In truth, since they had already been living together without holding a wedding, nothing really changed just because she had received a proposal.
Everyone had openly shown their distaste for Luzbel, yet quietly kept silent about the fact that he came out of Edith’s bedroom.
Of course, the Duke had no idea about this.
Everyone knew that if it reached his ears, he would turn the place upside down.
Even the servants had enough sense to stay quiet.
The Duchess and the two older brothers also knew, but chose to overlook it.
At the time, Edith had been struggling because of the incidents with the sorcerers, and they thought that if Luzbel was by her side, it might help, so they let it be.
In other words, House Capanteni acknowledged, at least to some extent, that Luzbel was the one who could make Edith happiest.
No matter who else they brought in, it didn’t seem likely that anyone would cherish her as much as Luzbel did.
Above all, the current Edith, being both a Duke’s daughter and the Saint, was nothing less than highly desirable prey.
Rather than handing her over to some mediocre suitor, Luzbel was the better choice.
His status as a Duke was suitably matched, and most importantly, Edith liked him. Of course, even if she liked him, if he had been a fool, they would have strongly opposed it.
On the surface, he might look lacking compared to her, being a divorced man with a child. But House Capanteni knew that from beginning to end, the one Luzbel truly loved was Edith.
In other words, though they showed their dislike outwardly, they acknowledged it inwardly.
Perhaps that was why Duke Capanteni’s mood was quite unsettled now.
The moment the news of the marriage was announced, all sorts of comments had begun circulating.
“There seems to be more talk than expected.”
“That’s only natural. The relationship between the two of them was quite famous.”
Edith replied casually while looking at herself in the mirror.
She had just finished getting dressed.
“You are more beautiful than ever, Edith.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
If that compliment came from Theo, who was usually sparing with praise, then she must look quite good today.
The maids had put in extra effort as well.
He had no idea how much determination had gone into making sure Edith looked beautiful today.
It seemed Duke Capanteni and Luzbel intended to give a firm clarification.
If they didn’t settle it early on, the name Aisha might follow her for the rest of her life.
“Thank you as well, all of you.”
Edith expressed her gratitude to the maids lined up behind her, then, with a trembling heart, took the hand of Luzbel standing beside her.
And also Jeron standing next to him.
Though news of the marriage had spread, for those who were still uncertain, there could be no clearer statement than this.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Since it was a banquet hosted by her family, there was some leeway.
Members of House Capanteni entered first, followed by Edith and the Valencia men in that order.
***
At the sight of the two Houses appearing together, the murmuring among the guests grew louder.
Those who hadn’t believed the rumors rubbed their eyes and looked again. In truth, this wasn’t simply a matter of marriage.
It was a union between a Ducal House and another Ducal House.
House Capanteni, long known as supporters of the Imperial faction, and House Valencia, known as moderates.
If House Valencia were to turn toward the Imperial Family through this marriage, it would be no different from strengthening Imperial authority.
Naturally, the nobles who opposed the Imperial House couldn’t help but feel displeased by this union.
“They really came together. How are we supposed to…?”
Moreover, Luzbel was smiling brightly at Edith.
For most of them, it was the first time seeing him smile like that.
He had always maintained a rigid expression.
Among the young ladies, there had been whispers that his impression seemed to have softened somewhat.
Though they hadn’t known it was because of Edith.
The nobles’ eyes shifted restlessly, wondering how they could possibly wedge themselves between the two who looked so close.
Yet there were far too many things they were curious about to simply endure in silence.
What Aisha had said before her death, and the news of the marriage as well.
In the end, when someone couldn’t resist and cautiously approached, Duke Capanteni blocked their path.
“One moment.”
“Pardon? Ah, my apologies.”
There wasn’t really anything to apologize for, yet for some reason the noble did so anyway, looking at Duke Capanteni with a puzzled expression.
They had assumed this banquet was meant to clear up their questions, so it seemed strange that their approach was suddenly being blocked.
Since they couldn’t very well challenge the Duke, the noble obediently stepped back.
“First of all, I would like to thank all the distinguished guests for attending.”
Luzbel stepped onto the prepared platform and bowed slightly. Naturally, all eyes turned toward him.
“There is something I would like to say. Many of you have already heard the news to some extent, but I will be marrying Lady Edith Capanteni.”
Gasp.
There was a distinct difference between hearing it as a rumor and hearing it directly from the person involved.
They had suspected as much from the moment the two entered together, but they hadn’t expected such a straightforward declaration.
“I am sure you have many questions, and today I intend to address them. First, before I explain properly, many of you must have been curious about what Aisha mentioned. All of it is true.”
Gasp.
Once again, sharp intakes of breath could be heard.
“When I was very young, I had already met Edith. And we fell in love.”
What followed was merely an elaboration on what Aisha had already said.
And it was the truth.
Having said everything he intended to, Luzbel finished without offering any further excuses.
At that moment, someone raised a hand sharply.
“Your Grace, is this perhaps because you wish to erase your married life with Aisha Selturode?”
He wore a triumphant expression, as though he believed he had struck at the heart of the matter.
Luzbel turned his cold gaze toward the man.
The man flinched under the pressure for a moment but didn’t retract his words.
It was Edith who stopped Luzbel from responding.
“This gathering is meant to announce our marriage and to resolve the suspicions that have lingered. It is not a hearing. Please restrain yourself.”
“But does any of this even make sense?”
“If it makes no sense to you, then do not believe it. But do not take it out on Luzbel.”
“…”
“And while we are at it, let me say something as well. No matter what you say behind our backs, nothing will change. As the Saint, I have not spoken a single lie, nor have I done anything shameful. If you wish, I can even swear an oath. So there is only one thing that matters here. That we will live happily. All you need to do is quietly enjoy the party and leave. So refrain from baseless speculation.”
When she spoke gently, perhaps they assumed they could say whatever they pleased.
But when Edith fixed the man with a fierce expression and spoke almost like a growl, his earlier confidence shrank at once and he shut his mouth.
With even an oath mentioned by the Saint herself, he could no longer press the matter.
Moreover, the nobles hadn’t come ready to fight to the death. It had only been one person raising a suspicion, yet seeing how fiercely she reacted made them think it would be unwise to provoke her carelessly.
In the end, no one at the banquet spoke rashly that day. They merely offered their congratulations.
After the banquet ended, there were rumors behind the scenes, but even those didn’t last long.
Because Marquis Selturode stepped forward and declared that everything was true.
He even admitted his own fault in failing to stop Aisha’s actions earlier.
***
Once they decided to marry, everything moved quickly.
There was no need for grand preparations.
The wedding was held modestly, attended only by the Imperial Family, the Temple, and their relatives.
In truth, the number of attendees could hardly be called modest, and many people had wanted to attend this wedding, but Edith didn’t want that.
She had no desire to invite those who would spread idle talk and turn it into a spectacle.
To begin with, there were no young ladies close enough to her to warrant an invitation. There were those she got along with decently, but nothing more.
The ceremony was officiated by the Pope, and the congratulatory speeches were given by her two older brothers.
The master of ceremonies was none other than the Crown Prince himself. There was no particular closeness between them, but it was said that the Emperor had pushed for it.
In any case, the wedding was held quietly, or at least relatively so, but nothing really changed afterward.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. Something had changed.
Edith and Luzbel became a weekend couple.
“Take care.”
“…”
Every time he had to leave, Luzbel looked as though he might burst into tears, but what could he do? It was the path he had chosen, so he had no choice but to endure it with sheer will.
“Why did you do that in the first place…?”
“Because I wanted to be by your side right away, Edith.”
“…I suppose.”
Duke Capanteni had indeed been quite a formidable obstacle.
Under normal circumstances, he would never have allowed Edith’s marriage so easily.
Still, when he heard that Luzbel had declared he would enter the family as a live-in son-in-law, the shock had been immense.
