Chapter 39
“Don’t you think this is a bit much?”
Leo whispered to Elaina, who had her arm looped through his. She glanced up at him, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—where’s your fiancé? Why are you here with me?”
“Oh. Well, it would’ve been awkward, don’t you think?”
“What’s awkward about it?”
“If someone who was once part of her marriage talks shows up at the wedding, people will gossip instead of focusing on Diane.”
Leo gave her a look of disbelief.
“So I’m fine, then? I was one of the men who went to propose to Lady Redwood too, you know.”
“That’s different. There were, what, twenty of you? You can’t possibly worry about every little thing like that and still live your life.”
When Elaina told him not to be so timid, Leo just sighed and shook his head as if giving up.
They were headed to the Grand Cathedral of the capital. Inside the massive sanctuary, the place was decorated with a profusion of fresh flowers. Though winter’s chill still lingered outside, it felt as if someone had scooped a piece of spring and placed it right there.
Elaina watched Diane and Nathan’s wedding with a radiant smile. Just as she had promised, Diane was having the grandest wedding in the entire capital.
“Oh no.”
“What now?”
“I think I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Go ahead and cry, I’m leaving you here.”
Leo grimaced as he handed her a handkerchief.
“I’ve wondered for a while now—why are you so interested in Lady Redwood, anyway?”
From her debutante season to now, it hadn’t even been six months. Leo, who had grown up with Elaina, found her sudden and deep concern for Diane hard to understand.
“You’re especially emotional today. You realize that?”
“I can’t help it—it’s her wedding.”
No one else knew the truth. No one knew the life Diane had lived inside Moonshadow.
Today’s wedding—this joy—was the happiness that the Diane in that story had longed for but never reached.
“Hey, Leo. Remember what I told you before? That I keep having the same dream over and over again?”
“Yeah. Didn’t your doctor say it was just nerves? Are you feeling better now?”
“Mm-hmm. I think he was right. I didn’t have that dream last night.”
Moonshadow.
At first, those dreams had confused her. When she realized they weren’t just dreams, she had begun to worry for Diane’s fate. Every night when she read that book in her dreams, her heart would ache.
But once Diane’s marriage was decided, the pain had lessened. The greater the distance between the dream and reality, the calmer she felt. After all, dreams were only dreams—and the real Diane was not unhappy.
Perhaps that was why, as her doctor had said, the dreams faded away little by little. Last night, for the first time in a long while, she had slept soundly without seeing them.
She would probably never read that book again. Diane’s future with Nathan would now be filled with love and happiness, not sorrow and loneliness.
Maybe that was it—the Diane from the book was sending me a signal, asking for help.
The thought crossed her mind suddenly.
Perhaps Diane’s desperate wish for someone—anyone—to save her had somehow reached Elaina.
Feeling uncharacteristically sentimental, Elaina let out a quiet laugh.
“Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter now.”
What mattered was that the Diane before her was smiling brightly, radiantly happy.
Under the priest’s blessing, Nathan and Diane sealed their vows with a sweet kiss. Elaina applauded harder than anyone else, sincerely wishing the couple happiness in their new life together.
“Diane, congratulations.”
“Elaina! Thank you so much for coming.”
Tears welled in Diane’s eyes as she pulled Elaina into a tight hug.
“Diane?”
“Elaina, you’re like a gift from God to me. I promise—whenever you need me, no matter when, I’ll be there for you. I want to be someone you can rely on too.”
“Don’t cry. Today, you’re supposed to be the most beautiful person here—it’s your day.”
Elaina patted her friend’s back. Diane’s eyes still glistened, but she smiled through her tears and managed to hold them back.
“I’m not crying.”
“When you have time after the honeymoon, tell me what it feels like, okay? My wedding will be small—just family—so it’ll be different from yours.”
“I will.”
Diane nodded eagerly. The ceremony was over, but the reception and other events were waiting. Elaina couldn’t keep her any longer, so she gave her a small wave.
“I’ll go now. Let’s meet up often before you leave for the Hennet estate.”
“Yes. I’ll write to you soon. Thank you so much for coming.”
After giving Leo a polite nod, Diane hurried back to the people waiting for her. She needed to change from her wedding gown into her reception dress. Elaina watched her for a long while, her gaze soft.
“Come on, Elaina. Let’s go.”
Leo gently tugged her arm. If Elaina shed tears here in front of the crowd, the gossips would have a field day for weeks. Best to get her out of here before any of that started.
He had come early that morning to escort her from the duke’s mansion at her request, using the Bonaparte family carriage. Naturally, he’d also see her home.
A little later, Leo climbed into the carriage after helping Elaina in and gave the order to the driver.
“To the Winchester Duchy.”
But Elaina quickly corrected him.
“No, not there. Go to the Grand Duke Grant’s estate.”
“What?”
“I’m meeting him today. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”
Leo frowned but then reluctantly nodded to the driver, who closed the door and set the carriage in motion.
“Elaina, I’m going to be honest—I still can’t accept it.”
“Accept what?”
“Your decision. What were you thinking, deciding to marry Grand Duke Grant?”
Leo looked at her seriously. “Do you even know what kind of man he is?”
Elaina frowned, tired of hearing the same lecture for the hundredth time.
“Enough already. My parents have given their blessing. Why are you so against it?”
“Why do you think? Of all the men in the world—”
He stopped himself before saying the son of a traitor.
But his expression said it all, and Elaina didn’t need him to finish.
“That’s just prejudice.”
Elaina crossed her arms and continued firmly.
“You and Sarah both—why do you all hate him so much? He’s not as strange as everyone says. Once you actually meet him, you’ll see he’s more rational than you think.”
“Save it. I’d rather stay ignorant. You don’t listen to me anyway, so why should I listen to you?”
“Stubborn as ever.”
“Says you.”
Leo shrugged.
“How was I supposed to know the Duke’s precious daughter had eyes on her soles? If you insist on ignoring everyone’s warnings just to suffer later, I’ll just let you.”
“So you’re saying I’ll end up unhappy?”
“Saying? No—I’m certain of it.”
Leo looked straight into her eyes.
“Can a fish live outside water? Or can a lion survive eating grass instead of meat? That’s exactly what you’re doing—trying to live a life that doesn’t suit you.”
Humans are social creatures. Just as commoners and nobles live in separate worlds, nobles too must stay among those of similar standing. It wasn’t about superiority—it was about understanding.
A fish can’t breathe air, and two people raised in completely different worlds can’t easily live under the same roof.
“Don’t come crying to me later saying I was right.”
“You’re too full of prejudice. How many times do I have to tell you to fix that?”
Elaina shook her head in exasperation. Leo was a dear friend, but far too aristocratic in his thinking. To him, as she had just said, anyone below a certain “rank” wasn’t even worth meeting—and to him, Lyle Grant had already been branded untouchable before they’d ever met.
“I wish you two could get along. You’ll be seeing each other often, you know.”
“Me? With him? Why on earth would I?”
Leo’s voice bristled with disbelief. Elaina smiled patiently, like a parent soothing a stubborn child.
“Lyle plans to form a knight order. Since you’re the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, you’ll probably run into each other quite a bit.”
“A knight order?”
Leo clicked his tongue. A knight order, seriously?
How utterly delusional. What kind of collapsing house thought it could afford such a thing?
Their conversation ended there.
But by the time the carriage arrived, Leo’s mood had soured completely.
A knight order, really.
The more he thought about it, the more it disgusted him.
An honorable order of knights—run by the son of a traitor, a butcher from the battlefield? The idea was insulting.
For Leo, proud deputy commander of the Royal Guard, the thought of Lyle Grant leading a knight order was nothing short of an affront.
When the carriage stopped before the Grand Duke’s residence, Elaina noticed Leo following her out and frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, since we’re here, shouldn’t I at least greet my friend’s future husband?”
Elaina stared at him, completely baffled by the sudden change of heart from the man who, moments ago, swore he’d never associate with Lyle Grant.
