The Wedding
Marriage is an inseparable institution that has been with humanity ever since we first formed civilizations.
Nobles, commoners, and even slaves all desire to find their own partners and receive social recognition that they have joined together with them.
That is the very essence of the institution of marriage, though in the 21st century, it is often criticized as a "money-eating hippo," with critics arguing that the wedding ceremony focuses too much on showmanship rather than the essence of the union.
However, if you think about it carefully, as long as a wedding ceremony is held, it is bound to be a performance.
The fact that humans harbor an innate instinct to endlessly compare, envy, and sometimes even resent others was proven by the global success of social media.
Sometimes people claim it is a characteristic of a certain country, but from a global perspective, it is just a matter of degree; every human being possesses this sense of comparison.
In particular, because a wedding was, in most cases, a once-in-a-lifetime event, people naturally wanted to make it as grand as possible.
Therefore.
"Hmm? You want to introduce a new culture?"
"Yes. No matter how much they are slaves, they are all creatures created by God in His image, so I want to ensure they enjoy the minimum rights they deserve as human beings."
"Uh... um... aren't you a planter?"
"You've been staying here, so you know, right? I guarantee you, there isn't a single laborer in England or America right now who eats and lives better than the slaves on our plantation."
Cecilia laughed, agreeing that was true.
"But you're going to take care of their weddings, too?"
"Actually, if you look at it coldly, it doesn't cost that much."
Even if, in an extreme scenario, every slave on the plantation got married, that would be 500 weddings. Even though I plan to significantly increase the number of slaves in the future, considering the massive profits they will bring in, the cost of the weddings is essentially a drop in the bucket.
"Above all, once you create something like this, it can be recycled."
The men's suits and the women's dresses can be reused infinitely if we just keep a few in each size, and as for the wedding hall, once we build one that looks decent, we can just keep using it.
And I had a grand plan to eventually leverage this know-how to expand into wedding services for VIPs.
"I don't know... it's a concept I've never even imagined, so it's fascinating. How on earth do you come up with such ideas?"
That's because these are products created by 21st-century masters and doctors who are full of ideas on how to suck money out of people.
It is a business model created by masters and doctors who graduated from the world's top universities, having conducted research upon research to get people to open their wallets.
How could the innocent sensibilities of 19th-century people, who haven't been exposed to such stimuli yet, possibly withstand this?
"It's all an expression of love for my precious slaves. In that sense, I've decided to apply this new wedding system starting with the wedding of my right-hand man, Leo."
"That's wonderful. Is the person Leo is marrying Sara? They are both kind and diligent, so I hope they have a happy wedding."
Although she didn't say it directly, how could her heart be at ease living in the South, having been taught since birth that slavery is a terrible evil?
As I said, the workers on our plantation eat better and rest better than most laborers in England, so she had managed to overlook it, but it must have been heartbreaking that they couldn't enjoy a right as natural as marriage.
There was no reason for her to oppose an active effort to improve this.
With the enthusiastic approval of the woman who would become the future mistress of the Seth estate, I immediately began the preparations.
"First, I need to figure out how to get the dresses. And I need to think about how to implement a studio and photography."
It is an obvious fact, but in this era, the only people who took wedding photos were royalty or wealthy nobles.
Even with the technical limitations of the time, even Queen Victoria of England had her wedding photos retaken in her dress more than 10 years after the wedding, so that says it all.
However, the unit cost has come down a bit now, and if we don't make it too flashy, we can solve it for between 50 cents and 1 dollar per shot.
If I can buy the lifelong loyalty of my slaves for this cost, it's practically a steal.
I immediately scouted a photographer active in Jackson and rented a mobile darkroom carriage and all the equipment.
Bringing the photographer himself wasn't good for security, so I had no choice but to pay a large sum of money and conclude that Jonathan, the overseer, would learn the photography techniques himself.
"I... is this really us?"
A few days later, in a temporary outdoor studio set up in the middle of the plantation, Leo and his bride-to-be, Sara, couldn't close their mouths after seeing themselves developed on a glass plate.
Well, well. Of course, their jaws would drop.
Because whether it's a man or a woman, if you dress them up properly, their appearance changes drastically.
"Yes. From now on, every couple that gets married on our plantation will have a photo taken so they can cherish this moment forever."
No sooner had I finished speaking than Sara, unable to overcome the emotion, sat down and burst into tears, covering her face with both hands.
Leo patted her back, not knowing what to do, but his own eyes were red as well.
It was a natural reaction, as it was an era where even most ordinary laborers couldn't dream of wedding photos.
An opportunity had opened up for them to experience, albeit in a simplified form, a story from a distant world that only the super-rich or nobles could possess.
"Now, since we're at it, here's a special service. Leo, since you said it's fine, bring Sara's son, Toby, too. We should take a family photo."
"R-really?"
"Of course. When Toby grows up, wouldn't he be sad if he didn't have a photo capturing his mother's most beautiful moment?"
Sara looked up at me blankly, as if she hadn't even imagined this.
She bowed her head several times to express her gratitude, and Toby, who had been watching from behind, came running forward.
The other slaves who were watching this scene, especially the couples who had already formed families, were filled with envy.
Ah, I should have gotten married a little later.
I may look like this, but I spent over a decade in a large corporation in my past life.
I wasn't the type to miss such minor details.
"Don't worry. I will have photos taken for all the couples who are already married, one by one. I'll be taking photos every weekend from now on, so everyone, please wait with joyful hearts!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Masterrrrr!"
Some might say, "What's all the fuss about a mere photo?" but the point is to instill a strange sense of superiority in the slaves themselves, that they are enjoying a luxury that even most ordinary people cannot enjoy.
Those who had gathered simply because they thought it was a fascinating spectacle were soon cheering explosively, hugging each other, lifting their children high, and rejoicing as if a festival had broken out.
Cecilia, who was watching the scene with a satisfied smile, approached me and beamed.
"You didn't tell them in advance on purpose, did you?"
"Did you notice? Originally, with things like this, you have to give a surprise reveal when they want it desperately for them to be even happier."
"You really know how to move people's hearts."
Well, of course. I lived my whole life doing exactly that.
If I had told them in advance that I would take wedding photos, they would have all been happy, but they wouldn't have known exactly what a photo was, so they wouldn't have danced with joy like that.
But since they saw Leo actually getting it done, the desire to try it themselves must have surged.
Since I properly satisfied that desire at that moment, the reaction was bound to be explosive.
Feeling properly excited, I soon stood behind the camera and started acting like a director.
"Hey! Leo! Shoulders back! You have to look at your bride more lovingly! Yes, that's the look! Good, very good!"
"Sara, the dress suits you so well. You're the prettiest bride in the world."
Cecilia touched up Sara's dress and gave her compliments, and I kept catching angles and giving advice next to Jonathan.
A moment later, the three of them stood in front of the glass plate, holding Toby's hand, with expressions that were awkward yet full of happiness.
Amidst the joyful commotion, a family photo ahead of its time was being completed.
When the atmosphere was ripe, I drew everyone's attention and announced the next plan.
"From now on, all weddings will be held on Sunday mornings, when everyone is off, at the chapel over there. On the week of a wedding, I will decorate that place to be the most beautiful place in the world!"
"Huh...?"
"If it's a wedding that's about to be held, surely..."
"Yes. Starting this very week."
And so, the day of Leo and Sara's wedding, which arrived like a storm, came.
The newly reborn chapel had lost all traces of its usual simple and reverent appearance; a virgin road decorated with white cloth and flowers, and a podium placed under sparkling lights.
A wedding hall with a 21st-century sensibility, as if straight out of a fairy tale, was unfolding before their eyes.
I never imagined that the memories of attending my colleagues' weddings without fail back at the company would be used in this way.
Early Sunday morning, hundreds of plantation family members who were off work filled the chapel as guests.
The wedding began briefly with the "broom jumping" ceremony, respecting their traditions.
But immediately after, a new ceremony that everyone was seeing for the first time in their lives unfolded.
Overseer Jonathan stood at the officiant's podium, and I began to read a congratulatory speech for the two next to him.
"Today, we are gathered here to bless the new beginning of Leo and Sara. Standing here, Leo, I am reminded of when you first met Sara. I wondered why a guy who always said he would serve the Master was suddenly discussing nursing and security systems with a nurse newly assigned to the hospital. But thinking about it now, our smart Leo already had a plan."
"Pfft!"
"Leo, this guy was a man after all!"
"Was it near that fence over there? Sara was hanging laundry to be used at the hospital, and I remember the day you lost your mind staring at her and almost tripped over the fence. You whistled as if nothing happened afterward, but no chance. I remembered it all."
A pleasant burst of laughter erupted among the guests.
"Hahahaha!"
"And yet, you couldn't even say a word properly when you were on a date?"
Leo's face turned beet red, and Sara smiled shyly and tapped his arm.
"I thought then. That capturing someone's heart at first sight, and falling in love at first sight like that, must surely be God's will. Leo, you are the most diligent and upright man on this plantation. And Sara, you are a warmer and wiser woman than anyone else. I have no doubt that the family you two will build together will be filled with more happiness than any other family on this plantation. Can you two vow before everyone here that you will cherish each other, love each other, and be lifelong companions?"
When the two shouted "Yes!", I smiled broadly and declared.
"I now declare the two of you husband and wife!"
Finally, the exquisite voices of the Black choir led by Louise, who had been sitting on one side of the chapel, burst out.
"Youuuu are~ God's gift~!"
"Loooove~ly~ God's fruit~!"
The soulful rhythm and the congratulatory song, sung with all their hearts, rang out powerfully as if to pierce the roof of the chapel.
All the guests stood up, clapped, sang along, and danced.
The bride in a snow-white dress, the groom in a tuxedo-like suit, and hundreds of people blessing them.
The grand festival, mixed with tears, laughter, and moving songs, continued like that until the sun went down.
People sincerely applauded Leo, who had become a new groom, and spent a happy time imagining themselves standing in that spot someday.
The hundreds of people here will never forget the memory of this day.
Until the very last moment of their lives. Forever.