The decision to marry had come so suddenly that the ceremony itself felt even more abrupt. As expected, there was no lavish wedding or grand reception like those of other nobles. Their entire marriage consisted of a brief priestly blessing and the signing of the marriage certificate inside the old annex of the mansion that had once served as a chapel.
The only part that truly felt like a wedding was the rowdy group of mercenaries who had shown up as guests. Of course, Kainel hadn’t invited them. Yet somehow they had found out and gathered on their own, filling the chapel with their presence.
At least they had enough sense to limit their numbers to around a few dozen.
“Whoa….”
It wasn’t just loyalty to their Commander. Throughout the ceremony, their eyes stayed fixed on the woman beside him. When the priest finished reciting the formal vows and called Tatiana aside, Major Gerald, who had been watching nervously the whole time, ushered everyone toward the reception hall.
“Get out already. Who said you could come this far?”
“Commander, it’s not that—”
“Enough. Just drink!”
The so-called reception was modest at best, but the alcohol flowed freely. Major Gerald filled Kainel’s cup while taking the central seat.
“Please understand, Commander. They’re just curious, that’s all.”
If not for the change in location from the training grounds to the mansion and Kainel’s formal attire, the gathering of men would have looked no different from their usual drinking sessions. Everyone still seemed dazed, as if they hadn’t woken from a dream. Major Gerald frowned.
‘What are you doing!’
It was their Commander’s wedding. Since the ceremony itself had been so hastily arranged, the least they could do was offer some cheerful laughter. When Major Gerald nudged someone’s foot under the table, the signal worked, forced, hearty laughter erupted from all sides.
“Whoa, the alcohol tastes especially good today!”
“You’re right. Commander, you’re too much. Keeping such fine liquor at home without telling us. Isn’t that right, Turin?”
“…Tatiana Cartien getting married.”
“…….”
Turin’s loud, drunken mutter instantly killed the rising mood. His yellowish-green eyes had been half-glazed since the ceremony began.
“…How could the Commander possibly marry Princess Cartien—”
“Hey. Princess, my ass. She’s a Viscount’s daughter. Well, now just a lady.”
“Don’t say that. Lady Tatiana isn’t the type to get married!”
“…….”
Several knights who had tried to stop Turin fell silent, their expressions solemn. They couldn’t scold him. After all, the reason they had risked their lives to attend their Commander’s wedding before marching out to slay monsters at dawn was no different from Turin’s.
Really… Lady Tatiana, the goddess, was getting married.
And to their own Commander.
“I, I even bought every postcard that came out every year. I went out of my way to get the calendars they only give out at the Cartien family hotels. Just to get one portrait of Lady Tatiana.”
“I went when the jewelry shop opened—”
“…….”
As Turin covered his mouth with a large hand in disbelief, the other knights clinked their glasses together in agreement. It was an open secret that among the knights and mercenaries, there wasn’t a single man who hadn’t harbored feelings for at least one of the Cartien sisters.
With five of them, each different in age and appearance, one was bound to match anyone’s taste.
Especially the youngest, Tatiana. She had debuted in an extraordinary way, modeled as the baby angel statue at the temple when she was only three. Most of the men here had grown up seeing that statue. Over time, she became the symbol of the entire Cartien family business, moving from girl statues to goddess statues.
It wasn’t romantic affection. It was a sacred, untouchable beauty, the kind of reverence that remained in the hearts of knights who had faced death on the battlefield. Several who had nearly died from blood loss spoke of the same vision, a pale angel with wings fluttering above them, wearing Tatiana’s face.
“Lady Tatiana isn’t someone who should get married. Even Lavella said the same. Back in the Kiberian battle, when he was stabbed by a spear and nearly died….”
“Shut your stupid mouth already, you crazy bastard.”
“…….”
“There are identical goddess statues in every temple. Of course that face would come to mind, not someone else’s!”
Smack! Owen, who had been drinking himself into a stupor beside Turin, finally snapped and shouted. He was just as shocked by today’s wedding as Turin was. Though his feelings were different from the others’ worship, the pain was the same.
“It’s not about her face! Why would our Commander marry that kind of woman…. Aaaagh! This is driving me insane!”
Drunk and limp, Owen let his head fall back against the chair. Now that the Commander had actually gone through with the wedding, he couldn’t openly badmouth her anymore. Major Gerald shot Owen a sharp glare before bowing apologetically to Kainel.
“Please understand. Everyone’s having trouble believing that you and Lady Tatiana, I mean, the lady, actually got married. Even after seeing the priest read the vows and declare it with their own eyes…. Commander?”
“……..”
Major Gerald’s excuses trailed off as he looked up and met the one man who seemed to believe in this marriage the least. Kainel’s red eyes were fixed on a single point, ignoring the surrounding noise. Beyond the red brick arch, in the reception room where Tatiana was speaking with the priest, his gaze was locked, deep, intense, and unwavering.
“…….”
It seemed as if the only thing he could see or hear was that woman. His eyes never left Tatiana even once. It wasn’t the affectionate look of a new groom. It was something heavier, raw, burning obsession that no one could deny.
Even Kainel himself couldn’t deny it.
‘That woman really….’
Kainel stared at her bright smile while downing every cup that was refilled. From the elegant greeting she gave him that morning, to lifting her eyes in the white dress, to reciting the vows before the priest, to this very moment where she shimmered within his sight, he had doubted it all.
Yes. Of course he had.
“…Lady Annesia said she would come by to speak with you for a moment.”
A moment? How could he believe that?
There were no guarantees in this damned life. The moment he heard that Tatiana’s older sister had arrived, he had lost his composure. It was always like this. He hadn’t even had time to rein in his thoughts, his mouth still tasted of the metallic bitterness that had risen to his throat as he ran.
“Haa.”
Another glass of liquor slid down Kainel’s throat, as if trying to wash away that bitter taste. It seemed the unease he had felt when he met her on the forest path hadn’t left him. She was the kind of woman who brought new anxiety before he could even feel relief.
‘Does she even remember….’
Even if he could shake off yesterday’s exhausted expression, he at least hoped that the heated gaze she had shown when she placed her hand on his shoulder and kissed him would remain unchanged. Yet seeing her smile so brightly, as if nothing had happened, made something heavy settle in his chest.
So he couldn’t look away. If he turned his eyes for even a moment, it felt as though the fact that she had held his hand and sworn marriage today would vanish into nothing.
“…Kainel?”
“…….”
His relentless stare finally left Tatiana for the first time. Whether fortunate or not, it wasn’t only Kainel. After finishing her conversation with the priest, Tatiana suddenly turned her head toward the banquet hall, and everyone’s eyes twitched at once like broken clock hands.
“Ha, haha! Really. Hahaha!”
“You’re right. Haha!”
“…It seems you’re sharing an interesting story.”
Tatiana’s elegant steps reached the table where the sudden laughter had erupted. She glanced at Kainel before offering formal greetings to the guests. Though it was only a polite expression of thanks, it meant something special to them.
“Thank you for coming today.”
“Ah, yes. Yes!”
The temple statue, the portrait on the postcard, right in front of them. She smiled, occasionally spoke to them, and they couldn’t keep their wits about them. Eventually, Tatiana even handed water directly to Turin, who had started hiccuping.
She also greeted Owen beside him.
“Thank you for coming. May I ask your name….”
“It’s Owen! Is that all right?”
“…….”
“You must feel so relieved! Kainel— no, our Commander, what kind of man he is, doing whatever he wants with people, haa. Really. Hnnngh!”
“Be quiet, you crazy bastard!”
Turin shot up and clamped his hand over Owen’s mouth. It wasn’t the usual Turin who could barely move around Owen. Startled, the knights couldn’t even intervene and just stood frozen with their mouths shut. Turin’s face flushed red as he muttered.
“Y, You shouldn’t speak like that to the lady. How could anyone dare to the lady…. It’s not right. That’s not allowed.”
“Ghh!”
“If you do that to the lady, the gods might get angry and something terrible could happen….”
Of course, he meant it about the temple’s angel statue rather than Tatiana herself, but Turin had also lost his reason just like Owen. At this embarrassing scene, Major Gerald and the others grew anxious, unsure how Tatiana would react.
Fortunately, she offered an elegant farewell as naturally as she had all day.
“I see. I understand now, Sir Owen. You too, Sir Turin.”
“I, I….”
“And you don’t need to worry about the Commander. Since he’s precious to all of you, I’ll do my best as well. I’ll head up first. Enjoy your time.”
“Uh, uh!”
When she placed one hand on her collarbone and bent her knees in a curtsy, everyone at the table reflexively stood up. The only ones still seated were Owen with Turin’s hand over his mouth, and Kainel, who hadn’t spoken a word since the vows and had only watched her.
“Well then, as you said, we should drink more. Hahaha!”
“Ha! Haha… ha.”
“…….”
The meaningless laughter that had risen in response to Tatiana’s smile died the moment she walked away. In the uncontrollable awkwardness and silence, only the ticking of the large wall clock echoed through the hall.
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