A Wedding the King Opposed
The Grand Duke's bizarre behavior in pushing through a marriage opposed by the King was apparently not the end of it. Even if they met in the military, is this really appropriate? Everyone was thinking the exact same thing.
Meanwhile, Ezra felt just as sorry for his friend. What on earth am I looking at right now? He had thought it was absolute madness when they first claimed to be dating, but was this actually happening? Getting married in military uniforms? He always knew Curtis was out of his mind, but to play a prank like this on the poor girl on her wedding day...
It was then that Grand Duke Berk's purple eyes locked onto Ezra. Second Squad Leader Ezra. Pull yourself together. The voice echoed in his ears so vividly it was as if Curtis had spoken aloud. Under a gaze sharp enough to cut like a blade, Ezra finally snapped out of it. Now was not the time to daze off.
"...Congratulations on your holy matrimony!" Perhaps the other guards had been equally spaced out, because at Ezra's command, the slightly sagging sabers snapped back up into a rigid arch. Only then did the Grand Duke offer a gentle smile, guiding his bride down the aisle. And the guests were struck with yet another wave of shock.
"Was... was Grand Duke Berk always capable of smiling like that?" The reason the King loathed Curtis Shan Berk so intensely was famous: inferiority. However, anyone who had ever conversed with the Grand Duke, even briefly, often questioned that reasoning. He's so incredibly arrogant. If I were the King, I'd hate him too.
He was arrogant by birth, never sparing a shred of sympathy for others. He was cold and analytical, and there was only one occasion when a smile ever graced his lips: derision. Most of the time, his face was either completely expressionless or set in a deep scowl.
Of course, despite his icy demeanor, countless young ladies still harbored affections for the beautiful man. Scores of women had approached him, believing their love could melt his frozen heart. Yet not a single one of them had ever received such a smile, let alone such a gaze, from Grand Duke Berk.
That is to say, a smile as warm as spring sunshine, overflowing with happiness. A gaze that seemed to whisper, I love you so much I would give you the entire world. All the passion of a man newly in love was captured in his eyes.
"Unbelievable..." The men gaped at a side of Grand Duke Berk they had never seen, while the women stared in a daze. Several young ladies hurriedly hid their flushed faces behind their fans. A man who was already devastatingly handsome was now smiling so tenderly; the destructive power of his charm was immense. Yet, that gaze was directed at only one person. Chloe Amboise.
Someone sighed under their breath. "I'm so jealous..." Whether the bride was beautiful or plain, whether she was pregnant or not, the fact that she was wearing a military uniform instead of a wedding dress—all the petty gossip they had indulged in until now suddenly felt incredibly trivial.
Grand Duke Berk escorted her through the now-subdued atmosphere, walking slowly beneath the arch of sabers. Under the raised blades of the Royal Guard, he could have marched with the solemn dignity of a commanding officer. Instead, his entire focus was poured into Chloe Amboise. It was as if escorting her to the end of the aisle was the single most important task in the universe.
The standing guests watched their every step as if hypnotized. Only after Curtis and Chloe reached the altar with disciplined strides did the crowd snap out of their trance and take their seats in the pews.
"Well... I suppose the bride is decent enough to look at."
"But a military uniform, of all things..."
"Did you see the tiara? Crown Prince Frederick must have lent it to her. Isn't that the Grand Duke's way of showing his deep gratitude and loyalty to Ivanes?"
"The blood of the late King, who threw away everything for love, clearly flows through Grand Duke Berk's veins as well."
The whispers were not much different from before. Yet, the voices of the gossiping guests were strangely lacking in conviction. The rumors and speculations they had been enjoying so thoroughly just moments ago now felt dull and lifeless.
Regardless of the chatter, Grand Marshal Victor cleared his throat and began his congratulatory address. It was the usual cliché speech about two people who met in the military forming a blessed union. As the couple stood arm-in-arm, the priest began the wedding liturgy.
"Under the blessing of Ivanneres, the dragon who protects Ivanes, and Grand Asad, the creator of all things, we humble souls live our lives. By divine providence, this man and this woman have been brought together. To pledge their eternal trust and love before us all, and before God..."
Since both Grand Duke Berk and Chloe Amboise kept their eyes fixed on the altar, it was difficult for the guests to catch their expressions. Crown Prince Frederick stepped forward as a witness, certifying that Chloe Amboise had already completed the blood covenant ceremony.
"From this day forward, Chloe Amboise shall share in the name of Berk, the glorious fruit of Ivanes and son of Grand Asad..." Under Crown Prince Frederick's endorsement, Second Lieutenant Noel Montpis stepped forward to sign as a witness to the marriage. "I, Noel Montpis, swear to Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Berk..."
Hearing Second Lieutenant Montpis's declaration of witness made some of the high-society gossips feel physically ill. The Montpis count family possessed vast, wealthy estates, and Noel's father, Count Montpis, was one of the six ministers of state in Ivanes. Yet here was Second Lieutenant Montpis, addressing a woman who until recently belonged to a mere family of first-class honorary knights as "Your Highness."
When they finally looked at the reality of the situation, the woman they had been so eagerly slandering had suddenly become, alongside the Grand Duke, the highest-ranking person in the room, save for Crown Prince Frederick.
"Have you brought a token to seal your vow before God?" At the priest's question, the guests craned their necks in anticipation. It was time for the groom to present a jewel to his bride as a token of marriage. Usually, a ring was the standard choice. By this point, everyone was highly curious to see what kind of ring the Grand Duke would place on his uniform-clad bride.
"Bring it forward." At the Grand Duke's gesture, an attendant opened a velvet box. A sharp-eyed old noblewoman gasped immediately. "Isn't that the Flame of Divinity?"
"Queen Mildred's..." A murmur rippled through the crowd.
It was the very ring the late King had presented to Queen Mildred when he proposed to her after only two months, having fallen in love at first sight. Considering Curtis and Chloe had only known each other for three months, the parallel was deeply symbolic.
Immediately after lifting the Flame of Divinity from the box, the Grand Duke dropped to one knee before his bride. Chloe Amboise looked down at him, and the man, wearing a soft smile, whispered something softly.
"What did he say?"
"I can't hear..." Since it was inaudible to the guests, they assumed he was whispering sweet nothings.
Soon, he slipped the ring onto his partner's finger. The bride, clad in her white dress uniform, wore matching white gloves. The brilliant purple gem, matching the exact shade of Grand Duke Berk's eyes, caught the light and sparkled against the white fabric. The violet flame burning inside the rounded crystal was so breathtakingly beautiful it drew collective sighs from the crowd.
But he wasn't finished. "I, Curtis Shiarnach an Ivanes Berk, present this ring to Chloe Amboise before God as a token of my love and fidelity." At first listen, it sounded like a standard vow of presentation. However, the nobles—who might have been ignorant of sacred rites but were absolute experts when it came to securing family assets—flinched at his words.
"Isn't that a token of marriage?"
"Did he just say 'Chloe Amboise'?"
"...And isn't that the Flame of Divinity?"
Sitting in the family section, Eric furrowed his brow. Leah, on the other hand, had let go of Iris's hand and was covering her mouth with both hands in sheer awe. "My brother-in-law is insane..."
"Hey, what's going on? Why is everyone acting like this? And wait, since when is he your brother-in-law?"
"You just heard him. It means he's giving that ring to our sister."
"Well, isn't he supposed to give it to her anyway?"
Ugh, honestly. Leah pinched Eric's side, giving him a look of utter pity. "He said Chloe Amboise, not Chloe Berk."
"...Huh?" Leah was a law student. Naturally, she was well-versed in the laws of the kingdom.
In noble marriages, the jewels used as tokens were typically ancestral heirlooms. Therefore, when presenting the token at a wedding, it was customary to declare, I present this ring to Chloe Berk as a token of marriage. This meant that if the recipient ever lost the right to use the name Berk—such as through divorce—she would have to leave the jewel behind.
Yet just now, Grand Duke Berk had declared the Flame of Divinity to be a token of his personal love, while explicitly stating he was presenting it to Chloe Amboise.
"It means that regardless of the marriage, that ring belongs entirely to our sister."
"Holy crap..."
Even Eric, who knew absolutely nothing about jewelry or dresses, could vaguely grasp the weight of a ring used in such a ceremony. And he was giving it unconditionally to his sister? "I'm so jealous..." It was a gift of unparalleled romance.
By this point, everyone in the hall had grown intensely curious about the pink-eyed woman standing at the altar. What kind of charm did she possess to melt the cold-blooded Grand Duke like spring snow? A woman who had appeared out of nowhere to claim Queen Mildred's jewel and the title of Grand Duchess. Surely, if one had to name the happiest woman in the capital right now, it would be her.
Like hell.
In reality, Chloe felt like her brain was melting. Walking in bravely in her military uniform had been fine. Bearing the indescribable expressions of the Royal Guards lined up on both sides of the aisle had also been manageable—she had expected as much.
But seeing over a hundred people packed into the pews made her feel utterly lightheaded. Every single one of them was a key political figure, prominent enough that even Chloe, a low-ranking noble who rarely socialized, recognized their faces. Only now did the sheer weight of what she had done crash down on her. Just because she wanted to make her damn boss scrape his ridiculously expensive knees, she had ended up standing at the altar. Did this make any sense? Oh, damn it. I've really done it now...
"Pull yourself together, Warrant Officer." At the familiar voice, Chloe snapped out of her daze with a start. Her mind had been so flooded with thoughts that she had almost forgotten she was in the middle of her own wedding. And in the next moment, Chloe was thrown into another panic. For Curtis had dropped to one knee right in front of her.