Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Countess Eunice forgot that the rouge on her lips got erased and covered her open mouth with one hand. Because she thought she wanted to scream.
Artizea was not surprised. Because she knew she would come.
Sophie and Emily reached out to help Artizea stand up.
The door opened.
Thud.
In fact, it is almost impossible to hear footsteps.
But Countess Eunice felt the illusion of hearing such a sound. The Empress’ presence was too great.
It has been 18 years since the Empress came out of the palace.
Countess Eunice knew the Empress. In her childhood, it was also the Empress who was the most feared person in the Imperial Palace.
So she could recognize her right away.
The Empress was old, but she was still cold and dignified.
The Empress was wearing a black dress again today.
Since the interior was filled with ornaments for the bride all over, so her mourning black dress was even more noticeable.
“Thank you for coming, Your Majesty.”
Artizea, supported by Sophie, kneeled politely. The hem of the new white dress was wrinkled.
The Empress snorted.
“You must have already known that I was coming.”
“I was just thinking that if that happens, it will be a lifetime of glory.”
“Does it make sense that you know how to shake a person’s heart so well and not know the consequences?”
The Empress said so and reached out her hand. Artizea stood up, taking her hand carefully.
The Empress looked around her and she said.
“Martha, this outfit is inappropriate for entering the wedding hall. Bring me some flowers.”
Not taking off her mourning clothes meant that she did not yet believe everything Artizea said.
However, she did not intend to do the sinister work of holding the bride’s hand in mourning clothes.
Emily hurried up and picked the larger of the rose flowers that adorned the Tuvalet room and decorated it on the Empress’s chest and hat.
That alone brightened up the atmosphere.
The Empress pulled Artizea’s veil.
Then she put a pure gold orb in the largest rose blossom in the center of her bouquet.
Soon an errand boy came up from the wedding hall. It was to announce the beginning of the ceremony.
***
Cedric’s preparations ended much faster than Artizea.
It was just about wearing a dark blue robe and wearing an insignia.
The servants who helped him in his outfit wanted all his medals to be attached.
However, he omitted most, because Cedric thought that the gold strings and epaulettes on his clothes were too much and just decorative.
He did not have much preparation, but he had a lot of obligations. As the head of the Evron Grand Duchy, he had to welcome his guests.
Artizea was also the head of the Marquisate of Rosan, but since she was the bride, she was exempt from almost all duties.
However, she did not waive her duty just because she is the bride on the day of the wedding.
Most of the actual guests were Cedric’s.
The only guests of Artizea were the relatives of the Marquisate of Rosan. There was no personal guest due to the narrow social relationships. On the other hand, there were endless people looking for Cedric.
Congratulations flooded from the military’s influential men, his men, his adoring knights, and his parents’ old friends.
“There are not one or two people who send separate letters from the western fortress asking what’s going on. I highly doubt it, but turns out you’re not matchmade but got married by dating.”
“It’s not just the West. The Grand Duchy is no joke. Everyone almost wanted to duel till everyone died to attend this wedding. I won, with the fastest and strongest horses.”
Cedric sighed between the noisy knights.
“Didn’t I say that I would go there after the wedding anyway.”
“You’re really wrong, Your Grace. What do you mean taking the Grand Duchess to the Grand Duchy for your honeymoon? You’re going to get some kind of resentment later on from the Grand Duchess.”
There were exclamations of agreement here and there.
Cedric had nothing to say.
In fact, he did ask if she would like to go somewhere else.
Since she had been so busy so far he thought it would be okay to take a break at the resort for a month or two.
However, Artizea shook her head.
“There is no time.”
“If there is a lot of work to do, why don’t you remain in the capital?”
“Do you not want to take me as the Grand Duchess?”
“It’s not like that, but the north is cold. There is nothing to see because it is so desolate.”
At that time, Cedric couldn’t understand the strange and subtle expressions Artizea made.
She looked at Cedric silently for a moment, and smiled sadly.
“I have someone I need to meet in the North.”
Artizea probably knew no one in the Evron Grand Duchy. She has never left the capital on her own.
“Who is that?”
Cedric asked, but Artizea was stubbornly silent
As it came to his mind, his heart became a little heavy.
He knew that Artizea wasn’t telling him everything she did.
Some of the things she shouldn’t tell him about and some she doesn’t want him to know.
However he was so concerned about who was the ‘someone I need to meet’ that made her look like that.
“No. I’ve been thinking, isn’t the Grand Duke actually doing this with a terrifying trick?”
At the words of Chancellor Lin, Cedric was dumbfounded and asked.
“A trick?”
“While you are in a relationship, when do you go to a ball or go to a social gathering, or go on a picnic. No matter how much you think about this, it is clear that His Grace hides the bride and does not want to show it to others. Such a man, Your Grace.”
“What nonsense.”
“That’s right. No matter how good it is, you shouldn’t leave her at home.”
“Isn’t that because you’ve been in the same house before marriage, so you don’t have to do anything like date?”
There were also people who were unaware of who they were trying to make fun of.
“So what happened to Ansgar?”
Asked Lin, looking around.
“I thought he would definitely be the most disheartened person. Isn’t he the one person that raised the Grand Duke?”
“Even if he wasn’t, he was so happy that he started to cry last night, and now his eyes are swollen, so he can’t come in front of the guests.”
Freil replied.
“I thought the old man was going to go, and he went crazy upset in the morning.”
“What can he do without even attending the wedding ceremony.”
While they were talking about that, a cry was heard from outside.
“The Pillar of Crete, His Majesty Emperor Gregor Afanas Nestor, who became the Sun on the Earth, who received the royal scepter and orb from the gods.”
The friendly atmosphere quickly disappeared.
Cedric strengthened his mind and tightened his body.
He never hesitated to rush into the enemy camp, with his horse and a spear alone.
However, it was scary to face the Rmperor.
Cedric knew very well that he was awkward with social fights and power struggles.
So he should be a shield or something.
Artizea pretended to be a spear for him. Then he himself had to be an impenetrable shield to protect her.
Cedric took a few deep breaths and stepped outside.
“Oh, Cedric. Seeing you dressed up like that, I feel like you’re getting married.”
The Emperor caught him and hugged him before Cedric could even bow his knees and greet. His casual smile seemed to be truly happy.
“I’m overwhelmed with awe.”
“You’ve only traveled to the border, and you didn’t even have a sign of having a woman, let alone have a family. It’s something that the world has set together.”
“Because he’s old.”
Roygar, who followed the Emperor, said with a smile.
“It’s surprisingly not so common to meet the right mate at the right age, but it’s really a strange couple that I’ve never thought about.”
“I’m overwhelmed with awe.”
Cedric politely bowed his head.
“Tia is smart but timid, she needs protection, and you are a person who can take a step back and protect.”
Said the Emperor.
“I used to think that you would like a woman who is wise and who doesn’t like to come out, and this is who you meet.”
“Yes.”
Cedric replied mechanically.
The Emperor’s words felt unfamiliar.
Artizea is not that kind of person.
Did Artizea hide herself so well in front of the Emperor?
Or was his judgment blurred?
The Emperor probably already knows that the Empress sent Artizea the Saintess Olga statue.
If so, he might have doubted what kind of conversation that had come and gone with the Empress, what kind of deal was made.
However, the Emperor did not show any signs of that.
Cedric couldn’t clearly tell if the judgment he said was what he really looked like, or if it was a warning to live quietly in the future.
People surrounded Cedric and went out to the garden where the main ceremony was prepared.
The weather was sunny and the temperature was just right.
The garden was elegant and the decoration was gorgeous, frugality, which was unlike the wedding of the Grand Duchess of Evron, in other words, rustic.
Round tables spread throughout were decorated with gold ornaments with their names engraved on them, which were given as gifts to those in attendance.
Cedric took the Emperor and headed to the table where he would sit.
To the right of the Emperor was the archbishop, and to the right of the archbishop was the seat for Lawrence.
The left was empty. The seat was skipped and then the seat of Grand Duke Roygar.
It seemed that Grand Duke Roygar had considered it strange.
“Why did you leave a room?”
“Is it weird, uncle?”
“So the Archbishop and I won’t sit side by side.”
Grand Duke Roygar made up his own answer.
Cedric didn’t answer.
The owner of the seat is the Empress.
However, until this moment, it was unclear whether the Empress would really attend the wedding.
So they didn’t put a name tag on it.
“Why didn’t you choose to inherit the title of the Marquis? It would have been enough.”
He was going to greet others, but Grand Duke Roygar followed and asked.
“If you were to join the family, you’ll probably be in a stable position. Once you hold the title, no one will want to touch it.”
“Our families will not join. Tia is still young, and she has never had something of her own, so I intend to give everything back to her.”
“Well, you’re honorable, so you don’t want to be told that you coveted the Marquisate of Rosan.”
Cedric didn’t dare refute.