Epilogue (Part 11)

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and the wedding day had already arrived.  

From the early morning, Sienna had been swept up by the maids, who busily adorned her, leaving her hardly any time to process how she had come this far. Now, as she looked at Eden entering the room, she was still busy trying to calm her dazed mind.  

“…Sienna.”  

“Eden.”  

The closer he got, the redder his neck became. Eden, who was usually so composed, now covered his mouth with the back of his hand, mumbling as if he didn’t know what to do. Seeing this uncharacteristic reaction from him, it finally started to feel real to Sienna.  

Sienna’s face also flushed bright red, embarrassed by Eden’s reaction, which was so shy that it made her feel shy in turn.  

Eden, as if he couldn’t get enough of her, stared at her with a desperate gaze and slowly approached. Sienna, dressed in her wedding gown, was truly breathtakingly beautiful.  

Her ash-blue hair, neatly braided and pinned up, was adorned with the most exquisite flowers and jewels. The white dress, made from fabric crafted by elves of the Southern Continent, shimmered brilliantly with even the slightest movement. Eden couldn’t help but gaze at her endlessly, unable to contain the overwhelming emotions surging within him.  

“No words could ever do justice to how beautiful you are, Sienna.”  

Sienna wanted to scream and hide her face in her hands. But she couldn’t, because Eden had already taken her hand and kissed it. Even though the kiss was through the gloves she wore, she could still feel the heat radiating from him.  

Sienna, too, couldn’t take her eyes off him. Dressed in a uniform adorned with medals, his hair neatly swept back, Eden looked dazzlingly handsome.  

With that devastatingly handsome face, he even wore a look as if he had fallen for her all over again. It made her want to forget about the wedding and grab his hand to run straight to the bedroom right then and there.  

“You look incredible today too, Eden.”  

“If you like it, I could dress like this every day.”  

As soon as she shyly voiced her thoughts, he responded immediately, as though he had been waiting for her to say it. Sienna’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him.  

While she loved his natural, everyday appearance, wouldn’t it make her so happy if she could occasionally see him like this?  

She even found herself wanting to take off the uniform adorned with medals with her own hands. Lost in her shameless thoughts as always, she took hold of the arm he extended to escort her and slowly stood up.  

One of the traditions of imperial weddings was for the groom to ride with the bride on horseback to the chapel. After announcing their union before the deity and receiving blessings at the chapel, where their families awaited, the couple would then move to the Imperial Palace for the main wedding ceremony.  

Eden carefully helped Sienna up onto the horse, ensuring that she didn’t trip over the long hem of her dress. With his hands firmly supporting her waist, he lifted her effortlessly onto the saddle. Once she was seated, Eden gracefully leapt up behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her, leaving no space between them.  

“Shall we go, my wife?”  

“……”  

‘My wife.’  

If Eden hadn’t been holding her so firmly from behind, she might have fallen off the horse right then and there.  

Sienna’s face turned bright red, and all she could do was open her mouth in shock before nodding slightly. As if he could read her expression just from the back of her head, a low chuckle escaped him, and he pressed his lips gently to the crown of her head.  

Soon, the massive black horse began to move slowly out of the ducal estate, making its way toward the chapel within the Imperial Palace.  

“It’s Duke Felice!”  

“Your Grace! Lady Sienna! Congratulations!”  

“Sienna, Duchess of Felice!”  

“Congratulations on your marriage!”  

And once again, Sienna was startled by the crowds and cheers that lined the road to the Imperial Palace. Her dark green eyes widened in astonishment as she glanced around at the people on either side of the path.  

The crowd, all smiling brightly and shouting words of blessing, waved colorful flags bearing the emblem of House Felice. Among them, Sienna even spotted flags with her name written on them, causing her eyes to widen even further.  

Having spent most of her time cooped up in the ducal estate while preparing for the wedding, she hadn’t fully realized just how much interest the empire’s citizens had in her and Eden’s marriage.  

Glancing back, she saw Eden responding to the crowd’s gaze with a composed smile, as if he were entirely accustomed to such attention. Sienna pressed her lips together tightly before releasing them, forcing herself to lift the corners of her mouth into a smile. Though it was awkward, she raised her hand cautiously, and the cheers of the crowd grew even louder.  

“Waaaaah!”  

“Duchess!”  

“The Goddess of Agriculture! Sienna!”  

“Huh? The Goddess of Agriculture?”  

The last phrase had come from Sienna’s own mouth. She thought she might have misheard, but hearing the same word occasionally repeated confirmed that she hadn’t.  

Before she could even process her confusion, the horse quickly passed through the crowd and entered the Imperial Palace. At the already-open castle gates, the royal guards saluted them as they approached.  

When they arrived in front of the chapel and dismounted, they were greeted by the family members who had been waiting for them. The first to welcome them with a smile was Gustav, the Emperor, who had come as part of Eden’s family.  

“The stars of the day have arrived.”  

“I greet Your Majesty, the Emperor.”  

Sienna clutched her wedding dress with trembling hands as she barely managed to bow. Had she ever imagined meeting the Emperor in a place like this, and for such an occasion?  

She was so nervous that she nearly forgot it was her wedding day, but Gustav’s voice was as lighthearted as ever.  

“The cheers of the empire’s citizens blessing you two could be heard even beyond the castle walls.”  

“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace.”  

At Eden’s concise response, Gustav chuckled softly before calmly gazing at the two of them and offering his congratulations.  

“Congratulations on your marriage, Eden. And to the Goddess of Agriculture, Dame Onyx.”  

“Agriculture—cough!”  

“Oh dear, is this the first time you’re hearing your nickname today?”  

A nickname? Since when had I been given such a title? 

Flustered, Sienna looked up at the Emperor, who smiled brightly and resolved her confusion.  

“Did you not know? Your popularity among the empire’s citizens has been soaring lately.”  

Following the magical plant growth accelerator, the cheaper plant growth stimulant that she had recently invented and begun distributing had become explosively popular. With the same amount of farming effort, harvests had increased dramatically, leading to unending praise from farmers for the ongoing abundance.  

And as word spread that the creator of this plant growth stimulant was the lover of Duke Felice, Sienna’s name became even more well-known.  

The talented individual who revolutionized the empire’s agriculture was not only from a commoner background like them but was also about to become the Duchess of Felice. Many people saw themselves reflected in her story.  

It was only natural that her popularity would skyrocket. Some even affectionately nicknamed her the “Goddess of Agriculture” as a joke, further endearing her to the public.  

For Gustav, Sienna’s popularity was something to be welcomed. If the future Duchess of Felice, who was about to become a member of the imperial family, had the firm support of the common people, the status of the imperial family itself would only grow stronger.  

Understanding the general situation thanks to Gustav’s explanation, Sienna tried her best to hide her reddening face, which was flushed with embarrassment, and bowed to him once again.  

After that, Sienna’s family, who had been standing hesitantly behind the Emperor, stepped forward. As soon as they made eye contact with her, they all began offering their congratulations without hesitation.  

“Congratulations, Sis.”  

“You should call her Duchess now, Montague.”  

Seeing Montague being scolded by their mother, as always, helped ease some of her tension. Surrounded by her family’s blessings, Sienna safely received the sacred blessing.  

“We have confirmed the union of these two before the deity.”  

At the High Priest’s words, Sienna looked up at Eden, and the reality of becoming his wife gradually began to sink in.  

She felt as if she were floating as she stepped into the Hall of Glory. A wedding venue filled with all the nobles of the empire, their gazes fixed solely on her. Contrary to her worries about possibly making a mistake, the moment her foot touched the carpet, everything around her seemed to blur into white, leaving only the path ahead visible.  

The beautiful ceremony hall was adorned with blooming flowers packed tightly up to the ceiling, chandeliers that transformed sunlight into what seemed like starlight and scattered it across the room. And standing beneath it all was Eden, looking so handsome that nothing else could capture her attention.  

As she gazed at the partner she would spend her life with, a radiant smile spread across her face. She felt as though she would never forget this moment of happiness for the rest of her life.  

Looking back, winning the Duke at the auction had been the best decision of her life. 

<I Ended Up Winning The Bid For The Duke> Fin.