Rosé spoke with firm resolve, then walked beside Maxim into the chapel.

Hellevant’s elders and nobles, standing on either side of the chapel, stared at them intently.

Whispers and sharp glances directed at the bride from Stern pierced Rosé all at once.

‘This isn’t a real marriage. It’s just an act.’

The closer they got to the platform where the bishop stood smiling graciously at them, the more uncomfortable Rosé felt.

Falsely vowing to be a couple forever during a sacred ceremony felt like committing a grave sin.

Maxim spoke indifferently as Rosé’s steps slowed, like a lamb being led to the altar.

“No need to feel guilty. If you keep making that guilty face, I’ll start feeling bad too.”

Rosé raised her head to look at Maxim.

He was staring straight ahead, his face devoid of any emotion.

“Why are you marrying me?”

The thought struck her as a question that should have been asked much earlier.

He had said he was marrying her because she was helpful. This marriage was just a means to an end for him.

But she still didn’t know what that purpose was.

“Shh.”

Maxim lightly brought a finger to his lips and gestured for her to look ahead.

Before they knew it, they stood in front of the platform where the bishop awaited them.

Rosé had never wanted to marry again.

Yet here she was, once again standing as a bride.

Fragments of her past came rushing back.

Her dreamlike wedding to Kasiax.

His cold indifference began not long after.

The fall of her family.

Unlike Rosé, who was gradually losing her place, Kasiax’s mistress, Sasha, remained triumphant.

And then, on that cloudy day, when she was shoved by Kasiax and fell from the tower…

Those painful moments flashed through Rosé’s mind.

The inside of the chapel suddenly became silent and dark, as if deathly still.

Maxim Lankert, the praying bishop, and all the guests vanished, leaving her alone in front of the towering cross.

Suddenly, everything around her began to spin.

Rosé broke into a cold sweat, and dizziness made her body sway.

At that moment, a large hand firmly caught her back. It slid gently down to encircle her waist.

When she turned her head, Maxim Lankert had already finished his wedding vows and was now waiting for her turn.

Startled, Rosé stammered her vow with a trembling voice.

“I, Rosé Etoile, take Maxim Lankert as my husband, vowing to fulfill my duties as a wife… to fulfill my duties and to love… love and respect him for life.”

Maxim lifted her veil and took hold of her chin when the bishop declared them wed.

Rosé looked up at him with unsteady eyes.

She assumed it was just another bothersome ritual for him—he would lightly brush his lips against hers and be done with it.

But Maxim yanked her waist toward him with one hand, pressing her firmly against his solid chest.

“Ah!”

Her lips parted slightly in surprise, and his lips met hers.

His tongue slipped between her soft lips with the persistence of a conqueror, exploring her deeply.

Her lips felt sore from his forceful kisses, and her mind went hazy.

The unexpected intensity of the kiss made it difficult for her to breathe.

When she tried to push him away, clenching her fist and raising her hand, Maxim caught her hand and wrapped it around his neck.

With her legs giving out, she had no choice but to cling tightly to him.

His golden eyes gleamed with slow and predatory satisfaction as he gazed down at her.

When Rosé looked at him with eyes full of reproach—demanding to know what he was doing—he finally released her lips, taking his time.

Only once she was freed from his strong embrace could she breathe again.

Maxim smirked and used his thumb to brush the saliva shining on his lips.

His eyes, locked on her flustered face, held a cold smile.

Rosé’s face remained frozen in shock as the veil was lowered back over her.

‘Why… Why did you do that?’

She glared at him angrily, but Maxim remained as composed as if nothing had happened.

***

After the ceremony, a grand banquet hall was set up outside the castle.

While everyone within the castle reveled in food and drink, an uneasy tension hung over the most lavish table at the center.

“Congratulations on your marriage,” said a nobleman with a bulging belly, raising a toast.

Everyone at the table lifted their glasses to Maxim and Rosé.

Rosé, seated demurely like a proper bride, quietly observed the atmosphere as it flowed around her.

Unfamiliar faces, eyes that already rejected her.

There was still too much she didn’t know so she couldn’t assert herself.

“Our Hellevant is welcoming another mistress from Stern. Let’s hope it’s peaceful this time,” remarked Lady Katriona with feigned politeness. Yet her disdainful eyes, full of contempt for the young bride, could not be hidden.

The nobles at the table watched keenly to see how Lady Katriona would deal with the new queen.

“Thank you for your concern,” Rosé replied with a simple smile, offering a short answer.

“Are you satisfied with your new quarters?”

“Yes. It’s an elegant space. The windows, in particular, are beautiful.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Lady Katriona replied with a smile that carried a subtle meaning.

“Thanks to me, it must have been a lot of trouble for you.”

“It’s only natural. I’ve always taken care of such matters,” Katriona said smugly.

Rosé nodded with a faint smile.

“That’s why I’m thinking of redecorating the furniture and decorations,” Rosé said.

Lady Katriona looked surprised.

“I put a lot of thought into it. Did you not like the room?”

“I respect your taste, Lady Katriona, but it felt outdated.”

Katriona’s face flushed with embarrassment at Rosé’s words.

One of the nobles, drinking wine, choked and coughed in surprise.

“Coming from somewhere as extravagant as Stern, you’d prefer something more opulent. I’ll see to redecorating it,” Katriona said sharply.

Rosé dabbed the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief and set it down slowly.

She smiled calmly and spoke to Lady Katriona in a gentle voice.

“Thank you, but I’ll take care of my space from now on. And yes, just as you said, I did live a very extravagant and luxurious life—far beyond what you can imagine.”

Katriona felt so insulted that the hairs on her neck bristled.

“But now, I am officially a Hellevant resident. As the lady of this castle, I don’t intend to adhere to Solstern’s ways.”

“There’s no need for someone of your stature to worry about the trivial affairs of the household. I’ve been managing everything just fine.”

“I appreciate that, but I can’t allow it. You’ve worked hard until now, but I won’t burden you any further.”

“Burden? How could you say such a thing! I’ve never once thought of it that way! I’ve treated the castle’s household as if it were my own!”

Lady Katriona raised her voice, trembling in frustration, which was unusual for her.

“My lady!”

Only then did Pieri step in to calm her down.

Rosé widened her eyes in surprise at Katriona’s reaction and glanced around before defusing the situation.

“I had no idea you were so attached to managing the castle’s affairs. It seems I brought up an unnecessary topic on a day like today. We can discuss this on a more suitable occasion.”

Rosé, who had seemed as gentle as a lamb, had said everything she wanted and maintained her composure. The truly unsettled one was Lady Katriona.

At this moment, it is evident to anyone who the victor was.

The noblewomen seated nearby busily glanced between Katriona and Rosé, trying to gauge the situation, while the men coughed and downed more drinks to avoid getting involved.

Just then, the musicians approached the table at a perfect time.

Unaware of the tension, they played lively music to lift the mood.

Rosé smiled brightly, as if nothing had happened, and enjoyed the musicians’ performance.

Maxim brought his hand to his mouth as if to cough, hiding his laughter at her nonchalance.

Jansen, who stood behind him, clenched his lips tightly to suppress his amusement.

The celebration peaked as the night wore on, with servants continuously bringing food and drinks.

And so, the wedding day of Maxim Lankert and Rosé Etoile drew to a close.

***

The exhausting wedding, coupled with the disapproving stares, had made for an incredibly long and challenging day for Rosé.

“Ah… Is it finally over?”

Without even checking the room, she collapsed onto the bed.

Still drinking with the knights in high spirits, Maxim might come to the bridal chamber—or perhaps he wouldn’t come at all. She had no idea.

Her body felt languid from sipping sweet fruit wine offered throughout the banquet.

The soft bed seemed to wrap around and pull her in. Her heavy eyelids slowly slid shut.

“No… I shouldn’t… fall asleep yet…”

Rosé muttered, but even her words soon faded away.