Chapter 30: Chapter 30
The short time of the sunset passed and darkness started to fall, but Edgar didn’t come. As it got darker outside, Ann’s face started to turn dark as well.
“… the meeting must have been extended.”
“Yes.”
“He must have no choice, the king must be insisting that he stays.”
“It’s okay, Ann.”
“… Lady Berner.”
Unlike Ann, who was anxious, Rubica just thought it was fine.
If the wedding couldn’t be done properly because of the king’s fault, wouldn’t he feel guilty and declare the marriage as invalid?
‘That would be nice, I wish he doesn’t come….’
But regardless of her wishes, the arrival of Edgar’s carriage was announced when the moon was up in the sky.
‘Oh well, I guess it was worth hoping for.’
***
As soon as Edgar arrived at the abbey, a servant helped him get dressed. It had taken Rubica hours to wear her wedding dress, but it took him only about 10 minutes.
He had practically lived in his carriage for three days, but his skin was still as smooth as marble. He had sprinkled just a few drops of water on his hair, but it looked like as if it had been combed with expensive oil. The servant was quietly impressed at this.
“Where is Carl?”
“He is back at the mansion, preparing for the wedding feast.”
Edgar slightly frowned. The servant flinched, wondering if he had made any mistake.
“And the bride?”
“She finished preparing a long time ago. The priest is waiting as well.”
He tried not to sound as if he was blaming his master and carefully put the circlet on Edgar’s head. His blue eyes didn’t lose their beauty underneath the luxurious circlet. They rather had a strange brilliance. Edgar lightly nodded, checked his cuff buttons for the last time and walked to the hall.
A priest, who had been waiting for him, smiled and opened the door for him. What he saw next was enough to surprise even him.
‘… they did this in a day?’
He had known Carl and Ann were an excellent butler and housewife for a very long time, but he hadn’t thought they would prepare everything so perfectly. The hall was lighted with candles floating on the water which glowed in the dim light along the aisle.
The white flowers under the candles created a fantastic mood, it was as if the hall was in another world. Rubica soon entered the hall. On the dress’ silhouette hiding in the dark, golden embroidery gleamed with the candles’ light.
With each of her step, an afterimage like a beautiful bird soaring up to the sky lingered with the embroidery’s movement. A breeze came from somewhere and lightly stroked the mysterious golden mist before going away. Over the scattered mist, the red and full lips showed themselves for a short moment.
The only red, splendid flower blooming amongst white flowers.
It was as if everything in that space was existing for her. Too late, Edgar realized his mouth was dry. Some kind of liquid floated up under his chest and filled up his head. He hadn’t felt such a feeling since when he saw splendid fireworks on his father’s shoulder.
People called that feeling thrill, but he saw a face beautiful enough to thrill others in the mirror every day. He scarcely felt thrilled at the beauty of something else. He just froze there and tried to find out how to define that unfamiliar feeling for a long time.
Cold sweat ran down his back and his face was getting hot.
Yes, it must be that.
‘I must have caught a cold.’
During the last three days, he had gone to the Berner Mansion, to the king’s palace, and then to Hue’s abbey. It must have been tiring enough to catch a cold.
‘I must tell Carl to bring me some medicine as soon as the wedding is over.’
He simply diagnosed his symptoms and took a step closer to Rubica to escort her. From a close distance, what had looked like a mysterious golden fog turned out to be a fine golden veil. Rubica’s auburn eyes looked up at him behind the thin lace. He suddenly started to hear a strange sound.
Boom, boom, boom.
He had sometimes heard that sound when he took medications prescribed by doctors to work after not sleeping for three days.
‘It’s strange, I can’t be this tired.’
His body felt light.
But strangely, when he stretched out his hand to escort Rubica, he felt like his body wasn’t his. He froze stiff.
‘It’s strange. The sun is gone. It can’t be.’
Then, Rubica’s warm hand found his hand. Warm spring-like feeling coursed through his veins and spread to his entire body. He could feel his stiff body relaxing. He took Rubica’s hand and started to walk to the priest.
“Um, it’s too fast.”
Rubica quickly grabbed her dress and whispered. Edgar realized she almost fell and was embarrassed.
“I’m sorry.”
Now it was Rubica’s turn to break in a cold sweat.
Has this man just said he was sorry?
She tried to glance at him, but she couldn’t see well because of the veil. On their way to the priest, Edgar barely managed to speak in spite of his burning mouth.
“You are…”
“Are?”
“Not that bad.”
Now, what was that about? Rubica wondered, but she soon decided to dismiss it as nothing. She was more bothered by the fact they were getting closer and closer to the priest.
‘I am about to swear falsely in front of Hue.’
Hue, the god of love, was special to her. He had given her a place to live and the will to live a new life.
Could she have met Arman if there had been no Hue’s abbey? And now she was about to say the marriage vow in front of Hue with a man she didn’t love. She felt guilty.
“What a nice-looking couple.”
The high priest, who oversaw the ritual, smiled and congratulated them. Among the many rituals he led, high priest Andre liked weddings the most. One of the reasons he chose to become Hue’s priest was, in fact, for the weddings.
Because of the belief that an oath of true love in front of Hue was always fulfilled, some creatures sometimes knocked on his door late at night. Sometimes they were small goblins who came up to under his knees, sometimes they were beings who were heard but not seen. Most people would have shuddered in fear, but Andre didn’t.
Love was the thing that made even mighty dragons tremble. Not lightening, not gold, not intense flame, but love. This unseen feeling seemed to be nothing but had great power. Hue’s priests oversaw it, and they were welcomed everywhere.
Andre gladly blessed everyone who came to him to swear an oath of love, even when they were monsters. ‘Love your enemies as your neighbors.’ That was Hue’s teaching. There could be no discrimination in love.
Plus, this wedding was for Duke Claymore and the woman who had seized his heart.
When he was asked to officiate the wedding, he seriously nodded, closed the door, and thought, ‘Thank you, Hue! Getting to officiate such an important wedding, that is why I am a high priest.’
Then, he danced for some time.
“According to the teachings of Hue, protector of beauty and true love…”
His deep and thick voice filled the hall.
As soon as he started to speak the words of oath written in the Hue’s holy book, Rubica quickly crossed the index and middle finger under her bouquet. That was the gesture of confessing in advance when forced to swear falsely in front of a god.
‘Please, forgive me for swearing falsely.’
Neither Andre nor the witnesses got to see that gesture, but Edgar, who was right next to her, saw it. Rubica didn’t realize it and went on with her own prayer as the high priest spoke.
“Even when misfortune or suffering tears you apart… to believe and rely on each other…”
‘Even if I cannot meet Arman now, my love is too big to be crushed by this ordeal. Even if the wheel of fortune turns wrong and we never get to meet again, I will keep this love forever.’
But thinking about it again, never getting to meet again was too much.
‘No, please let me meet Arman again. You are the god of love, and I was taught you protect true love more than anything. Although my love hasn’t been completed yet, please let me tell Arman that I love him. I will gladly go through any hardship if I can do that. Please, don’t test your daughter and help her instead.’
“Then, I ask Miss Rubica Berner. Do you swear true love in front of Hue?”
The high priest finished speaking and asked the bride. Rubica, who had been praying, opened her eyes.
Then, she answered confidently.
“Yes.”
She said that without hesitating, but she didn’t say that about the marriage with Duke Claymore. She was swearing that her love for Arman was true in front of Hue.
Andre didn’t know that. He smiled at Rubica’s answer and looked at the bridegroom. Then, he looked down at the document to call his official name.
‘… it is really long.’
Edgar Taylor Clayd Windmore, the name he was known by to most people, was actually a short version of his long name. The high priest wished he could get a sip of water as he went on to recite Edgar’s name.
“… do you swear true love in front of Hue?”