A Vow of Crimson and Gray
Right now, I was in the middle of preparing for the wedding.
"Your Grace, please close your eyes."
As I looked into the mirror and closed my eyes, a soft cotton puff began to pat against my face.
Pat, pat.
Even if it was for a wedding, I couldn't believe I had to powder my face like this. To be completely honest, I absolutely detested this moment. Accustomed to the aesthetic sensibilities of modern South Korea, I found it deeply uncomfortable to have cosmetics slathered over my face, rouge painted on my cheeks, and to be dressed in clothes dripping with excessive frills.
How much time had passed?
"Your Grace, we are all finished."
Realizing the makeup was finally done, I opened my eyes and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Black hair, and a pale, ghostly white face.
"Ghastly."
My honest critique slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
"Heavens! Y-Your Grace... did I... did I commit some terrible mistake?"
The man who had been applying my makeup practically had a fit, fussing in a panic. I shook my head to reassure him.
"It is nothing. How could this be your fault...?"
It's just that the culture of this world is bizarre. With that thought, I rose from my seat.
"Your Grace, you are completely unrecognizable! Why don't you walk around like that every day?"
Agrippa spoke with a cheeky, affable grin, which only fueled my irritation.
"Seriously... do you have to join in too?"
At my words, Agrippa tilted his head as if genuinely confused about what the problem was.
"It covers up those deep dark circles you usually have. You look much better."
Right, you're a native of this world too. The realization prompted a heavy sigh from deep within my chest.
"Never mind... Where are the others?"
"His Highness Yohanes has arrived."
I nodded at his report.
"I'm fully prepared. Tell him he may enter."
Agrippa nodded and left the room. Moments later, the door opened, and Yohanes stepped inside.
"Oh? You are quite transformed. Looking at you now, I daresay you'll set the hearts of every lady in the audience ablaze."
Though irritation flared inside me, I couldn't let it show. Instead, I offered him a bright, polite smile.
"I hardly know what to do with such high praise."
I'm so annoyed I literally don't know what to do with myself.
Yohanes smirked at my response.
"First of all, congratulations on your marriage."
I nodded politely.
"Thank you."
"Here, take this."
Yohanes handed me a small leather pouch.
"What is... this?"
I carefully opened the pouch. Inside were a few black pills, exuding a heavy, pungent scent of musk.
"An aphrodisiac crafted by an alchemist. I take it myself from time to time, and the ladies seem to highly approve. If you take that, you'll undoubtedly be able to conquer the Empress tonight."
Watching Yohanes grin, I offered a strained, awkward laugh.
"I am still young, Your Highness."
"If you take care of yourself while you're young, your wife will take even better care of you when you're older."
Pfft.
As we both well knew, we were destined to clash for hegemony over the empire in a few years... yet here he was, gifting me this. I felt his jest was a bit excessive. I couldn't tell if he was incredibly bold or just exceptionally shameless.
"I will accept it with gratitude."
"Very well. I shall take my leave now."
As Yohanes turned to leave, I spoke in a casual, offhand tone.
"Tomorrow... let us meet briefly after the tournament concludes."
A faint smile played on his lips as he replied.
"Let us do so."
Yohanes departed, and Agrippa stepped back into the room.
"Your Grace, it is almost time."
I nodded and made my way toward the wedding hall.
Standing before the grand doors of the chapel, I listened to the hymns echoing from within.
♬~♪!
To think... I was actually getting married. I had never even been married in my past life. Yet here I was, a married man bound by a political alliance.
As the majestic hymn drew to a close, the master of ceremonies spoke.
As the master of ceremonies called my name, the heavy doors of the chapel swung open, and the wedding march began to play.
♪
I stepped onto the purple carpet and began my slow, measured walk forward.
To my left, I saw the nobles of the Grand Duchy and my family. To my right sat the Empress—no, now the Empress Dowager—and Princess Joy.
The Empress Dowager's expression was grim. It was only natural, considering she had vehemently opposed this marriage.
As I took my place before the Pope, who was officiating our ceremony, the master of ceremonies spoke once more.
At his words, everyone in the hall rose to their feet and began to applaud.
Soon, the doors opened once more. A woman clad in a pure white wedding dress, her face concealed beneath a white veil, walked down the aisle. Holding her hand was a man.
He was Duke Yans of Lombardy, Theodora's maternal grandfather.
I calmly ignored the fierce, glaring look Yans directed at me.
Sigh... I'm going to live a very long life. If the saying that being cursed at extends your lifespan was true, I might just live forever.
When they reached the halfway point, I walked down to meet them. I bowed politely to Duke Yans, took the hand of the woman in the wedding dress, and slowly—very slowly—walked back to stand before the Pope.
The Pope stared intently at my face, making me feel a sudden weight of pressure, just as the master of ceremonies spoke.
"The bride and groom will now exchange rings. Let us give them a round of applause."
Music began to play immediately.
♪~♪~♬
"First, the groom, Debian Lion, will place the ring on the bride, Her Imperial Majesty Theodora Augusta."
An attendant approached, holding a heart-shaped cushion. Resting upon it was a pair of rings, each set with a small, brilliant red gem.
I picked up the smaller of the two and gently slid it onto the ring finger of Theodora's left hand.
"Now, the bride, Her Imperial Majesty Theodora Augusta, will place the ring on the groom."
At the prompt, I picked up the larger ring and placed it in Theodora's palm. Her hand was trembling violently. She must absolutely detest the idea of putting this on me.
Slowly, Theodora raised her right hand, clasped my left hand, and gradually slid the wedding band onto my ring finger.
"This concludes the exchange of rings. His Holiness the Pope will now deliver the wedding address to bless this sacred union. We ask for everyone's silence."
At those words, both Theodora and I turned our gaze toward the Pope.
"The two of you have grown up in vastly different environments..."
The Pope's address dragged on... I forced myself to listen to the tedious, sleep-inducing sermon. Sigh... He really is incredibly old-fashioned.
As I listened blankly to his words, I stared at the Pope, remembering how he had never responded after I sent him proof that Valoran was a demon worshiper. Why? Surely, the Holy See, which harbored an absolute hatred for demons, should have reacted immediately upon seeing such evidence. It was bizarre that they remained completely silent.
In fact, the Pope had kept his distance from me to such an extent that today was the very first time I was seeing him in person since Valoran's death.
"And finally, I offer a word of counsel to Grand Duke Debian. While Her Imperial Majesty Empress Theodora is your wife, she is also the ruler of this nation. You must fulfill your duty as her subject, protecting and respecting her throughout your life."
At that moment, a heavy silence fell over the chapel. Soon, quiet whispers began to ripple through the guests.
—Did... did His Holiness just say what I think he said?
—Is His Holiness declaring his opposition to the Grand Duke?
Though framed as a blessing, the Pope's words carried a distinct political undertone, prompting the nobles in the hall to murmur amongst themselves.
Flustered, the master of ceremonies hurriedly tried to intervene.
"N-next... we shall proceed with the wedding vows..."
But the master of ceremonies couldn't finish his sentence, because I raised my hand, signaling him to stop.
"I take His Holiness's counsel to heart. I will always protect and respect Theodora, and as a loyal subject of the Empress, I will support her with all my devotion."
These words were not a mere formality; they were my absolute truth. At the very least, as long as I was around, I would ensure that no one else dared to mistreat her. This was my vow.
Hearing my response, the Pope's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
"Whether you truly mean those words... I shall watch and see."
I nodded firmly.
"I am a man of my word, Your Holiness."
As soon as I finished speaking, the master of ceremonies wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and spoke.
"We shall now begin the wedding vows."
The Pope looked at me and began.
"Do you, groom Debian Lion, vow before Almighty God to love your bride, Her Imperial Majesty Theodora Augusta, for all your days, and to stand by her side through all of life's trials and triumphs?"
I opened my mouth to reply.
"I so vow."
The Pope then turned his gaze to Theodora.
"And do you, bride Her Imperial Majesty Theodora Augusta, vow before Almighty God to love your groom, Debian Lion, for all your days, and to stand by his side through all of life's trials and triumphs?"
A brief silence hung in the air. I waited calmly for her response. After all, she had no choice but to answer.
"I... vow..."
Theodora replied in a soft, barely audible whisper, prompting the Pope to declare:
"By the power vested in me in the name of the Almighty El, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Following the Pope's declaration, the master of ceremonies spoke.
"The bride and groom may now seal their union with a kiss."
At his words, I turned my head to look at Theodora beneath her white veil. Come to think of it, I hadn't been able to get a proper look at her face since the ceremony began.
The veil was thicker than I had expected. While the wearer could see slightly through it, anyone looking from the outside could only make out the faint outline of her chin. I carefully lifted the long fabric.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman stood before me. Already renowned as the greatest beauty in the empire, seeing her fully adorned in bridal makeup made my heart skip a violent beat.
This... is cheating. Could even an angel from the heavens be as beautiful as her?
Her cascading gray hair, her flushed cheeks, and her rosy lips were so stunning they defied description.
Looking at her flawless, porcelain skin and her gently closed eyes—as if she found the entire situation terribly embarrassing—I momentarily forgot what I was supposed to do.
I was utterly spellbound by her ethereal, mystical beauty.
Ah... right, the kiss.
Since the ceremony would only conclude once we kissed in front of all the gathered guests, I suppressed my racing heart. I gently cupped her face and slowly leaned in, pressing my lips against hers.
A faint, sweet scent of strawberries drifted over me. And then...
—Congratulations!
—Our warmest congratulations!
—Glory to the newlywed couple!
And just like that, our married life began.