Chapter 184
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184
With the New Year’s Prayer Meeting behind her, Harriet had to tackle a task she could no longer postpone: preparations for the ‘fake’ wedding.
“We’ve received permission to use the chapel at Saint Paolo Temple! Countess Lilburn, the president of the Ladies’ Society, put in a great deal of effort, so be sure to thank her later.”
Jeremia, who had summoned both Harriet and Cedric, spoke with visible excitement as she announced she had secured the capital's grandest venue.
“And here is the guest list for the invitations. It’s a bit extensive, but please, take a look.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I’ve also asked Bishop Klaus Pavan to deliver the congratulatory address. I told him not to make it too long, but don’t get your hopes up; he does love the sound of his own voice. Still, there’s no one else quite as suitable for the occasion.”
“Bishop Pavan is acceptable,” Cedric noted.
“And I’ve requested a choir. There’s a world of difference between simple instrumental music and the presence of a full choir.”
“Understood.”
As she had mentioned before, Trisha and Roxana were in no position to assist with the wedding arrangements, leaving Jeremia to handle the heavy lifting. True to her history as both an Imperial Princess and a Grand Duchess, she was as meticulous as she was bold.
Watching her work, Harriet felt a pang of pity for whoever would eventually succeed her as Grand Duchess. No matter how capable the next woman was, she would inevitably be measured against Jeremia’s standard.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the scale of it all, Harriet remained a quiet observer of the conversation until Jeremia turned her gaze toward her.
“Oh, right! Countess Fellon and Miss Roxana will be seated in the very front row on the bride’s side. Is that alright with you, Harriet?”
“Of course. But will you be sitting alone, Grand Duchess?” Harriet asked, looking down at the seating chart.
Jeremia nodded as if it were of no consequence. “The only relative close enough to sit with me is His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, and the Imperial Family’s seats are arranged separately.”
At that, Cedric spoke up. “Don’t sit alone. Make a seat for Count Samuel Weaver next to you.”
“Hm? Samuel? But…”
“He’s waited long enough, hasn't he? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to formalize your relationship on this occasion.”
Jeremia’s eyes wavered. To have her lover occupy such a prominent seat at her son's wedding was something the Cedric of the past would never have considered.
“Are you serious?”
“I believe Father would have wished for it, too.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Cedric surprised himself. He realized he had come to believe, quite naturally, that his father would never have wanted his mother to live out her days in loneliness.
Perhaps he had realized it because of Harriet.
‘If I were to die first and leave Harriet behind, my greatest worry would be her living a lonely life.’
Now, he finally understood why his father had entrusted his mother to him so earnestly before passing away. And as for Samuel Weaver—a man who had spent years holding his breath in the shadows, guarding Jeremia’s side—it felt right to finally acknowledge him.
“Thank you, Cedric.”
Her voice was a whisper through glistening tears, thick with a tangle of emotions: gratitude, longing, regret, and a bittersweet joy.
As Jeremia pulled out a handkerchief to press against her eyes, Harriet nudged Cedric in the ribs.
‘Go on. Hug her.’
Cedric tilted his head, looking confused, so Harriet poked him a little harder.
He didn’t see the need for such an awkward display, but since it was Harriet’s command, he had no choice but to obey. He stepped to his mother’s side and wrapped her in a stiff, awkward embrace. Suddenly, Jeremia burst into loud, heavy sobs.
“H-hoo… Cedric! Oh, Cedric…”
He had never seen his mother weep like this, and he stood there, utterly flustered.
Harriet, however, acted as if she had expected it. She sat in the chair on Jeremia’s other side and began to soothe her, gently stroking her back. Over his mother’s sobbing form, Cedric’s gaze met Harriet’s. She was smiling at him, her eyes saying, ‘Well done.’
‘I owe you yet again.’
Cedric felt a profound sense of gratitude toward Harriet for comforting his mother’s heart in a way he never could. Thanks to her, he felt the walls between him and his mother finally beginning to crumble.
Jeremia, having cried her heart out in the arms of her son and future daughter-in-law, eventually straightened herself. She looked embarrassed but refreshed, her voice returning to its usual cheerful lilt.
“Now then, leave all these troublesome matters to me. You two go and prepare the dress and jewelry. Cedric, you can handle the escorting, can’t you?”
“I did learn how when I was young, though I’m not sure I can do it without making a mistake,” he joked.
Jeremia and Harriet both burst into laughter.
*
Two days later, the pair stopped by Servijou to finalize the dress fitting.
Following the superstition that a groom shouldn't see the wedding dress until the day of the ceremony, Cedric waited outside. When Harriet finally emerged, she looked completely drained.
“You look exhausted.”
“Haa…” Harriet let out a weary sigh the moment she saw him. “How much was that dress again?”
“I told you not to worry about the cost.”
“It was 98,000 Dirham, wasn’t it? I haven’t forgotten. As if I could ever forget a number like that.”
Cedric didn't have a clear image of the dress Harriet was talking about. However, Jeremia had made quite a fuss after the initial contract, claiming that he might actually shed tears of emotion when he saw Harriet in it. It was bound to be beautiful.
He couldn't understand why Harriet, who must have been showered with praise by the staff, looked so troubled.
“Does the price bother you that much?”
“I suppose I’m just not cut out for the life of the wealthy. Just thinking about that much money being ‘thrown away’ on a dress and jewelry makes me break out in a cold sweat.”
“Both can be resold, so there’s no need for concern.”
“Of course I’ll have to sell them back to cover the loss! But I won’t get the original price. I don’t know about the jewelry, but the dress… Haa… It really is such a beautiful dress…”
A hint of genuine regret colored her voice. As Jeremia had predicted, the dress she had chosen truly suited her, even in her own estimation.
‘Should I just buy it for her?’ he wondered.
He considered it, but the price of a gown from a shop that catered to the Imperial Family was far beyond what a common noblewoman could reasonably justify owning.
“98,000 Dirham… That much for a single dress is madness. But to think of it going to someone else…”
It was too precious to part with. She had never been greedy for clothes before, but strangely, she coveted this wedding dress with a fierce intensity—even if she didn't know when, or if, she would ever wear it again.
Cedric, watching her, guessed the direction of her thoughts and smiled secretly to himself.
‘Is she worried someone else will buy it?’
It was a groundless worry, though he didn't say so to the brooding Harriet. A gown commissioned for a ducal wedding could never be passed on to another client, even if the deal fell through. No woman other than Harriet would ever wear that dress.
‘I’m just glad she truly liked it.’
Satisfied, Cedric led her toward Lundberg.
He had summoned several jewelers of similar prestige to present their wares, but Harriet had turned pale at the sight of the price tags and asked him to ‘just choose something.’ Since the earrings he had bought her previously suited her so well, Cedric chose Lundberg again without hesitation.
Damier Lundberg, the shop owner whose fame had only grown recently, welcomed the couple with a beaming smile.
“As you requested, I have prepared a selection that will perfectly complement Lady Listerwell. Please, come this way.”
In the private inner room, a variety of accessories and tiaras were laid out across a large table. Most were diamonds, accented with various stones in different styles. They all shared two things in common: they sparkled brilliantly, and their prices were eye-watering.
“The current trend is to mix and match complementary pieces rather than wearing a rigid full set,” Damier explained. “If you choose a flamboyant tiara, you might skip the necklace and focus on the earrings and ring. Conversely, a simple tiara allows for a more statement-heavy necklace.”
Harriet stared at the dazzling array, her mouth slightly agape. Damier looked on with pride.
“This one here, with the romantic filigree, is a very popular tiara among brides this season. And these pieces would pair beautifully with it…”
His explanation was passionate, but Harriet struggled to take it in. One can only process what one understands, and she had never worn jewelry this expensive in her life—save for the earrings Cedric had given her.
“Please, feel free to look around. Let me know if anything catches your eye.”
As she shifted her gaze awkwardly, the owner excused himself to give them privacy to discuss. Only then did Harriet find her voice.