Chapter 200
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200
"Um, your name... I mean, how should we address you?"
"Oh! How rude of me not to introduce myself. My apologies. My name is Henry Jensen. I am a footman for the Ducal House of Kailas."
"Ah, I see. Thank you, Mr. Jensen."
"Please, feel free to call me Henry. If you’ll excuse me."
He offered a polite smile, then stepped back to stand near a pillar where they could see him with just a turn of their heads.
Emma kept stealing glances at him, while Agnes, who had been watching from beside her, cleared her throat and whispered, "He’s quite the handsome young man."
"H-he certainly is, isn't he?"
"And he doesn't look much older than you, Emma."
"He looks at least three or four years older than me, though?"
"That’s just perfect."
Emma was about to ask what exactly was "perfect," but the music began at that moment, and her attention was instantly pulled away.
Inside the high-ceilinged chapel, the grand music echoing through the hall served as a signal for everyone to take their seats. People who had been busy greeting acquaintances hurried to their places, and the priests who would conduct the wedding appeared at the altar.
As the commotion subsided, the choir seated behind the orchestra rose in unison. Their voices, heavenly and pure, filled the air.
"Bless us! Your worshippers, your obedient servants, offer our praise. May joy and glory be present here today."
To the sound of that holy, solemn music, the bride and groom appeared at the end of the long aisle, dressed in matching white ceremonial robes.
"Phew..."
"I know it’s a hassle. But there are certain formalities in this world that are best just gotten over with."
"Haha, this kind of formality is definitely enough for one lifetime."
"I promise I won't make you go through this a second time."
Cedric whispered the small joke to a nervous Harriet, then took her hand and stepped forward.
Despite the hundreds of guests in attendance, the only sounds in the chapel were the choir’s song and the soft rustle of Harriet’s train dragging across the floor.
"You look truly beautiful today."
"Stop it. Someone might hear you."
Cedric, who had been playfully whispering only to receive a scolding, was in such a good mood that he couldn't stop smiling. He had been genuinely stunned when he first saw Harriet in her dress earlier that day.
I have to admit, Mother has excellent taste.
The Servijou dress that Jeremia had presented even before the formal proposal suited Harriet perfectly, just as she had promised.
The pale silver-gray bodice elegantly highlighted Harriet’s straight collarbones and sculpted shoulders, delicately embroidered with tiny fragments of beads. The voluminous sleeves and skirt were crafted from the finest smooth silk. The veil draped over her dark chestnut hair was as transparent as a fairy’s wing, and even her shoes—hidden beneath the layers of her skirt—were studded with diamonds.
Of course, the dress was only beautiful because the one wearing it was Harriet.
"We shall now proceed with the wedding ceremony of the groom, Cedric Kailas, and the bride, Harriet Listerwell. Under the blessing of Yawar, may the two of them..."
As the priest began the long congratulatory address over their heads, the guests began to whisper among themselves.
"Sir Herbert, when did you first notice their relationship?" Gerard, Cedric’s aide, asked the butler in a low voice.
"Hmm... I believe it was when Viscount Listerwell brought over that uninspected wine. His Grace drank it with the Viscount that very day—a wine that no one else would have been allowed to bring past the mansion’s threshold."
"I thought it was strange when His Grace asked me to help with the opening of Saint Clarissa Soap & Herb. It was a rather absurd situation, looking back."
Recalling those days, which now felt like a lifetime ago, the two men looked at Cedric and Harriet with deep satisfaction.
Meanwhile, in the section reserved for the bride’s family, Trisha gently took Roxana’s hand.
"Now, all I need is to see you get married."
"Mother, I..."
"Don't be so quick to say it won't happen. Does this situation—where that tomboy Harriet is becoming the Duchess of Kailas—make any sense? Anything is possible."
"But Mother, you said from the very beginning that you thought they’d be good together."
"I was still surprised when it actually happened, though."
Roxana knew that affection and worry were hidden beneath Trisha’s sarcastic tone. She also knew that Trisha was happier about this marriage than anyone else in the room.
"I feel the same, but Lady Harriet is practically your daughter, too."
"Of course she is! She’s a daughter I raised with such care."
Tears welled up in Trisha’s usually cool, resolute eyes. She hadn't expected to experience such joy in her later years, and the realization made her heart swell.
Jeremia, seated in the groom’s section, was in a similar state.
"If the groom’s mother cries like this, people will look at you strangely, Jeremia," Samuel whispered.
"I know! I know, but..." Even though Samuel, seated beside her, tried his best to comfort her, she couldn't stop the tears. "Is it alright for me to be this happy at my son’s wedding?"
"Of course. Your son is marrying the woman he loves. It’s only natural for a mother to be happy."
"Right? His father would have cried too if he could see this."
"He is watching. And I’m sure he’s just as happy as you are." Samuel’s hand warmly enveloped Jeremia’s.
Emperor Durein, watching the scene from a short distance away, whispered to Anastasia.
"I should arrange for Jeremia and Count Weaver to be together soon."
"That’s a wonderful idea. Jeremia is still too young to live out her life alone, and I haven't seen anyone as devoted as Count Weaver."
Although their own second son had recently had his engagement broken off, it didn't mean they couldn't bless the union of others. The imperial couple exchanged a look filled with complex emotions, then sighed softly and nodded.
The bride’s close friends were also seated near the front. Viviana, who had been peeking at the Emperor and Empress, whispered to Daphne.
"I’m confident I won't be surprised by any wedding I attend in the future. How could anything top this?"
Daphne chuckled softly. "But Lady Harriet herself must be suffering."
"Pfft! You’re right. I dropped by to say hello yesterday, and she looked absolutely miserable. She said she’d just pretend she was dead for the day and endure it."
At her words, the men who had escorted them chimed in.
"Just unwrapping the wedding gifts will take days, won't it?"
"By the way, what gift did Young Master Dawson send?"
"Daphne and I sent silverware in our names. And Young Master Everett?"
"Viviana and I sent a vase, but... I’m not sure if those two will find it acceptable."
Jerome Everett, Viviana’s fiancé, considered it a great honor to have become an acquaintance of the Duke and Duchess through his beloved. But it was a double-edged sword; if he ever made Viviana sad, he knew the new Duchess wouldn't stand idly by.
As the guests shared their thoughts, the priest’s address finally drew to a close.
"...And so, just as Armonia and Tije did, may they prosper with many offspring and live happily ever after in God’s mercy."
As soon as the address concluded, the ring exchange began.
Cedric slipped a dazzling diamond ring onto Harriet’s finger. Though smaller than the engagement ring of a certain woman whose jewelry had been the talk of high society, it was an elegant, dignified gem of far greater value.
"Some say the custom of placing a ring on a spouse’s finger symbolizes shackles and confinement. Personally, I’m quite fond of that interpretation."
Harriet shot a slight glare at Cedric, who was smiling contentedly.
"I won't make you afraid," he added.
"That sounds like you’ll just do everything behind my back."
"You’ve become quite quick-witted."
At his words—which could have been a joke or a promise—Harriet subtly poked his side with her elbow, careful not to let the guests notice. The strength of her pokes was growing by the day, but Cedric couldn't suppress his laughter, looking utterly delighted. Those who knew his usual cold demeanor were likely stunned.
The priests stood on either side of them, sprinkling holy water and continuing their blessings. One priest’s words stood out.
"For the union of Cedric Kailas, son of his father, and Harriet Listerwell, daughter of her mother, may fathers and fathers rejoice, and mothers and mothers bless..."
Harriet, listening quietly, spoke to Cedric. "I feel like they’re watching us from somewhere right now."
Cedric didn't need to ask who she meant. "They’re probably here. My father was the stoic type, so he’d be trying to act dignified, but your parents would likely be shedding tears of joy."
"My father would definitely cry more than my mother."
Recalling the parents they had lost too soon, the two looked into each other’s eyes.
"I will love you even more," Cedric promised, "enough to make up for everything they couldn't give you."
"And I will do the same for you."
Without waiting for the priests to finish, they were naturally drawn to each other, meeting in a deep, lingering kiss.
It was a deviation from the strict protocol of a temple wedding. The priests looked flustered, but the guests erupted into cheers, a mix of surprise and admiration filling the chapel.
"Ah... I was trying to stop being a scandal maker, but..." Harriet murmured as they pulled apart.
"I apologize for not being able to help with that," Cedric replied with a grin.
Harriet expected that she and Cedric would once again be the talk of the town, but she was no longer afraid. She had a man who would stand by her side no matter what happened.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, and the bells began to ring, signaling the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception.
The dance of the Duke and Duchess would continue late into the night.
- The End -