Chapter 37…………………………………………………………
Ivelina steadied her posture, tension written across her face.
A silver arrow was in her hand, and she slowly set it against the bowstring.
Perhaps all the hours she practiced with Arsen had paid off—Leonard made no corrections to her stance.
Ivelina recalled the sensation she felt whenever she trained with Arsen.
Her eyes gleamed sharper than ever.
At last, Ivelina released the bowstring.
The arrow flew swiftly, struck the center of the target, and vanished.
Ivelina beamed.
“Teacher, did you see that?”
“Yes, I saw. Well done.”
Leonard nodded with a satisfied expression.
Ivelina was delighted that her practice had shown results.
“Then let’s move on to the next step. Try imbuing the arrow with the attribute you want.”
“Yes!”
Ivelina’s expression turned serious again as she focused.
Sparks of electricity danced along the faintly silver arrow.
She had imbued it with the lightning attribute.
When she released the bowstring, the arrow shot forward and buried itself in the target.
A crackling sound rang out, then a flash like a bolt of lightning burst—and the target board was completely burned away.
Ivelina’s eyes widened at the far stronger result than she had anticipated.
She had expected it to split like a tree struck by lightning, at most.
Leonard, seeing the target board completely gone, pushed his glasses up and spoke.
“It seems I must remain on the good side of milady.”
“……”
All Ivelina could do was smile awkwardly.
After the lesson ended, Ivelina returned to her room.
The training had been very enjoyable.
If Leonard had accepted her refusal and backed away earlier, she would have regretted it terribly.
Berry chattered beside her as she helped her prepare.
“You look so happy these days, my lady. It makes me so glad!”
“…Really?”
“Yes! You’re always smiling, and it makes me happy too.”
Berry added that she wished Ivelina would always smile, since her smile was so beautiful.
After quickly finishing her chores, Berry bowed.
“Please rest well, madam!”
“Yes. Thank you for your help.”
After Berry left, Ivelina slumped onto the bed.
Now, less than a month remained until the wedding.
Just thinking about it made her heart thump pleasantly.
The garden where the ceremony would be held was coming together exactly as she wanted.
Thanks to Noel’s wholehearted help, the preparations were finishing earlier than expected.
In about a month, she and Arsen would wed and share a room.
Thinking about sharing a room made her cheeks warm.
Will… will it really be okay…?
She’d never seen herself sleeping, but she didn’t think she had any strange habits.
Still, she couldn’t help worrying.
Her hair would be messy when she woke up, her face swollen—it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. What if Arsen disliked it?
But they were a married couple. Separate rooms weren’t an option.
After thinking with a serious expression, she reached a conclusion.
I’ll just wake up before Arsen and wash up first.
Of course, that was impossible—Arsen was extremely sensitive to movement and rarely took his eyes off her—but Ivelina had no idea.
With that firm resolution in her heart, she lay down to rest.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, she murmured softly without realizing it.
“I’m happy…”
She had thought she would live unhappily her whole life, yet now she was so happy.
Cutting ties with her family had been shocking and painful, but Karina and Arsen had supported her so well that she overcame it quickly.
The debt of gratitude she owed them was too great to count.
Ivelina closed her eyes, vowing to repay their kindness for the rest of her life.
Time felt slow yet passed quickly.
Before she knew it, tomorrow was her wedding day.
She went to bed earlier than usual since she had to rise early, but she couldn’t fall asleep.
Probably due to nerves.
After tossing and turning for a long time, Ivelina finally sat up.
She decided to take a short walk.
She threw a shawl over her shoulders and quietly stepped outside.
Holding a small lamp, she headed toward the garden.
She dimmed the flame so it would light only what was in front of her—she didn’t want to disturb anyone.
I should check one more time if everything is well prepared for the ceremony.
Of course, she had checked a dozen times that day, but her worries remained.
She was anxious that she might have overlooked something.
When she reached the garden where the wedding would be held, nothing seemed out of place.
Still uneasy, she inspected it again, carefully.
“Nothing’s missing…”
Sighing in relief, Ivelina walked elsewhere.
The garden was large; plenty of places to stroll.
“Will I be able to do well tomorrow…”
She had many worries.
Not that many people have experience with weddings—she was simply afraid she might make a mistake.
She lifted a hand and touched the corner of her eye.
She really should probably cover her eyes tomorrow.
Many people would attend, and they would surely be unsettled if they saw her eyes.
Who knew what people might say? Even Karina and Arsen might get dragged into it.
Just then, a low voice sounded behind her.
“Ivelina.”
Startled, Ivelina flinched and quickly turned around.
Seeing a familiar face, she relaxed and smiled warmly.
“Arsen.”
“You’re not asleep yet?”
“I couldn’t sleep, since the wedding is tomorrow. What about you?”
“Same. Knowing that tomorrow I finally become your husband… I’m too excited to sleep.”
Her cheeks warmed at his cheesy words.
She quickly fanned her face and spoke.
“Um… I think I should cover my eyes tomorrow.”
“…May I ask why?”
Arsen hesitated for a moment, then asked in a gentle tone.
That made it easier for Ivelina to speak.
“My eyes are ominous. With so many guests coming, people will talk if they see them.”
“……”
“If I block that from happening altogether, it’s better to cover them tomorrow.”
She gave a faint, sad smile.
She knew it was the most reasonable choice—but it stung a little inside.
Still, she didn’t want her once-in-a-lifetime wedding to become gossip fodder.
Yet instead of agreeing, Arsen said something unexpected.
“Ivelina, tomorrow is not a wedding for others to watch—it’s ours.”
“…Yes.”
“So you don’t need to care about anyone else’s gaze. If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
Ivelina blinked.
Arsen took her hand and continued walking slowly.
“Don’t worry about others. Anyone who would mock you for something like that doesn’t deserve to be here.”
“But if people talk behind our backs…”
“They’re not people we’ll spend our lives with. Whatever they say will fade quickly anyway.”
Ivelina thought about his words carefully before speaking timidly.
“Then… I don’t have to cover my eyes tomorrow?”
“You don’t need to ask me. It’s not something you need permission for. Do whatever you want.”
Arsen gently kissed the back of her hand.
Her heart tickled, and she let out a small, awkward cough.
They chatted idly while strolling through the garden.
By the time she returned to her room, her heart felt lighter.
“Sleep well.”
“You too, Arsen.”
Before shutting the door, Arsen gave her a brief kiss on the lips and smiled.
After the door closed, Ivelina slowly walked to her bed and collapsed onto it.
Her heart pounded wildly.
But thanks to Arsen, she managed to fall asleep comfortably.
Finally, morning broke on the day of the wedding.
She had barely slept, yet her eyes popped open naturally.
Still groggy, she was gathering her thoughts when the door opened a crack and Berry peeked in.
Seeing Ivelina already awake, Berry’s eyes widened and she hurried inside.
“My lady, you’re already up? You didn’t stay up all night, right?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just an important day—I woke up naturally.”
Berry let out a relieved sigh. Ivelina’s complexion was too good for it to be a lie.
Then Berry broke into a bright smile.
“Congratulations on your wedding, my lady! I’ll make you the most beautiful bride today.”
“…Thank you, Berry.”
Soon, the other maids entered, and the preparations began.
Since it was such an important day, even the bath was taken with great care.
She washed thoroughly and received a massage.
Only after a long while did she emerge from the bathroom.
The massage had left her body pleasantly relaxed.
“Please lie down here, my lady.”
When Ivelina lay back on the bed, Berry approached with a jar of thick liquid.
“This will make your skin firmer—it might be a bit cold.”
At Ivelina’s small nod, Berry gently applied the liquid to her face.
It was colder than she expected, making her flinch, but only for a moment.
Then Berry wiped it off with a warm towel and applied something else.
After repeating that two or three times, Ivelina was allowed to get up.
Berry and the maids, checking the clock, began to move at a quicker pace.
They dried her hair and trimmed her nails.
Her hair was curled up into a round bun and pinned, with loose strands left to fall naturally.
A hot iron rod was used to curl the loose strands.
“My lady, we’ll do your makeup now. Please close your eyes.”
At Berry’s words, Ivelina slowly closed her eyes.
A soft brush danced across her skin.
It tickled, and she almost burst out laughing, but she held it in.
The makeup took much longer than usual.
Finally, after applying a sticky lip tint, Berry straightened her back.
