Chapter 79

As the noisy break time came to an end, the maids who had been wide-eyed at the sight of Mary and Alicia's loud crying finally took them away. By the time the party was about to start, Mary had recovered enough to cover her blushing cheeks, muttering, "How embarrassing."

As the daughter of the Albert family, she knew that such a loud crying spell was shameful, but only three people besides herself had been present, and one of them had been crying just as much. There was really no need to worry too much about it. Adi, standing next to her, smiled wryly at such a Mary and gently stroked her arm to comfort her.

"It's a celebration, so it's fine to be cute like that."

"But, you know, as a noble lady, it's a bit embarrassing. Please don't tell anyone, okay?"

"But Alicia looked so beautiful. I almost cried myself."

"...Please, don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Patrick also looked splendid, a perfect match for the beautiful Alicia."

"Hey, hey... Hey!"

"Ah, look over there. Parfait and Gainus are talking. Despite all the drama, it seems they're doing well."

"Exchange diary"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to tell anyone! I only told Mr. and Mrs. Albert, the young masters, my brother, and Parfait, Gainus, and Carina, and the student council members from high school!"

"You've told everyone you could think of! Your ability to spread information is impressive!"

"By the way, I didn't tell anyone, but Lady Margaret already knew."

Mary, whose loud crying had been spread around, glared at Adi, saying, "This is more than embarrassing!"

"...It's one thing to be embarrassed about crying, but to spread it around like this, you traitor."

"Me? No way!"

"Alright, alright, what's next?"

"I'm your husband, based on being your supporter!"

"Alright, alright, so what... Oh!"

Mary's cheeks turned red at Adi's sudden declaration. To make matters worse, the hand that had been stroking her arm was now entwined with hers. The warmth of his gentle grip and the ticklish feeling of his fingers brushing against hers made her smile.

As always, he knew exactly how to upset her and how to make her feel better. Indeed, Mary's face lit up with a happy smile, and she forgot all about the exchange diary with a simple "Oh well."

As the party progressed, the orchestra began to play a grand and elegant tune, and the party officially started. Mary's tear ducts almost gave out three times during the party, but as the daughter of the Albert family, she elegantly dabbed her eyes with a scarf, a beautiful gesture that everyone found charming. Many people even wiped their own eyes, moved by Mary's tears of joy for her friend's special day.

--- However, Adi, standing next to Mary, was more concerned with the words "I knew I was right" that Alicia had muttered while watching the lively party and the people enjoying the delicious food.

As the party progressed, Alicia and Patrick, standing on the stage, greeted the guests. Alicia, dressed in a beautiful white dress, held a bouquet of white flowers. Seeing this, Adi turned to Mary, who was eating something unfamiliar, and said proudly, "This is the top of the line."

"Bouquet toss?"

What's that, Mary tilted her head in confusion.

"Alicia will throw the bouquet. The one who catches it is supposed to be the next bride, according to tradition."

"Hmm, but I'm already married, so it doesn't concern me."

Since she was already married, Mary didn't seem particularly interested. Adi, however, responded hesitantly, "That's true, but..."

Mary, noticing his unusual hesitation, looked up at him.

"Adi, what's wrong?"

"...The bouquet toss doesn't concern you, but for some reason, it looks like Alicia is aiming right at you with a perfect throwing form."

"What!?"

Mary quickly turned her gaze to the stage, where Alicia, who had been gracefully greeting guests a moment ago, was now displaying a powerful throwing form. Of course, she was holding a bouquet, not a ball. Meanwhile, Patrick, standing next to her, had lost his earlier composure and was turning away from Alicia with a distant look in his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to watch.

Mary, however, had no time to sympathize with Patrick. Alicia was aiming straight at her and had even declared, "I'm going to throw it, Lady Mary...!"

"No! Stop, I don't want it!"

"Don't be shy! I'm going to throw it!"

"No, I'm scared! Stop...!"

Mary's cry to stop was cut off as Alicia released the bouquet. It hit Mary squarely in the face, leaving her no time to scream.

"How can you throw a bouquet in front of so many people and not be embarrassed, even if you were raised in the countryside!?"

"Hehe, sorry."

"You're not showing any signs of remorse at all!"

Mary scolded Alicia, who was sitting next to her. Despite her scolding, Alicia smiled and said, "When I thought about giving it to someone, you were the only one I could think of."

Mary sighed deeply and said, "Fine, I give up," remembering all the times she had scolded and criticized Alicia, and today's fast pitch.

Incidentally, they were in the palace garden. Mary, Alicia, and Parfait, all beautifully dressed, were sitting in chairs, surrounded by their husbands and fiancés. From a distance, it looked like a beautiful scene of young, attractive people chatting happily. However, a closer look revealed that Mary was rubbing her nose, which had been hit by the bouquet, and glaring at Alicia, while Gainus was trying to encourage Patrick, who was disheartened by his wife's impressive throwing form.

In the midst of this, Mary's gaze shifted from Alicia to Adi.

"Besides, if you had caught the bouquet, I wouldn't have had to go through this."

"Me? No, no, that's a joke."

"A joke?"

"What would I do if I became the next bride?"

"What would I do if I became the next bride!"

Mary shouted at Adi's casual, serious response, and then called out Patrick's name in anger.

"Besides, Patrick should have stopped it!"

"No, I couldn't. Besides..."

"Besides what?"

"I'd be in trouble if I became the next bride, right?"

"Why are you trying to catch it too? Stop it!"

Mary's outburst made Adi and Patrick laugh, while Gainus, unsure of how to calm them down, was left in a quandary. Alicia, the cause of all this, had already moved on from the bouquet incident and was now discussing cake with Parfait, who was sitting across from Mary.

"Anyway, a bouquet is supposed to be given to an unmarried woman, right?"

Sighing, Mary stroked the bouquet on her lap. Despite a few petals and leaves having fallen off, it was still beautiful, with its lace and flowers in perfect harmony. It would surely bring joy to anyone who displayed it. With that thought, Mary lifted the bouquet and placed it on Parfait's lap.

"Lady Mary?"

Parfait looked at her with wide, puzzled eyes. Mary didn't respond to her question but turned to Alicia, saying, "This is what you should do, right?" Alicia nodded enthusiastically, her face beaming with happiness.

"It's your turn, Parfait."

"Me...?"

"Yes. If the bouquet is supposed to go to the next bride, you should have thrown it to Parfait, not me."

"But I can't catch it if you throw it so fast..."

"Don't worry, I won't throw it that fast to you!"

"...Really?"

"Really, I'm glad. I'd probably run away out of fear."

"Hehe, you worry too much, Parfait. Lady Mary?"

"...Huh? Oh, yeah. ...What?"

Mary, confused by the exchange, was left with a question mark over her head as Alicia and Parfait smiled at each other.

--- In the midst of this peaceful scene, the music changed, and everyone turned their attention to the dance floor. The gentle tune was perfect for dancing, and the couples began to pair up...

"Lady Mary! Let's go!"

Alicia stood up, calling out to Mary. It was the start of the "Mary Albert Swinging Festival."

"Why do you always invite me to dance when you're a noble lady!"

"Come on, Lady Mary, it's starting!"

"But you're not listening... Oh well."

Mary turned her head away, changing her angry shout to a sigh. However, she extended her arm to Alicia in a gentle motion.

"Well, it's a celebration today... I'll dance one song with you."

Blushing, Mary extended her hand as if asking for an escort. Alicia blinked a few times, then smiled widely and took Mary's hand.

"Sure!"

The sound of their different bracelets clinking together made Alicia smile even more. Mary, who couldn't be honest even after all this, glared at her and said, "I won't forgive you if you step on my foot," before pulling Alicia onto the dance floor.

On the way, Mary glanced at Gainus. As she passed by him, she whispered,

"If you hurt Parfait next, I, Mary Albert, will personally crush you."

Gainus paled at her cold tone. Even Alicia, being pulled along by Mary, added,

"Parfait is my cake friend, so you can't make her sad."

Gainus could only nod. After all, he was dealing with a princess of a kingdom...

After watching Mary and Alicia leave, Adi turned to Patrick.

"Come on, Patrick, let's go!"

"Stop being so casual about it."

"Besides, if you had stopped Alicia, I could have danced with Lady Mary!"

"Alright, let's go, Adi. We can't fall behind Alicia and the others!"

"Yay, my vision is getting blurry from tears...!"

The two men, left behind by their beloved partners, headed to the dance floor. On the way, Patrick tapped Gainus on the shoulder and smiled elegantly.

"Remember, if you hurt Parfait, you'll have a whole kingdom against you."

Gainus paled even more at Patrick's beautiful but threatening smile. Adi, overhearing this, chuckled and said, "Patrick is scary."

As they passed by Gainus,

"I'll only help you once."

Adi added, referring to the time he and Mary had helped at their wedding. Gainus, understanding the implication, nodded.

Once Adi and Patrick were gone, only Gainus and Parfait, who seemed oblivious to the recent threats, remained.

"Lady Gainus, are you okay?"

"No, no... it's nothing."

Parfait looked at him curiously, and Gainus shivered once before forcing a dry smile. Parfait, with her small frame and the way she looked at the bouquet, was as adorable as a small animal. She was weak, a crybaby, and easily scared, and her Marquis family was low in the noble hierarchy. She always hid behind Gainus. That's why, until the incident, Gainus had thought, "I have to protect her."

But now, Parfait was still as adorable and delicate as a small animal, but there was a sense of a predator lurking behind her. Of course, predators like Mary Albert and others who could move a whole kingdom...

Gainus no longer needed to be a shield for Parfait. Realizing this, he looked at her. The idea that he had to protect her was gone. She had gained a stronger ally, and she had discovered her own strength.

So, Gainus walked up to Parfait, knelt down in front of her, and looked up at her, like a knight pledging loyalty to a princess. However, instead of a knight's sword, he held the Eldland family crest, a flower, which he had prepared for this moment and pinned to his chest.

He extended the flower and looked at Parfait intently. Her deep, sparkling eyes suggested she was satisfied with this development, and a small smile appeared on his face, feeling relieved and pleased with himself.

Parfait loved sweet things, not just food but also sweet words and sweet stories. For example, fairy tales of princesses and princes, or stories of beautiful village girls loved by strong knights. The sweetness of these stories, which pushed the boundaries of what women idealized, was almost dizzying for Gainus, who had always preferred history books and war records.

The year of training under Parfait had been challenging for Gainus. He had been asked to say sweet love words, sometimes receiving criticism and requests for revisions. He had read countless romance novels, which he was not used to. Gradually, people around him began to offer advice, recognizing his efforts.

--- To put it bluntly, Mary Albert had also given him advice. "I'll tell you if you don't tell anyone. I like those sweet stories too," she said, turning her head away. The titles of the books she recommended were surprisingly similar to Parfait's tastes.

In any case, to gain Parfait's approval, Gainus had studied her preferences and accepted her feedback, eventually finding himself kneeling before her and offering her a flower. The once taciturn and awkward Gainus had been thoroughly trained.

Thinking about this, Gainus's lips curved into a smile, and he looked up at Parfait and called her name.

"My dear Parfait, would you dance with me?"

When he asked, Parfait blushed slightly. She nodded happily, took the flower, and stood up, grabbing Gainus's hand.

"Let's go, Lady Gainus!"

Gainus smiled wryly at Parfait's eager expression and tightened his grip on her hand in response.

As the party for Alicia and Patrick's wedding came to an end, the peaceful days returned. The topic of conversation now turned to the next party, which would be for Parfait and Gainus. Parfait, blushing, said, "It's too early..." but her expression suggested she wasn't entirely against it. Mary, noticing this, smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Let me help you