Fish Don't Know About Water - Chapter 33

“Shall we kidnap and torture the physician?”

She subtly suggested to lighten the heavy atmosphere, but Hinler snorted in disdain.

“Weren’t you fervently defending him as your academy senior?”

“Coldness is a virtue that every Aisad agent must possess.”

Cecilia forced a smile and looked down below the railing. All the few guests were standing up, applauding the newlywed couple.

Hilias Law was clapping quietly with his gaze fixed on the smiling Phenelity.

“For a while… let that man linger around the Little Lady.”

Hinler said coldly, staring at Hilias’s lonely back.

“If the senior really holds a grudge against the Count’s family, Cochrun could be in danger.”

“If he intended to harm the Little Lady, he would have shown his true colors long ago. For now, keep an eye on the physician’s movements.”

He commanded coldly and turned his gaze to the confessional. An Aisad agent disguised as a journalist was hiding behind the confessional, staring up at the third floor.

When Hinler nodded silently, the agent began to photograph Prince Viett and Phenelity.

“Increase the volume of the communication.”

Cecilia turned the dial of the table clock as per Hinler’s order. As the volume increased, the voice of Viscount Esca shouting flowed loudly from the clock.

— Why the long face on your wedding day? Show us a bright smile, Your Highness!

— That’s right. We need a smiling photo for the royal press release, so smile a bit.

Phenelity urged in a voice full of anticipation. Viett’s disgruntled reply followed.

— I’m, I’m not in the mood to smile.

— That’s no way for a newlywed man to talk.

Phenelity began to calmly persuade him.

— People won’t believe we’re married unless they see us smiling happily in the photos. If you’re not in the mood, at least pretend to be happy.

— I-If it’s just a staged p-photo anyway… then from behind…

— Come on, smile!

Phenelity’s cheerful shout was followed by a man’s low laughter. Cecilia and Hinler quickly looked down below the railing in shock.

“Did… did His Highness just laugh out loud? Really?”

“Impossible.”

Viett was holding his side with his hand, looking bewilderedly at Phenelity.

— Wh-what… what are you doing?

Prince Viett’s bewildered shout came from the table clock. He stepped back from the giggling Phenelity. It seemed she had tickled his side while he was off guard.

— Ah, so your side is weak?

Phenelity laughed, playfully curling and uncurling her ten fingers.

— Come on, smile. You look much prettier when you smile.

— Pre-pretty? Who’s… Stop it, will you?

The prince hurriedly grabbed the hand reaching for his side.

— Oh, you won’t fall for it twice.

Phenelity shook her hand that was firmly grabbed and reached out with the other hand. This time, her target was the exposed nape of his neck.

— Then how about here?

— I said stop.

Viett grabbed the hand that was about to touch his chin. Despite both hands being firmly held, Phenelity persisted in her playful attack.

From a distance, their bickering looked like a cute quarrel between lovers.

“They look quite well-matched from afar, don’t they?”

Cecilia chuckled, watching them through binoculars.

“They both seem to be having a lot of fun.”

“Life is a comedy from a distance and a tragedy up close.”

Hinler grumbled in a displeased tone.

“Does it seem enjoyable to you to see Prince Viett being teased?”

“Look. The usually stone-faced prince is full of vulnerabilities in front of her.”

Cecilia adjusted the focus of the binoculars to zoom in on Viett’s face. His typically stern face had a faint smile.

It was hard to tell if the softened eyes and relaxed expression were simply due to being tickled or if it was a natural smile caused by the bride’s antics.

“This is a very positive sign in a romantic relationship.”

“Positive? Ha! It’s an ominous sign!”

“Omi-nous-? Instead of blessing them to live well, that’s really too much.”

Ignoring her half-joking accusation, Hinler took the binoculars from Cecilia’s hand. As he observed Viett through the binoculars, his brows furrowed slightly.

“I don’t like that Prince Viett is letting his guard down so much around the Little Lady.”

“Is there anyone in the world who meets your standards for a princess consort?”

Cecilia chuckled and then grabbed her handbag, heading down the stairs. As soon as she stepped onto the first floor, she made eye contact with Hilias Law, who was about to leave the cathedral.

“Senior. Are you leaving already?”

Hilias turned to Cecilia with a somewhat embarrassed look.

“Phenelity asked me to do something in advance, so I need to go to the Commander’s residence.”

“Residence?”

Cecilia glanced at the main altar. Phenelity was still bickering with the prince.

Viscount Esca was enthusiastically capturing the scene with a camera he had taken from the fake journalist.

“What did she ask you to do? Even if His Highness is disguising his status, that’s still the residence of the imperial family…”

The residence of the imperial family is a place where outsiders like Hilias cannot easily enter. Even in urgent wartime situations, it would be against the law.

“That place is now also Phenelity’s home.”

However, Hilias replied with an even more nonchalant expression. Cecilia stared at him in a daze for a moment before nodding.

“Oh, right. From today, she lives there too…?”

She had almost forgotten that her decade-long friend had become a member of the royal family today. With Phenelity’s permission as the princess consort, her physician, Hilias, had every right to come and go from the officer’s residence.

As if to remind her of this fact, Hilias spoke with a gentle smile on his lips.

“The princess consort has planned to hold the wedding reception there, so I must comply.”

“What? A reception?”

A brief silence fell. Cecilia looked around the desolate cathedral with a face that showed she couldn’t understand.

“You’re holding a reception in the midst of this lukewarm, half-hearted wedding? Who’s even coming to the party?”

“Phenelity’s fellow nurses, the special forces under His Highness, and fellow officers will be there. Invitations were handed out to them this morning.”

Hilias took out a yellow piece of paper from his coat pocket. It was a prescription confirmation sheet used in the field hospital. The back, clearly used and discarded, had a blue seal on it. It was the Cochrun family’s seal.

This… this is supposed to be an invitation? Cecilia was speechless as she accepted the invitation.

It wasn’t an official seal. Given its excessively large size, it was clearly a hastily made seal.

She could easily imagine Phenelity carving the Cochrun family crest into a lump of wax with a carving knife.

“Phenelity made this, didn’t she?”

Hilias answered with an embarrassed smile and took back the invitation.

“Everyone said they’d attend the party no matter what. Especially the soldiers, who were looking forward to it as their last drink before boarding the airship.”

“With what money are you getting party food and drinks…?”

“It seems Count Cochrun provided a rather generous dowry.”

He adjusted his hat and effortlessly pushed open the giant cathedral door with one hand. Then, half out the door, he looked back at Cecilia.

“It’s a hastily arranged party, but it should be fun. Why don’t you come too?”

“I need an invitation to decide whether I go or not!”

“Did you have an invitation to come to this wedding?”

Cecilia avoided his smiling gaze. The thought that this man might be deeply connected to enemy spies made her uncomfortable. The more she thought about the years she had trusted and followed him as a senior, the more bitter she felt.

Hoping that the strong suspicion wouldn’t turn into deep betrayal, and praying that she wouldn’t have to personally torture him, Cecilia sighed deeply.

“I’m still uncomfortable facing Phenelity.”

“Is it because you feel guilty about slapping her?”

He laughed with a pointed comment. Cecilia frowned.

A slap? Right. On the day the breakup was decided, she slapped Phenelity hard and left Costonia.

She hadn’t hit Phenelity out of particular resentment towards her. It was because she felt humiliated that the breakup, which was supposed to proceed quietly according to the organization’s orders, was recorded in <Pepe>—it was due to her botched mission.

Even though she knew it wasn’t Phenelity’s fault, she had acted impulsively.