Chapter 38
‘Ah… I’m trembling.’
Even after stepping down from the carriage, my legs nearly gave out several times. It all felt so real the moment I held the bouquet and took Cerulean’s hand.
‘Can I really dance the waltz without making a mistake when I’m shaking like this?’
As I was walking with that thought, Cerulean suddenly tightened his grip on my hand. I glanced sideways at him in surprise.
“Cerulean?”
That wasn’t how the etiquette books said it should be — the bride and groom were only supposed to lightly rest their hands together.
“…You seemed nervous,” he said quietly.
“Well, you’re not wrong about that.”
“I’m nervous too.”
“What? You? That doesn’t sound right.”
His voice was so calm that I couldn’t believe him. I couldn’t see his expression through the thin veil covering my eyes, but still—
The closer we got to the ceremony venue and the more I could sense people around us, the harder it was not to notice.
‘It’s so… extravagant.’
There was no denying that this wedding had been prepared with tremendous splendor.
‘What if I bump into something and break it? How am I supposed to walk without ruining anything?’
Even the garden’s dirt paths were covered in fine silk — they’d spared no expense at all. Bright, romantic lights sparkled even in broad daylight, their brilliance reflecting off countless crystal decorations.
‘I heard Cerulean oversaw everything himself.’
Everything was arranged with such care and taste that I felt guilty for having once complained about how busy he was.
‘While I was spending time with him, he must have been coming back here to choose all of this.’
Imagining him preparing each detail like that, my nerves began to ease — almost miraculously.
“It’s time for your entrance,” someone whispered.
“Yes.”
I was about to be married — to become Edel Luc. That name wouldn’t change until the day this man decided to let me go.
‘And perhaps… maybe Cerulean too…’
A sweet, fleeting hope brushed through my heart like a breeze, only to slip away before I could grasp it.
It was a relief, really, to have such a grand ceremony today. There was no time to dwell on my restless thoughts.
Just before stepping in, I unfastened my cloak with a confident motion. It was time to reveal the gown that Kalima and I had worked so hard to modify.
“Oh my, isn’t that the gown the Duchess herself wore for her wedding?”
“Was there ever such a dress?”
“No, impossible! If she had worn something that daring, everyone would remember.”
“She refused the Duchess’s request? How bold of her!”
Refused? As if I could have refused, even if the gown didn’t suit me at all. I couldn’t risk giving anyone an excuse to find fault with me.
‘But I could make it bold.’
The gown had an awkwardly long hemline — anything I added just made it look shapeless. So what could I do?
‘I’d just have to cut it off.’
And so I decided on a short mini dress.
The sleeves were cut off entirely, replaced with delicate lace that stretched from the neck down to a wide neckline. And the skirt — I shortened drastically.
“My lady, your legs are your best feature — long and graceful! Let’s go bolder. Cut more!”
Thus was born a dress that ended just above the thighs.
Cerulean leaned closer and murmured, “Everyone’s looking only at you.”
“Good thing this veil hides my face. I’ve been staring at my feet the whole time.”
The beautiful gown from Vanerinne was made of layers of sheer fabric, light as dragonfly wings. If I wasn’t careful, it felt like it might catch on something and tear — and the gems sewn on it would scatter everywhere.
So yes, I was tense. My dress made me nervous. The people made me nervous. Pretending otherwise would be a lie.
At the end of the long aisle, under countless gazes, we came to a stop in the center.
Cerulean released my hand and, with both of his, gently lifted my veil.
The once-blurred world grew bright — the faces of the countless guests blurred into the background.
All I could see was him: his blue eyes, smooth brow, and pale, luminous face.
“Cerulean.”
“Edel.”
Then, in a low but steady voice, he said,
“I vow to take you as my wife and to do my utmost to bring you happiness.”
It was a much gentler vow than I had expected — especially from someone who never said anything he didn’t mean.
“I also promise to be a faithful wife,” I replied softly.
Since there was no officiant, there was nothing more to say. He slowly leaned down toward me. It was time to seal our vows with a kiss.
‘Ugh, my heart feels like it’s shriveling up.’
Even though we had practiced this once before, my heart pounded uncontrollably.
‘He only kissed my cheek during the rehearsal…’
He’d said he’d do the same today.
Then why did his breath feel like it was drawing closer — to my lips?
A sigh-like whisper brushed my ear.
“…Earlier, you asked me if I liked you.”
So he hadn’t let that question go. I thought it had faded into silence, but he’d kept it with him.
I blinked. His blue eyes slowly lowered as his eyelids drifted down.
“My answer is…”
He trailed off, but I felt I already knew. His gentle movement — leaning in to press his lips to mine — was the answer itself.
‘Maybe… maybe he does like me too.’
Even if it wasn’t as desperate or consuming as what I felt for him, he had opened a place for me in his guarded heart.
‘That’s enough for me.’
As long as I held a place there that no one else could reach — that was enough.
Just as I shut my eyes tightly—
“Wait!”
A sharp voice cut through the air like glass, ringing across the ceremony hall just before our kiss.
Startled, I turned to see a young woman — tears shimmering in her eyes — glaring straight at me.
The guests’ murmuring quickly revealed who she was.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Lady Florine, the one who used to chase after Lord Cerulean!”
One of the many ladies said to be infatuated with him.
There are more than a few noble ladies in the Empire who follow Cerulean around like lovesick birds.
After rumors of a secret romance had appeared in the Newcastle Times, some were said to have wept for days in denial.
‘But to cause a scene at the wedding? That takes some nerve.’
Even if Cerulean and Duke Luc were lenient enough to be mistaken for kind, they wouldn’t overlook something that damaged the family’s honor.
‘And that expression… that’s not just heartbreak. That’s fury.’
The way she glared at me — her lips pressed tight as if she wanted to tear me apart — made my skin prickle.
When the murmuring died down, Lady Florine raised her trembling voice.
“I was going to support your choice, whoever she was. I wasn’t foolish enough to ask why it couldn’t be me. But her — I can’t accept her!”
“How dare you speak so rudely, Lady Florine,” Cerulean said coldly.
But the moment their eyes met, she flinched — then pointed directly at me.
“Do you know she was expelled from the Imperial Palace for attempted murder? You’ve been deceived! I can’t just watch you fall into the clutches of such a witch!”
So that was it. Even if she could stomach him marrying someone plain and common-born, an accused criminal was too much for her pride to bear.
Looking at her self-righteous face, I immediately understood.
‘This is Vanerinne’s doing.’
She must have deliberately whispered this old scandal into the young lady’s ear. Otherwise, how could Florine — who had no connection to the palace — know about an incident so long buried that it never even made it into the papers?
‘She hides behind others and lets them attack for her. How vile… but effective.’
The garden erupted like a disturbed beehive.
“What’s this about, Lady Florine? Attempted murder?”
“I couldn’t keep silent after hearing it! They say it’s all true!”
“Duchess, did you know about this?”
All eyes turned to the head table where the Duke and Duchess sat. The Duke, as usual, looked utterly bored and uninterested — so the questions all fell to Vanerinne.
After a brief, troubled smile, she said clearly,
“For the record, Miss Azhian was found innocent.”
That one word — “for the record” — made the air heavy with suspicion.
Florine seized the opening. “But she was dismissed from her post at the Imperial Chancellery, wasn’t she? That’s not what I’d call innocent!”
“There wasn’t enough decisive evidence to identify the culprit,” Vanerinne said smoothly.
Her words were perfectly measured — implying that the Luc family knew about the scandal, but had graciously chosen to overlook it.
Then she lowered her eyes with a sorrowful sigh.
“I even requested the investigation records, but they had already been lost.”
“What?”
“That’s strange… Imperial records aren’t supposed to disappear.”
At that, the whispers grew louder. Vanerinne wrinkled her brow slightly and added with a melancholy smile,
“But I trust Lord Cerulean’s judgment. If she’s the one he chose, then she must truly be innocent.”
Every word was poisonous — perfectly crafted to sound generous while shifting all responsibility onto Cerulean.
‘So this is how she intends to stain me?’
I had expected her to question my worthiness as a duchess since she couldn’t void the engagement, but to drag up my old case like this…
And the investigation records — missing? That couldn’t be right. Imperial records were protected, sealed, and never tampered with.
I tugged lightly at Cerulean’s sleeve.
“What does she mean, the records are gone? Is that even possible?”
He answered calmly, “I hadn’t told you yet, but it’s true. Three days ago, the archives reported that the case file had vanished. The record keeper has already been severely punished.”
“Ha…”
I exhaled a bitter laugh.
Now I understood exactly what had happened.
‘They pinned it on some innocent man again… just like they did to me.’
