Chapter 15
“Oh my goodness. What on earth is she wearing?”
Trisha did not appear at the venue in a traditional white wedding dress.
From head to toe, she was dressed entirely in pitch black. The black dress, deeply cut at the chest, was of a simple style with not a single ornament to be found—though its simplicity did nothing to downplay its striking impact. The bold neckline and the way it clung to her body before flowing all the way to her feet made it anything but modest.
If one were being generous, they might have considered it a black wedding dress. But that wasn’t all.
Trisha wore fitted black gloves on her hands and a black satin hat perched delicately on her head. With absolute confidence, she strode into the center of the wedding hall.
Click, clack. Click, clack.
The crisp sound of her black winter boots echoed through the silent wedding hall. All eyes locked onto the black dress as it passed between pale pink peonies and white drapes. And those eyes, each and every one, trembled ever so slightly. From Kaiser, who sat quietly in a corner, to Dorian at the end of the red carpet, and even the Grand Sage—no one was spared.
But if one were to name the person most visibly shaken, it would undoubtedly be Duke Kainan.
“That damned Trisharen… she’s completely lost her mind!”
The Duke had personally chosen Trisha’s wedding dress, pouring months of effort into it—not out of love for his daughter, of course.
“My lord, when do you plan to present the young lady at her debutante ball? It might be wise to let her make an appearance in society before the wedding.”
“Foolish question. All the nobles will be gathered at the wedding anyway.”
“Ah, so the wedding day will also be the young lady’s debut.”
“Precisely. That’s why the dress must be perfect—something to put all those arrogant nobles in their place.”
Because the dress also served as her debutante gown, it had to showcase the Kainan family’s power and wealth. So, the Duke spared no expense and commissioned Madame Schwaldin, the capital’s most skilled designer. He demanded something outrageously contradictory: the most extravagant dress in the world—without being flashy. Elegant, yet striking.
A ludicrous request, but Madame Schwaldin was more than capable. In the end, she delivered exactly that.
“My lord, the dress you ordered has arrived.”
“Hmm. Looks alright, I suppose.”
Duke Kainan frowned. He had not even the slightest understanding of fashion, so he couldn’t tell if the dress was beautiful or not. As he circled it with a dissatisfied expression, the butler quickly stepped in, knowing he’d be the one scrambling to find a replacement if the Duke decided to throw a fit.
The butler tailored his explanation to match the Duke’s standards.
“Only the finest silk and gemstones were used.”
“Really?”
“All materials are imported.”
“Not bad.”
“According to Madame Schwaldin, it’s the most expensive dress she’s ever made.”
“Excellent. Perfect!”
The Duke was thoroughly pleased.
“She takes after her mother in beauty—so with this dress, even the snobbiest nobles will be left speechless!”
He had been happily imagining the wedding day ever since he received the dress. But now, the expensive gown was nowhere to be seen, and his daughter had shown up in something better suited for a funeral—complete with hat, gloves, and boots.
He wanted nothing more than to storm over and drag her home by the hair, but there were far too many watching eyes. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed his rage.
“Just wait until the ceremony’s over…”
Unbothered, Trisha continued walking confidently down the aisle. With each step she took, the whispers among the nobles grew louder.
“Is she insane?”
“Shh, she might hear you.”
“Why on earth would she wear mourning clothes to her own wedding? She should be in a custom-made designer gown, not… that.”
“Didn’t they say Madame Schwaldin was paid a fortune to make her dress? Where is it?”
“Maybe… someone in her family passed away?”
“But the Duke’s not in mourning.”
“Whatever the reason, this definitely wasn’t planned. Look at the Duke’s face—he’s fuming.”
Speculation abounded, but no one knew the real reason. Still, the mood shifted. The bizarre turn of events made the future of this wedding impossible to predict.
“If the wedding falls through today… maybe there’s a chance for the rest of us?”
“At the very least, we’ll get to see Duke Kainan look completely humiliated.”
Now, all eyes were locked on Trisha, watching with a mix of curiosity and schadenfreude.
She reached the center of the hall and paused, looking around.
“!”
As her violet eyes gleamed beneath the brim of her hat, silence fell once more. Wrapped in black, she looked like a tragic heroine, her sorrowful gaze adding to the somber air.
Gulp.
The guests collectively swallowed. Everyone was waiting for her to speak. What heavy-hearted revelation would the Duke’s daughter make? What sorrowful story had brought her to wear black on her wedding day?
“……”
Finally, her red lips parted, and her white teeth flashed—
“Kyaa! How embarrassing!”
“???”
“So many nobles gathered in one place—I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Covering her cheeks in mock bashfulness, Trisha looked around. The nobles blinked in disbelief. The somber mood shattered in an instant.
“You all came to celebrate my wedding?”
“……”
“Oh my, I’m so touched!”
Clap, clap, clap!
She clapped joyfully, beaming with a bright, idiotic smile. Her beauty was dazzling, but it couldn’t hide the sheer idiocy that radiated from her words and gestures.
Trisharen Bey Kainan was, simply put, a fool.
“……”
Perhaps it was the series of whiplash-inducing twists, but the wedding hall was now dead silent. Oblivious to the atmosphere, Trisha cheerfully turned her head left and right, looking around.
“Where’s my fiancé, the Duke of Twolne?”
“……”
“Oh! There he is.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Gathering the hem of her dress haphazardly, she trotted over to Dorian with carefree energy. Her undignified mannerisms made many shake their heads in disapproval. The swish of her skirt filled the quiet hall.
“Hi, Dorian!”
Dorian, dressed in white ceremonial attire with his silver hair, contrasted sharply with Trisha in her black mourning outfit and dark hair. The two together created an almost surreal image—like two paintings by artists of clashing styles forced into the same frame.
But no one dared say it aloud.
The tension between the couple was so thick that it stifled even the quietest murmurs.
“You look beautiful today, Trisha.”
It was Dorian’s calm voice that broke the silence. As expected of a Grand Duke—poised and refined. He spoke to his eccentric bride-to-be with elegant grace, wearing a perfect, composed smile.
Trisha grinned widely.
“I know, right? I put a little effort in today!”
Hardly the response of a noblewoman on her wedding day, but Dorian didn’t flinch. He nodded with the same gentle smile.
“Your beauty is renowned throughout the Empire.”
“Really? Me?”
“Of course. I imagine most of the guests here are more interested in seeing you than me.”
“Wow! That makes me so happy!”
“As the Duke’s only daughter, few have ever seen your face up close. I’m sure they’re all eager to.”
“Kyaa! Then today’s basically my debutante, isn’t it?”
Hahaha!
Her laughter was light, even frivolous, ringing through the grand hall. The nobles began exchanging glances, now openly mocking her.
“Now we know why Duke Kainan kept her hidden.”
“She’s a beauty, sure, but so tacky. What a waste.”
“Poor Duke Kainan. All that effort to keep her under wraps, only for her to ruin it today.”
“Come now, the one we should pity is the Duke of Twolne.”
“A refined noble like him being tied to that woman? Ridiculous.”
Duke Kainan’s face turned all shades of red and blue. Yes, he had kept Trisha out of society, but not because she was an idiot. It was to protect her—future Empress—from pointless gossip.
In fact, Trisha had been receiving top-tier education from private tutors at the ducal estate. She wasn’t exceptional, but she certainly wasn’t stupid.
“Trisha, you little… Are you trying to ruin me on purpose?!”
As the whispers and judgment swirled and the Duke’s face darkened, Dorian—though clearly surprised—quickly regained composure. He maintained his graceful smile.
“Your dress is truly beautiful.”
“Heehee, thank you.”
“It matches your dark hair wonderfully.”
“You’ve got a good eye! I really love black!”
“Not quite what the guests or I expected for a wedding dress, but if you like it, then so be it.”
His words were gentle, but there was an unmistakable sharpness beneath the surface. Realizing the subtle jab, the Duke angrily downed a glass of wine.
As far as he was concerned, the best outcome now would be for Trisha to simply stay quiet until the ceremony ended.
“Oh, this isn’t a wedding dress.”
“……Pardon?”
“Trisha’s not getting married today.”
