Chapter 102: The Crown Prince’s Wedding

Time passed and the day of the Crown Prince’s wedding arrived.

The House of Auguste had received an official invitation from the Imperial family, so they had to prepare gifts and attend the wedding.

Following the Imperial dress code, I dressed in a pink off-shoulder dress with a hat.

After getting fully dressed and leaving my room, I met Xavier at the central staircase. He too was dressed according to the dress code, wearing a white formal uniform with a pink corsage.

“Yuria.”

“Xavier.”

The atmosphere between us after burning the contract was as tense as a bladder cherry about to burst.

“It’s a shame.”

“What is? The clothes?”

“It’s a shame to show you to others.”

“……”

“You.”

The servants who had helped me dress and followed me out made startled expressions. Maya’s face, who was putting a shawl on my shoulders, turned as red as a carrot.

“What are you saying? I just look like an azalea today.”

“A pretty azalea, though?”

“Why are you being like this? I can’t get used to it.”

“You better get used to it. Because I’ll keep being like this.”

Xavier lifted his chin and extended his arm toward me.

I chuckled incredulously as I placed my hand on his arm, and we slowly descended the central staircase. The lobby was lined with servants who had come to see us off.

At the end stood Daniel Origin, wearing a blue shirt and beige cotton pants.

Daniel had been secluded in his laboratory, not letting anyone in while making the blood collection device I had requested.

At first, he said it would take only a day or two, but he ended up even taking his meals in the laboratory. So seeing Daniel’s nerdy face was as rare as getting me to eat vegetables.

Finally, after almost a week, he appeared before people.

During meals, Xavier even praised the doctor for the first time, saying that he was working very hard on his research.

As my line of sight lowered and Daniel’s face came into view, Xavier naturally tried to pass by him.

“Wait, Xavier.”

I pinched his forearm and made him stop.

A wrinkle formed between Xavier’s black eyebrows, but I greeted Doctor Daniel with a bright smile.

“It’s nice to see you outside like this.”

“What? Yes. Ahaha.”

He scratched the back of his head and blushed, seemingly embarrassed.

Oh, such an innocent doctor.

“Don’t just stay cooped up in the back wing doing research, let’s go for walks sometimes and have tea together. You’ll get sick otherwise.”

“What?”

Because if you get sick, you won’t be able to do research.

Daniel’s face turned red. His glasses slid down to the tip of his nose.

“Do what together?”

Xavier subtly pressed his elbow into my side. With a sweet smile while maintaining eye contact with Daniel’s green eyes, I pushed hard against Xavier’s side.

“Hmm?”

Xavier reacted immediately, but the magical engineer before me was truly precious.

“Take care of your health.”

“Th-thank you. H-have a good trip. Th-that’s what I came out to s-say.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Y-you look b-beautiful today.”

“Thank you.”

Xavier’s crumpled face was reflected in Daniel’s glasses, as wrinkled as his creased shirt.

“Shall we go, Xavier?”

“Let’s.”

Despite saying that, I had to pull Xavier along as he kept staring at Daniel without moving his gaze.

“Why do you keep looking back?”

“There’s something as annoying as a raccoon dog in my house.”

“Oh, please.”

I firmly held onto Xavier’s arm as he kept turning back, and we left through the entrance and got into the carriage.

Xavier, who used to sit across from me before, now sat close beside me.

I didn’t mind it, so I let him be. However, Xavier’s gaze was still fiercely glaring toward the entrance.

“Xavier, why are you being like this to the doctor who only does research?”

“You just can’t see his impure gaze. All men are the same.”

“He’s an innocent person who only knows magical engineering…”

Suddenly, his teal eyes that had been fixed on the window turned to me. He wore an expression of utter injustice.

“What do you mean innocent? Haah, when will this great research of his ever end?”

“Soon.”

“I really hope so.”

After traveling for about two hours, we arrived at the Imperial capital, which was decorated lavishly with banners celebrating the Crown Prince’s wedding and pink flowers everywhere.

Today was specially designated as a temporary national holiday, and people were enjoying their day off throughout the streets.

When we arrived at the Imperial Palace following the main road, it was bustling with carriages of nobles who had arrived earlier. The grand banquet hall would be packed with invited nobles.

Looking out the window, I felt something off about the attire of the people gathered in front of the grand banquet hall. Xavier quickly noticed the strange situation too.

“Something seems wrong.”

“Right… The dress code is different.”

The men were wearing light navy formal uniforms with white corsages, and all the women were wearing light navy dresses. They weren’t even wearing hats.

Due to the completely different attire, we couldn’t even get out of the carriage and remained inside. Xavier muttered with a troubled expression.

“We can’t skip the Crown Prince’s wedding, but we can’t go in like this either.”

Xavier was right.

If we were late to the wedding, the Imperial family would be displeased, and if we went in looking like this, we would not only incur the Emperor’s wrath but also face inevitable gossip from the surrounding nobles.

Clear malice had been hidden in the elaborate invitation.

Malice without rhyme or reason.

Rosetta harbored ill will toward me.

‘Why is she doing this to me? There must be something else I don’t know.’

What’s certain is that Rosetta wants me to be humiliated. After all, she’s ruthless to those who aren’t on her side.

‘She’s decided I’m not on her side.’

To think she would do this to me when she loved playing such tricks on people in the original story.

My stomach churned with a mix of anger and sorrow.

*

“Oh, Your Highness! The diamond necklace suits you perfectly.”

The Imperial bridal waiting room was filled with the voice of a famous designer from the capital.

“Does it?”

Rosetta, the protagonist of the wedding ceremony where she would be officially crowned.

With her hair up and wearing an off-shoulder pure white wedding dress, she exuded both innocent and seductive charm like a black lily.

“Yes. With your slender neckline and fair skin, it’s perfect!”

The designer exclaimed in a nasal voice while standing next to Rosetta.

“Such elegance! And the wedding dress fits you like a glove, so beautiful!”

“The makeup is excellent too.”

In the mirror held by the maid, the beautiful bride slightly raised the corner of her mouth.

“Even with such natural-looking makeup, you’re originally so beautiful that everything suits you.”

“Such flattery.”

“Ohoho. I mean it sincerely, Your Highness.”

The designer praised the new Crown Princess endlessly. Then her eyes caught sight of a dangling bracelet under the bride’s white gloves.

“Oh my. What is this, Your Highness?”

“This?”

Rosetta raised her arm showing the bracelet. Though the bracelet embroidered with colored thread was well-made, it had lost its original color from wear and had loose threads sticking out here and there.

“Yes. Though it’s simple and pretty, today perhaps you should remove…”

Rosetta briefly glanced at the embroidered bracelet before quickly looking away. While gazing at herself in the mirror, she said,

“Then take it off.”

“What should I do with it?”

The designer quickly removed the bracelet at her command and asked while holding it. The bell attached to the bracelet’s clasp made a jingling sound.

“Throw it away.”

Rosetta said coldly while only touching her elaborately styled hair, without sparing a single glance at the bracelet.

‘We’re practically family.’

For a moment, the memory of sharing bracelets with the Duchess and Maya at the Auguste mansion flashed through her mind.

‘Why am I remembering this?’

Rosetta nervously bit her lip before changing her order in a sharp voice.

“Just keep it yourself.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The personal maid extended both hands to receive the bracelet from the designer.

“Family, nonsense. That thief.”

“Pardon?”

The maid who received the bracelet from the designer looked at Rosetta with round eyes. When Rosetta glared at her fiercely, the maid quickly shrunk her shoulders and begged for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry.”

“I can’t even talk to myself. By the way, what about the Auguste couple?”

“Yes, Your Highness. They haven’t arrived yet, I hear.”

Yuria Auguste. She must be flustered by now.

Imagine how ridiculous they would look, alone in pink dress and white uniform amidst all the navy blue dresses?

Go ahead and be thoroughly humiliated today. How dare you deceive me? I don’t know how you stole my position, but you’ll pay the price.

A delicately woven lace veil was placed on Rosetta’s head as she raised her lips in a smirk.

“Your Highness, it’s time for your entrance.”

The chamberlain’s booming voice was heard from outside the door.

“Open the doors.”

At Rosetta’s command, the maids rushed to throw both doors wide open. Right outside, Arthur stood waiting for Rosetta in his pure white uniform.

“My consort, my bride. You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Lord Arthur.”

Arthur skillfully escorted Rosetta and whispered closely against her body.

“Just now, Count Willem told me an interesting story.”

“Oh my, did you hear?”

“Indeed. It was my consort’s favorite game, wasn’t it?”

Arthur smiled while patting Rosetta’s hand that was placed on his arm.

“You really know me well, Lord Arthur!”

“Haha. Don’t worry about the aftermath. Rosetta, you can do whatever you want.”

“Lord Arthur…”

“It will be quite something to see Xavier Auguste’s face. Just imagining it brings me joy.”

Arthur and Rosetta entered the grand banquet hall, close as lovebirds. Deafening fanfare burst forth and sweet wedding march music filled the hall.

At that signal, the bride and groom proceeded to the platform where Pope Melvin stood. The people seated also stood to welcome the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

‘Why?’

Rosetta’s black eyes narrowed.

Why is it so quiet? They should be hanging their heads in shame by now…

No matter how much she looked, she couldn’t find anyone wearing a pink dress and white uniform in the VIP seats.

Then Rosetta’s face turned as white as her wedding dress when she discovered something.

At the end of her gaze stood a short blonde woman radiating presence.

That woman stood straight among the crowd, staring directly at her.

Wearing a navy blue dress.

‘I definitely delivered the dress code, how did this happen?’