Chapter 27

Mukali asked with a bright expression.

"Why? Did talking to the princess turn out differently from what you expected?"

Diona's reaction was different from what she had anticipated.

Not only did he seem pleased, but there was also a sense of relief.

Diona, taken aback, shook her head.

"No, that's not it."

Her eyes scanned Mukali's face as if searching for something.

"Seeing how Brother Durante is so protective of the princess... I was worried that I might be stirring up trouble for no reason, since everyone seems to like her."

At the mention of the princess, Mukali's eyes twitched.

Diona tried her best to maintain a nonchalant expression, despite the revolting twitch in his left eye.

"Brother Mukali, you've met the princess, right? What do you think? Isn't she a good person?"

Mukali was momentarily speechless.

He should have said no, of course.

The princess of Silvanus couldn't possibly be a good person.

〈Isn't it strange to like a Silvanus person when you don't know what they're up to inside?〉

〈Did you fall for her just because she's pretty?〉

〈What's to like! Don't give your heart so easily.〉

The words he had said to his comrades lashed at his heart like a whip.

'I didn't fall for her... I didn't!'

He wasn't the type to be charmed by small, fragile things that triggered his protective instincts.

"I don't trust the princess. How can I trust a woman who has her eyes on another man even before the wedding?"

"Brother—"

"I've set a trap to catch her in the act. It's a terrifying scheme that even a lecherous Silvanus person can't escape from."

Diona smiled at Mukali's determination to expose the princess's true nature.

'So simple, it's really easy to handle you.'

Diona knew the princess hadn't really committed adultery, but it didn't matter.

If Mukali stirred things up, the news would spread.

'This is the last day you can hold your head high in front of me, Princess.'

Her sea-colored eyes gleamed maliciously.

Chapter 9. This Is Not an Ordinary Wedding

Tarkan stood at the entrance of the hall, waiting for Aristine.

Wherever he looked, the place was decorated for the wedding.

He had known for a long time that he would get married, but now that it was really happening, he felt uneasy.

However, regardless of his feelings, this marriage had to take place.

Aristine was even a fairly good match.

'If it weren't for her...'

Perhaps Tarkan would have been satisfied with Aristine.

She was an incredibly unique and unpredictable woman, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes she was even delightful.

Aristine was the only one who could evoke such feelings in Tarkan, or anyone, for that matter.

However, he couldn't forget the person he had seen ten years ago.

A young girl who suddenly appeared on the Beast Plains.

She looked even younger than he did.

He still didn't know why that little girl was alone on the Beast Plains.

But if it weren't for her, Tarkan would have died that day.

"......"

The sound of small footsteps caught his sensitive ears.

His golden eyes, which had been lost in thought, turned toward the path leading to the bride's waiting room.

The large glass windows were filled with afternoon sunlight.

Crystal chandeliers scattered the light, painting the floor in a brilliant array of colors.

In the middle of this dazzling path, Aristine was slowly walking toward him.

Tarkan's pupils, which had been trembling, widened slightly.

She was beautiful to begin with, but today, just looking at Aristine was enough to make one feel enchanted.

However, that wasn't why Tarkan was shaken.

For some reason, he saw the image of the young girl he had seen on the Beast Plains overlapping with Aristine.

Their eyes met from a distance.

Aristine's violet eyes softened.

Her eyes, more radiant than the corridor adorned with the refracted light of jewels, shone brightly.

Aristine approached him at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, without a moment's hesitation.

Her small, delicate face, blooming with vitality, was nothing like the girl he remembered.

Not a single feature was the same.

Really, not a single one.

"Tarkan."

Aristine's voice sounded like a dream.

Her soft hand rested on his firm arm.

For some reason, his muscles tensed, and his arm tightened.

The bride and groom stood side by side, looking at each other for a moment.

Both were expressionless, with no signs of excitement, anticipation, or nervousness.

However, strangely, the courtiers behind them couldn't take their eyes off them.

They stood there, blushing and forgetting their duties, as if they were a painting.

"I hope we can get along well, partner."

Aristine whispered to Tarkan.

Tarkan turned his gaze away from her face.

"Go."

As he spoke, the doors of the hall opened.

The Silvanus delegation, knights, and maids tried to maintain their composure as they stood up.

But despite their efforts, their eyes continued to dart around the hall.

This was because the lavishly decorated hall was so different from what they had expected.

The grand hall of the royal family could be described as the epitome of Ailugo's great metalworking techniques.

The land of iron and fire.

Ailugo's metallurgy was highly advanced, as befitting its name.

While the cutting-edge technology was focused on swords, it was also evident in jewelry and interior decorations.

Highly polished gold and meticulously cut gems to achieve optimal reflection.

The potential of a gemstone can vary greatly depending on how it is cut.

The Silvanus people were amazed at the hall filled with dazzling gems.

'They thought it was a barbaric country...'

They had certainly mocked and dismissed it as such.

But they couldn't dare call it uncivilized now.

'Could that be Argent Aqua?'

Argent Aqua.

The silver-white tree that glows with a blue light within.

Like how pine resin turns into amber over time, the sap of the silver-white tree also crystallizes.

The crystallized sap is treated as a gemstone and called Argent Aqua.

Unlike other gemstones that shine by reflecting light, Argent Aqua emits its own light, making it particularly special.

'You can't just buy it with money...'

The silver-white tree only grows in the Beast Plains, so obtaining it was a matter of risking one's life.

It was like a gemstone that couldn't be mined even though the vein was known.

The rarity of Argent Aqua greatly increased its value.

There were only a few pieces of Argent Aqua in the Silvanus royal palace.

'And none of them are this big.'

They had marveled at an Argent Aqua the size of two finger joints.

But now, the hall was decorated with Argent Aqua that preserved the grain of the silver-white tree, crystallized within the wood.

It didn't stop there.

'That flower... the one the king sent...'

The flowers that filled the hall were all colorful and beautiful.

Among them, the most noticeable was a fist-sized, pure white rose.

The flawless, snow-white petals were tinged with a blush at the tips, like a shy girl's cheeks.

'The Lubor Rose, which can only be grown in the queen's garden in Ailugo.'

The first king of Ailugo had developed this flower for his beloved queen.

Because of this, it couldn't be grown anywhere else except in the queen's garden.

He had heard that the king suggested sending the queen flowers to celebrate the wedding.

To prove that he hadn't deliberately removed the queen from the official audience, she had to send flowers to the wedding despite her frustration.

Among the flowers competing in color, shape, and fragrance, the Lubor Rose stood out for its pure and elegant appearance.

Unlike the perfectly symmetrical Silvanus royal palace, the Ailugo style was more natural and less artificial.

However, upon closer inspection, it was a display of extreme luxury.

'This is the wedding of that ragged princess.'

It was opulent and luxurious, but also noble and elegant, befitting a royal wedding.

The wedding was so perfect that it was almost inadequate to call it just that.

The princess, who had worn clothes worse than a commoner's child, was now getting married in such splendor.

Who would have thought that a princess who couldn't even afford a proper piece of bread would have such a lavish wedding?

Jealousy burned in their rigid faces.

'For the princess to reverse her life with just one marriage!'

'How can she be treated like this! She was far below us!'

Both men and women were indignant that the princess, whom they had looked down upon, was now above them because of her marriage.

They didn't even consider that the princess was originally of higher status than them.

They had even forgotten that they had mocked this marriage as a union with a barbarian, and that it was almost a death sentence.

They were just angry that Aristine was having a grand wedding that didn't match her status.

* * *

The Ailugo people sitting on the opposite side of the guest seats were also thinking about the bride, Aristine.

"What kind of person is she?"

"From what I heard, she's incredibly beautiful."

"But she's a Silvanus person. She must be lacking in grace."

"She's too small."

"I think Silvanus people are pretty. They're small and cute, even if they have bad tempers."

People who hadn't seen the bride yet were discussing her.

"But what's the deal with Diona and His Highness Tarkan?"

They whispered in low voices.

"Why are you connecting them? Are they really that close?"

"Isn't it obvious? Just look at Diona's attitude."

"His Highness keeps her close."

"It just seems like he's not pushing her away."

Opinions were divided on the relationship between Tarkan and Diona, but one thing was clear.

"The princess is a bit pitiful."

Compared to Diona, Aristine seemed to fall short.

"Especially since the comparison is with Diona."

Diona's beauty was particularly radiant today.

Her dress accentuated her full chest and slender figure, making her stand out even more.

The mature and alluring Diona was popular not only with men but also with women.

"Even if the princess is beautiful, there are racial limits as a Silvanus person."

"Standing next to Diona, she would look like a child, wouldn't she?"

"Given how used His Highness Tarkan is to Diona's beauty..."

They all shook their heads and clicked their tongues.

Before even seeing Aristine, they were certain she would be inferior to Diona.

Then, a loud voice echoed through the hall.

"His Highness Tarkan and Her Highness Aristine are here!"

The entrance of the bride and groom.

The moment the two appeared side by side, the somewhat noisy hall fell silent as if by magic.

Even the waiting photographers forgot to take pictures.

Everyone looked at Aristine and Tarkan walking side by side in disbelief.

Tarkan, dressed in his wedding attire, was so charming that it took one's breath away.

His tall stature, broad shoulders, and perfectly toned muscles filled out his suit.

His usual rough and rugged side was contained within the formal attire.

His restrained and chaste appearance was uniquely attractive.

Both single and married people, even elderly women with white hair, were captivated by Tarkan.

The shining medals of honor on his chest made the hearts of the onlookers flutter.

The warriors watching the wedding were moved to sniffle, seeing the honor reserved for the greatest warriors.

'To think my lord is so handsome!' their faces seemed to say.

And the bride walking beside him—

'Ah......'

The people who had been certain that the princess would be inferior to Diona and even felt sorry for her were speechless.

At that moment, they forgot about comparing the princess to Diona.

Diona was completely erased from their minds.

If there was such a thing as absolute beauty, it must be this new bride, they thought.

The prejudice that she would be small and unimpressive was completely shattered.

Aristine, walking beside the tall Tarkan, was indeed small.

But that made her stand out even more.

Aristine, with her delicate and intricate features, and Tarkan, with his wild and rugged charm that seemed to dominate the earth, were so different that their individual charms were even more pronounced.

It was a perfect wedding.

Not because of the luxurious hall or the excellent wedding attire and dress.

'Geniuses of beauty...'

The ultimate perfection of everything was the beauty of the bride and groom. Their procession was enough to make this wedding perfect.

The image of the two walking side by side, arm in arm, was etched into people's minds.

Click.

A photographer, who had been staring in a daze, accidentally pressed the shutter.

The hall was so quiet that the small sound echoed loudly.

Realizing what had happened, the other photographers quickly started snapping pictures.

This wasn't just for the sake of recording information.

There was a burning sense of mission to share this moment with the people outside and to leave it for future generations.

The band, which had paused, also started playing again, as if inspired by the moment.

The expression of the march suddenly became more expressive.

For some reason, the jewels seemed to sparkle more, the flowers seemed to bloom more fully, and even the path the bride and groom walked on seemed to support them with all its might.

'Forget about being a wife, I'll just focus on making money.'