Chapter 62

And so, the day of the wedding finally arrived.

"Your dress is truly beautiful. I hear Lord Gerald had it made especially for you, Lady Eliza."

"…Is that so? I’m glad."

Surrounded by Matilda and the maids, I was dressed in the pure white wedding gown, a symbol of happiness, and adorned beautifully.

However, the face reflected in the mirror was far from happy, and touching my cheeks with both hands, I practiced lifting the corners of my mouth again and again.

I kept telling myself to stay strong, and then the baron and baroness arrived.

In their hands was a silver key, which I realized was for the shackles that had been on my ankles since I arrived here.

"Eliza, you look so beautiful."

"Yes, I’m so happy to see you in your wedding dress."

The baron and baroness, with tears in their eyes, repeatedly praised my dress, moved to tears. Each time, I wanted to deny that I was Eliza, and my chest felt as if it were being crushed.

I couldn’t help but resent Gerald for the fact that I shouldn’t be wearing this dress in such a way.

The baroness, saying she hoped I would enjoy myself, gently removed the shackles, and my legs were finally free.

I should have been happy to finally have a chance to escape, but as I looked at the bruises from the shackles, only sadness spread in my chest.

"Sady, you look so beautiful. I’m really happy that we’ve made it to this day."

"Thank you. You look wonderful too."

Eventually, Gerald came to fetch me, dressed in a pure white tuxedo. He looked stunning, and the maids and the baron and baroness sighed in admiration.

"Shall we go? …What about the bouquet?"

"I made it for today. Do you like it?"

"Yes, it’s very cute. It’s delicate, just like you."

Matilda had prepared the flowers I had asked for, as promised, and secretly delivered them to me yesterday afternoon.

I had made a lovely bouquet by last night and was now holding it, tied with a ribbon.

Gerald also praised the bouquet and, pulling a few flowers from it, placed them in his breast pocket.

"Here, for you. They suit you well."

"Thank you."

Gerald, smiling happily, greeted the baron and baroness and took my hand.

Instead of the front door, we left the manor through the back door and quickly got into the carriage waiting there.

"I’m sorry about this carriage. I’ll use magic to reduce the shaking."

"It’s fine, don’t worry about it."

The carriage was not the kind that nobles usually use but a simple one for transporting goods. No one would imagine that someone like me or him would be inside.

Even if no one has noticed that Mabel and I have switched places, Rufus must have visited the baron’s manor the other day and must be concerned about Mabel’s current state.

That’s why Gerald must be so cautious. I could tell he had made meticulous preparations to ensure that today would go smoothly.

"I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep much last night. Ever since I met Sady, I’ve been dreaming of this day."

He seemed genuinely elated, and Gerald was unusually talkative. I hoped his excitement would lead to carelessness and smiled, nodding along to keep his spirits up.

– Surely, the moment I can escape will be just a fleeting instant.

I clenched my hands tightly and kept my smile as I looked out the window, which was sealed shut.

After about three hours in the carriage, we finally arrived at the Western Forest.

There was no one around, and we got out of the carriage at the entrance to the forest and walked along the paved path.

"…Wow."

I stopped in front of the cathedral, captivated by its beautiful exterior. It looked even more beautiful and sacred than when I saw it as a child.

As I gazed up at it, Gerald grabbed my hand.

"Sorry, but we don’t have much time. Let’s go."

"Okay."

We stepped into the empty cathedral and walked down the wedding aisle without any blessings.

This was definitely the moment when Gerald was the most relaxed. It was the moment his dream was about to come true.

Looking up at him, I saw a happy smile on his face, and I felt a pang of guilt thinking about what I was about to do.

But I bit my lip firmly, made up my mind, and stopped walking, looking down.

Gerald stopped too and peered at my face.

"Sady? Is something wrong? Do you feel unwell—"

"…I’m sorry."

"Huh?"

At that moment, I scattered the contents of the bouquet I was holding in Gerald’s face.

"Ugh…!"

Gerald covered his eyes with one hand and let out a pained groan, kneeling on one knee. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes, and I felt relieved that it had worked.

"W-What… did… you…"

I apologized again, "I’m sorry," took off my shoes, and ran away, turning my back on him.

I could hear Gerald’s voice behind me, but I desperately kept moving my feet forward.

– This was something I learned from the women at that place to protect themselves.

Combining certain flowers that grew there created a tear-inducing effect, causing intense pain in the eyes and temporary blindness.

Weak and powerless women had learned this self-defense technique. I had been taught by a woman who had been there after Gerald saved me from an attack.

No one would have imagined that a simple bouquet could have such an effect. I had also noticed that the maids had carefully checked for any extra items when I changed into the wedding dress.

That’s why he wouldn’t have expected me, who had no weapons, to harm him.

However, I had been told that it only worked if it was applied very close to the face, so it was a risky gamble whether it would work or not.