The next day’s wedding ceremony at the grand cathedral was a magnificent affair.
Attendees included dignitaries from foreign nations, influential nobles, and high-ranking officials from across the kingdom—a truly illustrious gathering.
And all of them were stunned, their eyes fixed on the Tear of the Spirit that adorned my chest.
The ceremony proceeded solemnly, and the archbishop turned to me, asking for my vow.
“Love? I do not vow to love.”
I smiled sweetly.
“I have no love to offer a man who cheats.”
At that moment, the floor of the cathedral began to tremble.
Rumble! A deafening roar, like the growl of a beast, echoed through the air.
Countless vines burst through the floor, wrapping around the legs, bodies, and arms of everyone in the cathedral, entangling them tightly.
The people were bound, immobilized by the constricting vines.
“What… what is this!?”
“I-I can’t move! Someone, help me!”
“Where are the soldiers!? Where are the mages!?”
Of course, the soldiers were also trapped by the vines, and as for the mages, they couldn’t even chant spells because the vines had crept into their mouths. I’m the only one in the kingdom who can cast magic without incantations.
“Ufufu, I’ve placed a soundproof barrier around us, so no matter how much you scream, no one outside will hear you.”
I turned my gaze to the crown prince.
“I do not love you, so I cannot marry you. But surely that’s acceptable, right? You intend to make the one you love your primary wife, and I have no desire to live as a secondary wife, merely to be used.”
“Why!? You loved me, didn’t you? Even if Yulia were my primary wife, I planned to love you as my secondary!”
The crown prince’s shouting made my eyes grow cold. He seemed to believe that because I loved him, he could do whatever he pleased, and I would forgive him.
“Are you an idiot? The moment you cheated, I discarded you. Even so, as someone born into nobility, I was prepared to protect the kingdom as your queen. But the royal family humiliated me by attempting to make me a secondary wife. I’m done with you, and with the royal family as well.”
Tap.
In the midst of the chaos, where no one could move, my bodyguard calmly walked down the carpet in the center of the cathedral, his footsteps echoing loudly. With each tap, the panicked voices of the people began to quiet, and soon all eyes were on him.
He knelt before me, respectfully extending his hand.
I placed my hand in his.
A murmur swept through the cathedral.
“As compensation for your infidelity, I’ll be taking the Tear of the Spirit.”
I had obeyed for seven long years, all to lower your guard until this moment. If you hadn’t done something so foolish, I would have been content to live my life quietly, surrounded by a hundred cats.
Since childhood, I had known the danger I posed.
That’s why I always kept my expression and behavior demure. Even when asking for something, like the royal treasure, I never rebelled. People tend to underestimate those who never resist. You saw me as nothing more than a quiet, convenient object, oblivious to the threat I could be.
Thank you, truly, for underestimating me.
I chuckled softly and cast one final glance at the crown prince, who stood there in shock.
“Please, do enjoy a long reign as a foolish king—or rather, as a false king.”
The Tear of the Spirit is the symbol of kingship in this kingdom. Every king, throughout history, has ruled with the Tear of the Spirit. In short, without it, no matter your royal lineage, you cannot be recognized as the legitimate ruler.
The crown prince, pale and desperate, tried frantically to stop me.
“Wait, I’m sorry, I was wrong! Please, don’t go, I beg you! I beg you!”
The king shouted, “We’ll make Yulia the secondary wife! Is that acceptable?”
My father, the duke, yelled furiously, “Reconsider! Are you trying to ruin the duke’s house?!”
Standing before the cathedral doors, I addressed the crowd.
“Everyone, someone will notice something is wrong eventually, and they’ll come to help. However, even if all the kingdom’s mages are mobilized, it may take more than three days to dispel the magic. During that time, you might experience some embarrassment regarding… restroom matters, but that is the result of the royal family’s foolishness. If you must hold a grudge, please direct it at them.”
Screams erupted into terrified wails, but I calmly closed the door behind me with a soft click.
* * *
The sound of the carriage’s rattling echoed as we rode along.
Sitting comfortably on the plush cushions, I squinted in delight, watching my normally silent bodyguard as he skillfully drove the carriage. I had arranged for the vines to wither in an hour for foreign guests, the elderly, and women, so there was no need to worry about them. By now, we had crossed two borders, and there was no longer any fear of pursuit.
The royal family’s honor was in tatters after the bride fled the wedding. Worse still, their prestige had crumbled when I escaped with the Tear of the Spirit. Slowly but surely, the people’s trust in the monarchy would erode, like a landslide.
“Serge, we’re husband and wife now, so isn’t it time you started calling me by my name?” I said in a playful, teasing tone.
Serge, flustered, quickly responded, “Lydia, it’s like a dream come true that I can finally say your name. From the moment we first met, I have loved you with all my heart.”
I blushed furiously.
Serge typically only spoke in “yes” or “no.” The only other phrase he would say, given how popular he was, was a blunt “I refuse” or, even sharper, “I dislike you.”
But from this day onward, Serge spared no words when speaking to me. To others, he still only said “yes” or “no.”
“Lydia, I love you. I adore you.”
“Lydia, it’s a kitten—so cute, right? Of course, you’re a thousand times cuter.”
“Lydia, I’ll never leave your side. From now on, I’ll be here for you during your hardships and sadness. It makes me so happy that I can now stand by your side, protecting you from pain and anger.”
And I am happy too.
I had given up on love, burdened by the responsibilities and weight of being a noblewoman, but you were my first love all along.
Ufufu, the most important secrets are best kept hidden in one’s heart.
[The End]
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