"Business? No way—"
The Crown Princess smiled faintly.
"Of all things, the location of the Sacred Salon was discovered by someone from the royal family, so it's on forced hiatus. There's no sign of anyone trying to investigate the salon further, but I'd rather be cautious. If possible, it might be better to replace the caretaker with someone outside the royal family."
"...."
"It must be quite the interesting opportunity. Aren't you curious?"
The irresistible words pulled Natalie in.
"If it's interesting, then of course I have to do it."
She had broken off her engagement, received a hefty dowry, and finally received permission from her father to "teach her the ropes," but the exciting world she had imagined didn't unfold right away. There was so much to learn, so much to do. Now, when attending parties, it wasn't just about having fun but also studying the advantages of those parties.
If she had lived a life of one person before, now she was living a life of two. And, it was fun.
"Madam Abigail. Are you going home now?"
"Yes."
"Then, let's go together, 'miss.'"
Returning home, smelling of perfume as though she had been at a party, her mother sighed but then said, "Well, there shouldn't be nuns like this in the world. This look suits you best." Her father would avoid eye contact but when Natalie asked pointed questions about financial management, he couldn't hide his joy and answered.
And soon, her younger sister, Dory, who would be getting married and leaving soon, woke up, rubbing her eyes at Natalie's late return and smiled.
"Did you have a good time, sis?"
"Yeah. ...Thanks to you, I found a very interesting place."
A mischievous smile appeared on her younger sister's innocent face.
This was the only privilege Natalie, as an older sister, could enjoy.
March.
It was a day when the sky was unusually clear and bright, like glass.
My mother burst in through the door, shouting.
"Hey, you two! Stop already. What are you doing to your younger sister's face? Why are you still messing with her?"
Grace and Natalie waved their hands.
"I didn't touch her face. I was just styling her hair!"
"I didn't touch her face either. It's just that Dory's eyelashes had gotten longer than usual, so I was curious how many matchsticks I could balance on them…"
"Leave it to the maid, and both of you get out!"
My sisters left the room, giggling.
Of course, I knew they were trying to ease my tension. I also knew it didn't really help.
As the maid placed a peridot hairpin in my hair, she said, "Please keep smiling until the end, miss. …For us maids, who don't have much time left with you."
I almost choked up when I heard that.
My mother and sisters had already headed toward the chapel. I, along with Father, left for the chapel just before the wedding ceremony. They stood in front of the doors where all the guests and Tristan were waiting.
I needed to relax.
"...Father, are you nervous?"
To my surprise, my father's hand, which was holding mine, was trembling.
Father! This is already your third time experiencing your daughter's wedding!
Before the door opened, my father turned to look at me. Wow, even his eyes are shaking.
"Do, Dory. This wedding will go well, right? No one will burst in in the middle of it, right?"
"...Nothing should happen, but if you're worried, you can ask Prince Tristan in advance."
"How do I ask him? After being embarrassed once, I—your heart keeps pounding… I didn't know marriage could be this… scary."
"It's never easy. And it shouldn't be."
It was ironic that someone who had never been married was giving advice to a middle-aged married man.
Still, in that irony, my tension eased a little, and just then, the chapel doors opened.
Father, instinctively remembering how to move, stepped forward. I also slowly took a step, toward the faintly unfolding space beyond the veil.
I had seen this at my sister Natalie's wedding before, but…
'It's beautiful.'
The gaze following the white carpet stretching through the center of the chapel naturally reached the velvet curtains, the rainbow-colored stained glass, and finally the clear sky above.
The grand music resonating through the chapel gently drew the sense of freedom into reality. The applause pouring from both sides, and at the very front… my future partner.
My father whispered.
"We need to walk a little more."
Unknowingly, I flinched. I then took a step forward, slightly tense again.
I remembered what Grace had said at Natalie's wedding.
'The wedding ceremony ends as you just listen to the sound of applause. The bride only needs to look at her husband and the priest's face.'
'You shouldn't look at the faces of the family. You'll start crying.'
Ah, I clearly remembered this advice, yet I sneaked a glance at the bride's family.
And instantly regretted it.
'Why are my sisters crying?'
My mother had only slightly moist eyes but seemed busy comforting my sisters.
Mother… you must have had a lot of hard work.
"Should I have listened to Grace? No, but still, how can I not look at my family?"
My nose began to tingle.
I lowered my face more. Fortunately, with the veil, it seemed that my expression couldn't be seen clearly.
My father stopped in front of Tristan. Now, we would stand together in front of the priest, and the remaining procedures would pass quickly.
The priest spoke.
"We are now about to conduct the wedding ceremony. This is the sacred union of two souls…"
I could understand why this cliché was necessary for the ceremony. Perhaps it was to help the bride and groom relax while listening.
Apologies for my irreverence, but thanks to this, my tears were finally drying up.
"It is now time for the vows. The bride and groom, please face each other, and the bride, please lift your veil."
Following the words, I turned my body and lifted my veil…
The moment I faced Tristan, I swallowed nervously.
Tristan, dressed in a neat white suit with nothing more than a white rose boutonnière, looked like an angel who had come to the chapel.
Had it not been for his slightly reddened nose and the tears streaming down his cheeks, I might have mistaken him for an actual angel.
"Your Highness…?"
"…I'm sorry."
He gritted his teeth. The priest, looking somewhat shaky, spoke quietly.
"Sh-should I proceed?"
Tristan nodded. The priest resolutely carried on with his duty.
"I ask the groom: Do you swear to participate in this ceremony with a pure heart to become someone's partner today?"
"I swear."
"Do you swear to respect, trust, and protect your partner for the rest of your life?"
"I can do all of that."
A soft voice added afterward.
"And I love you."
"…"
Though it was a quiet voice, it was enough to make my ears burn with heat.
The priest stopped speaking and widened his eyes. Tristan, as if offering an excuse, added:
"I thought it was an important thing to say…"
"Your Highness…"
"Ahem!"
The priest's cough was the only thing that silenced us.
"Now, I will ask the bride. Do you swear to participate in this ceremony with a pure heart to become someone's partner today…"
Of course, my answer was all "I swear."
After the vow exchange and the congratulations in song, the priest addressed all the guests.
"With this, I declare before all the witnesses that these two are now one married couple."
One by one, the people seated in the audience stood up. Applause surged like waves. In between, voices of heartfelt congratulations could be heard.
The realization came late…
…So this is it.
We're married.
"Congratulations!"
"You will definitely be happy!"
The main doors of the chapel opened wide. The wind and pollen, along with the cheers, rushed into the front yard of the chapel.
Tristan and I, embracing that joy, slowly made our way out of the chapel.
In the music, I whispered the words I hadn't said earlier.
"Tristan. I love you too."
"…Dory."
Tristan stopped walking and turned around to face me.
I suppressed the feeling of wanting to face him. There would be plenty of time to look at his face later, and I was afraid he might cry again.
"Your Highness. Why were you crying earlier?"
"…It sounds foolish, but when I saw you standing before me as a bride, I suddenly got scared. I wondered if this was real or if it was just a dream."
"…"
"But when I heard your voice, I knew right away that it was real. That's enough for me."
"Your Highness…"
"Ah, there's no need to find encouraging words for me. I'm fine. You like me even if I'm foolish, right?"
"…"
The problem is, even if he says foolish things, I still like him.
I wanted to argue, but my thoughts stopped the moment Tristan wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered:
"Dory. The chapel doors are right in front of us. The moment we step out as a couple, we really can't go back."
"Yes, everyone will call us husband and wife."
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"You want to hear me say 'yes' dozens of times, don't you?"
"…Actually, yes."
"But I'll only answer that once."
Outside the chapel, amidst the light and cheers surrounding us, I spoke to Tristan:
"That's exactly the world I've always wanted."
The world I had reached after a long time, a world to live in with someone I love.
There's no such thing as 'fated' marriage.
'So,' 'but,' 'nevertheless'—
The end of all those words that shook me like a storm.
I finally married the prince I love, who loves me in return.