Chapter 78

If there is anything that can surpass the wedding party of the young lady of the Albert family, it is, of course, the wedding party of Princess Alicia.

A tragic princess who was kidnapped as a child, unaware of her true identity, and raised in an orphanage. After reuniting with her family, she, with the help of the young lady of the Albert family—though the princess herself still frowns upon this—became a proper princess and was betrothed to the heir of the Dice family, a match recognized by all.

It is a true fairy tale. Anyone who hears Alicia's story is moved, and young girls listen with rapt attention. The story has spread beyond the country's borders, touching hearts abroad and even becoming the subject of embellished books and plays.

—When Mary, who read these, tilted her head at an unfamiliar character, saying, "Who is this good person?"—that is another story—

In any case, given that Alicia has lived such a fairy-tale life, her wedding party could not possibly be a small affair. Especially since the Albert family is fully cooperating, the party is bound to be even more splendid.

As for the young lady of the Albert family, she appeared in the hall in a dress with a classical design and a subdued color palette, her beauty captivating everyone. By her side, of course, was her husband, Adi, dressed in a suit that matched her dress, with a matching decoration on his chest, and everyone smiled softly at their affectionate demeanor.

"Miss, where is Alicia?"

"She should have changed into her dress by now. ...Why are you asking me about her schedule?"

As Mary turned away, saying she didn't know anything about the girl, Adi sighed and then suddenly looked up at a voice he heard.

"Aliceee!" The cheerful voice, growing louder, was unmistakably Alicia's. Mary, who heard it, shuddered and turned around, bracing herself.

"Wow, impressive. I didn't think Alicia could move so fast in such a heavy dress..."

"This isn't the time to be impressed! But, fine... come at me!"

As Mary braced herself, Adi's eyes widened in surprise. Usually, when Alicia ran over, she would either be scolded or fail to catch Mary, but today, for some reason, Mary was ready and waiting.

Could she be planning a counterattack using Alicia's speed? Worried, Adi quickly looked back and forth between Mary and Alicia. —Perhaps it was a problem that Adi didn't even imagine the two embracing, but Alicia's speed was extraordinary, far beyond just "running over"—

"Miss, don't do anything dangerous..."

"Don't worry, I won't do anything dangerous. Today, I will settle this!"

Just as Mary declared this, Alicia, who had accelerated to top speed, shouted "Mary!" and lunged. But Mary narrowly dodged by jumping back.

"I saw it coming!" she declared triumphantly. Alicia's arms, which were supposed to embrace Mary, flailed in the air.

"You, you dodged!?"

"See, Adi! Today, I win..."

Mary, who was about to say "I win," suddenly stopped. She had been caught by an arm reaching from behind, which was now tightening around her waist. This was undoubtedly Alicia's greeting, but the person was right in front of her...

Who could it be? Mary turned around in a panic to see a certain young lady hugging her with teary eyes. It was, of course, Parfait.

"Good day, Mary..."

"Parfait! You mean, you were the decoy!?"

"Alicia said that Mary always runs away when she tries to greet her, so I had to catch her..."

"I can handle people who approach me slowly!"

"Please don't cry!" Mary comforted and detached Parfait, then handed her to the stunned Gineus behind her.

When she glared at Alicia, the princess, with her usual sunny smile, said, "Thank you for coming today..." and finally gave a polite greeting.

Her pure white dress, adorned with lace, was of the highest quality, and Mary, who had read many stories and imagined the "princess" many times, sighed softly, captivated by her beauty and grace. But this princess's demeanor quickly returned to the usual Alicia, who cheerfully hugged Mary, who then scolded her and pulled away.

"Don't hug me every chance you get, it's embarrassing!"

"Alice, Patrick said he wants to talk to you about today's dishes!"

"Listen to people when they talk to you!"

Mary's voice grew harsh, but Alicia showed no sign of remorse. She was, as always, the same Alicia.

Mary sighed, wondering if she had been silly to worry that Alicia might cry in the moment. She looked around. Since Alicia was here, Patrick must be here too. She searched for him and heard a squeal from a corner. No need to confirm, it was the prince.

Dressed in white to match Alicia's pure white dress, his blue hair and eyes stood out even more, and no woman could fail to be impressed. Mary, too, genuinely thought her prince was "cool," without any sarcasm or teasing.

"Alicia, it's dangerous to run in a dress. What if you fall?"

"Hehe, I got so happy when I saw Mary."

Patrick sighed, as if to say "indeed," and gently smoothed Alicia's slightly disheveled hair.

The two were a beautiful sight. Patrick, looking lovingly at Alicia, and Alicia, smiling happily as he stroked her hair, received warm gazes from those around them, and their happiness was palpable. Mary's eyes softened at the scene. But Adi, who noticed her change first, widened his eyes, and Alicia and the others tilted their heads in confusion.

After all, Mary was smiling. A gentle, soft, and beautiful smile that captivated everyone, embodying the grace of a noble young lady. But to those who knew her, it was a smile that seemed forced.

"Mary, what's wrong?"

Patrick, who had seen this smile many times, leaned in to look at her face. At parties she didn't enjoy, when approached by annoying people, and when forced to listen to boring boasts, Mary always responded with this smile, hiding her true feelings of "I'm bored, I want to go home." It was a mask.

Because he understood this, Patrick wondered why she was showing this expression now. But before he could ask, Adi said, "Excuse me... I need to step out for a moment," and placed his hand on Mary's shoulder.

"Um, Alicia, is there an empty room around here?"

"An empty room? On this floor, none of the rooms are being used today."

"Great, I'll use one of them."

With that, Adi led Mary away.

In the empty room, Mary still wore her beautiful, graceful smile.

"Adi, what's going on?"

"Nothing much..."

He sighed deeply and reached out to Mary. He placed his hand lightly on her head, gently ran his fingers through her hair, and caressed her cheek. Then, he massaged her shoulders, as if to release the tension, and finally wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Mary's eyes widened in surprise. But the next moment, they filled with tears, and she began to sob uncontrollably as Adi patted her back.

"Why... I was trying so hard to hold it in..."

"You don't have to be so stubborn. You could have cried there."

"No! I decided I wouldn't make her cry..."

Adi smiled wryly and stroked her back as she clung to his chest, sobbing. It seemed she had reached her limit, and her sobs were mixed with hiccups, far from the graceful lady she usually was.

"Why are you still talking about making her cry?"

"That's right, I decided I would make her cry... But today, she looked so beautiful... Patrick was so happy... So, I, I..."

"I understand, I understand."

Adi soothed her with a gentle voice, stroked her back, kissed her fingers, and wiped away her tears. Just then, there was a knock on the door. The door handle turned, and Alicia peeked in, her face full of concern.

"Mary, Adi, what's going on?"

Alicia's eyes widened at the scene, and when she saw Mary's face, her purple eyes filled with large tears.

"Mary... Mary!"

She rushed in, overwhelmed with emotion, and hugged Mary. Mary, who would usually scold or run away, now called out Alicia's name and accepted the embrace without resistance. —Though the momentum sent them both crashing into the sofa behind them, the royal sofa caught them with a soft thud—

The two of them crying loudly looked like children. Adi smiled wryly at the sight, and there was another knock on the door. This time, it was Patrick.

He must have been worried that Alicia and Mary hadn't returned, and when he saw the scene—his beloved partner and friend hugging and crying—he sighed and smiled.

"I was worried about what had happened."

"It seems she was being stubborn and trying to hold it in."

"Very Mary-like."

Patrick chuckled, and Adi nodded. Then, he turned to Patrick, cleared his throat, and said, "Congratulations."

This was unusual for Adi, who, even after joining the Albert family, maintained a respectful tone despite his more relaxed attitude.

"What's going on, Adi?"

"Well, you and the young lady have known each other since childhood, and I've known you both for a long time."

"Yes, that's true."

"So, with your permission, I wanted to offer my congratulations as a friend."

Adi, looking embarrassed, turned away, and Patrick's eyes widened slightly before he smiled warmly. His response, "Thank you," was far from the dignified heir of the Dice family or the man marrying a princess.

A long-standing friendship. But how embarrassing. Unable to embrace and cry like the two women, Adi and Patrick awkwardly said, "Well," and took out handkerchiefs.

"Let's at least protect the dresses."

"Agreed. If we leave it, they might blow their noses on the lace."

They nodded and tried to comfort their beloved women, who were still sobbing.

"Alicia, don't cry so much in a white dress. Your makeup will smudge."

"But, but, Mary..."

"Miss, you'll get stains if you keep crying."

"I'm not crying... I'm not crying!"

As Mary and Alicia clung to each other, Adi and Patrick exchanged wry smiles.

※This is a bit of a messy story. Please be warned.※

"Alicia, if you keep crying, your eyes will swell."

"But, but (sob)."

"Miss, please stop crying."

"I'm not crying... (sob)."

"At least don't blow your nose on the dress. Alicia, not the tablecloth. And don't go near the curtains."

"Sniff, sniff."

"We need a towel... I'll get one right away."

"Sniff, sniff."

* * *

"..."

"..."

"My nose is itchy... sniff, sniff."

"Good fabric... sniff, sniff."

"No, no, no, calm down, Alicia!"

"Miss, that's not good, let go!"

* * *

"Sniff, sniff (suck)."

"Stop it!!"

* * *

Amen.