Chapter 3: A Wedding That Was Purely a Formality

“My lady…… you are so beautiful!” Luria said tearfully, looking into the mirror after finishing the adjustments to the dress.

“My goodness…… could there be another bride as beautiful as our lady? You truly are so beautiful, my lady.”

“Thank you.”

Eloise slowly expressed her thanks as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“But really, the marquis is too much! How could he refuse to let you have a fitting for your wedding dress and only give it to you on the day itself, just before the ceremony? It is fortunate that your figure is perfect, my lady. What would he have done if we had not managed to get you ready in time?”

Embarrassed by the excessive praise and complaints, Eloise waved a hand to stop Luria.

“It is all right, Luria. Enough. It is only a formal ceremony anyway.”

Having stopped her, she looked into the mirror again.

She had never imagined she would wear a wedding dress again like this. Nor had she imagined she would marry twice.

What was even more surprising was that, considering Alexis had supposedly chosen one at random, the design fit her figure perfectly. There had been no need for further stitching, so the preparations had ended quickly.

‘Even so…… this sight is dreadful after all. Just like that day.’

It was when she lowered her gaze from her reflection.

—Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the bridal waiting room door, and before Luria could answer, it swung open.

“Are you ready?”

It was someone unexpected.

“……Celine?”

It was King Laperion’s daughter, or, more precisely, Princess Celine of Arcadia.

Since the ceremony was to be held so quietly, she had assumed there would be no invited guests.

In truth, Celine should have been the one entering this arranged marriage. If it was to be an alliance sealed by marriage, someone of corresponding rank should have been married.

But neither Robitan nor Arcadia had put forward a direct member of the royal family. It must have been a strategy by both countries to secure a slightly better move. If only one side had done so, it would have caused friction, but Robitan’s and Arcadia’s schemes had aligned. That was why Eloise and Alexis, members of collateral branches, had become the parties to the arranged marriage.

And in such circumstances, Celine had chosen to show her face at the wedding.

Moreover, Eloise knew that Celine must have thrown a tantrum to the king about not wanting this arranged marriage. There was little she knew for certain, but she knew that Celine placed more importance on reputation and rank than her own abilities warranted.

Neither Robitan nor Alexis would have met Celine’s standards.

And yet she had appeared at the arranged marriage Eloise was entering in her place. In some respects, Celine truly was remarkable.

In a bad way.

“Would you leave us for a moment?”

At Celine’s words, Luria bowed her head and hurried out of the waiting room.

“I did not expect you to come. Did His Majesty permit it?”

“I pestered him to let me come. You and I are the only women in the royal family. We are cousins, so I should look after you, should I not? It helps keep up appearances, too.”

With her arms crossed, Celine looked Eloise up and down and spoke with a smile. At her still-arrogant words and behavior, Eloise gave a faint snort.

“Yes, thank you. Enjoy the ceremony and have a safe journey home.”

At the perfunctory response, Celine’s expression hardened.

“You are always like that. Acting as though everyone else is beneath your feet. When they are not, in reality.”

Eloise frowned wearily at the petty provocation. Emboldened, Celine approached her and whispered.

“I actually know what kind of man your late husband, that old Count Marchel, was. That is why I feel so sorry for you. Your second marriage ought to be better than that.”

It was a truly pathetic provocation.

Though they were cousins, Celine had always regarded Eloise as a thorn in her side.

She had seemed to restrain herself somewhat in Arcadia because of the eyes upon them.

“Still, thank you for stepping forward in my place for the national interest.”

As Celine withdrew with the smile of a victor, Eloise let out a hollow laugh.

“It must have been hard, holding it in all this time, Celine. You must feel more at ease now that I am gone.”

“Of course! Even if I enter an arranged marriage, it will be different from yours. My match would have to be someone like Prince Edwin of Karan, at least.”

Apparently, she had set her sights on Edwin, the prince of Karan, who was reputed to be courteous and handsome.

Trying not to sneer, Eloise replied wearily.

“……Yes, good luck.”

“Yes. I will do well.”

In a way, she could understand why Celine behaved so spitefully. As the only two women in the royal family, they had spent their lives being compared.

Relieved that she would no longer have to deal with her, Eloise turned away.

“If you have said everything you came to say, please leave. The ceremony will begin soon.”

Apparently satisfied that she had sufficiently upset Eloise, Celine nodded primly and made to leave. Then she turned back, as though something had suddenly occurred to her.

“Oh, but did you know? You are one thing, but your partner. There seems to be quite a bit of talk about him. Well, perhaps both countries are disposing of their burdens?”

For an instant, Eloise felt something snap inside her head.

“You find this marriage terribly amusing, do you?”

At her icy tone, Celine’s amused laughter slowly stopped.

“You must be pleased to get rid of an irritating relative. And how entertaining it must be to hear that her partner is insignificant, too. But do you know? That this marriage could change Arcadia’s circumstances in the future?”

Celine gave an incredulous sneer.

“Ha, why take it that far just because I said your partner was insignificant? I suppose you intend to put on airs even if you are insignificant?”

Feeling pity and utter contempt at once, Eloise moved close to Celine and glared at her.

“This marriage is part of an alliance to keep Bastan in check. If war breaks out, it is one of the very important means of allowing you to continue playing princess.”

“Continue playing princess? How dare someone like you say such a thing? Whether burdens like you stay together or fall apart, the fact that I am a princess will not change. Do you understand?”

Arrogant and foolish as well.

The allied nations were racking their brains to keep Bastan in check, yet one of their crucial figures amounted to this.

At this point, she almost ought to feel sorry for King Laperion.

Eloise pressed a hand to her forehead as though her head hurt.

“This marriage agreement is an extremely important diplomatic matter. His Majesty allowed you to attend so you could clearly confirm that the agreement had been concluded. Yet all you are doing is pouring out your contempt and inferiority complex? No wonder we cannot help being compared.”

She thought she had gone too far, but she had no intention of taking it back. Celine could have mocked her alone. There had been no need to drag Alexis into it.

“You and I, compared? Are you finished?”

Celine shouted, seemingly forgetting that this was a diplomatic occasion.

“Then go back and tell His Majesty, ‘Eloise said this.’”

“You really……!”

Eloise waved a hand at the fuming woman, her face weary.

“Please leave. You are in the way. Has the princess of Arcadia not even learned proper conduct at a wedding? I fear you may bring disgrace upon your homeland.”

Trembling with anger, Celine kicked the door open as though she could bear no more.

Then she stopped where she stood as though frozen. Displeased, Eloise was about to say something, only to utter an unexpected name.

“Alexis?”

Alexis stood directly in front of Celine with an icy expression.

He had clearly been standing outside the door while they argued.

“Uh, um……”

Celine turned deathly pale with embarrassment. Having come face-to-face with the very person she had been disparaging, even someone as overbearing as Celine could not help feeling ashamed.

“It was rather noisy, so I came to see…… but it seems the princess of Arcadia is deeply reluctant to part with her relative.”

At his words, Celine swallowed and averted her gaze.

“Y-yes. After all, we were the only two women……”

At that, Alexis gave a faint laugh.

“I see. But since her partner is someone as unworthy as myself, I am afraid I have nothing to say.”

‘He heard.’

For some reason, a heavy ache arose deep in Eloise’s chest.

Alexis was still glaring at Celine, who could do nothing but stand there, pale and sweating. His eyes as he looked at her were filled with contempt beyond mere coldness.

“Yet from what I heard outside, you seemed very pleased about it. Your laughter was so loud that it echoed into the corridor. I understand this is a happy occasion, but I would appreciate a little restraint.”

With that, he stepped aside.

“The burdens’ wedding will begin shortly, so please make your way to the ceremony.”

At last, Celine’s humiliation overwhelmed her. Looking close to tears, she covered her face with both hands and fled past Alexis toward the ceremony.

Silence settled in her wake.

Eloise did not know what to say. Mockery on top of an already unwelcome marriage. It was beyond wretched; she could not face him.

“Why did you let her ramble on about such pointless things? You could have thrown her out sooner.”

“But Celine is……”

“She is not Robitan’s princess. She is a guest at my wedding, and I have no intention of forgiving anyone who behaves rudely.”

“……I am sorry. I never intended for you to hear such things……”

Despite her apology, Alexis entered with a blank expression and removed the veil from the mannequin beside her.

Only then did Eloise realize that Celine’s disturbance had prevented her from even finishing the preparations for her veil.

With controlled, unhesitating movements, he placed the veil over Eloise’s head.

She briefly hunched her shoulders at his abrupt action, but contrary to her expectations, his touch was gentle, and she felt no discomfort at all.

Then Alexis added.

“Do not apologize. It is not your responsibility. There is no need to get needlessly angry when someone talks about me. We do not have that kind of relationship.”

‘Needlessly……?’

At his words, Eloise felt as though something had dropped heavily to the bottom of her chest. Though she did not know what it was.

Feeling strange, Eloise picked up the bouquet beside her and lowered her head.

She breathed a sigh of relief as his figure blurred behind the veil. She did not want to face him. She did not want him to see her expression.

For some reason, she could not be certain that she looked unaffected.

Then Alexis held out his hand.

Eloise quietly looked down at it, hesitating to take it. Her tangled thoughts and feelings tormented her.

After watching her silently, Alexis let out a shallow sigh, then seized her hand and pulled her along. It was so sudden that Eloise’s shoulders flinched.

But soon she looked at him as he led the way, her expression bewildered. His touch was so tender compared with the forcefulness of his movements.

Alexis added quietly.

“Let us go to the ceremony.”

The ceremony was simple.

Just as Celine had come, one of Robitan’s central nobles attended as a representative, and no one else of note was present apart from the priest who would proclaim their marriage. The two quietly held their ceremony, then stood side by side for a photograph confirming that the marriage had taken place.

That was the entirety of Eloise and Alexis’s wedding.