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In the mirror stood a silver-haired woman in a white wedding dress.
Long white dress with layers of lace, hair tied up with blue and green jewels, accessories decorated with diamonds

Above all, the veil was so long that it was difficult to maintain her balance as it was so heavy that it dragged on the floor.
It started at 4 in the morning and took 5 hours to complete.
“You’re really
beautiful.” Rowena, who stood beside her, appreciated in a tearful voice.
She had never been so sentimental.
“My lady, you look like an angel!”
Agoth was almost in tears. Her eyes toward me seemed closer to faith than mere admiration.
Not just the two. The ladies-in-waiting around me, the designers, artisans, their assistants, and others who had been working on me for weeks were so moved with tears in their eyes.
“You are the best!”
“You are beautiful enough to be recorded in history!”
“It’s hard to believe it was completed through my own hands
!!”
What an atmosphere. I guess I should say something too. What do women in popular novels usually say when they see themselves so drastically changed?
“Is this
me?” I tried exaggeratedly to match the mood.
Rowena said to me, wiping away her tears with her fingers, “You really can’t act.”
Tsk.
Let’s just be honest.
“The veil is too long, I think I’ll step on it, Rowena.”
“There are attendants, so don’t worry. I will be by your side to help you so that your clothes are not wrinkled or stepped on.”
Can’t we just make clothes comfortable?
“Well
 it’s good because the clothes are lighter than I thought and it’s easier to breathe,” I said, turning my body at a 45-degree angle in front of the mirror and looking at the reflection.
At first, the corset was so tight that I thought it would break my ribs and burst my guts.
I thought it wouldn’t work out in the end, and I was so angry that if they didn’t make clothes that allowed me to breathe, I’d instead go out naked.
Fortunately, there was one time when I collapsed from a heart attack while preparing for the wedding, so the corset problem, which had been tantamount to torture, was immediately corrected.
“With all due respect, other brides usually don’t check functionality in a wedding dress.”
“Not all brides have the same taste.”
“Do you have any aesthetic impression?”
Aesthetic impression.
Mmm. I’m weak in fashion.
“
 It’s really white,” I said after thinking for a while.
Rowena’s expression did not change. The designers standing behind her let out a deep sigh and were discouraged.
“It’s pure white
and umm
pretty?”
“
 Yes, that’s enough. That’s probably the best you can do,” Rowena said as if resigned.
What? Why do you sound like you’ve given up?
Just as I was being judged on my taste, Leonard entered the room.
Today, unlike usual, his hair was pulled back. In harmony with the dark blue suit, there was a very mature and taciturn atmosphere.
“Oh, dear. Brother!” I shouted, covering my mouth with both hands. “How can you be so cool
!”
My marriage is not important right now! I think I should show Leonard to people and brag about him!
My brother is the best!
“It’s such a waste to blink while looking at Helena.” Leonard approached me with a relaxed smile. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. Everything shines as if it exists only for you.”
At Leonard’s appreciation, the people around me exclaimed ‘ohhh’ as if it was just the impression they wanted. They quickly became satisfied.
“It would’ve been nice if she had at least half of the young duke’s speech skills
!” Rowena muttered sadly. Mmm. It’s kind of unfair.
Rowena returned to her expressionless, usual self and asked Leonard, “Is His Majesty ready?”
“Yes. Viscount Noct was so moved that he was crying,” Leonard said with a bitter laugh.
I guess things are worse over there.
“The ceremony will begin in an hour. Do you remember the order of the ceremony?”
“Go to the main chapel, listen to His Holiness’ sermon, take the oath of engagement, receive the title of empress, wear a crown, and move to the terrace on the square side to greet people with a smile, right?”
“Something seems distorted, but fortunately at least you remember it now.”
I couldn’t help but remember. Rowena had me memorize it for weeks. I could remember this order even in my sleep.
“When you go out on the terrace, don’t stick out too much. There are knights, but there are also safety concerns,” Rowena told me about the precautions.
I asked with a slight frown, “Safety concerns?”
“The people of the plaza are not particularly checked. You never know what might happen,” Rowena said fiercely, adjusting her glasses.
“But isn’t the distance between the terrace and the plaza quite far? You can’t reach it with a stone’s throw,” I said that recalling the location of the terrace I had checked in advance.
It was a terrace sometimes used when the imperial family had to face the people directly. Of course, even if you faced the plaza, the distance wasn’t close. To be honest, those standing in the square wouldn’t be able to see me or Caesar’s eyes, nose, or mouth properly.
“There is nothing wrong with being careful. It was a long time ago, but there are records of people attempting to assassinate when the terrace opened.”
“Did they shoot arrows?” I laughed and asked like a joke.
Rowena arranged my veil, still replying in an emotionless voice, “No. They used magic.”
***
A national wedding is a big event, but strangely, I didn’t feel nervous at all.
At least that was the case until I entered the main chapel.
When the time came, I was guided and moved to the main chapel in the imperial castle. Three attendants clung to me and held my skirt and veil so they wouldn’t drag.
Caesar arrived first before the grand chapel and was waiting for me.
Ironically, my body, which had not been nervous until just before that, trembled.
“Helena.”
Seeing me, Caesar smiled softly. My body melted from that sunshine-like smile.
Oh, my god.
I forgot he’s handsome.
“Your Majesty
looks good,” standing by Caesar’s side, I muttered indignantly. At my words, Caesar laughed lightly.
The black suit made his white skin stand out even more. The narrowing red eyes and well-groomed lips were strangely sensual.
His hair, neatly swept to the side, made him look mature and solemn. The tall and solid body was also well suited to the clothes.
It feels so real that I’m marrying this man.
“It’s the day Master finally becomes my person.” Caesar held out his hand to me.
I took his hand and approached, and Caesar kissed my fingers. A sweet scent seemed to emanate from him.
“It seems like a dream. Today, finally, I declare to the people that this beautiful person is mine.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes. I am so happy that I am afraid.”
“Me too, Your Majesty.”
“It’s fine. Because I am by your side.”
Caesar pulled my hand and made me touch his cheek. I felt his body temperature rise slightly.
“Helena, all you have to do is ask. Whatever it is, I’ll make it all come true.”
Something is overflowing.
What was empty is filled.
He was so affectionate that my heart ached.
“You two, the door will open now. You must prepare,” Rowena said stiffly. At that nagging remark, both Caesar and I laughed bitterly.
“What do you think I will wish for?”
“Well. Whatever it is, I’ll be happy if you get something you so desperately want.”
I’ve never really wanted anything before.
Caesar knew that. He said how vain I was. What a helpless person I was.
“Then, for now
will you walk with my hand?”
“Gladly.”
Soon the door opened.
A great light poured from within.
A long carpet was spread in the center, and the Black Knights lined up on both sides of the path.
The nobles who had been sitting all stood up from their seats and looked at us.
I felt Caesar hold my hand tighter. A slight trembling was transmitted to my fingertips, and I became more fond of this boyish man.
I have to make you happy.
I’ll protect you until the end.
With that resolution, we took our first steps side by side into the chapel.
***
The ceremony was conducted solemnly and formally under the leadership of His Holiness, the head of the Holy Church.
With Rowena’s special training, I memorized the marriage oath and prayers and tried hard not to make mistakes. Seriously, I couldn’t do it twice.
“Please exchange the rings.”
At the end of the ceremony, an attendant came forward holding a ring box.
‘Come to think of it, it’s my first time seeing the ring today.’
I was on the verge of losing my soul due to wedding preparations, so I had left everything up to Caesar, thinking that the design of the ring was irrelevant. Of course, Caesar, who knew my personality well, readily respected my opinion.
‘Is this design Caesar’s taste?’
I stared down at the ring on my ring finger.
A red diamond was embedded in the center of the ring.
“What do you think?” Caesar whispered softly so only I could hear. I raised my head and looked at his face.
Caesar looked at me with a hearty smile. The sunlight shone on his face.
“It looks like His Majesty’s eyes.”
When I first saw him, I thought his red eyes were offensive. I thought it was a sharp, cold, inexorable color.
But not anymore.
“It’s really beautiful,” when I said this with a satisfied smile, Caesar dropped his gaze shyly.
The ceremony ended with the proclamation of His Holiness.
“Under the protection of God, I declare that the two of you have become one.”
It seems like it went by frantically, but two hours have already passed.
“Now, let’s go to the terrace,” Hamilton appeared out of nowhere and said when the ceremony was over. His eyes and the tip of his nose were red. Could it be that he cried?
“The marriage of two people I had seen since childhood, this Hamilton was thrilled
 Ugh, hukh.”
“Why are you crying on a good day?” Caesar clicked his tongue. He had a dissatisfied expression on his face, but I understood that he was just embarrassed.
We moved to the terrace toward the square amidst the people’s hospitality.
On the terrace, everything was already prepared. Dalton, who came first, greeted us with an infinitely proud face.
“Come this way, Your Majesty. And the Empress.”
Dalton always had that expression. His eyes curled slightly mischievously. It was clear that he was holding back the feeling of wanting to tease us.
“Come up carefully, Helena.” Caesar stepped on the podium first and held out his hand to me. However, he soon looked like he’d just realized something and corrected his words.
“Come up, wife.”
Uwaa.
I felt my whole body heat up. I couldn’t stand it because that title embarrassed me.
‘But it’s good, isn’t it?’
Apart from being embarrassed, I don’t hate it. What is this inconsistency?
Standing on the podium, I could see the square at a glance. When we showed up, the gathered people started cheering and shouting.
Caesar greeted the people by raising his hand.
‘Ah, a flower basket.’
I found a basket of flowers that Caesar once told me about. In the center of the plaza, on the pillar where the angel statue was sitting, there was a basket of enormous size.
After a while, an arrow was shot from the imperial palace and hit the flower basket. As if the mechanism had been set, the bottom of the basket opened, and a rain of flowers poured down.
“
 Beautiful.”
There are still many exciting things left in this world.
I quietly took Caesar’s hand. I was so happy and relieved to have this man around at all those moments.
It was then that an unsavory scream came from the plaza.
“W-What’s the fuss?!”
Hamilton and Dalton clung to the terrace to check the situation. I also grabbed the terrace railing and looked down at the plaza.
While everyone was distracted by the rain of flowers and looked upward, a person died.
It was noticeable that people were making a round space around the body that had fallen while shedding blood.
And.
The red-haired woman standing in front of the corpse holding a bloody sword as well.
“Helena Peresca!”
The woman’s mad voice echoed in the plaza.
“You took everything from me, so you won’t have anything either!”
“Marianne Valer
?”
The ground trembled. The people in the square were confused, not knowing why, but those watching from above could see it.
Huge magic circles were scattered on the floor of the plaza centering on Marianne.