When their eyes met, Lucas’s long eyes curved into a round smile. That alone considerably softened his impression.

Rosaline thought that with the Grand Duke, who now held her left hand with both of his, repeatedly expressing his gratitude, she might have a better marriage than before. She smiled back at him, curving her eyes just like his.

03.

The wedding day was very sunny. Considering the groom was an archmage, the weather hardly mattered, but wasn’t a naturally sunny day better than one made sunny by force?

Just as the weather was bright, the wedding venue was both splendid and radiant. The Empress, who prepared the wedding in place of the late Emperor and Empress, indeed decorated the venue perfectly, as befits the flower of the social world in her prime.

It was Lucas who pushed to skip the engagement ceremony and hasten the wedding as much as possible. Bryant Grand Duke did not hide his feelings to the point where people wondered just how deeply he had fallen for his bride-to-be, to the extent of disregarding decorum.

The wedding, which was prepared so quickly that people speculated if the bride was already pregnant, took place three months after the grand proposal. It was needless to say how much the imperial family and Count Marte’s household struggled to meet the schedule.

Even though there had been a wedding prepared by Count Marte’s household before, both families and the imperial family wanted to erase all traces of it, so they started from scratch, making it even more challenging.

The wedding was held at Grand Duke Bryant’s townhouse. The wedding road prepared in the garden, bathed in bright sunlight, was decorated with archways of colorful flowers, resembling a scene from a fairy tale.

Artificial petals, created with the reference of the groom’s blue eyes and the bride’s green eyes, fluttered in the wind, creating such a romantic sight that guests couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

However, no matter how beautiful the wedding venue was, it couldn’t outshine the two main characters. Lucas, with his jet-black hair neatly combed back, wore a pure white tuxedo tailored to fit his body perfectly, crafted stitch by stitch by a master craftsman for this special day. His tall stature, well-toned muscles, and upright posture made him look perfect without any special accessories.

And the bride, despite her famous beauty being veiled, was dazzlingly beautiful. Her simple yet elegant pure white wedding dress, upon closer inspection, was incredibly ornate.

The dress, covered in intricate lace hand-woven by an artisan, was sprinkled with finely ground diamonds, creating an illusion of her sparkling with every step she took. The diamond dust embedded in the veil, which danced in the wind, also continued to sparkle.

One could only wonder how much the Grand Duke had spent on this wedding. The ceremony itself seemed to warn that anyone who dared to harm this woman would face the wrath of the archmage, as it was evident how deeply he was infatuated with her. The Emperor smiled in satisfaction at his younger brother’s declaration, who had always been indifferent to everything.

As a brother, he worried about Lucas, who had no thoughts of marriage. But with such a grand proposal, a radical preparation period, and an extravagant wedding, there was no need to worry about his brother. As both a brother and an Emperor, he only wished for the Grand Duke to find stability and happiness in his family life.

“Now, the two of you shall make your marital vows to each other.”

At the high priest’s words, Lucas opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“I, Lucas Bryant, take Rosaline Marte as my wife, pledging to dedicate my life to her, to remain faithful and loyal. I swear to love only you in all my life.”

Hearing his unwavering vow, Rosaline tightly clenched her trembling hands. Those are just words, just like what Kallen had said without hesitation.

But still, why did she want to believe Lucas? Was it because of those eyes? Eyes that found hers without hesitation and stared directly at her as if she was the only one in the world. Rosaline felt like a prey caught in his gaze.

“I, Rosaline Marte, take Lucas Bryant as my husband, pledging to dedicate my life to him, to remain faithful and loyal. I swear to love only you in all my life.”

Rosaline’s vow followed, as if she was entranced. She suddenly found it strange. This wasn’t her first wedding, yet it felt like the first. No, it felt like this had happened a long time ago.

So many thoughts rushed in that she couldn’t distinguish between reality and her thoughts. What brought her back to reality was the high priest’s continued voice.

“Lastly, the groom and bride shall seal their vows with a kiss. Groom, please unveil the bride.”

The groom, turning to the bride, carefully lifted her veil. As the sunlight, which had been blocked, directly shone on her, Rosaline squinted slightly. Because of that, she closed her eyes and couldn’t see her groom’s expression.

Expecting their lips to touch according to the wedding procedure, Rosaline waited, but nothing happened. She slowly opened her eyes, only to hear the high priest’s amused voice.

“No matter how beautiful the bride is, you must not lose yourself during the ceremony, Your Highness.”

“Ahem.”

Laughter erupted from the guests, and Lucas cleared his throat in embarrassment. Rosaline found his reddened ears fascinating and cute. As she giggled at the thought, their lips lightly touched. It was a very light kiss. Despite its brevity, Rosaline’s heart raced uncontrollably.

“I now pronounce Lucas Bryant and Rosaline Bryant as husband and wife.”

Holding the hand of her now-husband, Rosaline walked down the wedding aisle. Although walking in high heels on the dirt path covered by a thick red carpet was not easy, it was manageable with her husband matching her slow pace, showing consideration.

She felt reassured by the strong arm supporting her. The fact that this sturdy arm would be the one she held onto for life somehow pleased her.

In the warm, steamy bathroom, Rosaline leaned back in the tub with her eyes closed. Despite the fragrant, lukewarm water sprinkled with colorful petals, it wasn’t enough to capture her attention. She clutched her racing heart, thinking about the ‘first night.’ Not today, but before.

Because it was her ‘real’ first time, she was more nervous and excited than today after that ‘wedding.’ Just like now, she prepared herself and entered the couple’s bedroom. They had their first time together, though her husband had already been with many others.

Nonetheless, they were immersed in a sweet honeymoon for three months. Or was it just her? Perhaps she was the only one dreaming of a sweet honeymoon. Kallen was only indulging in carnal desires. Rosaline smiled self-deprecatingly.

She thought she had lived a proper life among normal people, yet she hadn’t realized how indecisive and weak-willed she was. Rosaline was clearly wavering.

It had only been half a year since she was betrayed and left in ruins, even losing her life. It had been less than a year since she decided to be a gracious and elegant hostess and asked her fiancé to respect her, not expecting love.

Yet, she was now hoping. Perhaps her husband truly cherished her.

Lucas’s every action made her doubt. He respectfully sought her opinion, escorted her kindly, looked at her with burning eyes, proposed humbly, sent enormous engagement gifts, hastened the wedding, and confidently pledged faith and loyalty. All his actions melted Rosaline’s heart. But.