Chapter 38…………………………………………………………….
“Would you like to open your eyes?”
At Berry’s words, Ivelina slowly opened her eyes, which she had been keeping shut.
Her eyes widened gradually as she looked into the mirror.
Beside her, Berry wore a proud smile.
Ivelina stared blankly at the reflection for a moment before moving her lips.
“Is this… me?”
“Of course, Your Grace!”
Berry nodded enthusiastically as she answered.
Ivelina continued to gaze at the mirror for a long time.
The woman in the mirror was so beautiful that she almost didn’t feel like herself.
Her eyes sparkled as if sprinkled with stardust, and the red of her irises seemed to shine even more.
Her natural complexion was pale, sometimes making her look lifeless, but Berry’s ability had done wonders.
Her cheeks had a healthy glow, and her slightly pale lips were now tinted red and moist.
Her face looked completely different from before, almost as if she were someone else.
Yet, when Ivelina blinked, the woman in the mirror blinked; when she moved her hands, so did the reflection.
She watched in a daze, unable to fully grasp the reality, when Berry’s voice reached her ears.
“Your Grace, now you should change into your dress.”
“Oh… right.”
Only then did Ivelina snap back to reality and stand up.
The preparation had taken longer than expected, leaving them a bit pressed for time.
A maid entered the dressing room and brought out the wedding dress.
She removed the cloth covering it to protect it from dust, revealing a magnificent gown.
“It’s even more beautiful than when I first saw it,” Berry said, staring at the dress with awe.
“I think it’s too extravagant for me as well,” Ivelina admitted.
“What? Too extravagant? Absolutely not!”
Berry jumped slightly and shook her head firmly at Ivelina’s comment.
Her eyes radiated determination.
“It could be even more extravagant, and it still wouldn’t be too much. After all, you are the star of today’s wedding.”
The other maids nodded in agreement.
Feeling a bit shy, Ivelina just smiled.
With the maids’ help, she changed into the wedding dress, just as a knock sounded at the door.
Berry hurried over and opened it, revealing Karina.
A maid followed, carrying a tiara.
“Mother.”
“Oh my… my dear…”
Karina looked at Ivelina with a warm, gentle smile.
Her gaze was nothing but tender as she spoke.
“You’re so beautiful, my dear.”
“Thank you,” Ivelina replied, fidgeting slightly out of embarrassment.
Karina inspected her carefully, adjusting any misplaced details.
After a thorough glance, Karina nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she took the tiara from the maid standing behind her.
“I’ll place the tiara on you, my dear.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Karina was taller than Ivelina, so there was no need for Ivelina to bend or sit.
Karina carefully placed and secured the tiara so as not to disturb her hair.
Berry stepped forward, attaching the veil to the tiara and letting it fall gracefully behind her.
The image of the perfect bride was complete.
Karina stared at her for a moment, then took a handkerchief from her pocket to dab her eyes.
“Although I didn’t raise you myself… I can’t hide this overwhelmed feeling. I’m sorry for being sentimental.”
“No, it’s fine! Since I grew up without a mother, you always felt like my real mother,” Ivelina said with a gentle smile.
“I’m glad you feel that way. I’ve felt like you were my daughter too. Though if you had been my real daughter, you couldn’t have married Arsen,” Karina chuckled softly.
At that moment, there was a knock outside, followed by Noel’s voice.
“Your Grace, it’s time to come out now.”
Ivelina took a deep breath.
Her heart began to pound with nervous excitement.
She looked at Karina with a worried expression.
“Will I… be able to do it without messing up?”
“Don’t worry, my dear. You’ve practiced plenty, haven’t you? And Arsen will be right by your side, so everything will be fine.”
Ivelina exhaled deeply and nodded slightly.
As she stepped out, Noel was waiting for her.
It was also Noel’s first time seeing Ivelina in her wedding dress.
His eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Your Grace. Your dress is absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you, Noel.”
“Duke Arsen is waiting outside.”
Noel walked slowly to let Ivelina keep pace.
Outside, in the entrance to the garden, Arsen was standing.
At the slightest sound, he turned his head faster than light.
He looked anxious, and as soon as he saw Ivelina, he froze.
With every step she took toward him, Arsen’s heart began pounding uncontrollably.
When Ivelina got closer, she tilted her head, wondering why he wasn’t reacting.
“Arsen?”
“Ah…”
Hearing her voice, Arsen finally snapped out of it.
Ivelina looked at him with concern.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I-I’m fine…”
Arsen avoided her gaze, unlike usual.
Worried, Ivelina stepped closer.
“Are you really okay? Your face is red; do you have a fever?”
“No, it’s just… well…”
Arsen’s face turned even redder.
Finally, he confessed.
“It’s because you look… so beautiful, Ivelina.”
“…What?”
Ivelina’s eyes widened.
Arsen cleared his throat and looked her in the eyes.
“You’ve always been beautiful, but today… you’re breathtaking.”
“….”
“I don’t want anyone else to see you; I want to be the only one to look at you.”
At his low voice, Ivelina’s face turned scarlet.
She averted her gaze.
“I-I can’t… feel that way…”
“I know. That’s why it’s even more bittersweet,” Arsen said, clicking his tongue briefly as if in genuine regret.
Hesitating, Ivelina spoke softly.
“You look really handsome today too, Arsen.”
“My efforts since this morning were worth it, then.”
He had neatly swept his golden hair and matched his uniform perfectly to her wedding dress, the smile on his face making him even more radiant.
The faint music inside signaled it was time to enter.
Arsen extended his arm to her.
“Shall we go?”
“…Yes.”
Ivelina linked her arm firmly through his.
Her legs were trembling, and without holding onto him, she felt she might fall.
Noticing this, Arsen tilted his head slightly and whispered softly.
“Lean on me. It will make you more comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
The cool scent emanating from him helped ease her tension bit by bit.
Inside, the room was filled with countless guests.
Even though many seats had been prepared, there wasn’t a single empty one.
All eyes were on Ivelina and Arsen.
When Ivelina flinched momentarily, Arsen gently patted her hand, reassuring her.
“Don’t pay attention to what they say. It’s all meaningless chatter.”
Ivelina gave a faint nod at his whispered words.
The guests murmured softly among themselves as they watched her.
Ivelina could easily guess what they were talking about.
“They’re probably talking about my eyes,” she thought.
Still, she didn’t lower her head or run away.
Ignoring them as Arsen advised, she focused solely on the wedding.
Grand music filled the hall as Ivelina and Arsen began their entrance.
The wedding concluded successfully.
Ivelina returned to her room, her face flushed bright red.
Thinking about what had just happened, she felt embarrassed to see the other nobles at the reception.
All weddings ended with a light kiss.
Though it wasn’t her first, her heart still fluttered nervously.
Watching Arsen’s face approach, she slowly closed her eyes.
Soon, their lips would meet lightly, marking the end of the ceremony.
But Arsen’s actions far exceeded her expectations.
“Oh my…”
“Good heavens…”
The surrounding murmur startled her, and she opened her eyes wide.
It was supposed to be a light kiss, but it was far from it.
Flustered, Ivelina closed her eyes tightly.
He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her close as if not to miss a single moment.
After some time, Arsen finally released her lips.
Ivelina stared blankly at him.
Then, seeing lipstick on his lips, her face turned bright red.
Fidgeting, she whispered softly.
“Y-Your lips… have lipstick on them.”
“Oh… do they?”
Arsen nonchalantly wiped his lips with his thumb.
The gesture stirred vivid imaginations in Ivelina’s mind, making her dizzy.
She was mortified just thinking about the kiss.
At that moment, Berry came in to help her change into the reception dress.
Seeing Berry smile brightly made Ivelina even more embarrassed.
“I’ll help you change,” Berry said cheerfully.
“Uh… okay…”
She couldn’t meet Berry’s eyes at all.
Whether Berry understood her feelings or not, she chattered cheerfully as she helped.
“During the wedding, Your Grace, you looked so beautiful. It’s usually cloudy, but today the sun came out just for you. Maybe that’s why you shone so brightly.”
The North was almost always cloudy, with snowflakes swirling.
Yet, surprisingly, as soon as morning came, the snow weakened, and eventually, the sun appeared.
Once inside past the main gate, the heating magic kept it warm, but it was still unusual.
Ivelina moved carefully to avoid tearing her dress and said,
“I was lucky. I didn’t expect this either.”
“Surely the heavens are celebrating Your Grace’s wedding too,” Berry replied.
As Ivelina changed into her reception dress and fixed her hair, there was another knock.
“Ivelina, are you not ready yet?”
“Ah, just a little more time, please.”
“There’s plenty of time, so take it slow.”
Still, Ivelina hurried to finish preparing, not wanting to keep Arsen waiting.
