Chapter 184: The Bride of May (2) ""It's truly a beautiful place. The bride's dress is beautiful as well…"
"They even filmed at Orte Harbor. The grilled kraken I had there last year was absolutely delicious…"
"It says that photo just now was taken in Ergarter Forest. That's not far from the castle where I live—was there really such a magnificent place there?"
The guests could not hide their admiration as they watched the wedding video and photos of Aston Hamilton and Stella, filmed across various locations.
The video began with the bride and groom facing each other against the backdrop of the sun rising over the horizon, then transitioned into still shots captured in diverse compositions and poses.
Next came footage of the two running along the shore of Orte Harbor, waves rolling behind them.
As the filming locations changed one after another, presenting different concepts in both video and photographs, the guests fell silent and fixed their gaze on the large television screen.
Even from my perspective, it turned out incredibly well.
Jinseo lightly ran his fingertips across the smartphone screen that had played a pivotal role in the shoot.
"But how were they able to visit all those places? The subtitle said it was filmed in a single day. Is that even possible?"
"Indeed. Even with teleportation magic, those distances would be considerable…"
As murmurs spread among the guests, the square before Kaysus Cathedral grew restless.
"Esteemed guests, please look above."
At Hayward's gesture upward, the guests instinctively lifted their heads—and their questions were answered at once.
The reason the couple had been able to travel throughout the Doren Kingdom and complete the filming in such a short time was Charlotte.
She had transformed into her dragon form and carried the bride, groom, and Jinseo across the kingdom.
Flying through the skies, whenever they found a location they liked, they would descend to film before moving on again. The entire shoot had taken no more than half a day.
"Yes, it was thanks to me. You humans down there—are you watching closely?"
After confirming that not a single person failed to nod in response, Charlotte smiled with satisfaction.
"Lady Charlotte, once the video ends, the ceremony will begin in earnest. Will you remain up there?"
"I'll watch the wedding video and then participate in human form, so don't worry. Before that, there's something I need to explain about the place shown in the video. I didn't get the chance to explain it during filming, but that location is deeply meaningful to the humans of this country."
At the phrase "deeply meaningful," the guests leaned in attentively.
"It likely isn't recorded in your history books, but the man who founded your kingdom proposed there to the human woman who would later become his queen."
Charlotte began recounting a story from centuries past as the image of Aston and Stella leaning against a large tree at the edge of a cliff appeared on the screen.
One might have dismissed her words as fanciful, but the speaker was a dragon who had lived for thousands of years.
Her very existence was living proof of history. Not a single guest objected; all nodded in acceptance.
"Ah, so that was the reason. To have wedding photos taken at a place imbued with the romance of ancient ancestors—may the future of this couple unfold as happily as in Lady Charlotte's tale."
"Actually, the fellow originally intended to propose somewhere else. But even to my non-human eyes, the place he chose was dreadful, so I scolded him thoroughly. I mean, even if it was his first proposal—"
"Yes, that is what she says. We shall learn the full details another time."
"Hey, I wasn't finished."
Charlotte narrowed her eyes and glared at Hayward for cutting her off.
"If we let you finish, the ceremony might continue until tomorrow. Please understand."
"Grr… fine. Fine!"
Charlotte remained silent for the remainder of the video, which concluded with the bride and groom embracing against the backdrop of the sunset.
"This video and these photographs were produced with the cooperation of Lee Jinseo, owner of the food truck—recognized by the Heirem Order as a Sacred Relic bearer, acknowledged by the centaur race as possessing a divine artifact, praised by the elves as Guardian of the World Tree, and designated by his subordinates as the founder of the Sacred Food… one moment, let me catch my breath."
Reading from the script Fedora Artran had prepared, Hayward paused and took a sip of bottled water.
"In any case, they were produced with the cooperation of Lee Jinseo, recognized by the Heirem Order and all races. Next, we will proceed with the wedding ceremony in Korean style…"
Ultimately, Hayward cut his lengthy sentence in half and moved on.
However, the lingering impact of the wedding video left few guests paying attention to his words.
"I want to film something like that too. Couldn't we? I'd love to visit all the places shown."
"Even if we ask Jinseo for the filming, we'd have to persuade Lady Charlotte to take us around… and honestly, I don't have the confidence."
"Would it be too much to just film at a single location?"
"Well… that might be possible."
For couples among the guests who were themselves preparing for marriage, the wedding video carried particular weight.
Unable to be satisfied with merely watching, they stared intently at the back of Jinseo's head in the front row, silently hoping their wish—to preserve a once-in-a-lifetime memory—would somehow reach him.
Meanwhile, Charles, who had hurriedly dressed in a child's formal suit, quietly made his way to his seat so as not to disturb the ceremony.
However, he failed to evade Hayward's sharp eyes, which had been scanning the empty seats in the front row.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome His Highness Charles, who recorded two hits and one RBI in four at-bats at yesterday's baseball game!"
"Ah… um…"
With an awkward expression, Charles raised a hand in response to the applause.
"Let's see, this outfit should be neither too eye-catching nor too plain compared to the bride. That should be fine."
At that moment, Charlotte—now in human form—sat beside Jinseo and crossed her legs.
Seeing this, Beryllus, seated to Jinseo's left, exclaimed in admiration.
"Noona, you're wearing such attire? You were beautiful centuries ago, but now you are even more so."
"That's enough. Today's star is the bride, not me."
After confirming that Charlotte sat to Jinseo's right and Beryllus—the elven vampire—to his left, Hayward took another sip of water and reviewed the script.
"Now, one of today's stars, the groom Aston Hamilton, will enter."
Wearing a tuxedo, Aston began walking slowly down the carpet laid between the groom's and bride's seating areas.
Under the countless gazes fixed upon him, tension was inevitable.
As a result, he comically moved the same arm and leg in unison as he walked.
So there really are grooms who walk like that.
Seeing in person what he had only heard about, Jinseo clenched his face tightly to suppress his laughter.
Most guests struggled to contain their amusement as well—but not everyone.
"I was like that when I married for the first time."
Beryllus watched Aston's stiff, awkward gait with sympathetic eyes.
"After doing it a few more times, it got better. By my fourth wedding, I wasn't nervous at all. That was my last marriage, though."
"You've lived that long and only married three times? I know an elf who lived only a thousand years and married more than twice as often."
"And you, Lady Charlotte, haven't married even once."
"Ugh…"
At Beryllus's remark, Charlotte flinched and frowned.
"I understand. Given your position, you cannot marry carelessly. If a mortal bearing dragon blood were born, it alone could plunge the world into chaos."
"Let's not bring gloomy topics into such a joyful day."
"Yes."
Beryllus fell silent, and Charlotte gazed quietly at Aston's back with a blank expression.
As the atmosphere turned chilly, Jinseo, seated between a dragon and a vampire, had no choice but to join the silence awkwardly.
"Next, the bride, Miss Stella, the other star of today's ceremony, will enter."
After announcing the bride, Hayward pressed the music button before the passenger seat, just as Jinseo had taught him.
The wedding march, performed on the food truck's piano, resonated across the square through large speakers.
Walking arm in arm with her father Karl, Stella was more beautiful than anyone that day.
Standing beside Aston, who had been waiting, Stella offered a light bow toward Fedora, who wore ceremonial vestments for the wedding.
As the ceremony was held at the cathedral, it was natural for a clergyperson to officiate.
Fedora Artran, the highest-ranking clergy member at Kaysus Cathedral, served as officiant.
Unlike her usual demeanor with Jinseo, she spoke solemnly and earnestly.
"Hm, everything that child says is good, but somehow it's dull."
Charlotte, who had remained quiet, began crossing and uncrossing her legs after the address surpassed ten minutes.
"Ugh, my body's stiff… but I suppose I must endure."
Just as she was about to stretch, she caught Fedora's sharp glare and quickly resumed her proper posture.
Even a dragon, stronger than any living being, could not easily prevail over an officiant at a wedding.
"This is modeled after a Korean wedding, right? Are Korean officiant speeches this dull too?"
"That seems universal. Though honestly, it's better than weddings held in Korean cathedrals. You have to keep sitting and standing repeatedly."
"I'm starting to get hungry. Since it's a wedding, I shouldn't eat potato chips, right?"
"You know the answer."
"Can I at least have a sip of cola?"
"No."
Unable to bear her hunger, Charlotte wished to snack during the ceremony, but Jinseo refused firmly.
He worried whether she could endure the boredom until the ceremony concluded.
Fortunately, the moment the officiant's speech ended, Charlotte began watching the ceremony with renewed interest, as if nothing had happened. Jinseo let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Indeed, regardless of the world, officiant speeches are dull enough to test even a dragon's patience.
Having discovered a new universal truth, Jinseo glanced subtly at Charlotte.
"Oh! Those rings they're exchanging—weren't they made with the gem I gave?"
"Yes. Kohel was delighted to have obtained such a rare gem when crafting them."
"The band is made with adantium… Those rings truly cannot be bought with money. Next is… ah? A kiss?"
As Aston and Stella leaned toward each other after exchanging rings, Charlotte grabbed Jinseo's arm.
"In Korean weddings, is it acceptable to kiss in front of everyone like that?"
"Yes. It's a wedding."
"Then this is perfect timing."
Charlotte slowly raised her left hand and snapped her fingers the moment the couple's lips met.
Boom! Bang!
The fireworks magic she had showcased at last autumn's festival illuminated the sky above the square in dazzling splendor.
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