Side Story 3.1 – The Conferment Ceremony

It had already been two years since Jayden and Celia married.

As soon as she woke up, Celia looked at the two adorable twin babies sleeping soundly, using her arm as a pillow.  

“Reina, William.”  

Without raising her voice, she softly whispered the children’s names. Was it her imagination, or did the corners of their lips curl up slightly at her voice?

Their gentle, steady breathing was soothing to her ears. Their sleeping faces were so lovely.

Just looking at the two adorable babies made her smile contentedly. The pain of childbirth a month ago was long forgotten whenever she saw them.

She never imagined she’d give birth to twins. A son and a daughter, one of each.

Her daughter Reina had inherited Jayden’s brown hair and captivating blue eyes. Her firmly closed lips looked determined.

Her son William resembled her, with striking blond hair and skin as pale as snow.  

“So precious…”  

She murmured with a bright smile, just as the maid Sarah entered with a small sound.  

“Madam, how are you feeling?”

“Yes, I think I’ve recovered a lot.”  

Even a month after childbirth, Sarah was still worried, and Celia answered kindly. She carefully removed her arm from under the babies and replaced it with a small pillow. The children continued to sleep soundly, unaware.

Relieved that the babies hadn’t woken, Sarah added,  

“That’s a relief. By the way, it’s almost time. You should start getting ready.”

“Already?”  

Celia looked at the clock in surprise. Ten in the morning?  

“When did time pass so quickly? I need to get ready.” 

She jumped up and followed Sarah. Today was the day Jayden was to receive his title, so they had to hurry to the royal palace.

So much had happened in the past two years. Not long ago, Jayden had achieved great merit. The King awarded him the title of Marquis for helping resolve corruption in estate transactions.

And today was the grand conferment ceremony.

Jayden originally had no title. His parents had never granted him one.

But before the wedding, his birth father, Earl Artre, passed the earldom to him. Earl Artre, after recovering from injuries in a carriage accident, suffered lingering aftereffects. Worried, he decided to pass the title to his son, unable to maintain the earldom any longer due to his bad leg. So Jayden inherited the title and then married Celia.

After that, she too had good news—she became pregnant.

The good fortune continued. Near her due date, Jayden was granted the marquisate.

And only when she was heavily pregnant did they learn from the family doctor that she was having twins. She was so surprised, she shouted for joy on the spot.

Until the birth, Jayden took great care of her. Sometimes, he was so attentive it made her feel a bit pressured, always asking if anything hurt. He even ordered the servants several times to fetch whatever food she craved.

Celia felt both grateful and sorry for Jayden’s devoted care, especially since he was so busy himself. She regretted not being able to do anything in return for him.

While she was lost in those thoughts, Sarah whispered beside her.

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

Oh, right, she was in the bath.  

“I’m fine.”  

Celia smiled and nodded at Sarah, then left the bathroom once her bath was done. Even while doing her hair, she kept thinking about Jayden.  

“Are you going straight to the palace after this?”

“No, I’ll stop by here first. We’ll go together.”  

She recalled Jayden whispering that to her that morning. She’d thought he would go straight to the palace after staying at Viscount Brian’s estate for the noble council, but he insisted they should go together as a couple. His words made her heart swell with emotion. She thought such excitement was only for newlyweds, but it was still there.

She already missed Jayden. He said he’d arrive around four in the afternoon.  

At last, her hair was done. It was styled neatly, as if she were going to a ball.

She changed into a dress adorned with emeralds. She was more extravagantly dressed than ever, but inside, she felt anxious. It was because of the sudden change in weather.  

“…….”

Her gaze naturally turned to the window. The sky, which had been clear, was now dark.  

“Is it going to pour?”  

She bit her lip in worry, approaching the window with a nervous face.

The sky was pitch black. Dark clouds covered the sky, threatening a downpour at any moment.

A minute later, heavy rain began to pour. The once-dry ground quickly became soaked, and soon puddles formed everywhere.

The council meeting should be over by now, but she wondered if Jayden would make it back on time in this weather.

At first, she thought it was just a shower, but even after thirty minutes, the rain continued to fall hard. A sudden flash of lightning startled her.  

“Oh my!”  

A second later, thunder rumbled. The thunder and lightning continued. When a bolt struck nearby with a particularly bright flash, she was even frightened. 

‘I hope he comes back safely……’  

Her anxiety grew, and she bit her lip. She glanced at the clock, listening to the occasional thunder.  

“…….”  

It was already 4:05 p.m.  

“Could something have happened?”  

Her heart pounded with worry. Since Jayden still hadn’t arrived, it seemed the weather was to blame.

Another thirty minutes passed, but Jayden didn’t return. The thunder eased, but the rain kept pouring.  

“It’s long past the time Master should have returned. Do you think something happened?”  

Sarah glanced at her cautiously and spoke. Celia sighed deeply instead of answering. Seeing her expression, Sarah quickly fell silent.  

‘Should I go out and look for him?’

Conflict ignited. If she really left for the royal palace right now, their paths might cross and miss each other. Considering the conferment ceremony was at seven, it was just about time to depart for the palace.

Normally, leaving at this hour would be enough to arrive at the palace, but any later and she would surely be late.

The lack of contact made her anxious. She fervently hoped nothing unfortunate had happened, praying repeatedly that no accident or worry had come true. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes like she was praying.

She didn’t believe in the existence of God, but if there was one, she prayed that Jayden would be safe. Tears spilled from the corners of her tightly shut eyes. 

“Madam…….”

  Unable to watch any longer, Sarah gently patted her shoulder.

In that moment, the sound of children crying echoed. The nanny had fed the children lunch, and now the twins, who had been napping, seemed to have woken.

Just as she turned to go to the children, nanny Vivian approached, holding each child in her arms.  

“Madam, it seems something has happened to Master.”

“That can’t be.”  

She shook her head roughly, trying to deny it. Vivian was worried about her and Jayden, but Celia didn’t want to hear it.  

‘Nothing will happen.’  

She bit her lip again, reassuring herself.  

“Should I try contacting him?”  

Vivian’s voice trembled with concern, much more than before. A sigh escaped her lips. While considering whether to send a telegram urgently, the children began crying again.  

“They must be hungry.”

She hurried to the children and showed her face. William met her gaze first, and miraculously, his crying stopped. When she looked at Reina next, she too quickly quieted.

Perhaps recognizing their mother, the twins soon calmed and their faces brightened. Vivian shifted the children in her arms.  

“I’ll take responsibility for their dinner and feed them, Madam. And I really think we should ask the butler to send an urgent telegram.”  

She was so preoccupied she hadn’t even managed to say what she needed. Only after Vivian spoke did she snap back to herself.  

“Alright.”

She quickly asked the butler to send an urgent telegram. He had already been about to do so, and as soon as she finished speaking, he sent an emergency telegram to the Artre Marquisate’s carriage. The weather was bad, so it might take longer, but an urgent telegram should reach Jayden within an hour unless he was in a very remote area.  

But even after waiting, there was still no news. Her worry grew, and tears welled up again. Without even wiping her tears, she found herself running to the mansion’s front gate.  

“Madam!”  

Sarah, unable to bear it, called out from behind, trying to stop her. But Celia had no time to listen. She felt strongly that she needed to go to the palace herself. Something told her Jayden was on his way to the palace.

In the end, she called for another carriage. Just in case, the family kept an extra carriage and employed two coachmen.

She decided to ride the other carriage directly to the palace. If she was lucky, she might receive word from Jayden or meet him on the way.  

“Madam, please get in.”  

At the coachman’s words, she climbed into the carriage with Sarah’s help. The escort knight followed, but she had already urgently told the coachman to depart, so the carriage moved first. Vivian, who had come out to see her off, faintly called out that she would take care of the children, but Celia barely heard her. She hardly registered Sarah’s words wishing her a safe journey.

She left the mansion with a pang of guilt for her staff.

Still, she didn’t worry about the children, knowing Vivian would care for them. But Jayden’s whereabouts continued to weigh heavily on her mind.

The rain was still falling, but if Jayden had gone straight from the viscount’s residence to the palace, that would be a relief. She couldn’t blame him for not stopping by home to travel together. No, she certainly wouldn’t blame him. With the weather like this, she couldn’t bring herself to complain.

Anxious, she clasped her hands together again and prayed to whatever god might be listening.

If Jayden was safe and she met him, she wanted to honestly tell him that she was only worried, even if she asked why he left for the palace first.

She set those concerns aside and fidgeted, looking out the window for any sign of Jayden’s carriage or, by chance, to meet him. Even though the heavy rain obscured the view, she couldn’t take her eyes off the outside.

Restless, she prayed again. Tears leaked from her closed eyes once more. Her hands, neatly folded, trembled with anxiety.