"The kiss of oath is over, so it's time to throw the bouquet," the emperor said, bringing the ceremony to a close. The kiss was a little long, but the excitement was over, including the ecstatic kiss between the new bride and groom.
Isaac moved slightly away from me, and I, with the help of a maid, stood in the center of the wedding road to throw the bouquet.
'Everyone will be curious about who gets it,' I thought. When I looked back, all the guests' eyes were shining. Normally, it was the ladies who received the bride's bouquet. Therefore, people were all wondering who the closest official companion to Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa would be. Above all, there was an unspoken rule that if you caught a bouquet thrown by the bride, you had to get married soon. I couldn't help but be curious about which aristocratic young lady would be the next to tie the knot.
By the way...
"Heh, heh."
It was none other than Dominic who came forward to receive the bouquet with a proud grin. I smiled as if this was completely normal, but the guests at the tables seemed to think differently. They exchanged glances, looking puzzled.
"What's going on?"
"Why isn't a lady coming forward...?"
"The bouquet... who is getting it?"
Usually, it was customary for women who were about to get married to receive the bouquet. Seeing the guests' confusion, I coughed a couple of times.
"Isn't custom meant to be broken?" I smiled broadly and shook my bouquet. "The bouquet—the very best sword—has decided to be accepted by my family, Dominic."
Before the guests, who had heard my words, could even begin to question what they'd heard, Dominic quickly spoke up. "Now, everyone, break your prejudices."
"…?"
"I'm the one who gets the bouquet."
The nobles' eyes widened at his solemn declaration. They muttered to each other with questioning expressions.
"Was Dominic a woman?"
"…Did he have a plan to get married?"
Of course, neither was true. But I had no intention of answering their questions. I glanced back at Dominic and then threw the bouquet of fresh flowers high into the sky. The bouquet flew in a graceful arc toward him. Up to this point, it was an ordinary bouquet toss.
However, an ordinary bouquet toss wasn't to my taste. The moment I threw the bouquet, I smiled with a touch of playful mischievousness. The petals of the bouquet fluttered in many branches from the sky. A spring-like atmosphere was formed, as if cherry blossoms were flying everywhere. And just as I had planned, Dominic raised his hand and expertly snatched the bouquet.
The guests, however, didn't realize Dominic had caught it. They were too busy staring at the pink petals fluttering in the air.
"Oh my God…"
"Is it a flower rain?" A precious young guest from the northern region widened his eyes and muttered, "It's the first time I've ever seen flowers rain!"
It wasn't just the children who were impressed. The adults and guests seemed to have returned to their childhoods, watching the beautiful flower rain in full bloom with amazement. Finally, the petals fell to the floor, decorating the wedding road, and a sweet scent brushed past everyone's noses. Only a few seconds had passed.
I smiled brightly, took hold of my dress, and gave a light curtsy. "To all the customers who graced us with their presence… No, to all of you, thank you."
Seeing the guests' softened expressions, I felt a wave of pride wash over me. Since the wedding was officiated by the emperor, this union was already being called the 'wedding of the century.'
'In such a precious place, we can't forget about promoting new products,' I thought calmly, even as my lips twitched in a slight smirk. Judging by their reactions, I think this item will be a success as well. Sooner or later, inquiries will pour in from all over the place.
Feeling more satisfied, I turned my attention away from the crowd, as if I had no regrets. At some point, Isaac had come to my side. I grabbed his hand, which was clasped tightly, and we walked down the wedding road together. It was now time to ride the flower-adorned carriage at the end of the road. The two of us, now a couple, turned our backs to the crowd.
However, the guests couldn't bring themselves to leave their seats easily. Under the warm sunshine, they were all infinitely enchanted by the beautiful rain of flowers. Some remained at the tables, reciting a small prayer of blessing for the newlyweds. And some people recalled a slightly more special memory.
Carat, who had been sitting still as if nailed to his seat by the flower rain, was reminiscing about the past. He thought back to the day he first met me. When he was suspicious of me, I showed him how to play with soap bubbles. Thinking about that day, his heart was pounding, as if he had drunk too much coffee.
So this is the end... "I feel strange. I feel like I've grown up a little." He felt like he had entered puberty. Carat, who finally tore his eyes away from my retreating back, softly muttered as he watched the beautiful flowers fall to the floor. Seeing his heart throbbing continuously, it was as if he was going through growing pains.
'But Meldenik will come back.'
Moreover, his situation was very good... Carat looked at Prince Axion's drooping shoulders beside him.
"Phew, my heart hurts," he said. Unlike Prince Axion, the operation to connect Isaac and me was a complete success today! Don't be sad, because I am a brave Carat, officially recognized by Meldenik!
Carat clenched his fists vigorously and decided to look forward to a happy honeymoon for the two of us. If you think about it, we're going on a honeymoon... We'll buy a commemorative gift, right? He was looking forward to it!
The wedding ceremony was over, but the wedding procedures still remained. Since Isaac and I didn't have proper parents, we coolly omitted the custom of bowing to each other's families. I was subconsciously thinking that I would listen to the officiant, walk out of the wedding road, and then take the carriage back to the mansion.
Maybe that's why, even when Isaac, who was sitting next to me in the carriage, quietly talked about our next schedule, I didn't think much of it.
"The final procedure of marriage is still..."
"Marriage registration form! It's stamping!" I confidently snatched the end of his sentence.
"...It's the honeymoon."
After speaking at the same time, I clearly realized that I had given the wrong answer. There was a moment of silence. I glanced toward Isaac. Apparently, I had just revealed that I had lived a life with no romance at all. How do I fix this?
"Stamping is also right," Isaac said, fortunately covering for me first.
I looked at him and muttered timidly, "I thought it was the honeymoon, too." No, I really didn't.
Unlike me, who spoke stiffly like a private with a military flag, Isaac's face was filled with interest. "So, do you remember where we decided to go on our honeymoon?"
Seeing his mischievous expression, I figured he was teasing me, but I had no choice but to helplessly get involved. To be honest, I didn't remember where we had decided to go. But vaguely...
"…The mountains?"
"No, that's not it."
"Osos Falls?" That's a good honeymoon destination.
"That's wrong, too." Is this a game for a twenty-year-old? It was so wrong that I was getting suspicious.
The carriage moved quickly and comfortably, but I became more and more restless. In the end, Isaac just smiled brightly without telling me where we were going. No, so where the hell are we going…? Seeing the coastline, I felt like I was being sold to a shrimp fishing boat, right?
Fortunately, the place we arrived at was not a deep-sea fishing boat that caught shrimp or yellowtail. It was a beautiful and secluded beach that was perfect for a honeymoon. When I got out of the carriage, I was amazed by the fantastic destination that came into view. The endless white-sand beach and green coastline were so beautiful that just looking at them made my heart feel open. In addition, the cool breeze carrying the saltiness of the sea cooled the sweat on my forehead and washed away all my stress.
Seeing this perfect scenery, I felt a sense of regret for my past life, when I had never traveled to the beach because I was too busy with work. Even if it weren't for those kids—Sheria, Hildegard, and Hesman—they would have lived a life of traveling and enjoying themselves…
I was full of happiness, but when a sudden flicker of anger crossed my face, Isaac asked cautiously, "Don't you like it?"
"No, I love it so much. There are so many beautiful places in the world, but it's frustrating that I didn't know any of them until now."
Seeing me stamping my feet, Isaac burst into laughter. "You just have to play as much as you couldn't play so far." Hearing those words calmed me down a little. Apparently, I'm a bit simple.
"Let's go, Mel."
As if to make his words come true, Isaac pulled my hand toward the sea. The dress I wore was quickly and simply changed by magic, and the luggage we brought from the carriage was left on the white sand! We played in the water for a long time. When he made a ball with magic and we played beach volleyball, I was so excited to compete. As we played in the water until we were exhausted, the sun began to set over the horizon.
Isaac simply dried my body, which was soaked in seawater, with magic and held my hand again. Of course, I thought we would go to the villa for our real honeymoon night, so I tried my best to suppress my pounding chest.
"What is this?" I asked, trying to hide my disappointment. After walking a little on the white sand, we entered an open cabana. We can't have our first night here; it's too exposed!
"It's a cabana made to rest while looking at the sea." Isaac familiarly opened the curtains and led me inside. I lay down on a rattan cabana. Because the center was open so you could see the sky, I could clearly see the night sky, which had darkened before I knew it. It was a quiet place where I couldn't even hear the crickets crying. I could only hear my own and Isaac's regular breathing.
'This atmosphere isn't bad, either.'
I was silent as I looked at the night sky. The inside of the cabana became so quiet that it felt like the noisy play from earlier was just a lie. This strange feeling was somehow soothing. Before I knew it, Isaac, who was lying next to me, quietly hugged my shoulder. Then he pressed his lips to my cheek. It was just a light kiss, but my whole heart was filled with warmth.
In the distance, I could see the lights of small fishing boats, and the stars were like sugar in the sky—a night more beautiful than a dream. I turned my head and lay next to him, staring into his eyes, which were a little deeper than the night sea.
"You know, Isaac."
Surprisingly, this was a line I could say, borrowing from the atmosphere. It felt right... "I love you." It was a simple confession of love. I had never really thought about getting married. Maybe that's why I hadn't truly felt the emotion of having a life partner and companion. I just thought that when the moon rose and the sun rose in the morning, this man would be next to me... and that thought made me happy.
Isaac looked me in the eye and whispered quietly, as if making his own confession.
"I love you, too."
Even a simple confession of love made for a brilliant night.