“Hoho, you look incredibly pretty.”
It was after the misunderstanding that was not a misunderstanding about the couple had spread out of control. Not only Mrs. Maureen, but all the servants and vassals around narrowed their eyes like crescent moon.
“Wife…”
“It’s because you look good that it looks good.”
Aam. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Lilian glanced at Damian embarrassedly. She meant it to stop staring but Damian’s gaze was unexpectedly serious.
Lilian was beyond beautiful. The painstakingly braided hair, which had been skillfully rolled up with a round iron, and then neatly gathered into a bunch at the back of her head. A decoration made of pearls in the shape of water drops dropped down the nape of her neck.
For Lilian, who was tall and slender, Madame Annege made a dress that exposed the lines of her body without any decorations. The immaculate lace that blended only slightly with the navy blue dress was as pretty as a shy flower.
But it wasn’t just because she was pretty that he was looking at Lilian as if possessed. Above all, what caught Damian’s gaze…
“You wore the gift I gave you.”
“Yes.”
The earrings were mainly made of blue-white moonstone and dark blue sapphire, as if they had trapped moonlight. The white wave line workmanship was like the moonlit night sea.
These earrings originally belonged to Damian’s mother, and Idoel gifted them to Damian to give to his wife-to-be. Because of its history, it was something that remained in Damian’s memory.
Imperial men were required to give gifts to their brides when they got married. It didn’t have to be a ring, but anyway, ordinary people usually presented only one ring.
The gift given to Lily by Damian, who was not ordinary, was an amount sufficient to set up a small jewelry museum with a little exaggeration. Apart from the price, historical value was also added, so there were many things that could not be obtained even with money.
Damian didn’t even remember all those precious metals. But those moonstone earrings were the first thing Damian thought of when he thought of a ‘gift’ for Lily.
‘Because it’s mother’s thing?’
He didn’t have those unpleasant thoughts.
Rather, when he thought that way, he didn’t want to give it away.
It’s also given to him by Ideol before their mother…
But more than anything else, it’s because it would suit Lily very well.
‘The sea on a moonlit night.’
White, blue, and black. Didn’t it seem to have collected the colors that Lilian had?
It was an overly romantic thought that seemed to be a little crazy even to him, so he didn’t bother to say it.
If nothing else, he really wanted to see Lily wearing this.
He’s glad she read his inner thoughts.
If he dared to ask, maybe she’d answer like this.
‘Since we’re on our way to commemorate the late emperor, I thought it would be a good idea to wear His Majesty’s gifts’. Only that unsympathetic answer would come back.
Damian, smart and quick-witted, had an accurate grasp of Lilian.
But still, happy was happy.
‘Pretty people should only wear pretty things. Hmph.’
It’s an outpouring of gifts.
Since there are so many of them, they can be treated as insignificant, but didn’t she pick and choose among them and wore them with their own intentionof her own will?
Courtesy, which is a natural thing for a human being, felt different when it came to Lily.
Damian, pleased, took Lilian’s fur cloak from Mrs. Maureen’s hand. This was also a cloak that Damian had made for Lilian after finding the skin of a snow leopard with difficulty when he left for the cold region. Anyway, Damian, who is a tier infinity, can survive the cold.
“Your Highness.”
Lilian was puzzled when Damian himself draped her cloak over her shoulders.
Whether he did or not, everyone was happy to see the newlyweds’ affectionate appearance, as if they were going to die of joy.
“We’ll be late.”
Matteo jumped in.
Damian held out his hand to Lily.
“Then shall we go?”
Lilian raised her hand and laid it on top of Damian’s. Damian asked as he squeezed her hand, which was shaking slightly.
“Are you nervous?”
Following Damian’s guidance, Lily answered as she slowly descended the stairs.
“I’d be lying if I sad no.”
The capital is the first step into the social world. Countless people will evaluate the new Grand Duchess. Lily, who was normal, couldn’t help but be nervous.
“You don’t have to be too nervous. In this empire and neighboring countries, I tend to have a bit of notoriety.”
Even as a war hero, Damian was more feared than respected. People with mana, large or small, secretly recognized that he was Tier Infinity and feared him.
“Are you saying that we should take advantage of Your Highness’ notoriety?”
“As much as you need. You can admit that rumors about my hobby of decapitating enemy generals and turning them into stuffed animals are true.”
In the end, Lilian laughed a little at his solemn words.
***
Elehan Church was not large. The name was Elehan Church because it was in the Elehan district.
People shuddered at Claude for even embedding his brother’s remains in a small and nameless church, but in fact, this church was directly designated by the late Emperor in his will.
In the basement of a small church with ivy climbing over the stone walls, the Emperor was resting alone. Lilian and Damian’s group passed through the press surrounding the church and headed underground first.
The coffin of the emperor in the stone chamber was carefully looked after by the monks, so there was nothing for the tomb visitors to do. Just put flowers on top of the coffin and pray.
After her prayers, Lilian stared at the top of the coffin. There it was written:
[I am leaving to enjoy death.
I hope those left behind will be happy.]
Even though it was only two lines, Lilian seemed to have a vague idea of what kind of person Emperor Idoel was during his lifetime.
However, are the people left behind happy as he wished?
As if answering a question, the boy who had been silently gazing at the coffin turned around. He had a somber face.
“…shall we go up?”
The mood had subsided.
As if the others were no different, the party did not exchange a word with each other.
Only a limited number of people were allowed to enter the stone chamber where the late Emperor was sleeping. The monks planted small gardens for ordinary people who wished to honor the good emperor.
The party headed to the garden with the prayers and tombstones that Emperor Ideol loved the most. In front of the tombstone, there was a red bouquet wet with dew from early in the morning, and they wondered who went first.
And there were also unexpected people.
“That…aren’t you the Young Duke of Blanchett?”
Dark blonde hair with a tall back.
He was wearing an overcoat instead of the white uniform that symbolized being a knight of the Emperor, but his back was familiar.
‘If it’s the young Duke Blanchett…’
Lilian tried to picture the face of the man who had brought the Emperor’s edict.
It was then.
“Ethan Schmidt?”
A sharp voice. It was Matteo.
The man shrugged and slowly turned around. A nice, handsome face.
It’s really Ethan Schmidth. The others groaned.
“Why are you here?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t ask you to apologize, I asked why you were here. Blanchett’s son, the rat, why, are, you here!”
As he continued to speak, the boy’s voice became more heated until it was almost a shout.
“I asked why you put your face in front of my father’s tombstone, young Duke.”
“I am…”
Ethan lowered his head, unable to say anything.
“Sorry.”
“Fuck off. If you catch my eye again, I will not forgive you.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened. He made a gesture as if in greeting, but the Prince turned away from him and strode toward his father’s tombstone.
Ethan finished his greeting in silence into the air. Then quietly slipped past the group.
The others whispered in low voices behind them.
“I don’t know his intentions but this is a place he shouldn’t come to…”
“And that, of course, now…”
It was embarrassing but also somewhat pitiful. Lilian caught a glimpse of the back of a man who looked like Marianne, but didn’t look like her at all.
“…where are you looking?”
Damian suddenly asked. Lilian was a little surprised, but she answered calmly.
“I met the younger sister of the young Duke, and I was thinking that siblings don’t look very alike.”
“Aha.”
Damian let out a meaningful smile. Lilian didn’t notice but she could see the overflowing maliciousness.
“Your Highness?”
“…”
Damian laughed instead of answering but he didn’t look very happy.
…?
Having been together morning and night lately, Lilian has been able to guess Damian’s mood to some extent. It was a great improvement, but there’s still a long way to go since she still didn’t know why.
Leave a Reply