Chapter : 02
“Villain Seaworld Loves Me Too!”
The wedding was proceeding exactly according to my plan.
The invited dignitaries admired the beauty of the venue once—and then admired it again at the breathtaking looks of the imperial crown prince and his bride, the stars of the ceremony.
Perhaps because she wore a pure white wedding dress against a pristine white backdrop, Beatrice’s deep pink hair stood out all the more vividly.
Beatrice’s hair color catches the eye no matter where she is. It was all part of the plan—to focus every guest’s attention on the protagonists!
There are always girls who try to steal the spotlight at someone else’s wedding, no matter the world. This fantasy realm was no exception.
Even today, as I surveyed the hall, quite a few noble ladies were making grand entrances in all manner of flashy adornments.
One lady arrived adorned with multicolored peacock feathers, while another appeared in a white dress as though she herself were the bride—though she was promptly escorted out.
Such shameless behavior at an imperial wedding!
Fuming, I barked orders into my communicator.
“During the couple’s first dance, turn off all the lights except the spotlight!”
—Understood, Your Highness!
This earphone-like communicator was a magical device created solely for this wedding, crafted in advance with the help of the palace mages.
Made by highly skilled magicians, it took quite some time to produce, but thanks to it, I could smoothly direct the ceremony without even leaving my seat.
My blood, sweat, and tears are finally paying off!
When the saintess and the crown prince marry, the union of holy power and special abilities will prevent the empire’s downfall.
In the original story, misunderstandings and needless delays dragged things out between the two, causing their union to come too late—and leading to ruin.
This time, I stepped in directly and sped through that agonizingly slow stretch in record time.
As long as the two of them completed the union ritual properly tonight, all our hardships would be over.
That was why I’d made their wedding as romantic as possible.
“Ready—cue!”
At my signal, all the lights in the hall dimmed.
In the darkness, only a single spotlight shone, gliding gently as it followed Gabriel and Beatrice alone.
“Waaah!”
But what truly drew everyone’s gasps was something else entirely.
A dance upon water!
Beneath the light, the two danced like a pair of white swans gliding gracefully across the surface of a lake.
To create this miraculous sight, I had mobilized my own ability along with the highest-ranking palace mages to invent a lighting technique found nowhere else.
Wherever the light touched the floor, it temporarily transformed into something like the surface of water, creating ripples with each step taken upon it.
A dramatic display symbolizing the dignity of the crown prince, bearer of the Water Ability.
Seeing the final result, I was even more satisfied than I’d expected.
“Just look at their noble bearing! Are they not truly the future emperor and empress who will lead Castien?”
“Ah! It feels like a sacred sight unworthy of our lowly eyes!”
Once the beautiful first dance—worthy of a novel’s ending—came to a close, Gabriel asked me for the second dance.
“What about the crown princess?”
“Princess, I have the second prince with me, so it’s quite all right. Don’t worry—go to the center of the hall.”
“That’s right, Rena. I’ll escort my sister-in-law, so go on. Big brother’s waiting, isn’t he?”
Liam smiled brightly at me as he took Beatrice’s hand, and only then did I relax and walk toward Gabriel.
“I wonder if our little one can even dance properly.”
“Hey! I may look like this, but I’m more of an expert at parties than you are!”
“Oh? That’s not how I remember it. Let’s see, then.”
Just as Gabriel took my hand and we were about to begin a waltz—
Rumble—!
A massive roar erupted from somewhere, as though the entire world were shaking.
At the same time, a blinding flash of light burst forth, and the ground began to quake violently.
“Ahhh! Somebody help!”
“Run, everyone!”
“Knights! Protect His Majesty the Emperor!”
The world was collapsing.
What? The happy ending is right in front of us—this can’t be happening!
Cracks split open across the floor, and flames surged up from the kitchen adjoining the glass hall, spreading uncontrollably and devouring everything in their path.
Chefs ran out in panic, but one by one they were swallowed by the monstrous fire.
Rumble—!
With another thunderous impact, every pane of glass in the hall shattered at once, exploding into countless fragments.
W-What am I supposed to do?
As I stood there in shock, Beatrice and Gabriel fought desperately against the catastrophe.
When sharp shards of glass rained down on the guests, Beatrice used her holy power to push the falling debris away.
Gabriel soaked those engulfed in flames with his Water Ability.
The hastily poured water extinguished every fire in the hall in an instant, plunging everything into pitch-black darkness.
“Rena, call forth the light! We can’t see anything like this—we can’t do a thing!”
“Okay, brother!”
My ability, as an imperial princess, was the Light Ability—the power to summon light in any situation.
At Gabriel’s strained shout, I closed my eyes and called for the light.
But when I opened them again, Gabriel was gone.
“Brother!”
A massive wormhole had opened where Gabriel had been standing.
Inside the grotesquely large pit, a vortex of intertwined light and darkness raged violently.
“Ugh!”
An unidentified noble was sucked into the pit, and the moment he touched the vortex, he burst into flames.
In an instant, he was reduced to charred black ash.
My entire body trembled like a leaf at the horrific tragedy unfolding before my eyes.
“Re… na.”
At the sound of a familiar voice calling my name, I moved closer to the wormhole.
“Brother!”
Gabriel was clinging desperately to the edge of the wormhole with both hands. One small slip, and he would be swallowed by the vortex.
“Brother, take my hand and climb up slowly.”
Forcing down the tears welling in my eyes, I stretched my hand out toward him.
With one hand gripping my right hand and the other clutching the jagged wall of the wormhole, Gabriel carefully stepped upward.
Then, without any intention on my part, the index finger of my right hand—holding his—suddenly lifted.
“Urk!”
Relying on me with one hand, Gabriel staggered and slammed into the wall. If the other hand hadn’t been holding firm, he might have fallen.
“I—I’m sorry, brother. My hand isn’t doing what I want.”
“It’s okay, Rena. Don’t panic.”
Regaining his balance, Gabriel calmly pulled himself higher.
“Just one more step. On three, I’ll jump up—then you pull me.”
“Okay, brother.”
At last, one of Gabriel’s hands reached the top and pressed against solid ground. All that remained was for him to leap up while holding my hand.
“One, two, three!”
Gabriel leapt upward with all his strength, and I pulled with everything I had.
Then, once again, my hand moved on its own—like I was being controlled by someone else.
Contrary to my will, all five fingers spread open at once, releasing Gabriel’s hand.
“Brother!”
By the time I realized what had happened, it was already too late.
Gabriel was sucked into the vortex of the wormhole. No matter how far I reached, I couldn’t touch him.
The moment Gabriel’s shoulder brushed against the swirling mass, a brilliant flash of light erupted, and the wormhole vanished in an instant—as though it had never existed at all.
Along with Gabriel.
People collapsed where they stood, staring blankly at the spot where the wormhole had been.
A heavy silence fell, as if no one dared to face reality.
“No… Gabriel…”
It was Beatrice who broke the silence.
Calling Gabriel’s name in despair, she fainted, and Liam caught her as she fell.
I remained standing, staring at the empty ground.
I bit my lip until it nearly bled, trying to hold back my tears, but the droplets slipped free, soaking the hem of my skirt.
My beloved brother.
The crown prince of the Castien Empire.
Gabriel Alexion LeBlanc—
thus, he died.
End Of Chapter : 02
