Chapter 77

Mother's wedding took place at the Elde Temple within the capital of the fief.

The priest recited the blessing, acknowledged the vows of the bride and groom, and then they exchanged accessories. There were no specific rules for the accessories, as long as they could be worn; rings and bracelets were the most common.

Krieger prepared a ring, and Mother a bracelet. Inside each, messages to each other and enchanted magic stones were embedded.

After that, they shared a sealing kiss, and the priest concluded with his words.

The guests left the temple first, waiting at the entrance to shower the newlyweds with flower petals as they emerged, celebrating their union.

It was a joyous occasion.

The people of Fulfthar also offered their congratulations to Mother and Krieger.

From the day of the wedding, a three-day, three-night festival would be held in the capital where Fulfthar Castle was located.

On the first day, a wedding reception party was held at Fulfthar Castle for the family and invited nobles. On the second day, starting with the groom Krieger, the men would enter the Forest of No Return to hunt beasts. They would return the same day, so the hunting grounds were in the shallow layers near the entrance of the Forest of No Return. The beasts they hunted would be processed that day, and the meat would be cooked in the large square of the capital on the final day and served free to the people.

And then, after the wedding ceremony, there was the wedding party at the castle...

"Good evening, Lord Albert."

"It's been a while, Lord Albert."

Hedda and Hilt were there, with their parents.

Although it was Mother's wedding party, there were important nobles who needed to be greeted due to their connection to Grandfather. After making the rounds of greetings, I was enjoying the buffet with Nebel, Theodor, and Kurt when the two beautifully dressed young ladies came to greet us.

"Good evening, Lady Hedda, Lady Hilt. You both look like the moon fairy and the fire fairy, so mysterious."

Of course, the moon fairy was Lady Hedda, and the fire fairy was Lady Hilt. Lady Hedda wore a champagne gold dress with pearls scattered throughout, and Lady Hilt wore a deep red dress with black lace trim. Both were beautiful and drew attention from the party guests.

Theodor, who was mainly captivated by Lady Hedda, was left aside for now, while Nebel, though nervous, tried to compliment Lady Hilt.

"You, you look beautiful. It really suits you."

"Ah, thank you. Nebel, you look handsome too."

"Drinks, what would you like? Your throat must be dry. I'll go get them?"

"Ah, um, can I come with you?"

"Sure, let's go together..."

Oh, so sweet! The roast beef I was eating was incredibly sweet! Maybe it was the sauce? I thought I chose the gravy, but it turned out to be orange sauce.

"Ah, Al. I'll get your drink too. What would you like?"

"Water with lemon, please."

"O, okay! Hilt, let's go."

As I watched them hold hands and head to the drink bar, I put the remaining roast beef in my mouth and chewed. It was delicious.

"Oh dear, oh dear."

Lady Hedda, with her cat-like eyes, watched Nebel and Lady Hilt leave.

"They are as close as ever."

They've been together for a long time. Although it's nothing new, Nebel's adoptive father, old Helbert, has apparently proposed a betrothal between Nebel and Lady Hilt to the Württemberg family.

"Oh, and these are?"

"Let me introduce them. They are the son of the Margrave of Merckel, Theodor Gebhard Hindenburg, and his friend, the son of the Baron Schrüssel, Kurt Schrüssel. Theodor, this is Lady Hedwig of the Hant-Erfurk Ducal Family."

"Please call me Hedda."

Theodor, captivated by Lady Hedda's courtesy, blushed and was nudged by Kurt to greet her.

"A, ah, yes! Theodor, no, call me Theo!"

"Lady Theo. It's a pleasure to meet you. You can use a more casual tone if you like. I've gotten used to this tone, so please bear with me."

"U, um, okay."

This is also so sweet. But that princess is different, you know. Theodor's 'princess' is more intense. She's only holding back 70% in public. And she's a candidate to be my half-brother's wife, so no flirting.

"You're a dazzling princess. Your appearance is as good as that princess, but there's something... different?"

"Different, yes. Lady Hedda is more proactive compared to Princess Einhorn."

"Proactive?"

"In public, she acts like a princess, but in reality, she's a mischievous kitten."

But not a house cat, mind you.

"This Terrine is delicious."

"...Your Highness is so laid-back."

Are you saying I lack charm? That's annoying.

The beast hunt on the second day, with Krieger as the main hunter, meant I had to stay behind. Of course, Grandfather also stayed behind.

There was no choice. My usual bardiche was still being sharpened, and my custom-made one was still being made.

Would Fairvalter go? It turned out he couldn't due to security reasons. However, a few gardeners who returned with me from the capital to Fulfthar went hunting with Krieger.

Now, Krieger, having married Mother, would become my stepfather, right? So I called him 'Father,' but he blushed like when Mother called him 'Husband' and asked me to call him by his name as usual.

Why be so embarrassed? It's fine, you married Mother, so you're my father now. When I made a sulky face, Mother suggested I get used to it gradually. So I asked if I could call him 'Dad,' which made him even more embarrassed.

So, as a compromise, I decided to call him 'Father Krieger.' It's final. No matter how embarrassed he is, I won't change the way I call him.

I hope a younger brother or sister is born soon. If it's a sister, I'm determined to spoil her. I'd like to spoil a brother too. But I probably won't see them much when they're at their cutest.

Next year, I'll be attending school, and I want to come to Fulfthar during long breaks.

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