I was a little nervous and couldn't meet his gaze, but I tried my best to pretend to be confident. I stretched out my hand towards him.
"So, put the ring on now!"
Isaac looked down at my outstretched hand, then back up at me. After a moment of silence, a happy smile spread across his face as if he'd finally understood what I meant. It was the brightest smile I had ever seen from him. Before he put the ring on, he hugged me tightly.
"I'll do well, from now on."
It seemed emotion reacted before reason. I could hear my heart pounding where I was pressed against him, and it felt like my own heart was about to burst. We held on to each other more tightly and smiled happily, without a thought for the mountain of disasters that would come after.
[Wedding preparations are a disaster that is nothing short of vicious.]
Meldenik decided this would be a fitting inscription for her tombstone. It had been such a long and difficult period. Meldenik and Isaac were distracted by the sheer number of wedding preparations. Choosing a venue, picking bridesmaids, selecting invitations, and getting the dress and tuxedo were a truly terrible journey for Meldenik, who hated dealing with bothersome tasks.
"I have to finish this all at once; I can't do it twice," Meldenik said, shocking Isaac.
After sweating and making excuses to Isaac, who asked if she planned on marrying twice, her wedding preparations went more smoothly. For some reason, Dominic decided he would catch the bouquet, and Axion, Carat, Mirissa, and Henry all decided to handle the flower arrangements. The Emperor was set to officiate, the wedding was to be held on the Kinnoa estate, and wedding invitations were sent to every noble they knew.
That's how the eve of the wedding came.
And on the night before the wedding, while Meldenik was sleepless with anticipation, Isaac was also sleepless. Of course, his reason was different. He was on a long vacation, but even tonight, he was working in his closet office with Rasmus.
"I feel weird."
He wasn't actually doing his work properly; he just couldn't concentrate. He glared at Rasmus, who was sitting across from him, and nervously put down his quill. Rasmus, buried in a pile of papers, looked up and asked, "What is it, Isaac?"
After asking, Rasmus hurriedly bit his tongue. Come to think of it, tomorrow was Isaac's wedding day. How awful must he feel, working here right now?
'If a married man works this late, it'll be worth it.'
Rasmus knew he had made a mistake, but he also realized this was a golden opportunity to tease his boss. 'When will I ever get to make fun of the Lord of the Mage Tower the night before his wedding again?' he thought.
Seizing the moment, Rasmus said extravagantly, "Are you going to throw me an ambitious night party?" He ended with a grin, preparing himself for a reprimand.
If he dared to make fun of the Mage Tower Lord with a sly expression, he might be punished with a floating body. Or worse. He was even looking forward to it.
However, Isaac's reaction was completely different. He didn't put down his quill and spoke seriously. "No need. Tomorrow will be the best party of my life."
...It couldn't be that he meant every day with Meldenik was a party, could it? Was Isaac actually saying those words aloud?
"Wow, really..." Rasmus stared at Isaac, utterly astonished.
But Isaac just hummed happily, as if he wasn't interested in Rasmus's wary expression. His joy was so overwhelming that Rasmus completely lost his will to fight back. After lightly ignoring Rasmus, Isaac continued writing his signature with his quill, and even that simple gesture looked like a dance.
Rasmus unknowingly uttered blasphemous words. "This is so horrible."
After saying it, he realized it was absolutely true. Rasmus spoke with great force. "It's an ill omen. There's a monster in the Mage Tower."
Normally, when Rasmus muttered something like that, Isaac would respond with a sarcastic remark. Isaac was generally tolerant of children and almost mushy with Meldenik, but he was merciless to powerful people like Rasmus.
But today was different again. He wasn't just smiling; it was more than that. Isaac said affectionately, his face shining with a blissful happiness that only a new groom could have. "Yes, do as you please."
Hearing this, Rasmus became very angry. Do as I please? Was that a good answer to "This is so terrible" or "It's an ill omen"? Was he the only one who didn't get it? Were they not good at this 'tiki-taka' thing at all?
"What?"
"Do as you please."
Rasmus looked at Isaac in a daze. Isaac hadn't managed his appearance much because of the wedding, but he still had a radiant beauty... that much was the same. But what on earth was that ugly victor's smile?
"Hey, Isaac?"
"Yes."
Look at that new groom's expression that seems to be going crazy with happiness. There must be an extremely terrible ghost dwelling on the Lord of the Mage Tower. Rasmus, who had no lover, let alone a spouse, shivered and thought about where he could find some salt.
I think there's some pink salt Meldenik gave me in the cupboard. I should spray it on him right away.
"It seems that an evil spirit has taken root in you. If it's not rude, can I sprinkle some salt on your shoulders to ward it off...?" Rasmus thought that if he said this, the Lord of the Mage Tower would surely snap out of it. But...
"Yes, you can spray it."
...Isaac replied calmly.
What the hell is that overly generous expression? What is that smile that promises to give salt to a guy like you who has no one to be with for the rest of his life? The moment he realized this, Rasmus forgot his intention to sprinkle salt.
"I'm just so happy I could even give you a little salt."
This is so ridiculous...
I hope they get married soon. Please.
Thus, the night before the wedding, in which only Rasmus suffered, passed.
The next morning, the wedding day finally arrived. I hadn't slept well and my face was swollen, but that was nothing a glass of pumpkin juice couldn't fix! I was overjoyed. The day had come when I would be freed from the painful time of preparing for marriage and finally get married. According to imperial etiquette, I hadn't seen Isaac's face for a while, so my impatience was at its peak, and my emotions were filled with excitement.
I took a deep breath and entered the bridal waiting room with the maids. Now it was time to prepare.
"I'm so nervous... my heart is shaking."
I thought there was no one in the bridal waiting room, so I said this softly to myself. Axion, who was growing from a child into an adolescent but still looked like a little boy in my eyes, popped out like a bullet and chirped like a sparrow.
"Are you nervous? Excited? Are you embarrassed?"
Looking down into the boy's eyes, I smiled softly. "Yes, are you embarrassed?"
Axion looked relieved but then sighed sadly. "Phew! Even if I am only ten years old!"
...Surprisingly, Axion, this little one, still seemed to have a sense of rivalry with Isaac. I smiled and stroked Axion's hair with my hands in my white lace gloves. He was already much taller than he had been a few years ago, so it was hard to pet him, but his hair still felt soft.
"What would you do if you were only ten years old?"
"If so... it!" Axion let out a long sigh.
Either way, I tried to tease this small boy a little more, but I hesitated. Tears were welling up in Axion's eyes. I decided I shouldn't tease him anymore and said sternly, "No, I'll just have to marry Axion in my next life."
...No, was I even teasing him with this, too?
But Axion's eyes sparkled like a person who had found a glimmer of hope in my antics. "Okay! I'll wear a stylish wreath while looking forward to the next life!"
Now that Axion was appeased... 'My baby prince isn't the only one here,' I realized. My prediction was correct. As if they hadn't known I had entered, Henry, Carat, and Mirissa were huddled in a corner of the bridal waiting room, chatting intently.
'What on earth are they talking about that they don't even know I'm here?' Is there a topic so important that it requires them to sit in a corner and put their heads together? All three of them had extremely serious expressions, so I hesitated to approach.
I pretended not to be there and carefully pricked up my ears, overhearing their conversation.
"When they have a baby, we have to take care of it!"
"But when they have a baby, won't we get pushed aside?"
"Carat! No! That's not right!"
Contrary to their intelligence, little Henry and Mirissa, who still developed a little slower and sometimes spoke with a short tongue, were arguing over who would get to be my child.