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TN: And it's really amusing by how Ardion is so calm despite everything. I truly believe he'll do something heroic by the end of the story. What do you guys think? Leave your comment down below!
I got up and opened the door. "Your Highness?"
I saw Ardion standing there. When our eyes met, he immediately greeted me with a peck on my cheek.
"I have no one in my eyes but you, Laila." He smiled and extended his hand. "Let's go. We're going to be late."
I took Ardion's hand. Derol hopped up. I reached out my hand to him, and he immediately climbed onto my hand. I placed Derol in the vase with a bouquet. He popped his head out from the flowers. This was the plan I came up with because Derol wanted to watch my wedding.
I glanced at Ardion.
Did he hear what I had said to Derol earlier?
At that moment, Ardion turned his head. He made eye contact with me and smiled gently, his face still bright.
If he had heard, he would have said something to me. He told me everything, even when he was upset like yesterday.
As I pondered about it, we boarded the carriage. When I vaguely felt someone's gaze, I turned my head, and Ardion was still smiling at me, so I beamed sweetly at him in return.
However, when I turned my head back, I saw Ardion’s reflection in the carriage window. His gaze was still fixed on me, but his expression was no longer bright. There was a shadow, a sense of emptiness, almost a sorrowful, melancholic look in his eyes.
It was a look he had never worn before. I felt uncomfortable, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. Before long, the carriage arrived in front of the temple. Reporters holding notepads and people with flowers rushed toward us. The knights, including Delzion, were trying to hold them back.
In the meantime, Ardion, still holding my hand, led me into the temple. We passed through the central hall and finally arrived at the archway.
The door was open.
As Ardion and I entered, the seated nobles stood up.
At that moment, Ardion looked back at me, so I faintly smiled at him. He held my gaze and kissed the back of my hand. Then we strode toward the hall.
Flowers fell in front of us, scattering around.
The children in the temple, dressed in white, smiled brightly as they scattered the petals. Finally, we stopped in front of the officiant. He began reading the marriage vows in a solemn voice. It was mostly a tedious process. With the officiant reading from the vows, it was easy to drift off and lose focus.
Moreover, the distance between the seated nobles and where I stood allowed me to hide my actions behind the bouquet, poking fun at Derol, who was nestled inside it, to pass the time.
Derol seemed ready to squeak, but I covered his mouth while glancing around. The officiant was still reading the vows.
"Article 25: The couple…"
I had heard that at a prince's wedding, there are as many as 100 marriage clauses. Nobles had around 70, while commoners had only about 30.
How much longer would I have to endure this boredom?
Standing still without saying a word was a real ordeal for me. I felt like I could dance if they asked me to, anything to get out of this. I suppressed a sigh and glanced at Ardion. He was standing tall, his attention completely on the officiant. There was not a hint of disorder in his posture, like a figure carved from stone.
Seeing him like that, I felt I would be like a naughty kid if he caught me. Ardion was listening to the vow reading with the utmost seriousness. At that moment, his gaze shifted to me. When our eyes met, he subtly lifted the corner of his mouth and whispered, "Laila, there are still seventy-five left."
"I can't do this again," I whispered softly.
Ardion let out a brief laugh. Just then, the officiant looked up. Ardion quickly returned to his serious face, and I lifted my gaze to meet the officiant’s.
"Article 26: The couple…"
I silently sighed. Derol was already dozing off between the flowers. His cute sleeping face lightened my mood a little. As my eyes were about to close, I suddenly felt a distinct sensation in my hand. I quickly opened my eyes and looked around. The officiant was still reading the vows, and Ardion had an expression of perfect calm. But his fingers were lightly tracing mine.
I clenched my fist, and Ardion’s gaze slowly turned toward me. He mouthed ‘almost done’, before curling his lips as a smile. I nodded and made an effort to stand straighter.
Finally, the officiant raised his head. "Now, I hereby declare you as officially husband and wife."
The officiant raised his hands and clasped them together as he looked at us. Before I could even wonder what the gesture meant, Ardion turned to me and lowered his head.
In an instant, his lips met mine. I heard Derol squeaking. Startled, I tried to pull back, but Ardion held my bouquet in one hand and continued to kiss me. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my waist.
The squeaking grew louder, followed by the sound of someone screaming.
Ardion kept his eyes closed, his lips capturing mine with a hunger that almost seemed to consume me. Desperate, I stepped on his foot. He opened his eyes. His green eyes, full of desire, looked as if they would devour me. For a brief moment, I thought I might be sucked in, but then he snapped back to his senses and pulled away. Around us, chaos ensued.
"Mouse! There’s a mouse!"
"A mouse in the temple! Aah!"
Derol was running around frantically, and the officiant stepped back, directing the servants.
I rushed to Derol. "Derol!"
Finally, Derol stopped and looked back at me. As soon as he saw me, he ran over. I held my hand out, and he jumped onto it. I embraced him tightly.
"Derol, I’m sorry. I just wanted to bring you in safely."
"It’s fine, Master. I was just startled. I’m glad you’re safe."
I hugged Derol tightly. It seemed like everything around us had suddenly quieted down. The people who had been screaming just moments ago…
Slowly, I lifted my head and saw that everyone was staring at me. They stood frozen, mouths agape, as if they had turned to stone. They seemed shocked. No, it was like they had lost their wits.
"A mouse… talking to a mouse?"
"Is she some kind of sorceress who controls mice?"
"No, how is that even possible…"
I felt the need to explain myself to the nobles. My mouth itched to speak.
"There’s no need to be so shocked. This mouse has been with me for a long time. His name is Derol. If you treat him kindly, he won’t bite. I can’t guarantee that though."
"…"
The nobles were rendered speechless. I wondered if the appearance of a mouse in the temple was what was shocking them this much.
"By the way, Derol is very clean. He obediently cleans himself."
"…"
The scene fell silent once again.
At that moment, Ardion stepped closer, wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, "Laila, these high-ranking nobles are terribly lacking in understanding, especially when it comes to a mouse like Derol…"
"Excuse me, Your Highness!"
Your Highness? I turned at the unfamiliar title, and a nobleman waved his hand.
"Could I take a look at Derol for a moment?"
Hearing that, the nobles around him murmured.
To be certain, I asked Derol, “Derol, are you fine with this?”
Derol looked around again and nodded. “I’m not that scared anymore because you’re here, Master.”
“If I see that noble trying to harm you, I’ll stop him,” I whispered.
Derol squeaked and buried his head in my hand. The hand on my shoulder went down. When I turned around, Ardion smiled and gave a signal. It was a straight smile, but for some reason, it felt distant.
“Master, there’s a noble coming here.”
They were approaching cautiously. I looked at Ardion for a moment and then approached the noble. Before I knew it, a crowd of nobles had gathered around us.
“A talking rat… It’s my first time seeing one.”
“I’ve always screamed and avoided them, but it seems cute.”
“Could I… touch it?”
Someone mustered up the courage to say that. I winked at Derol, who shook his head in response.
“Derol doesn’t like strangers very much. He was originally very afraid of people.”
“Even his expressions are perfect. How did you train a rat?”
“I didn’t train him. I gave him my mana. I basically saved his life,” I said.
The surrounding people were amazed.
“How can the princess be so kind to such a small animal?”
I smiled awkwardly. The word ‘princess’ had been very unfamiliar to me since a while ago. At that moment, an unfamiliar sensation swept over my waist. I flinched and saw that Ardion had wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Now that the wedding is over, stop bothering my wife.”
My ears tickled at the word wife. The nobles who had been looking at Derol with curiosity quickly stepped back and lowered their heads.
Ardion looked at them for a moment and then said to me, “Laila, let’s go.”
I nodded, feeling bewildered. It seemed Derol was already tired. I followed Ardion out of the temple. When we reached the entrance, the high priest and several priests were waiting. Rowell and several nobles were standing next to them.
“Congratulations, Your Highness. It seems the only thing left is for God’s blessings to come upon our empire.”
The high priest bowed his head, and the other priests bowed their heads as well. However, Rowell and the nobles next to him still looked up with their heads raised.
“Why aren’t you saying anything, when you look like you’ve got a lot to say to me, brother?” Ardion said.
Rowell opened his mouth. “You’ve probably heard a lot of congratulations already. Do you want to hear more?”
“No.” Ardion turned his head.
At that moment, Rowell approached me. He raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at me. I stepped back, but Rowell still grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. The nobles next to us widened their eyes at me, startled.