・・・・・
Without delay, the ceremony was held immediately.
Following the order of the service, the couple proceeded toward the altar.
The multicoloured light pouring through the stained glass bathed the path ahead of Irene and Felix.
With every step they took, sacred and majestic melodies flowed from the grand pipe organ.
Accompanied by the music, the choir sang hymns with heavenly voices.
It was a scene where it wouldn’t be a surprise to see angels from heaven flutter their wings and descend at any moment.
The High Priest also had similar thoughts as he watched Irene gradually approach.
In fact, he had been quietly harbouring resentment until he faced her directly.
This was because the Emperor had suddenly appeared, commanded him to bestow the 'High Priest’s Blessing,' and then left without further explanation.
It was truly an unreasonable demand.
Whether it was the marriage of the Guardian, the hero who saved the Empire, or an order from Her Majesty, the Emperor, bestowing the blessing was not something done lightly.
It wasn’t something that could be done simply by will; rather, the blessing came through the High Priest’s body as the will of God.
No matter how firmly he refused, the Emperor said, “I’ll step back for now, but in the end, things will go as I say,” leaving the High Priest utterly baffled.
It was only later that he understood why the Emperor had been so confident.
He recalled the divine message he had received that very morning while praying in his private chapel.
Let things follow their natural course.
The first time he heard God’s voice, it delivered a truly divine oracle: not to interfere, not to stray from cause and effect, but simply to let things unfold naturally.
The High Priest accepted this sacred will with reverence, though inwardly puzzled — he had never once tried to go against the natural order before.
But now he understood: even if he sensed the sacred energy flowing through Irene, acting out of greed would bring him great misfortune.
“High Priest, that person—!”
The cardinals, standing solemnly by the High Priest’s side, whispered excitedly from both sides.
They, too, had sensed it.
“Kindly turn a blind eye to it.”
The energy emanating from Irene was different from divine power merely borrowed from God.
It felt more like a manifestation of God’s personal interest.
It could be described as a mark placed upon her to closely observe her actions.
Naturally, such a thing was without precedent.
‘Ah, so that’s how it is. In fact, the one who saved the Empire is…’
The High Priest sighed deeply.
‘If this marriage is what you truly desire.’
The High Priest spoke reverently.
“O Deseo, we humbly give thanks for your grace as we announce that today, your two children have begun their journey together on the path of eternal companionship.”
The prayer was brief and to the point, yet it captured the essence with precision.
“Guardian, please swear your oath.”
At that moment, Felix’s gaze was fully fixed on Irene.
“In the presence of God, until my soul’s end.”
By the rules, the oath should have been sworn to the heavens — but from start to finish, his gaze remained fixed on one person alone.
"Even if waves of sorrow, poverty, and illness come crashing down — even if I ultimately drown."
At those words, Irene, who had looked momentarily dazed, began to blush.
Until now, it had all felt unreal, as though she were attending someone else’s wedding.
But finally, it was beginning to feel real.
Her heart felt like it might burst.
"I vow to forever love, honour, and follow my wife."
Each word landed with a heavy, resounding thud, striking her heart and reverberating through her entire body.
He was only reciting the familiar vow, yet her mind went hazy as if flushed with fever.
Irene, her cheeks blushed like ripe fruit, pressed her lips together, swallowed, and softly spoke.
“...In the presence of God, until my soul’s end.”
Their gazes became intertwined like shackles.
"Even if waves of sorrow, poverty, and illness come crashing down — even if I ultimately drown — I vow to forever love, honour, and follow my husband."
Irene recited the words mechanically, but her gaze remained fixed on his eyes — eyes that shimmered with sacred light, yet burned with fierce intensity.
Even after they exchanged rings and shared a kiss as light as a feather, they continued to gaze at each other in silence.
At that moment, the High Priest raised his arms to the heavens and spoke.
“On this blessed occasion, we humbly ask that You let us hear Your voice. May everyone come to understand Your great will, which places us within the sacred bonds of marriage and family.”
As the High Priest offered the final prayer, a soft white light began to spread from him.
What had flickered smaller and more fragile than a candle flame slowly grew, forming a radiant circle that gently enclosed Felix and Irene.
‘What is this?’
Startled, Irene reached out her hand.
She had thought it was a formless illusion conjured by divine power, but when she touched it, a gentle warmth wrapped around her fingertips.
‘Ah, could this be…’
Realising it at last, Irene quickly turned to Claudia.
Seated in the most honoured seat among the guests, she was nodding with a pleased smile — her expression unmistakably that of someone who had seen this coming.
She looked back up at Felix.
Wearing the sweetest smile in the world, he pressed his warm lips to her left ring finger like a seal, then gently pulled away.
Felix, too, had foreseen this moment.
"O Guardian of this land, with Your radiance and life, shield their path ahead and light the dark roads before them."
The guests gasped and murmured in astonishment.
It was the High Priest’s blessing — a miracle that could only be manifested through God's powerful will, and one so rare it might never be seen again in a lifetime.
This blessing was undeniable proof that God had accepted and affirmed the marriage, and that it was a vital step toward the Empire’s peace and stability.
If these two had been declared a destiny ordained by the divine, who would dare to object?
From this moment on, Irene could no longer be seen as a mere ‘nobody viscountess.’
She had become the one and only partner of the Guardian, blessed by God.
The guests, erasing all doubts, suspicions, and misgivings about the marriage, rose to their feet and broke into a standing ovation.
・・・・・
As soon as the wedding concluded, Felix and I made our way to our private estate, eager to share a passionate, though somewhat unconventional, wedding night together.
…Such a thing couldn’t happen yet.
First, we still needed to entertain the guests who had come to celebrate our marriage.
A banquet prepared with the heart and soul of the imperial chefs awaited us.
As I changed in the bride’s waiting room and made my way to the banquet hall, I couldn’t help but mutter a word about Her Majesty the Emperor, who had gone and stirred things up all on her own.
“Really, without even consulting me!”
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d dislike it, Rin.”
Before I could even finish my scolding, she quickly apologised and fluttered her eyelashes pitifully.
“Y-You know, that pitiful look won’t work on me!”
But my voice was already trembling uncontrollably.
The moment I stammered, I knew I’d lost.
Damn it, how frustrating.
“To receive God’s blessing at the wedding… now it seems I’m going to be the centre of all kinds of attention. I just wanted to live quietly, without fuss…”
Then Claudia shot back.
"You're saying you still haven't given up on that dream? It was clearly an impossible one from way back, wasn't it?"
She wasn’t wrong, so I had nothing to say in response.
But compared to the Emperor, Claudiia, and the Guardian, Felix, I was treated like a nobody.
Whenever I wandered alone without them, people ignored me or looked down on me.
Sure, that sometimes frustrated me, but honestly, it was easier to erase my presence and move around quietly that way.
At least I could keep some semblance of a private life.
“Well, since I know you didn’t do it to spite me, I’ll let it slide this time.”
I let out a small sigh and quickly forgave Claudia and Felix.
Maybe it was different before, but after going through the Lady Redlight incident, I started to think it might be better to earn some reputation or respect.
No matter how hard I tried to live an ordinary life, from now on, I’d be spending my days in the imperial palace, right beside the Emperor and the Guardian.
“Knock, knock.”
At that moment, a captivating voice sounded softly, like a gentle knock at the door.
“May I speak with you now?”
It was Martina, leaning casually against the hallway as we passed by.
“Martina!”
“Hm? Why did you change out of your wedding dress? I specially designed it for you.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that...”
By protocol, I had to change into something else to greet the guests.
When I hesitated and mumbled an excuse, Martina placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke seriously.
“I paid special attention so that if you just grab the sleeve here and slide your hand, it slips right off.”
“...”
Claudia froze for a moment, standing with her mouth agape, then began trembling with fury. She looked ready to rebuke Martina on the spot.
“How dare you make lewd advances toward Rin right in front of me...!”
“Lewd advances, Your Majesty? I was merely trying to be helpful. I thought it might come in handy after the wedding.”
What use would anyone have for a wedding dress after the ceremony?
Martina, perhaps already a bit tipsy, drawled her words as she rambled on about how the design was inspired by ancient clothing — when people sought harmony with nature and undressing was considered incredibly sensual.
“Think about it. Today’s fashion — ripping open the seams, struggling out of a crinoline, then unfastening a corset tightened to the brink — is just so ridiculous and inelegant.”
“In contrast, my design is so simple, even a man who’s never touched a dress could take it off with ease…”
She trailed off, then fixed her eyes on me and slowly leaned in to whisper in my ear.
“Once the wedding’s over, you’ll never wear it again — so feel free to rip it off.”
I had no idea what she was talking about — until it hit me.
My face turned bright red as if it might burst, and I instinctively covered my ears and stepped back.
‘Rip it off…’
No wonder the fabric felt so thin — it really was made to rip easily!
Even without hearing the whisper, Claudia seemed to have pieced it together from what was said earlier.
Her expression was one of utter disbelief.
“I knew something was fishy the moment you eagerly volunteered to design the wedding dress. But it looked perfectly normal, so I let my guard down…”
I felt the same way.
The design was simpler than any dress I’d worn before, and I’d been curious about it, but I never imagined it would come off so easily.
“Are you some kind of pervert?”
“Please call me a sophisticated pervert.”
When Martina boldly admitted that she was a pervert, Claudia fell silent for a moment.
Then she asked for my understanding and dragged the drunken, tipsy drunkard away.
‘Even a fire that’s gone out should be checked again — and the item Martina gave me as well.’
There was definitely some kind of trap hidden in there.
I nodded to myself, silently vowing to be more careful.
In the end, I found myself walking down the corridor alone.
I looked around the temple hall, which was covered in pure white marble and Ionic columns.
It had been rebuilt after that incident, and the modest and neat decorations — nothing too excessive — brought me a surprising sense of calm.
‘...Huh?’
As I walked, gazing out the window, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
A man wearing a somewhat worn hood was gleefully stomping on a group of nobles.
It was a one-sided beating.
One person was thrashing a group, while the nobles only twitched occasionally in spasms, completely powerless to fight back.
It sounded like a joke, but it was real.
I rubbed my eyes several times because I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Usually, if many attack a few, someone would call for help — but one person beating several?
I didn’t know how to react.
‘What the heck is this?’
I was so stunned I couldn’t move, as if nailed in place.
The man beating the nobles brushed his bangs aside, causing the black hood to slip off and reveal dark navy hair falling to his shoulders.
He looked younger than I’d expected — more boy than young man.
His youthful, delicate face had a pretty, almost androgynous air about it.
Wow.
“Kids these days are scary…”
I muttered without thinking. No matter how I looked at him, he seemed under twenty — definitely a minor.
Then, as if hearing my voice, the boy flinched, shrugged his shoulders, and turned toward me.
Our eyes met through the window.
His pupils, lighter in colour than his hair, widened in surprise, trembling slightly before he froze like a statue.
He neither kept beating nor fled; he looked trapped, caught between continuing and breaking down.
‘Well, it’s no wonder he’s flustered — caught red-handed joyfully beating up nobles.’
But I had no intention of rushing off to report it.
Those sprawled nobles looked familiar — I’d heard rumours about them.
From a young age, they’d been spoiled rotten, roaming the underworld like it was their home and indulging in all sorts of illegal activities.
‘Looks like they had it coming.’
I gave the boy a small, apologetic smile for disturbing him, then quietly walked away.
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