âI understand your mind, but now that you are a family man, the way you live in the world will be different from before, â said Grand Duke Roygar.
âYes.â
âIf you have any difficulties, feel free to contact your uncle any time. Well, it seems that your bride is smarter than you are.â
Grand Duke Roygar laughed.
âYou know Marchioness Camellia? These days, all she talks about is all about your bride. If you come back from your honeymoon, you can come to my house together.â
âYes.â
âEven if you are relatives, you canât go in and out of the imperial family. And Lawrence, well, even if youâre a nephew, right?â
Roygar closed his mouth and stopped talking, and then changed to a smiling face.
âIâm not talking about your bride. You understand? He canât be the same as the one who will succeed the Marquisate of Rosan. Anyway, isnât that what families are for?â
âYes, I understand.â
Cedric replied heartlessly.
Grand Duke Roygar and Cedric suffered similar hardships. The age difference was also small for uncle and nephew.
However, they have never been close.
They were also different in nature.
Grand Duke Roygar established his own power by joining hands with aristocrats and subjects who could not hold the mainstream power in central politics.
In the meantime, Cedric had to defend the North at an early age.
After some stability, the emperor sent him to another battlefield.
Since his life was different, there wasnât much to talk about even when they met occasionally. It was just a casual talk with him as a mandatory greeting.
Now heâs come and behaves like an irreplaceable family in the world.
Even though Cedric knew the reason, he felt weird.
âCome to think of it âŚâŚ.â
Grand Duke Roygar hesitated.
He was wondering if Milaira was coming, but it seemed inappropriate to ask Cedric about it now.
Grand Duke Roygar glanced at Lawrence.
Lawrence was carrying the gold name tag with a calm face.
A servant cautiously approached Lawrence and whispered. Then Lawrence stood up.
Marchioness Camellia was also looking at the name tag in a subtle mood.
âThere is no way that the Lady Heiress of Rosan accidentally made an empty seat.â
What is the intention?
When the case of Baron Yetz first broke out, Marchioness Camellia thought that she could take Artizea, and she could go further to Cedric.
It was because they were the nobles of the Lawrence faction that suffered the most in the case of Baron Yetz.
However, since then, Artizea has not taken favor toward either Marchioness Camellia or Grand Duchess Roygar.
However, the relationship with Milaira seemed to have been completely widened.
Did the empty place on the name tag the place for Milaira?
âSister, how about if we also go see the bride?â
Grand Duchess Roygar covered her mouth with a fan, and asked Marchioness Camellia.
Marchioness Camellia shook her head.
âI wasnât even invited.â
âBut Charlotteâs gone. She knows Iâm a relative.â
âCountess Eunice and the Lady Heiress had an exchange from the beginning, but you havenât met the Lady Heiress of Rosan yetâ
Marchioness Camellia gently soothed her.
âThe Lady Heiress of Rosan sure has it great. It doesnât mean that I have a complaint with my husband, but I wanted to live with a handsome man once.â
âYou shouldnât carelessly say such a thing, Your Highness.â
âHave you ever thought about it? How would it feel to kiss a guy like Cedric?â
âYour Highness Grand Duchess.â
âLawrence is also handsome. But I mean. I feel weird because he resembles Milaira too much. And I like to look more at the manly ones rather than the delicate looking.â
The Grand Duchess said without hesitation.
She was the youngest daughter of the prestigious Marquis Luden, from the East.
The Marquis Luden had more than ten children, but most of them were illegitimate children. Except for the Grand Duchess, the only direct descendant, his eldest child.
So, as the only descendant, she has been very cherished from the time she was born for her future political marriage.
She was only 6 years old when she was engaged to Grand Duke Roygar, who was fifteen years older.
It was the largest investment Marquis Luden had made in his life. In short, the Grand Duchessâs expense was the contract investment.
It goes without saying that the contract was successful for both sides.
Grand Duke Roygar pampered his young wife with gold and silk and dotes on her like a treasure.
She gave birth to three healthy children and strengthened his succession
Her words with a cheerful look like an innocent girl, only worried the Marchioness Camellia.
âYour Highness, stop saying the words that are likely to be misunderstood. Grand Duke Evron is His Majesty the Emperorâs niece.â
The Grand Duchess cried out what she was angry about.
It was then.
At the entrance to the mansion, cheers and amazement was heard.
From there, the shock spread like waves.
Grand Duchess Roygar tilted her head.
âDid the bride come out?â
The question was because there was someone who was too curious to welcome the bride.
Cedric turned to Grand Duke Roygar in silence.
Artizea took the empressâs hand and passed through the rose arch.
Like a daughter coming out to the wedding hall holding her motherâs hand.
As she came with the bride, it was not necessary to call out loudly to inform who had arrived.
But who she was quickly spread.
âOh my God.â
Marchioness Camellia jumped up in surprise.
Not just the Marchioness Camellia, but many others. The whole wedding hall buzzed like waves.
âThank you for coming.â
Instead of a long, formal greeting, Cedric said so sincerely. A bright smile hangs on his face.
It is not because of the reassurance that Artizeaâs mind was right.
Artizea said that even if the Empress doesnât come, sheâs okay with the wedding itself.
But isnât it too lonely for her to enter the wedding hall by herself, with no one to be part of her family.
The Empress narrowed her eyes. Cedric swept his cheek.
âDid I say something weird?â
âNo.â
The Empress shook her head.
âThe last time you said wasnât a lie.â
Artizea tilted her head. Because she didnât understand what she was saying.
But Cedric noticed.
His face flushed and avoided her gaze.
âDonât make fun of me.â
Then the Emperor came. There was a surprise in his eyes.
âCatherine.â
The Empress hardened her face and threw a cold gaze at the Emperor. The Emperor feigned a calm attitude.
âWhy are you walking outside the Imperial Palace? Is your health a little better?â
âMy lady-in-waiting is getting married, and my condition is not so bad that I cannot come and visit for a while.â
âLady-in-waiting?â
The Emperor threw a calculating gaze at Artizea.
Artizea didnât look at him and put her eyes down.
The Empress said.
âYouâre not going to come to a wedding and tell the bride and groom to kneel are you?â
âI donât intend to.â
The Emperor gave a hypocritical smile.
âIâm just a little surprised. If youâve decided to go outside and get rid of the old things, itâs welcomed. Itâs a wedding, so itâs good to remember our old days.â
Cedric and Artizea can see the Empress clenching her teeth.
The Empress didnât dare to smile at the emperor. She just gave a cold reply.
âOkay. I âm not saying Iâm going to be different. I thought Iâd rely on a good nephew and niece who could relax my heart as I live alone at this age.â
âThatâs good too. If youâre thinking of a peaceful future.â
The Emperor smiled. Then he unwrapped the diamond brooch from his own chest.
âIf youâre going to be Tiaâs mother, let me stand in as Cedricâs fatherâs. Iâm glad they donât have to have a wedding without parents.â
To a woman, her mother gives a pure gold orb, meaning to keep the shining heart as the day she got married.
To a man, his father gives a new diamond that has never been used, meaning to keep a solid heart forever.
And after the wedding, they combine it to create a memorial for the couple.
That was the custom.
The Emperorâs brooch is not a new diamond, but since it was an Emperorâs gift, it was not short of the new one.
The Emperor attached the brooch to Cedricâs chest.
The band quickly noticed and began to play music. The attendant and the maids also stepped back a couple of steps to widen the distance.
The Empress again took Artizeaâs hand.
The Emperor came to Cedricâs side and patted his shoulder again.
The knights lined up on the left and right sides of the road made a silver roof with their swords.
The flower girl, who took the lead, sprinkled flowers.
The four slowly headed toward the altar.
Upon reaching the altar, the Empress released Artizeaâs hand.
And she changed the bouquet to the hand she had held so far. Then the Emperor reached out his hand to the Empress.
âGregor.â
The Empress looked at him with a puzzled face. Tension floated between the two.
âItâs a wedding.â
He said so, implying that there was nothing good to behave like an enemy in front of everyone else.
Countless times the Empress put her hand on the Emperorâs hands.
She was unwilling, but this was one of the things Artizea asked for.
This was the very purpose of why Artizea wanted to be her lady-in-waiting from the beginning.
For the Empress to take the seat of Artizeaâs mother from Milaira.
No matter how arbitrary the Emperor is, he will not be able to act with Milaira as her husband if the Empress attends.
No, there was no way that Milaira could dare to show her face at the wedding, in which the Empress was present.
Just thinking of acting as a couple with the Emperor was creepy.
However, the Empress has already been prepared.
As she took his hand, the Emperor smiled at her. It was a triumphant smile, as if it had forced the Empress down.
When the two stepped back, Cedric took Artizeaâs hand.
The Archbishop gave a pleased smile.
âItâs a wonderful couple that God will bless as well. Not only did the young two meet, but it also gave a chance for the couple who had been separated for a long time to reconcile. What could be better than this?â
Artizea bowed her head.
***
Milaira, who watched the scene, gave a fit of yelling.