Saronne gazed at him, stunned. For a moment, the rush of her pounding heart left her speechless. It wasn’t the first proposal she’d ever received, and yet—something about this one felt different.
Was it because he was the man who had stood by her side throughout her quest for vengeance? Or was it that, after enduring all those trials, there was nothing left now but to reach for a new future?
Or perhaps, it was simply because he was the one who had taught her what happiness could be.
Overwhelmed by feelings she couldn’t quite put into words, Saronne slowly came to her senses, a soft smile blooming on her lips.
She gladly reached out her hand to Leobint.
“Yes, I’d love to… Let’s get married.”
At her answer, Leobint smiled more radiantly than ever before.
Taking her shyly outstretched hand, he carefully slid the ring onto her finger.
“Just as I hoped—it suits you perfectly.”
He said, looking up at her with a bright, delighted face, satisfied to see how well the ring fit.
All of a sudden, Saronne reached out and wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace at her eye level.
Taken off guard by her sudden gesture, Leobint’s head was buried in her shoulder, and he looked a little flustered.
“Leobint, thank you… for being by my side.”
As she whispered her confession, Leobint—still wrapped in her arms—let out a soft, joyful laugh.
“I feel the same way.”
Then, while Saronne was caught off guard, Leobint hooked his hands beneath her thighs and swept her up in a single motion.
Rising from his knee, he lifted her high, until she was held securely in his arms, towering above the ground.
As the wind blew, her brown hair fluttered gently around her face. From this unfamiliar height, their eyes met—each gaze filled with warmth and certainty.
“I love you, Saronne. Just as you never regretted choosing me as your partner, I’ll make sure you never regret this choice, either.”
“You don’t even have to say it—I know I never will. That much, I can promise.”
At her words, Leobint’s eyes curved with joy. And then, before he could lean in, Saronne tipped forward herself and kissed him first. In that kiss, their shared happiness was as sweet and certain as sunlight.
Time seemed to fly by after that.
Because they had begun preparing for the wedding even before Leobint’s proposal, everything felt as if it was moving even faster. Before she knew it, the day had come.
‘…It’s beautiful.’
Saronne gazed at her own reflection in the mirror. The sweeping folds of her radiant white dress, the delicate veil draped over her hair, and the carefully adorned face all shone back at her. As she stared, her eyes met her own in the glass, and she felt a little embarrassed.
‘It’s not even my first time getting married… Why does it all feel so new and wondrous?’
Maybe it was because Leobint had seemed so nervous the night before—his anxiousness had rubbed off on her as well.
The room she stood in was a beautifully decorated chapel waiting room. Saronne shook her head with a rueful smile, but soon found herself turning back to the mirror, unable to resist another glance.
Just then, there was a bit of a commotion outside the door.
“Saronne! We’re here!”
Called a now-familiar, beloved voice, peeking through the gap in the doorway.
“Princess Rebecca… and Her Highness the Crown Princess, too…”
Saronne rose gracefully from her chair, but Catherine quickly waved her back down.
“That dress must be uncomfortable enough already. Stay right there—we’ll come to you.”
Catherine said brightly, her face shining with excitement. In fact, it was hard to tell who was more joyful about the wedding—Saronne, or her friends.
But it wasn’t just Catherine who felt that way.
“I never thought I’d see my brother’s one-sided love finally come true.”
Rebecca teased, her eyes twinkling.
“I know! There was a time when he would proudly announce to His Majesty that he’d never get married—and yet here we are. To be honest, Leobint’s persistence was pretty extraordinary right from the start.”
Catherine replied, both of them giggling as they glanced fondly at Saronne.
Without warning, the two women reached out and grabbed Saronne’s hands, beaming at her with warmth and affection. Rebecca’s ever-gentle eyes sparkled with happiness as she spoke.
“You look absolutely beautiful today, Saronne. I was stunned the moment I walked in.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Then Catherine spoke with a serious expression.
“If Leobint ever gives you a hard time after you’re married, just tell us. We’ll take care of everything for you—no matter what.”
Saronne, who’d been feeling a little nervous, finally relaxed. Their sincerity made her smile.
‘So this is what a real family’s warmth feels like.’
Ever since her mother died and her stepmother arrived on the scene, Saronne had naturally drifted away from her family. She thought she would never experience family love again. However, the way the royal family treated her often reminded her of the warmth she’d experienced as a child.
“Thank you all.”
Saronne replied with a radiant smile. Before long, it was almost time for the procession. Ellie placed a bouquet of pure white flowers firmly in Saronne’s hands. Her eyes suddenly glistened with tears — she was treating Saronne as if she were family.
“Why are you crying all of a sudden, Ellie?”
“I don’t know, the tears just started flowing… You have to be happy, Saronne!”
“You make it sound like you won’t be by my side after I’m married. I’m not going anywhere—now I’ll be at the Hethrian estate all the time.”
“Maybe that’s why these are tears of joy…”
Ellie said, her voice trembling.
While Saronne was quietly sharing these gentle words with Ellie, there was a knock at the door.
“I think the young master is here.”
Ellie announced this, quickly stepping aside. As Saronne wasn’t on good terms with her family, she and Leobint had made a special arrangement to walk in together. Saronne took a slow, steady breath and looked towards the door.
The door opened smoothly and Leobint appeared, impeccably dressed. When his eyes met Saronne’s, he paused for a moment, then gathered himself and strode confidently forward to stand before her.
“Saronne.”
“Yes, Leobint.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. After saying her name just once, he seemed at a loss for words, simply gazing at her in awe as the corners of his lips slowly turned upward.
“Today… you look truly stunning.”
“And you’re just as handsome as ever—not a bit less than me.”
As Leobint looked at Saronne, she too found herself admiring him—he looked even more handsome than usual today. She saw pure happiness swiftly welling up in his eyes. At last, Leobint broke into a beaming smile and muttered,
“What do I do? I don’t want anyone else to see you like this.”
He spread his arms as if he wanted nothing more than to pull her into an embrace, but then, worried he might mess up her appearance, he hesitated and dropped his arms in disappointment. Saronne stifled a laugh and tried to comfort him.
“Just hold out a little longer—we have to make our entrance now. After the ceremony, you can hug me as much as you want.”
“All right. It’ll be tough, but I’ll try.”
Leobint answered with mock seriousness, as if he was about to embark on the challenge of his life.
Soon, the two stood before the chapel doors, summoned by the attendant. Saronne’s heart was already pounding in her chest.
‘If I’m this nervous, Leobint must be even more on edge.’
She steadied herself and clung tightly to Leobint’s arm, just as the officiant announced their entrance.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The grand doors of the chapel swung open on either side. The sound of the piano, which had seemed so faint before, now resounded magnificently as the doors opened. The two walked into the ceremony hall, step by step, perfectly in sync.
There, the Duke and Duchess of Hethrian, along with members of the royal family, sat close together in a single row. Although the King and Queen couldn’t attend due to important affairs of state, the Crown Prince and Princess were present to witness their wedding.
Determined to keep her composure, Saronne fixed her gaze forward. At last, they stood together before the officiant.
A grand speech followed, and before they knew it, it was time to make their vows.
Leobint went first, answering in a steady voice, a gentle smile still lingering on his lips.
“I promise to love and cherish my wife for the rest of my life.”
Then the officiant turned to Saronne and recited her vow. Saronne, just as confident as Leobint, opened her mouth to reply.
“Yes, I promise to love my husband for the rest of my li—”
Suddenly, a commotion broke out among the guests.
“Who is that person? Why are they standing there like that?”
“Who’s that stranger in the audience… Shouldn’t someone throw them out?”
The sudden, conspicuous uproar made both Saronne and Leobint turn their heads at once. In that instant, Saronne’s eyes went wide.
Among the guests, a single figure had risen from their seat, standing utterly still. The person wore a dark robe that concealed their face, making it impossible to see their features clearly. But the moment Saronne met those eyes peering out from beneath the hood, she recognized her instantly.
Glinting with a sinister, almost unearthly light—those green eyes.
‘Vivian…!’
Sensing something terrible, Saronne hurried to say something to Leobint. But at that very moment, Vivian, who had been staring fixedly in their direction, pulled something from inside her robe.
In the split second their eyes locked, Saronne caught the wild, feverish gleam in Vivian’s gaze—and the cold glint of silver as a gun was leveled at her.
“…!”
BANG!
A gunshot rang out, sharp and merciless, before anyone could even blink.
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bluemoon238
The fact that the security of the royal family is so poor even during important events says something.
You don’t get severe punishment for going against or after royalty and you can break through security as easily as breathing with a weapon during important events with royalty present.