Chapter 138
The sound of the waves was as soft as the song of sea fairies calling.
In the center of the beach, a splendid altar adorned with flowers and silk was set up, and countless stars glittered in the clean night sky.
As the wind blew, Arines’s pure white wedding dress fluttered lightly.
Today was the wedding day of Princess Arines of Tian and Master of the Magic Tower, Rio Blair. And it was a wedding that reflected 100% of Arines’s personal taste.
‘I absolutely want an outdoor wedding. On a night with perfect weather, I’ll have the wedding on the beach.’
‘Outdoor weddings are nice, but what if it rains? Or if the sea breeze is too harsh?’
‘My husband is the Master of the Magic Tower, and my best friend is a dragon. What’s the problem?’
Arines gave a smile that almost looked evil, and gently teased my pride.
‘Isn’t Ellarion said to have frozen the entire continent of Snowd? You’re a dragon too, surely adjusting the weather so it doesn’t rain for just one day is no problem?’
Somehow, it felt like she was discouraging me, but she wasn’t wrong.
‘Of course! Anything Ellarion can do, I can do too. I’ll make it the most magnificent wedding, so you just worry about your skincare.’
‘Really? Is that a promise?’
‘Of course. What’s the point of being best friends if we can’t do this for each other?’
‘Then I have one more request.’
‘What is it? Tell me.’
‘I want to decorate my wedding venue… like an idol concert.’
Arines’s eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands and rattled off her demands.
‘In the dark night sky, the stars will shine, and everyone will have a glowing light stick that they wave around. The scent capsules made by my love Rio will constantly release the fragrance of flowers, and I’ll use magic to launch about a thousand sky lanterns into the air! The sea breeze will be cool, but not humid or sticky, and even if we lay out all sorts of rare seafood dishes and desserts loaded with cream, they won’t spoil or go bad. Then Garie will fly around sprinkling gold dust with his basket! How’s that? Will you do it?’
I blinked in disbelief, as she poured out her demands without even taking a breath.
‘Didn’t you say you’d ask for just one more thing?’
‘Aww, please! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Come on?’
Her words about it being a once-in-a-lifetime wedding pricked at my heart, especially since I, too, would soon be having a wedding.
In the end, the most magnificent beach wedding venue was created from my hands.
“Whew, that was tough… But, the girl, she’s incredibly beautiful.”
Looking at Arines, waving her hand and smiling at the people, I felt a sense of pride.
With her pink hair beautifully styled, and wearing a tiara made of sapphire from the Kinsia mines that I had bought, Arines looked like a spring fairy who had just emerged from the forest.
It went without saying that she perfectly matched the beach wedding venue.
“To me, you’re even more beautiful.”
Before I knew it, Nox had come close and whispered softly in my ear.
“Ah! Why are you here already? Didn’t you say you were going to greet the people?”
“No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed right to go with you. After all, you’re the future Duchess.”
Nox, who had come to visit the Tian Kingdom as the Duke of Astria, was supposed to be greeting the nobles of Tian at the wedding venue.
“Besides, we’re going to get married anyway, and no one among the nobles of Tian doesn’t know the warrior, Ziana. So, it only makes sense that we greet them together, doesn’t it?”
He smiled with narrowed eyes.
And I was weakest to that smile. I had set the character ‘Nox Rupellen Duke’ to have a captivating smile that could enchant anyone.
“Let’s go then. But if it’s boring, I’ll leave right away.”
“I’ll do my best to make it fun for you.”
Nox laughed playfully and offered his arm to me. A ruby cuff, which I had gifted him, glittered near his wrist.
We walked around the wedding venue, arm in arm, greeting the guests who had come to the ceremony.
“Beltevill Marquis? The gap between your gentle, graceful voice and your rough, rugged face is quite charming. Will you marry me?”
Emperor Ivelin, who had attended as a guest, was busy wandering the wedding venue, making proposals to people.
“Your Majesty! If you marry everyone you proposed to today, you’ll have 54 husbands!”
Count Clayton was covered in sweat, desperately trying to stop Ivelin.
“I love sparkly things! Hahaha, everyone, accept the sparkling glory I give!”
Garie, wearing a Kinsia Diamond necklace around his neck, was throwing gold dust everywhere as he flew around, causing chaos.
The basket enchanted by the Master of the Magic Tower kept producing endless amounts of gold dust, making Garie look like he was having the time of his life.
It was a loud and chaotic wedding.
“Ziana.”
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice, and when I turned around, there stood my childhood friend, Victor Collins.
“Long time no see.”
“Oh, Victor!”
“Is it alright to shake hands, Your Grace?”
Victor politely asked Nox, who reluctantly nodded, looking the most displeased.
I grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically. It was a huge expression of how happy I was.
“I was invited by Princess Arines. You see, the princess and I are business partners who developed and sold fans and dehumidifiers together.”
“How’s the dehumidifier production going?”
“People who were impressed after using the fan are offering extra money, insisting they get one first. We’re about to get a second windfall soon, so look forward to it. Got it?”
I was so happy that I jumped up and down, then suddenly remembered something and asked him.
“Do you have anyone you’re seeing?”
“Did I break up just a few days ago? Let me wallow for a while.”
For a moment, there was a trace of loneliness in his expression, but it was gone just as quickly.
“I’ll let you know first if I meet someone good. For now, enjoy the celebration.”
Victor lightly kissed the back of my hand, nodded to the Duke, and left.
We casually walked around the wedding venue, found a suitable spot, and waited for the ceremony to begin, sipping champagne.
As the lights flashed all around, Nox asked me.
“Ziana, how would you like your wedding venue to be decorated?”
I thought for a moment before answering.
“I don’t want a wedding that’s too conventional and predictable. Honestly, Arines’s wedding idea was pretty good, but I don’t want to copy it exactly.”
“What should we do then? Should we dig a tunnel underground and have a small, elite wedding there?”
His suggestion sounded absurd, but judging from his smile, he was clearly just teasing me.
After smacking him on the back, I replied seriously.
“How about a wedding on the Beltine ship? Two dragons appear and lift the ship into the air. What do you think?”
“Just thinking about it gives me chills. I’ll make sure everyone attending our wedding brings extra underwear. If they wet themselves, it’s a problem.”
“Seriously!”
I slapped Nox on the back repeatedly until his back was covered with my handprints.
Anyway, the Beltine ship was precious to me.
It was the ship where I first met Nox, the ship where I fought Garie for the first time.
It was with the Beltine ship that I fought the black sorcerer, visited my father’s grave, and went to conquer Snowd.
It had been with me through everything.
“We’ll have our wedding on the ship. We’ll create a very noisy and grand stage, and then, the bride and groom will just disappear.”
“Oh dear, that won’t be a wedding, but a mystery story.”
“What do you think? Is it a good idea?”
“If you’re happy with it, then I’m fine with anything.”
“Great! It’s decided then. A mystery-themed wedding!”
As we chatted and laughed, suddenly, the noise behind us increased.
Arines and the Master of the Magic Tower had stepped up to the stage and were reading the final part of their wedding vows.
“Forever, and always.”
“In good times and bad.”
“I swear to love only you.”
The two of them made their final vows in unison and then signed their names on a white contract paper with a quill pen.
“Is that… a contract quill?”
“Look, they both signed their names and nothing happened. There’s no such thing as a contract quill in this world anymore.”
Arines and the Master of the Magic Tower shook the contract paper with bright smiles, then shared a deep kiss.
The cheers, whistles, and clapping filled the beach.
“We’ll get this much applause when we get married too.”
“I bet we’ll get ten times as much.”
I nodded and silently snuggled into his embrace.
My sanctuary, my brilliant future, was right here.
