Chapter 5: The Silver Bride
The next morning, Charles and Celia set up their wedding headquarters and prepared for the ceremony on the plains by the side of the road that stretched south to the outskirts of the capital city. The plan was to depart for the capital at noon from there; they would proceed into the capital city and head for the Great Temple near the castle that worshiped the Six Wise Gods, then hold the ceremony at the outdoor altar there.
At present, thousands of people from the bands and guard squads participating in the parade were gathered, along with friends and family visiting to give the new bride and groom words of blessings.
For example, in the groom’s pavilion, a knight was leading a man wearing a pitch black outfit into the room. “Sir Charles, I have brought Mr. Reiss.”
“Oh, Mr. Reiss. You managed to attend.” Dressed in his extravagant groom’s outfit, Charles welcomed Reiss with a wide smile.
“We are good friends, after all. I am more than happy to be in attendance; I’d like to extend my sincerest congratulations to your wedding on this occasion, Sir Charles,” Reiss said with an empty and fake smile.
“Ah, thank you. When did you arrive in our capital?”
“I only arrived today, mere moments ago.”
“I see. If you had arrived earlier, I would have given you a proper welcome, but...”
“No, no, don’t mind me. Though we may be officially at peace with each other, I am still an ambassador of the Proxia empire. If I acted too friendly with you, there would be those who would find that most disagreeable. I’m essentially sneaking around this time, so please allow me to participate on the down low, if you will.”
Charles frowned apologetically. “I am most grateful for your consideration. However, since you have made the journey here to the capital, it is only right for me to treat you as a proper, noble guest. Allow me to prepare a visitor room at the royal castle during your stay. There is no need to pay any concern to the eyes of a small minority. Please, come visit my home once the ceremony is over.”
“Heheh, tonight will be your first night as a married couple, after all. How about I visit your estate in a few days? I’d like to personally give my own wedding present.”
“Hahaha, understood. Then I will gratefully enjoy myself tonight.”
“Yes, please do... Hm?” Reiss nodded with a smile pasted on his face, when he suddenly sensed something and moved his head slightly.
It was only for an instant, but I felt the presence of a materialized spirit just now. Is it within the capital? With this many people packed into one area, pinpointing it will be difficult. So as long as I don’t approach carelessly, my presence shouldn’t be detectable...
Reiss narrowed his eyes; his gaze was directed toward the center of the capital.
“Is something the matter, Mr. Reiss?” Charles asked curiously.
“No, it’s nothing. I don’t want to get in the way of your other visitors, so I shall head over to the Great Temple first.” Reiss smiled.
“Then allow me to assign you a number of guides. If you need anything, speak to them.” Charles said, directing a knight with a glance to do so.
“I am much obliged. Let us meet again later.” Reiss bowed once at the end and left with the escorting knight.
Looks like it’ll be difficult to search around alone. Guess I should lie low for now, he thought to himself.
“Now, it’s about time I went to visit Celia myself. You — call my wives here. We’ll head to Celia together,” Charles ordered a nearby butler.
“Yes, sir. Understood.” The butler nodded reverently at Charles after receiving the order and left the tent with light steps. Charles huffed through his nose triumphantly.
“The day has finally arrived. I cannot wait for the night to come,” he murmured, grinning to himself.
? ?
Meanwhile, Celia was wearing her flattering princess line wedding dress as she waited idly on standby in a tent separate from Charles.
“Are you there, Celia?” Charles’ cloyingly sweet voice sounded. There were knights posted on guard in front of the tent, so he was probably asking despite knowing she was there.
Celia gave a small sigh before smoothing over the smile on her face and responding. “Yes, I am.”
Charles then immediately entered the tent. Following him were six women in dresses and six knights in extravagant ceremonious knight garb.
“...O-Ooh, how marvelous! This is wonderful, Celia! You’re truly a beauty!” Charles praised Celia delightfully when he spotted her in her wedding dress. The women and knights behind him couldn’t help but widen their eyes at her pure beauty.
The fabric of the upper body of the dress fit her perfectly and contrasted with the softly spread skirt, making Celia’s already thin waist seem even more beautiful in silhouette. Furthermore, the combination of Celia’s silver-white hair and pure white dress was truly elegant and divine, almost like the image of a winter fairy.
“Thank you very much, Sir Charles.” Celia bowed gracefully.
“...It’s wonderful, truly wonderful,” Charles said, nodding several times before reaching his hand out to touch Celia’s cheek.
Celia desperately stamped down the urge to flinch; she flinched once and turned her face away in embarrassment.
“Are you nervous? Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”
“...Okay.” Celia nodded with her head down. Her voice was trembling faintly.
“Hahaha, you must be rather nervous. I brought my wives along to help you relax, but... First, allow me to introduce the elite guards who will be escorting us in the parade.” Charles spoke cheerfully, removing his hand from Celia’s cheek and looking at the knights standing behind him. The knights had been captivated by the sight of Celia in her wedding dress, but when Charles’ attention turned to them, they promptly corrected their posture.
“They’re the gentlemen who guarded me during my stay at the guest house... right? I’ve seen their faces a few times before.” They were all older than Celia, but only in their late twenties or so.
Charles turned to address them with a huff of laughter. “Ah, you remember their faces? Consider yourselves lucky, men.”
“It’s an honor,” they replied happily.
“These men are the elite of the elite from the newly formed order that I serve as the commander of. They were formerly members of the Royal Guard, but were handpicked by yours truly. They’re true knights, both in terms of family lineage and ability,” Charles bragged smugly.
“So, they’re the very best — that is indeed reassuring. Everyone, I thank you all for your work today,” Celia said, turning a gentle smile toward the knights.
The man acting as the leader of the knights placed a hand against his chest and responded proudly. “Yes, ma’am! We will ensure of Lady Celia’s safety, so please rest assured.”
The other men also nodded furiously with somewhat dopey looks.
“Hey, hey. I hope your protection includes me.”
“Of course it does. However, a knight of Sir Charles’ caliber would never make a blunder even if the unexpected happened, no? If anything, we’d be holding you back.”
“Hahaha, well said. You’ve got a good tongue there.” Charles laughed heartily.
“Shouldn’t you be heading back soon, dear?” A woman standing back addressed Charles.
“Hm, so I should. Celia, I have brought Tenasina and the others along. Use this opportunity to get to know them well, as I must attend to the parade directions now.”
“I understand.” Celia nodded respectfully.
“Good, then I shall leave now. Tenasina, I leave the rest to you. Take care of Celia.” Leaving those words behind, Charles left the tent with the other knights.
“Yes, do take care, dear. I shall make sure to have a proper chat with her.” The woman named Tenasina and the other women all bowed their heads quietly as they saw Charles off. Thus, the only ones remaining in the tent were the group of women, connected to one another by way of Charles Arbor.
When Celia met Tenasina’s eyes, a strange chill ran down her back, but she decided to invite the ladies to sit down first. “Umm, Lady Tenasina... And everyone else, too. Please, have a seat. Could you get enough tea and snacks for everyone?”
Celia turned to the attendant next to her and asked her to prepare some tea.
“Well, I suppose. I don’t intend on staying long, but I might as well sit down.” Tenasina took a seat with a blunt tone to her voice. The other women silently followed her, taking their seats in what was probably a predetermined order. Once she confirmed that everyone was seated, Celia moved to take a seat herself.
“You, remain standing there,” Tenasina ordered. “And you, attendant: after you’ve prepared the tea, go tell the guards not to let anyone inside for a while. Then wait outside yourself.”
“...Huh?” Celia and the attendant girl were both taken aback.
“Hurry it up,” Tenasina ordered with a voice faintly laced with irritation, making the attendant girl hurry out about her preparations.
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
Based on the mood in the air, Celia chose not to sit down, but remain standing instead.
“I believe we have met a number of times already, but I am the first wife, Tenasina. This will be our first time seeing each other as a group of seven, I suppose,” Tenasina began speaking, strongly emphasizing her position as first wife. The other women all shrunk back silently as they sat.
“I believe there were some girls here that were Celia’s classmates and students...” Tenasina said, looking at two girls who appeared to be aged similarly to Celia. The women present were all wives of Charles, but their ages were rather scattered.
In comparison to Charles being in his mid-thirties, Tenasina was exactly thirty-years-old. After that, the ages of the wives slowly got younger as they grew in number, and the girls who were Celia’s classmate and student were the fifth and sixth wife, respectively.
“She graduated by skipping years, so we only spent a short amount of time as classmates...”
“I-I’ve taken your classes before, Professor.”
The two girls answered timidly.
“Is that so?” Tenasina nodded shortly. At that point, the attendant returned to place the tea and candies on the table, before promptly leaving the tent. Once Tenasina confirmed that, she looked at Celia.
“Well, I’m sure you were in a higher position during your time at the academy, and your family lineage may be better than these girls too, but once you are wed to Charles, you will be the lowest rank among us as his seventh wife. Normally, it would be impossible for the eldest daughter of a count to be the seventh wife, preventing such a problem from occurring, but it seems you’re particularly special... So I shall make everything clear here and now,” she said bluntly.
“...Of course. I understand,” Celia nodded obediently.
“An admirable attitude. You are special, but that doesn’t mean you can disrupt the traditional hierarchy of the family. It would be a problem if you misunderstood this. We will obey Charles’ decision to wed you, as it seems Charles has taken a particular liking to you, so you may be favored at first. However, we will not tolerate any insolent behavior. Make sure you do not even consider making a fuss about anything,” Tenasina said harshly. The girl just beside her was also nodding along.
In other words, the higher ranked wives, including Tenasina, feared an issue over the subject of inheritance. Going in order, the second and third wives would have been blessed by a share, but with Celia and her high place in society potentially overturning that appearing, they were probably rather panicked on the inside. It wasn’t as relevant to the lower ranked wives, but having Celia ranked below them gave more of a sense of superiority and prevented her from colluding with others.
It wasn’t the kind of treatment a woman raised as the daughter of a high-ranked noble should be able to accept, both in terms of logic and pride.
“I understand, Lady Tenasina. And everyone else, too... I am inexperienced, so I would greatly appreciate it if you allowed me to join your ranks at the lowest position,” Celia replied humbly, bowing her head at everyone present. If she had to live at this house for the rest of her life, then she wanted it to be as peaceful a living situation as possible.
However, Celia’s reaction must have been unexpected to the existing wives, as Tenasina and the others all turned a doubtful eye toward her, most likely not believing that her words were sincere.
...I’ll probably be picked on for a while.
Imagining her life from here on out filled Celia with despair. She was used to being alone, so she could endure a certain extent of ostracism from the family, but she had no one she could vent her feelings to, so her endurance would indeed have a breaking point in this situation.
On top of that, she had to offer herself to a person she didn’t even like — whenever he wanted. If that life was to continue for her forever, who knew if she could really endure it...
Would it not crush her heart?
Would she eventually grow dependent on Charles?
Would it possibly change the person she has been until now without her realizing it?
With no salvation in sight, Celia couldn’t help but feel incredibly scared.
Tenasina huffed through her nose unhappily. “Hmph, that’s a terrible expression. I won’t allow you to participate in the ceremony looking like that. You are still a bride of the Duke Arbor family, after all. Smile wider,” she said roughly.
“Yes, ma’am.” Celia forced a smile on her face. For some reason, she had trouble remembering how to smile, but she tried anyway.
“L-Lady Celia, First Princess Christina has arrived. What shall you do?” The panicked attendant girl came inside and spoke in a fluster.
“Excuse you! What is the meaning of this insolence? Who said you were allowed to come in?” Tenasina raged at the girl. She must have been very flustered, as her expression showed realization of her mistake.
However, Celia paid no mind to that. “Princess Christina... Please allow her inside immediately.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!” The woman left the tent in a hurry.
“Who allowed you to...” Tenasina furrowed her brow at Celia’s actions.
“...I’m sorry. But if we were to keep the royal princess waiting while we were talking among ourselves, wouldn’t that be an embarrassment on the Duke Arbor family name?” Celia offered her logical reasoning.
“Tch...” Tenasina tried to say something in an expression of her indignation, but sensing Christina’s presence near the tent, she put on a smile instead. Then, Christina appeared, having been guided by the attendant girl who had been waiting outside.
“Thank you for coming today, Princess Christina. I wasn’t expecting the princess herself to pay a visit, so forgive me if my reception is a little hasty...”
Celia left Tenasina and the others alone for now and handled Christina instead. She was aware she had basically secured Tenasina’s animosity, but now wasn’t the time to be concerned by that.
“No, don’t mind me. I chose to visit without any warning, after all. I came to give you a word of congratulations on behalf of my mother and father. Would you happen to have a minute?” Christina asked Celia as she looked at the group of women inside the room.
“Of course...”
“Please have a seat over here, Princess Christina. Go on, don’t just idle around, you lot move to the corner of the room instead. Celia, you sit there.” Tenasina drowned out Celia’s voice with her own, taking lead of the situation. After moving the other women, who had been frozen in awe, she ordered Celia to sit down and shrewdly took her own place next to Celia.
“...Thank you. Excuse me.” Christina looked at Tenasina with a somewhat cold gaze and sat down.
“No, I am honored to be able to meet you at a place like this,” Tenasina said in a flattering way, putting on a decent smile.
“There isn’t much time, and I’d like to talk to my former professor alone. Could I have you ladies step out of the room?” Christina said, heavily hinting at how she didn’t have time to deal with Tenasina and the others.
“...I understand. I’m sure you have much to discuss, so we will take our leave. Please, enjoy yourself,” Tenasina agreed with an uncomfortable smile pasted on her face, then left the room with the other women in tow.
“You may leave, too. Stand guard outside and make sure no one else comes in,” Christina said to the attendant girl, who stood unsure of how to proceed with her duty.
“Y-Yes, Your Highness!” The woman left in a hurry.
“How ridiculous,” Christina sighed and muttered under her breath. “Professor, it’s been a while... Now we can take our time talking leisurely. Won’t you have a seat as well?” She offered Celia a seat with a gentler tone than before.
“Thank you very much. Please excuse me, then. There’s some freshly poured tea ready here, so please help yourself.” Celia thanked her and poured the tea, which was left sitting for just the right amount of time, into an unused cup. She offered it to Christina, before sitting down herself.
“Thank you. The wedding dress suits you very well, by the way. You’re beautiful, Professor Celia... The women earlier cannot compare to you,” Christina praised, smiling faintly.
“N-No, that’s not true. I am aware that I may be lacking in feminine charms, since I don’t seem like a mature adult.” Celia shook her head, dismissing the thought as absurd.
“I don’t think that’s true. I believe any man that chooses those earlier women over the current you is simply blind, Professor,” Christina said with a huff of laughter, making Celia smile happily.
“Ahaha, thank you. I’ll accept that compliment gratefully.”
“...Your face is looking a little less pale than when I first came in. Did those ladies say something unpleasant to you?” Christina asked while observing Celia’s expression.
Celia mustered a smile on her face, not about to complain. “No, nothing of the sort... I was just too nervous to sleep properly last night. But having you here has made feel better rather quickly. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, after all.”
“...Ever since Duke Huguenot took Flora away with him, Duke Arbor has been keeping a vigilant eye on me. It’s like house arrest, only under the name of protection. I haven’t been able to leave the castle at all recently, so it’s all thanks to you that I’m able to go outside today, Professor. Although there are countless supervisors acting as guards outside...” Christina’s face darkened with annoyance and she spoke quietly.
“...You must have suffered, too, Princess Christina,” Celia said, frowning herself.
“No, everything about my current situation is retribution stemming from the failures of the royal family... And those failures have shifted their effects to the Count Claire family and you, Professor Celia. I have no way of making this up to you, but allow me to apologize on behalf of the royal family. I truly am very sorry,” Christina said in a voice filled with shame, bowing her head deeply at Celia, who was taken aback.
“Y-You mustn’t do that, Princess Christina! The First Princess shouldn’t be lowering her head to anyone so carelessly! And I never blamed my current situation on anyone else... This marriage is something I decided on. There is nothing you need to apologize for, Your Highness,” Celia said in a fluster.
“It isn’t careless. That’s how much trouble we have caused for you and the Count Claire family. While it isn’t official, I will personally apologize as much as I can,” Christina said, continuing to bow her head at Celia.
“But there isn’t any reason you should be apologizing in the first place... There isn’t anything to apologize for,” Celia said uncomfortably. Of course, she understood what Christina was trying to say, because content-wise they couldn’t discuss the matter any more specifically than this. If someone were to witness Christina bowing her head, or even caught a little of their vaguely worded conversation, it would be quite the problem. Christina most likely understood that too, but she continued talking.
“...I cannot say it clearly, but if I had to, then it’s because your smile was snatched away.”
“...Oh, don’t say that. I’m happy, you know? I’m about to get married, after all,” Celia said with a smile, unthinkingly reaching for her cheek with her hand. Perhaps she had grown unsure of whether her smile was coming across correctly.
“Back when I attended the academy, I really looked forward to your electives, Professor. Part of it was that the electives were the few classes I could take with Flora, who was in a lower year, but I genuinely did admire you as a person. That’s why I used to watch you a lot. If my eyes don’t deceive me, the Professor of today is like a bird trapped in a cage, and the Professor from back then was far happier. I believe you would know best why that is...” Christina said regretfully as she watched Celia’s expression.
“Is that so... So that’s how it looks to you. Ahaha...” Celia smiled sadly and avoided replying.
Christina stared at Celia closely. “It may not be of any salvation to you, but if an opportunity to regain your smile from back then ever presents itself to you, I think you should take that chance without hesitation, Professor. I can’t do anything for you in my current state, and it may end up being an empty promise, but if you ever need my assistance, I vow to do everything in my ability to help you. Just say the word,” she said seriously.
“...Thank you very much. There’s nothing you can do for me, but I will pray from the shadows that you may reunite with Princess Flora once more,” Celia said, smiling with just a small dose of happiness.
“...Yes.” Christina’s expression twisted apologetically as she nodded.
? ?
The wedding parade began at noon time.
The parade squad entered the capital city from the main road to the south, merrily proceeding toward the Great Temple for the ceremony. Celia and Charles were riding on an extravagant horse-drawn carriage, surrounded by six horseback knights and enclosed in a neat outer ring of foot soldiers and musicians.
Charles Arbor had the smile of a leader as he waved his hand at the civilians standing alongside the road. Celia was also smiling at the citizens she met eyes with, waving her hand.
“Ooh, she waved back at me!”
“She’s so beautiful, it’s like she’s sparkling silver. She’s like a goddess!”
“So you can have such cute girls as wives when you’re a great lord, huh?”
Most of the attention of the people was drawn toward Celia; everyone was captivated by her fantasy-like beauty.
“She’s a silver bride.”
“A silver bride!”
“Hurray for the silver bride!”
“I’ll follow you forever!”
And so on. The nickname of the silver bride spread among the people. Charles must have heard the cheers of the citizens, as his mouth loosened into a smile.
“Oh? A Silver Bride, they say. Not a bad nickname for an impromptu creation by the foolish masses. Well, that just shows how beautiful and sinful you are. See? Take a look. Everyone is envying me for stealing your heart. It wouldn’t have gone this way with any other woman,” he said to Celia with an expression filled with superiority.
“I don’t believe that’s true...” Celia replied anxiously.
“No, you really are beautiful. Even now, my heart is stolen by you. I’ve never felt so passionate about a single woman in my life. Take pride in yourself, Celia,” Charles said, staring at her whole body with a heated gaze.
“...Thank you very much.” Celia’s body shuddered, but she was unable to move and remained standing there helplessly.
“Your every action strongly stimulates my male instincts. It’s a vast difference to those hard-headed, calculating women. Knowing that you’re almost mine makes it almost painful to hold myself back. I suppose I shall first enjoy our kiss of vows on the altar,” Charles said in a tone that couldn’t hold back his excitement, a smug smile on his face.
“...Yes.” Celia nodded, her heartbeat thumping unpleasantly. There was a hard to describe feeling of repulsion swirling in her chest, something different to nerves or anxiety. She couldn’t imagine kissing the man standing next to her and becoming a married couple... She simply didn’t want it. However, the moment for that to happen was almost upon her.
“Now then, it’s about time we set things into motion,” Charles murmured in satisfaction as he watched the excited civilians and sent a signal to the knights on horseback next to their carriage. The knights who received the signal drew their swords and raised them high into the air.
“Hail the Duke Arbor family! Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!” they yelled in a loud voice.
“Hail the Duke Arbor family!”
“Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!”
The other people in the parade started to chant too, along with the citizens within the general population. The shouting spread through the masses at a rapid speed until both the parade members and the general population were yelling extravagant praise for Charles and his house. Charles chuckled to himself.
“Are you surprised? The people are in need of a leader they can easily understand. That is what gives them happiness. As my father’s heir, I will eventually become that leader. And you will be my wife,” he said, smiling at Celia expectantly.
“...” Celia was unable to find any words to respond with. The only thing she could do was keep up the smile on her face.
? ?
Meanwhile, a huge crowd of attendees closed in on the grounds of the Great Temple where the ceremony was to be held. They were all waiting eagerly for the arrival of Celia and the others in the magnificent outdoor garden.
A single road stretched from the entrance of the temple, continuing toward the outdoor altar where the ceremonial vows were to be made. The Great Temple itself towered over the altar a short distance away, and a party was to be held in the Great Temple and outdoor garden after the ceremonial vows were over.
Rio stood blending in with the crowd of attendees, Aishia resting within him in her spirit form. Only those formally invited were allowed into the temple grounds, but with over a thousand individuals invited, it wasn’t that difficult for Rio to slip into the crowd. He stood waiting patiently for Celia’s arrival.
Haruto, Celia is approaching. Aishia’s voice echoed in the back of Rio’s head.
So it seems. I can hear the commotion, Rio responded quietly. The noise of the music band and cheers of the crowd echoed from a distance, but Rio’s heart was filled with silence.
Haruto, you’re very calm, Aishia said in a flat tone.
It’s because I was able to understand the situation properly. My head’s cooled in the time that has passed, and I know what I want to do about it, too. It’s all thanks to you, Aishia. Rio smiled gently. “Thank you.”
All I did was some research. It was no big deal.
That’s not true. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to fully educate myself of the sequence of events that led to Professor Celia’s marriage. I would have been lost.
Even if you were lost, you would have moved forward anyway, Aishia stated with no hesitation at all.
...Who knows. I’m a coward, after all. I may have run away. Rio’s eyes widened faintly, hesitating as he gave a strained smile.
That’s just part of being lost. Even if you get lost, even if you’re wrong, you have the strength to move forward.
...Thank you. I feel a little more confident now with regard to what I’m about to do. Let’s keep waiting... Professor Celia should be here soon.
Yes, let’s wait. Aishia nodded. From there, a lull in conversation fell between the two of them as they silently waited for the parade to approach.
Some time later, the parade squad finally entered the grounds of the Great Temple with quite a bit of hustle and bustle. The visitors that had been waiting on the temple grounds cheered excitedly.
The visitors in the temple grounds yelled at the carriage carrying Charles and Celia.
“Glory and honor to the Beltrum Kingdom sustained by the Duke Arbor family!”
“Hail the Duke Arbor family!”
“Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!”
Most of the attendees were nobles of the kingdom — nobles from Duke Arbor’s faction, that is — which explained why the mood was welcoming of them. Charles looked down at the attendees from the horse carriage and smiled with satisfaction. They must have all been faces he recognized, as he waved his hand at each one in turn.
Meanwhile, standing beside him was Celia, who despite having a fleeting smile on her face, was still acting as the pure and graceful smiling wife.
Professor... Rio watched Celia with a pained expression on his face. However, he had completely blended into the crowds, so Celia didn’t notice him. Rio wasn’t about to yell “Professor” out loud to attract her attention, so the carriage Celia was on proceeded until the middle of the road.
Haruto, should I go now? Aishia asked through their telepathic connection.
Rio took a small breath and agreed. ...Yeah. Please do, Aishia.
Okay. As she responded, Aishia slipped out of Rio’s body, still in her spirit form.
Rio was unable to see her, but he was already aware of where she was headed, so he directed his gaze in that direction without hesitation. She was headed for the carriage, where Celia stood.
Celia was smiling, waving her hand at the attendees, when suddenly, her entire body flinched. “?!”
She glanced around at her surroundings in a slightly suspicious manner, before completely freezing in place. Her expression changed with a gasp, and she shook her head in a fluster. Then, her eyes turned to where Rio was blended in with the crowd, as though she knew he was there from the very start.
Her gaze wandered around shakily as she searched the area, but she eventually locked on to the sight of Rio’s figure among the people. Rio stared fixedly at Celia, and when their eyes met, he smiled gently.
“Wh... y...?” Celia’s mouth moved minutely. Then, her expression twisted with pain as tears started flowing out of her eyes.
When Rio spotted Celia’s crying face, he turned on his heel and left the crowd of people.
? ?
Just before Celia spotted Rio among the crowd...
Celia had eventually started to perceive herself as a puppet as she faced the parade, focusing on acting graceful and friendly so that she wouldn’t mess up and bring trouble to her family. After all, the people congratulating her were all having fun and smiling with wonderful expressions. As she responded to them, Celia gradually felt as though she had been abandoned by the world.
Then, before she knew it, they had arrived at the Great Temple. At the end of the road, stretching straight forward from the entrance, were the stairs that reached up to the outdoor altar.
Next to the stairs were the VIP seats for people from inside and outside the kingdom. Among them were royals like Christina; the “King’s Sword” renowned for being Beltrum’s strongest, the commander of the Royal Guard, Alfred Emerle; and the Proxia Empire’s ambassador who had a personal connection to Charles, Reiss.
Last but not least, standing below the altar just before the stairs was a single boy clad in hero-like clothing, his blonde hair fluttering in the wind smoothly as he gave a refreshing smile. He was between his mid-teens to late-teens.
Celia knew who he was; though she had never met him directly, she had seen him once from afar when there was a commotion over a hero being summoned in the castle.
He was the hero who had been summoned by the spirit stone held by the Kingdom of Beltrum — Rui Shigekura.
His facial features and hair color were different from his friends that he had been summoned along with. According to him, it was because he was “half-Caucasian.”
Rui Shigekura was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to the altar because Charles had arranged for validity of the marriage to be solidified through having a hero — a servant of the Six Wise Gods — give his direct approval. As a result, once the hero’s acknowledgment was given, there would be no way to take back the marriage.
Even as she smiled and waved in a friendly manner, Celia cowered at the reality looming closer before her.
Celia. An unfamiliar girl’s voice suddenly sounded in Celia’s head.
“?!” Celia trembled with a start.
I’m currently talking to you by directly connecting to your mind. There’s no time, so don’t be afraid. The unknown girl suddenly started to speak.
W-Who are you? Celia looked around dubiously.
My name is Aishia. Haruto... No, Rio asked me to talk to you like this.
Celia froze. R...Rio?
Look toward the back on your left.
Celia’s expression changed with a gasp as she looked in the direction as told. Don’t tell me...?!
A little further in front... Yes, around there.
Celia moved her gaze, checking each and every face of the people standing among the crowd. ...Rio. Celia spotted Rio blending in with the masses. He smiled gently at her.
“Why...?” He had come. Even though she told him not to... Even though she hadn’t wanted him to. Even though he was the only one she didn’t want to have witness the sight of her being married to Charles.
Unable to look directly into Rio’s face, tears started escaping from Celia’s eyes before she knew it. Even though she knew she shouldn’t cry, her tears wouldn’t stop.
“...Hey, hey, what’s the matter, Celia? Have you been moved to tears with happiness?” Charles was taken aback by the sudden sight of Celia’s tears. He questioned her curiously.
Just go along with him, Aishia’s voice echoed.
Celia faltered, rubbed her eyes furiously, and answered Charles. “...Ah, umm, I’m not sure. There’s happiness, and a lot of other emotions, mixed together.”
It wasn’t a remark she made thinking that she had to obey Aishia’s orders. If anything, they were words her confused head had blurted out.
They were her real feelings.
Happiness at seeing Rio’s face again, anger at how he came when she told him not to, repulsion at how she was seen on display next to a man she didn’t even like, and a complicated mix of other emotions, too.
Even so, the most prominent emotion occupying Celia’s chest was happiness from seeing Rio’s face. She had believed they would never meet again after she pushed him away, yet she was unbearably happy at seeing Rio’s face again.
“Fufufu, is that so. So you wanted to be with me that much...” Charles misinterpreted Celia’s emotional state in a way that was convenient for himself and leered in a smile that was filled with narcissism. “Come now, Celia. Don’t be so down. Everyone is watching,” he encouraged, playing the good husband.
It wasn’t that rare for a new bride and groom to burst into emotional tears during the ceremony, so the attendees watched over Celia with gentle smiles.
This is a good act. That must be how much Celia is delighted to be wed to me. Charles chuckled, pleased with himself as he looked out over the attendees gathered around them. As he did that, the horse that drew the carriage they were riding on neared the stairs of the altar.
Here, Celia finally raised her head after crying for some time. She wiped her tears and looked toward the point where Rio had been standing earlier, but he was already nowhere to be seen.
...Huh? Where’s Rio? Celia’s gaze wandered in a panic.
Hey, umm... Aishia? Can you hear me? she asked within her head, but there was no reply.
Hey, can you hear me? Where did Rio go? Celia asked with a pale face, but there was still no reply from Aishia.
Was it... an illusion? But that can’t be...?! Celia suddenly felt very anxious. Feeling fear from Rio’s disappearance, she glanced around at the attendees to the rear, searching for him.
“Celia, we’ll soon be where the hero is.” Before she knew it, the horse drawn carriage Celia had been on had arrived at the stairs where the hero was waiting. It stopped a bit of distance away from Rui, and the knights on guard moved to attach a staircase to the end of the carriage. They would be moving on foot from here.
“All right, let’s get down,” Charles said, extending a pompous hand to Celia.
“Who are you?! Freeze!” A foot soldier that had been protecting the rear of the horse carriage suddenly raised his voice. The squads in the parade instantly became noisy. The attendees of the ceremony also made a commotion, turning their eyes to what was happening in the squads that formed the rear of the parade.
“What’s happening?!” The squad leader that had been guarding the front of Celia’s carriage yelled toward the rear from horseback. From the carriage, Celia also turned to look back in a panic. “I-Intruder! He suddenly slipped into our squad!” a panicked reply came from behind.
“Huh?” Celia witnessed a shadow weave through the crowds, closing in on the carriage. The horseback squad leader beside her also seemed to notice the black shadow.
“S-Spread to the side and form a single wall! Don’t let him approach!” he ordered in a fluster. The soldiers in the area hurriedly got into formation, forming a single horizontal line as a human wall, bracing the lances in their hands.
Meanwhile, the black shadow continued to weave in and out of the squad, steadily heading for the wall of soldiers. After the figure was at a certain distance to the carriage, he stepped out into an area that the soldiers had left open.
“Sorcerer Squad, apprehend him!” the leader of the knight squad ordered the sorcerers that were included in the parade. The sorcerers moved quickly, pointing their staves through the gaps between the soldiers forming the human wall and chanting to cast an offensive subjugation spell.
“Photon Projectilis!”
Immediately, magic circles of light drew the spell formula in the air at the tip of the staves, shooting an endless amount of photon bullets toward the black shadow. At the same time, attendees standing at the side of the road started to scream. Imagining what would happen next would have some people avert their eyes, whereas some gaze heatedly at the sudden commotion.
“Wha?!” Everyone present was struck dumbfounded. The black shadow skillfully stepped from left to right, lightly evading the rush of light bullets. Then, once he was several meters away from the wall of soldiers, he leapt high into the air and easily crossed over the top of their heads.
“H-He jumped?!”
The improvised line of defense broke into chaos, greatly reducing the number of soldiers obstructing the black shadow from the carriage Celia was on. The black shadow landed on the ground in a squat to kill the force of impact and came to a stop ten or so meters before the carriage where Celia and Charles were, adjusting his stance. His isolated figure was clearly one of a human, but a black overcoat covered his whole body and the hood was carefully covering his whole face.
“W-What physical ability...” The soldiers in the area swallowed their breaths in fearful awe.
The depths of the black shadow’s hood stared straight at Celia. Celia’s gaze was also drawn into the depths of the hood, and she widened her eyes in shock.
The black shadow immediately adjusted his hood to secure it and started running.
The squad leader protecting the carriage snapped back to his senses first and gave orders to the other knights. “Protect the two of them! Get down from your horses! Augendae Corporis!”
“Augendae Corporis!” The other knights also returned to their senses and chanted the spell, jumping from their horses.
“You, slow him down!” the squad leader ordered the few remaining foot soldiers standing in the way in a harsh tone. He must have realized they were no match for the figure, as his orders were a roundabout way of asking them to buy time instead.
The nearby soldiers attacked the black shadow in a fluster, but sure enough, they were nothing more than an annoying obstacle to him. The soldiers had bought enough time for the knights to get into battle positions.
“Draw your swords! Surround him and capture him! I don’t mind if you take off an arm or two while you’re at it. We’ll teach this ruffian who thinks he can intrude on this glorious ceremony a thing or two about this kingdom’s prestige! Let’s go!” the knight leader declared loudly as he pointed his sword at the black shadow, and the knights began their counterattack with perfect movements.
The leader and another knight hovered in the back to watch out for his leap, while the remaining four knights surrounded the black shadow and attacked him. Seeing that scene made Celia tremble with fear.
Charles looked at the black shadow with eyes that hid none of his disdain and spoke to Celia with strong confidence. “It’ll be all right, Celia. Like I said before the ceremony, they are the elite of our kingdom’s elite. Both their lineage and abilities have been proven to be true.” It showed how much faith he had in his subordinates.
“There’s no way the likes of a lawless bandit could overpowe... What?!” Charles’ mouth fell open in shock as he witnessed what was unfolding before him. Celia’s eyes also widened in astonishment.
? ?
The black figure showed no sign of cowardice as it took on six knights unarmed.
“Don’t underestimate me!” The four knights in front raged at the unarmed black figure, each exerting more strength into the hands that gripped their swords. They judged the space between them and tried to receive him from the front and sides.
“Wha... Gah?!” Of the two knights in the front, the one on the left was suddenly attacked without warning. The knight felt the gold armor protecting him bend before he was easily blown away, flying several meters. The display of speed and abruptness of the surprise attack left the three remaining knights in the circle formation frozen for a moment.
The black figure did not let that moment of weakness escape him. He stopped the sword the knight to the left tried to swing with his bare hands, then dispersed that kinetic energy as he twisted the blade sharply. When the knight unthinkingly let go of his sword, he immediately stepped forward and kneed him in the stomach.
“Guh?!” In no time at all, the second knight was blown back and sent flying through the air. Immediately after, the black figure turned and ran toward the two remaining figures.
“I-I’ll back you up!” The two knights who had been standing to the rear as backup hurried to join the front guard in a panic, but the black figure had already reached the two knights in the front.
The intruder carelessly closed the gap between them, but the two knights in the front guard no longer hesitated to swing their swords.
“Guh...” The black figure saw through the trajectory of the two knights’ slashing attacks and leaped boldly to avoid them, closing in on one of the knights and landing a kick to knock his opponent out in one blow.
“Gah...” In response, the remaining knight swung his sword vertically downward in an attempt to counterattack, but the black figure veered to the right to evade the sword and released an interrupting thrust with his fist. The knight was blown away, rendered incapable of combat like the other front guard knights.
Now, the only remaining knights were the two who had been standing by as backup. Seeing how the four front guard knights were wiped out before they could join them, the knights slowed down dramatically.
The black figure adjusted his hood more securely and broke into a run. He was headed for the carriage behind the two knights — where Celia was.
“Here he comes!” The knight squad captain, who had been in the rear guard, braced himself to block the black figure’s way.
“Haaah!” the other rear knight yelled as he started running. He passed the knight squad captain and went straight for the black figure.
“Fool, stop!” The knight captain yelled at his charging subordinate in a fluster. But it was too late.
The black figure jumped toward the charging knight and turned in the air to evade the knight’s attack, before tangling his legs around the opponent’s neck.
“Wha?!” The knight with his neck twined immediately lost his balance from the force and weight of the black figure. The black figure used the momentum of his jump to steal control of the knight’s posture and whip him around, throwing the knight’s body at the knight captain in front of him.
“Kuh?!” The knight captain leaped to the side in a panic, evading the body that came flying. However, the black figure used that time to land on the ground and adjust his posture, immediately closing in on the knight captain and launching an elbow strike on him. The knight captain was blown away; he rolled on the ground, groaning.
Only a few moments had passed since he had come in contact with the knight guards, but there was no one left standing in the way between the black figure and the carriage Celia was riding on.
The black figure did not pass up on the opportunity to run toward the carriage once more. He leaped high in front of the carriage and landed gracefully right before Celia and Charles. “Y-You— Gah, hah?!” Charles went to punch the black figure, but he was easily thrown against the carriage floor. This left Celia and the black figure as the only ones standing on the carriage.
“Ah, umm... Huh?” Celia cowered where she stood, when the black figure took a knife out of his pocket. Then, he pinned her arms behind her back and held the knife to her neck.
“What?!” Those that witnessed the sight all gasped in terror. Celia was also unaware of what was going on, making her curl into herself even further.
“Y-You! Release Celia! What— Gah!!” When Charles noticed that Celia had been taken hostage, he yelled in shock. However, the black figure kept Celia held close as he stepped on Charles’ back, and with the impact of hitting his chest when he was thrown, Charles started coughing halfway.
“Celia, dear! Hey, someone save my daughter!” Celia’s father, Roland Claire, jumped up from his position in the family seating area near the stairs leading to the altar and yelled, expression paling.
“Tch, that fool, bringing shame to the family...” Duke Arbor came over too, twisting his face in annoyance at the disgraceful sight of his son.
“W-Wait, please! It’s too dangerous. Don’t provoke the bandit!” The soldiers hurried to halt Count Clare and Duke Arbor in their steps.
“Argh, release me! Didn’t you tell me your security measures were perfect?!” Roland wailed, breathing roughly. In the meantime, the black figure confirmed the situation around them through his hood.
Professor Celia — it’s me, Rio. I apologize for the fuss, but I wanted to take the chance to talk to you while our surroundings are doused in confusion. If you could remain silent for a moment, I would greatly appreciate it, he spoke to Celia through telepathic spirit arts.
“?!” Celia gasped and stiffened in the face. However, she seemed to have built some resistance to the shock of telepathy through her encounter with Aishia earlier, as she seemed to accept the situation without much of a reaction. She waited for Rio’s words with a worried look.
First of all, I am communicating to your mind through a method called telepathy. This cannot be used without direct contact with the other, so please remain restrained like this for a while. It’ll act as a control to our surroundings too. If you think your thoughts strongly and clearly, they’ll reach me too, so if you have any questions... Rio began to explain to Celia while being wary of their surroundings.
So it really was your doing, wasn’t it?! What is the meaning of this?! Celia questioned Rio without a moment’s hesitation. But before Rio could respond, Charles grew tired at their feet and started to make a fuss.
“Y-You! How long do you intend on using me as a footrest?! Who sent you? What do you want?!”
Rio sighed quietly. “Silence. I have a vendetta against you. I’m considering my options right now, and I don’t mind simply crushing your spine like this, honestly,” he said, putting more force into the foot on Charles.
W-Wait, Rio?!
Don’t worry — I won’t kill anyone. It’s an act to make a distraction, because he’s a bit nosy.
Y-Yeah... Celia nodded timidly at Rio’s explanation.
“Ngh...” Charles must have sensed how the weight on his back was threatening his life and immediately fell silent.
Meanwhile, the surroundings were in extreme chaos, with people trying to evacuate the attendees while also trying to surrounding the horse carriage. However, they appeared to fear for the safety of Celia and Charles who had been taken hostage, as they didn’t try any bold actions.
Rio decided to take that time to continue his explanation. There’s no time, so let me say this quickly: I want to hear what your true feelings are one more time, before you get married. That is why I have come, he said flatly.
Wh-What do you mean, “that is why”? What are you thinking, doing something like this?! You’ll be captured, you know!! Celia yelled in her head in a panic.
I said I wanted to hear what your true feelings are, Professor. Even so, Rio showed no sign of impatience as he spoke in a firm tone.
T-That’s... I told you, I... Pressured by Rio’s determination, Celia’s face fell with chagrin.
You can’t fool me. I came here knowing roughly the whole story behind this political marriage. About how the Count Claire house was placed under a certain suspicion, which the Duke Arbor house half threatened. I understand why you were put in this situation, Professor.
Huh?! W-Where did you hear that?! Celia gasped, her expression changing.
I crossed a dangerous bridge... But none of that matters right now. Rio dismissed her question curtly.
I-It should matter... There were many things she wanted to ask about in that short exchange just now, but Rio’s forceful attitude rendered Celia speechless.
...Won’t you tell me, please? Assuming there was no need for you to sacrifice yourself, would you still want to marry this man, Professor? That’s all I wanted to ask, Rio asked smoothly as he looked down at Charles below him, almost as though he could see right through Celia’s heart.
What will you do... after I answer? Celia asked in a weak and timid way.
If you so desire, I will bring this wedding to a halt. Just like how you readily accepted this political marriage, I readily accepted my choice to do that before coming here, Rio said with determination.
...You’re being too overbearing.
I am fully aware of how overbearing and forceful I’m being. I’ve already overstepped that line by interfering with your wedding in the first place, Professor.
If you understand that much, why... Why are you doing such a thing? Celia asked timidly.
Because I couldn’t accept it. You’re important to me, Professor — if I hadn’t come today, at this moment, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I don’t want to lose the people who are most important to me without doing anything about it... I’ve already lost important things to me and regretted it quite a bit. Once something is lost, you can never get it back, but... there’s still time before you lose it. Rio’s declaration was almost gallantly self-centered.
...! For some reason, Celia felt a certain weight to it; Rio’s words deeply resonated in her chest. I am unable to just sit back and watch as your dignity is trampled on for the rest of your life, Professor. Will you eventually become happy in this marriage? If you can tell me that you will, I will quietly leave this place. I’ll never appear before you again, Rio said simply.
If Celia had the resolution and confidence to assert that she would be happy, then Rio was just as ready and determined to back away. But if she faltered... Well, that was a different story. It was an overbearing and forceful approach, but Rio would have it his way.
That’s...! Celia was clearly faltering.
You’re hesitating, Professor. That’s what it looks like to me, Rio declared bluntly.
B-But it may just be that my thinking process is wrong. I may cause so much trouble for other people if I prioritized my own feelings... Is that really the right thing to do?! Celia said, desperately appealing for her own indecision. In a way, she was confessing her true thoughts about how she didn’t want this marriage to happen in a somewhat roundabout way.
Rio showed the faintest hint of a smile and shook his head. ...I do not know. However, if this marriage really was the right thing to do, then you wouldn’t be making that face, Professor.
Um... Celia’s heart was struck deeply by his words, as her face distorted on the verge of tears.
Professor, please tell me. I will grant your wish; even if it’s a forceful way of doing it, I have acquired enough power to see it through. So, please... don’t give up, Rio said reassuringly.
What’s... with that... Even Celia couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, as though she was astounded by his words. If I said I didn’t want to get married, what would you do? she asked weakly.
...I’d kidnap you and run away from here. I don’t know if the Count Claire house’s position will rise because of it, but at the very least, it won’t cause them to be pursued for responsibility. With the bride being kidnapped before the general public, the cancellation of the wedding would be inevitable. There would be no logical way to put that blame on the Count Claire family. If anything, the responsibility would fall on the shoulders of the security, which would result in Duke Arbor’s family receiving the brunt of the criticism, Rio explained.
You’ve already made this much of a mess of the situation... It seems you really do have the confidence to be able to pull something like that off, Celia said, biting on her lower lip. She didn’t feel any doubt toward Rio’s statement about kidnapping her, but her expression showed faint hesitation. She must have felt guilt at the idea of abandoning her responsibilities to her family and the noble society after all.
Rio seemed to see through those worries of hers. Don’t you think you’ve already fulfilled the bare minimum of your original goal of marrying Charles, Professor? Of course, you’ll be isolating yourself from your family and the noble society if you leave this kingdom, but I will assist you as much as possible to reinstate your noble status and reunite you with your family, if you so wish, he said. Even if Celia were to be kidnapped here, a certain level of social connection had already been formed between the two families, and though it wasn’t impossible, it would definitely be difficult for the Arbor family to abandon the Claire family at this point.
Ahaha... to run away from here and then try to restore everything the way it was... isn’t that a little too hopeful? Or rather, too convenient for me, I wonder... Celia laughed weakly without any confidence.
No. If it’s you, Professor, it’s definitely possible. You’ll be able to put everything back where it should be, Rio stated in a certain tone. It was dazzlingly straightforward, expressing his trust and clear expectations toward Celia.
Celia was so happy she could cry; it was as though her gloomy heart had cleared up in an instant. She certainly felt like anything could be done in this very moment.
...That’s all I had to say. It was a long-winded conversation, but in the end, your life is your own, Professor. Even if I choose to speak up against it, I won’t force you to do anything. So, please — you make the final decision. Although... those aren’t words I should be saying with a knife pointed at you. Rio smiled faintly.
Hey, Rio. Celia said, her heart having already decided.
Yes? Rio replied, awaiting her answer.
Take me away from here. All the way outside of the capital.
With that, the caged bird was set free. Those words were, unmistakably, Celia’s true feelings.
Leave it to me. Rio nodded with determination, happiness flowing from the depths of his heart.
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