Everyone in the Winchester territory rolled up their sleeves for Axel’s wedding operation.

The retired archmages Charlie and Greta, who normally detested bothersome tasks, took the lead in transforming the grand ducal castle’s garden into a wedding venue.

They made beautiful flowers from all seasons bloom in abundance, and the scent of fresh flowers filled the place.

The wedding aisle that Axel and Hailey would walk down together was covered with fabric so Hailey wouldn’t be uncomfortable walking in shoes.

Above their heads, birds and butterflies appeared to be flying around, and beautiful melodies filled the venue as if blessing the couple’s marriage.

They could have decorated the venue more formally and elegantly, but this was Axel’s insistence for Hailey.

‘We’ll keep it small-scale. The venue should have a nature-friendly atmosphere. The wedding should have a bright atmosphere where no one feels left out.’

Even the guests were mainly those with whom Hailey was actually close.

There wasn’t a single person from the Langston family, but from the beginning, the seating arrangement mixed everyone together rather than dividing guests into groom’s side and bride’s side.

Having completed all preparations well in advance, Axel stood at the starting point of the wedding aisle with his fingertips drenched in sweat.

‘What’s this all about.’

He had prepared this just to make Hailey happy.

He thought it wasn’t a big deal, but now that the day had arrived, Axel was experiencing ‘nervousness’ for the first time in his life.

“Axel.”

Hailey’s voice.

Only then did Axel straighten his stiffened body and turn around. It was Hailey in a wedding dress, something he had only imagined in his head for two months.

‘D*mn it.’

She was too beautiful. Axel praised himself for planning this secret wedding, thinking he would have regretted it for the rest of his life if he had missed seeing her like this.

That’s when it happened.

“Young lord! Young lord!”

One of Axel’s knights urgently approached and held out a handkerchief to Axel.

Axel didn’t even think to take it, furrowing his brow as he spoke.

“I’m busy, so move aside.”

“That’s not it……”

The knight pointed to his nose with a troubled expression, but Axel didn’t understand.

Then the spirited bride Hailey grabbed her dress with both hands, strode over, and took the handkerchief instead.

She then grabbed Axel’s nose and wiped it without fail. Axel’s nosebleed.

“How can you be the most surprised when you’re the one who prepared all this?”

Laughter erupted from all around the venue. Axel’s ears turned red.

“Th-that’s not it! This is, well!”

He hadn’t intended to make the wedding this comical.

As Axel earnestly protested in a nasal voice due to his nose being blocked by the handkerchief, Hailey quietly said so only he could hear:

“……Thank you. Not just for the wedding, but for your heart in preparing all this. Thank you so much, Axel.”

After thoroughly wiping Axel’s nosebleed, Hailey handed the handkerchief back to the knight. Axel stared at Hailey in a daze before coming to his senses and saying:

“Shall we go for our second wedding then?”

Hailey smiled brightly and placed her hand on top of his.

“Now the bride and groom will enter. Would all guests please welcome the couple with applause.”

Khalid was in charge of conducting the wedding ceremony.

Everyone stood up and applauded for the couple, and they walked down the wedding aisle together.

“The young lord seems quite nervous.”

“Indeed. Surprisingly, the young madam appears more at ease.”

The contrast was striking between Axel, who walked awkwardly as if he were ill, strangely swinging one arm, and Hailey, who walked with a goddess-like grace, smiling while wearing a crown made of laurel leaves and wildflowers.

Just as everyone in the guest seats was thinking similar thoughts, someone surprised them all.

It was the Grand Duke of Winchester, ascending the platform in front of the couple who had walked to the end of the wedding aisle.

‘Please officiate the ceremony.’

‘……? Who? Me?’

‘Yes. You just need to say a few appropriate words.’

‘Are you mad? Who in the world would ask a Grand Duke to do such a thing? Call a priest.’

‘I don’t believe in gods. I especially don’t want someone lower than me standing in a place higher than me. So who else can I entrust this to besides my lord?’

‘Huh! Really now. In all my life, I’ve never met someone like you. Hmm. Fine. I’ll listen for the young madam’s sake.’

Axel, who still didn’t believe in gods and wasn’t particularly fond of religion, didn’t want to allow a priest to stand on a platform higher than himself.

So he had made a request that was practically a demand to the Grand Duke of Winchester.

“Because of this foolish man who doesn’t believe in gods and puts a Grand Duke instead of a priest in this position, I stand here today. Never in my life did I think I would embrace such a stubborn heir. And to think that this stubborn fellow would take an equally stubborn woman as his bride. Who could have imagined it?”

People throughout the venue struggled to hold back their laughter at the Grand Duke of Winchester’s officiating.

Axel mouthed ‘keep it short’ while Hailey blushed with embarrassment.

“……There was a time when I believed that human relationships were determined by the gods. But lately, that thought has been changing a lot. They say that gods don’t interfere in human affairs. The two of you have crossed an immeasurable length of time to stand here today. How could I possibly fathom that long journey? How could even a god know that long suffering?”

Everyone listened attentively to the Grand Duke of Winchester’s voice.

Hailey carefully retraced the hundreds of years she had lived through. In every moment that passed, she had never failed to do her best to survive.

“In the end, it was you two who endured, who didn’t give up on that journey and kept walking. And now, finally, that journey is ending, and it’s the moment when you two are trying to settle in Winchester, blessed by the gods. Destiny. There is nothing that explains that word better than the fruition of your relationship.”

The Grand Duke of Winchester smiled as he looked at Axel and Hailey in turn.

“Be happy. There is nothing more I wish for in this life than to see the two of you happy. On behalf of everyone in Winchester, I bless you both.”

When the Grand Duke of Winchester finished officiating, tears welled up in Hailey’s eyes.

Hailey bit her lip tightly to keep from crying.

“Now, everyone please look back at the entrance. Another protagonist of today. Young Lord Theodore Winchester will deliver the wedding gift. Young lord! Please enter!”

Axel and Hailey turned around. At the starting point of the wedding aisle they had walked together stood little dandy Theo, holding a small basket in his hands.

With his hair slicked back and wearing a small white bow tie, the little boy’s cuteness drew exclamations like ‘Oh my goodness’ from all around.

Theo walked across the center with a bright face, scattering flowers himself. Roto sat in the guest seats, enthusiastically cheering for Theo.

Theo stopped in front of Axel and Hailey, looked up at them, and smiled brightly.

“Mommy Hailey! Theo wasn’t sick at all! A brave knight should know how to tell a white lie for his princess! Still, sorry for deceiving you. Theo’s acting was perfect, right? You were completely fooled?”

Hailey had already realized it was a fake illness, but she didn’t point it out.

Theo winked at Axel, or at least his version of a wink, closing one eye.

Axel gave a thumbs up to the little knight.

“Mommy Hailey. Daddy Axel. Congratulations on your marriage!”

Theo handed over the wedding rings as planned and cutely stepped down from his position.

At Theo’s words, tears finally flowed from Hailey’s eyes.

They put the highest quality diamond rings, which Axel had spent the most money preparing, on each other’s fingers.

The couple held hands.

“I ask the groom. Do you swear to cherish and care for the bride forever, and to love only the bride?”

“I swear.”

Axel answered as soon as the question ended. He seemed like someone who had been waiting only for this vow.

The same question was asked of Hailey. Hailey felt like laughing as tears disappeared into the sweat soaking Axel’s palm.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Hailey answered.

“Yes. I swear.”

“With this, I declare that the two of you are husband and wife for this life, the next life, and the life after that, until this world disappears!”

All the guests were puzzled by this unprecedented vow, wondering, ‘Is that even possible?’

Hailey realized that this was a declaration written by Axel himself and smiled.

“The highlight of today’s wedding! The bride and groom will now kiss!”

In the front row, the twins in their nurse’s arms weren’t crying but laughing gleefully as if enjoying themselves, while Theo stood with the Grand Duke of Winchester, clapping enthusiastically.

Axel, as if he had been waiting for this moment, wrapped his arm around Hailey’s waist and kissed her.

While Khalid was worrying about what to do if his lord didn’t end the kiss appropriately, fortunately, Axel lifted his head at the right moment and met Hailey’s eyes.

“Now we should go enjoy our honeymoon.”

“Are we going on a trip too?”

“Of course. The Duchy of Valverde is waiting for us to arrive.”

Axel grinned and attacked Hailey’s lips again before even hearing her answer.

As the kiss lengthened, the music for the final procession began to play because they couldn’t wait any longer, but the couple’s kiss showed no sign of ending.

And their happiness would also never end. Forever after, they would live happily ever after.