Chapter 18

"Alec, Miss Lanelle. I apologize for my rudeness earlier."

Clarence said this with a cheerful smile, while Noah bowed his head silently.

With the arrival of the crown prince and the duke's son, who was a candidate for his close aide, more people gathered around Lanelle.

Perhaps because she was Alec's partner, the young ladies also treated Lanelle, who was just a commoner, kindly.

"That dress is so beautiful."

Lanelle modestly replied, "Thank you," when her attire was complimented.

"Even though the dress and accessories are simple, you look so pure and beautiful in them."

"Miss Lanelle, I hope you can make this style popular. The women in our country are very beautiful, but they are a bit too dazzling."

Hearing Clarence's words, the young ladies compared their own dresses with Lanelle's.

It seemed that the crown prince preferred a simpler style.

Perhaps from now on, at future evening parties, simple dresses might become popular.

But Lanelle would not see that.

This beautiful dress would be the last one she would wear.

"Oh, who are they?"

One of the young ladies in the group asked, looking at a corner of the hall.

Lanelle also turned her gaze and saw her childhood friends who had come to the capital with her.

(Why are they at the celebration?)

Many people had been invited to the wedding. Those involved with the cathedral where the Holy Maiden Akki had stayed, Ada's fellow adventurers, and the villagers from her hometown.

They were only supposed to attend the wedding and not be invited to the castle.

So why were they here?

Lanelle, puzzled, heard another young lady's voice.

"It seems the Holy Maiden invited them. She wanted them to participate."

(The Holy Maiden?)

The Holy Maiden who had become Ada's wife might have cared for the people from his hometown. However, the celebration held in the castle's hall was different from the wedding; only those of the noble class were invited.

They were not dressed formally and wore simpler clothes than the commoners living in the capital. They looked very uncomfortable, gathered in a corner of the hall, looking down with uncertain expressions.

If Lanelle hadn't met Alec, she might have been among them.

"That's so. The Holy Maiden did. But it's rather pitiful. At the very least, they should have been properly dressed..."

The young lady who asked first said sympathetically, and another young lady whispered.

"It seems the Holy Maiden deliberately gave such instructions. After the wedding, his hometown people were too familiar. Since they now live in different worlds, she wanted them to understand their positions properly."

"Oh..."

"The Holy Maiden said that because the village is poor, they might demand money. Also, there are women who claim to be his fiancées out of one-sided affection for Ada."

"How could that be..."

The young ladies frowned, but Lanelle bit her lip upon hearing those words.

(The Holy Maiden would say such things?)

Upon closer inspection, only her childhood friends were dressed simply, while Ada's parents were both properly dressed.

Kikito Village, though located in a remote mountain area, was not that poor because the embroidered carpets they produced sold for high prices. There was no reason for anyone to demand money just because Ada had become successful.

And the woman who claimed to be his fiancée—could it be her?

(Ada. Did you talk about me to the Holy Maiden like that? Were you such a nuisance to you?)

The Holy Maiden knew nothing about the village or Lanelle. So Ada must have explained it that way.

The pain in her heart from her former fiancé's malice made her want to cry.

At that moment,

Lanelle noticed that Alec's arm, which had been offered to her as an escort, was tense and looked up.

"Alec?"

He was looking in the direction of Ada and the Holy Maiden with a stern expression.

Alec was angry at the Holy Maiden's treatment and at Ada for saying such things. He must have realized that the young ladies were talking about Lanelle as Ada's self-proclaimed fiancée.

"Please, wait."

Lanelle placed her hand on Alec's arm, which seemed about to confront Ada, and desperately tried to stop him.

"You believe my story, don't you?"

Alec's expression softened as Lanelle continued.

"Lanelle?"

"Thank you for believing me, even though you just met me, over the Holy Maiden and Ada, who are part of the party."

It was understandable that people might think Lanelle was harassing Ada and that he was the victim.

Lanelle was just a village girl, and Ada was a comrade who had achieved the great feat of defeating the demon king.

But Alec believed her.

He was angry at Ada's treatment and was willing to confront Ada on behalf of the villagers and Lanelle, who couldn't speak up.

"I know your words are true. I can tell that much."

The gentle, comforting tone of his voice made her almost cry.

"Thank you."

Why was this person so strong and kind?

As she held back her tears and looked down, a petulant voice came from behind them.

"Hey. It's terrible to gather here and ignore the main guest of the day."

A slightly childish, whiny voice.

When she looked up, she saw the Holy Maiden Akki in a luxurious pure white wedding dress and Ada, who was escorting her.

(…Ada)