with the prince kept deteriorating. Memorizing the titles of pieces to match his refined taste was such a hard task.

To Cecilia’s ears, all these songs sounded similar, but the prince could recite the composer, title, and instrument composition just by listening to the introduction of a piece.

Though he was usually a man of few words due to his stuttering, he would talk endlessly about music without being asked.

— This piece suits our marriage so well. It’s gloomy, dark, and depressing. And it’s even depressing.

— Do, do you know you just said de, depressing twice?

— Do you know that combining two negatives makes a positive? So, we are now the protagonists of a very cheerful scam.

Cecilia diligently recorded the conversation flowing from the table clock.

In fact, it was mostly Phenelity’s one-sided nonsense, but she utilized her experience as her roommate to calmly write it down.

— Do, do you really think this is a sca… scam?

Prince Viett asked in a voice full of despair. Even from afar, his broad shoulders could be seen twitching.

— It is a scam. Where in the world does a wedding involve bribing the priest with money?

Phenelity stared at the priest mechanically reciting the officiating speech, then glanced over her shoulder at the guest seats.

— There are so few invited guests that you can count them on one hand.

Her gaze moved to Viscount Esca who was sitting in the groom’s guest seat and Hilias Law sitting in the bride’s guest seat.

— The role of the reporter who sneaked into the venue is taken by the minister’s subordinate.

Following Phenelity’s slowly turning head, Cecilia also shifted her gaze.

She saw a young man standing behind the confessional with a camera. The Aisad agent was wearing a hat low over his face and continuously pressing the camera shutter.

— And we’re we… wearing uniforms and dresses.

— Are you still sulking because I didn’t wear a wedding dress?

Phenelity burst into laughter. Even from afar, her small shoulders could be seen shaking joyfully.

— A royal uniform adorned with golden tassels and a wedding dress studded with jewels? It would look splendid, but it doesn’t suit this training camp at all.

After a moment of hesitation, Viett sighed as he looked around the main altar.

— You also… don’t suit this lousy wedding.

Cecilia tightly gripped the fountain pen that had been moving busily. Was the prince someone who could say such kind words?

— It’s not lousy.

Phenelity shook her head gently.

— I prefer this quiet atmosphere to a noisy and flashy one!

— The bride isn’t that qu… quiet though?

— Shh! We’re in the middle of the ceremony, so be quiet now.

At her warning, the priest, who had been reciting the officiating speech, muttered awkwardly.

— The bride is the loudest one…

— Shh!

— If I shh, who will officiate the wedding?

Just as Phenelity was about to retort, the magical communication slightly cut off. Cecilia tapped the table clock irritably.

After the static noise, Prince Viett’s voice resumed unnaturally.

— Wh, what did you mean by saying you won’t use people as an es… escape anymore?

— Huh? Who said that?

— Ye… Yes, you. Yesterday in my, my study…

— Oh, come on, don’t lie. I have no memory of that.

— …….

A melancholic melody swallowed the awkward silence. Cecilia shook her head as she meticulously noted down the conversation between the two in her notebook.

“The phonograph crash incident has already been erased from your mind, Pepe. Just like the memory of Minute visiting your room with flowers.”

She closed her notebook with a snap and added,

“It’s all thanks to the outstanding brainwashing magic skills of a top-tier mage. Isn’t that right, Minister?”

She turned her head sharply, lowering the volume of the table clock. Minister Hinler, who was standing idly in the central aisle, twitched his eyebrows at her audacious smile.

“Your sarcasm is quite something. Are you still upset that I entrusted Viscount Esca’s task to you?”

“Eavesdropping duties don’t suit me. I’m more of a rooftop cat than a rat on the wall.”

Cecilia stared at him as he limped toward the railing and suddenly spoke.

“A thought just crossed my mind.”

“What thought?”

“Is this the first time we’ve erased that girl’s daily life from a novel in this manner?”

Hinler paused, his gaze fixed on the wedding scene unfolding below the railing. A moment of doubt flashed in his cold eyes.

Oh my, he’s not contradicting me for once? Cecilia chuckled, amused by planting a seed of suspicion in his mind.

“Of course, there are only a few who can use high-level mental magic in Westenia.”

“……In Easton, they’re everywhere.”

Hinler replied in a troubled tone, standing next to Cecilia.

“Easton has the most powerful mage corps on the continent.”

“That’s the most unfortunate part of this war.”

Cecilia smiled faintly and glanced down at the briefcase he was holding. A glimpse of a gun was visible through the slightly open gap. It seemed too vile and hideous for a guest to carry.

“Isn’t bringing a gun to a wedding a bit much?”

“And the grenade in your handbag is fine?”

Hinler scoffed as he locked the bag.

“It’s for any emergency. A real journalist might have snuck into the cathedral.”

Cecilia looked puzzled. A Minister of Magic using bullets to deal with a spy? Well, if he used magic to kill someone, he’d have to step down as minister.