Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Wedding Day
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Tomorrow, the Northern Grand Duchy would face a massive upheaval.
And on a personal level, so would I.
The wedding with the original story's heroine.
And the purge of the Grand Duchy's rebellious families.
Both were things the old me—back before I got isekai'd—could never have imagined.
The first from the perspective of a reader who'd devoured the novel, the second as your average guy in his twenties.
But those utterly absurd events were set to unfold tomorrow.
"Haaa..."
A soft sigh escaped me, turning into a massive plume of breath in the North's biting cold.
In the pre-dawn darkness, Frostford sprawled below, its faint lights glowing softly.
It looked so peaceful. As if tomorrow's chaos was nothing but a pipe dream.
Only the family members knew what was coming—along with the House of Count Kreuz and a select few others.
Not even the rebels realized tomorrow was the day they'd fall.
Truth be told, I was shaking in my boots.
Tense, just like I'd admitted to Yelena a few days back.
It felt like staring down the college entrance exams all over again—back when failure or success hung in the balance, and my future felt like a black hole.
"Comparing it to entrance exams, huh. Pathetic."
But back then, nothing else mattered. The exam felt like the end-all-be-all of life, with crushing pressure if I bombed it.
'But once it was over... I was just another guy turning twenty.'
By the time I hit twenty and started college, it was a whole new chapter. That nail-biting tension? Just a distant memory.
Could I look back on this wedding the same way once it was done...?
"......No way."
If the purge failed, I'd be the one purged.
And at the end of that? Who knew—maybe the possession would lift, or it'd be the real deal: death.
But.
I wasn't drowning in that level of tension or pressure.
Was it Cassius's body—or the Northern physique? Or had my mind leveled up since getting isekai'd?
The tremors just fueled a bigger rush of excitement and thrill.
Crackle...
Terror of the purge twisted into burning zeal, blade raised against those scheming to break me.
Anxiety over the future painted vivid scenes: me, standing triumphant amid the blood and corpses of the rebels, victory declared.
And so... I couldn't even tense up if I tried.
Gazing down slowly at Frostford and the Grand Duchy, I made my declaration.
"I will win. ...Cassius Winterguard will win."
And at last, that day dawned.
Wedding day...!
The day of the wedding—sparked by my very own proposal—had finally arrived.
"Miss, time to get up. It's your wedding day today."
"Ugh..."
Lucia woke me even earlier than usual because of it.
I knew it was coming and tried to cling to my cozy bed anyway, but no dice.
"Lucia... just a bit more sleep..."
"Knew you'd say that, so I brought backup maids."
"Huh...?"
"Up you go, miss~! Makeup and dressing will fly by!"
"Bath first, ma'am!"
"Eek! Kyaa!"
Ten of them, at least!
In the end, half-dragged by the swarm of maids, I let them pamper me through a speedy bath.
"Perfect. The scent of a proper bride."
"A p-proper bride scent? What's that supposed to mean...?"
"Hehe, wanna know? It's the kind that makes the groom wanna gobble you up..."
"W-what the heck?!"
"Gotta get used to it as the Grand Duchess, like it or not."
"......Later!"
"Putting it off just hurts you, miss. Makeup time."
Makeup was pure torture. Hours of sitting stock-still while they worked their magic.
But they had it worse, no doubt, so I kept my mouth shut.
"Miss, you always take makeup like a champ!"
"For real. Master's gonna be so jealous!"
"Th-thanks."
By the time makeup wrapped up, the mansion grounds were buzzing with noise.
......The Grand Duchy's families and guests arriving.
Cassius had warned me.
I wouldn't have to face them directly for long.
[You won't even see them for half the ceremony. Once it's done... stay out of sight.]
He'd added,
[If they spook you... just focus on me. Brides are supposed to fixate on their grooms anyway. Eyes front.]
Why did he keep saying stuff like that after claiming he had no feelings and zero plans to marry?
It just made me react every time.
"......"
"......? Miss? Did you use extra blush or something?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Your cheeks are beet red..."
"N-no! It's not that!"
"Huh?"
'P-please don't tell me it's that obvious...!'
Luckily, they were too busy fussing over me to pry.
Next came the wedding dress.
"White..."
In the capital or other regions, dresses came in all colors.
I'd seen them in person or in pictures.
But curiously, the North stuck to pure white by tradition.
"We've got plenty of that signature snowy-white fabric up here, and with all the snow... it just stuck."
"I see..."
Legend had it one of the previous Winterguard Grand Duchesses wore white to her wedding, and it became custom.
'If my family hadn't fallen... if I never came North... I never would've worn this...'
The thought made the pristine white feel even more special.
Soon enough, I was fully dressed.
"Your Grace. You look stunning."
The Kreuz Lady—today's bridesmaid—beamed her praise.
"......Think Kash will like it?"
"Absolutely! He'll be staring, totally entranced."
Really?
......I hoped so.
He hadn't seen the dress yet. I wanted him floored.
With the Kreuz Lady and Lucia's help, I headed to the grand hall for the ceremony.
At the doors, I could sense the crowd inside.
My heart started racing.
It pounded so hard, the world around me muffled.
-The groom, Cassius Winterguard.
The priest's voice echoed from within.
Cassius first. He'd be waiting up front when I entered.
'Calm down...'
But my body wouldn't listen.
I knew what was coming next.
For a split second, a wicked thought crossed my mind.
'......I wish it could just be a normal wedding.'
No disguises. No purge.
Cassius as the North's Grand Duke, me as his wife, living happily ever after.
But...
I knew better.
This wedding was fake. And at its end lay something horrific.
And I, Yelena Astria...
'......No.'
Yelena Winterguard knew it full well—and she'd vowed to help Cassius Winterguard win.
-......The bride, Yelena Astria.
"Your Grace, it's time."
The doors creaked open at the Kreuz Lady's words.
Kiiiek...
What greeted me was frigid silence... and stares.
"......"
"......"
Most of them burned with suspicion.
"That lady caught the Grand Duke's eye...?"
"House Astria was drowning in debt."
"Why on earth would His Grace choose her...?"
The vicious whispers and piercing glares swarmed me.
Suddenly, Cassius's earlier worries made perfect sense.
The Kreuz Lady beside me even clicked her tongue—their hostility that blatant.
'But I expected this.'
I knew exactly how I'd look to them.
No shrinking back in fear. No trembling.
Instead, just like he'd said... look at him.
"......Kash."
"........."
I looked straight ahead.
There he was. Cassius, in fancier-than-usual groom's attire—still sticking to that signature black, calm as ever.
He watched me quietly.
Then extended a hand my way, silent.
As I stepped toward it, the murmurs began to fade.
-Piii...
'It was true.'
His advice to focus on him. It really worked.
Just him. His hand. Walking to him.
All the negativity melted away.
One step.
One step.
Then something else filled the silence.
Thump.
My heartbeat.
And finally... when I reached his side... our hands met.
Thump. Thump.
Eyes closed, I listened to the heartbeats.
Two of them.
One was mine.
The other, his.
Yeah. No need to be scared.
Because right now... the strongest man in the North was my husband.
I had nothing to fear.
"Then, let us commence."
And so our sham wedding began.