Satisfied, I bowed and moved away, my wife clinging to my arm with a slight tilt of her head. Even so, I already found myself wishing we could escape and be alone.
"Celestine…?"
The voice made us pause. Turning around, we saw the prince and the baron’s daughter standing there, both gaping.
My wife’s grip on my arm tightened slightly, though her face betrayed nothing. I gave her a reassuring smile before turning to face the pair.
"It’s been a while, Your Highness."
"Ah, yes. Since the wedding, I suppose," the prince replied, though his eyes remained glued to my wife.
The baron’s daughter at his side glanced at him nervously, her unease unnoticed by the prince.
"Thank you for attending our ceremony. Thanks to you, we’ve been enjoying a harmonious married life."
"…Ah, yes."
"I owe you my deepest gratitude, Your Highness. Without you, I would not have been blessed with such a goddess-like, radiant wife."
"Oh, my dear, how embarrassing!"
Blushing furiously, my wife’s flustered expression made the prince’s eyes widen even further. Around us, other men abandoned their partners to gape at her.
What had transformed her so dramatically?
Her appearance hadn’t changed. She was always peerless, unmatched by any other woman.
The only difference, as she herself mentioned to the King earlier, was her marriage to me.
Once an untouchable goddess, she now possessed a blend of beauty and pure, heartfelt charm—something perhaps brought about by love. If I wasn’t mistaken, her radiance now included the tender expression of a woman deeply in love.
With this combination of allure and innocence, she had become utterly invincible.
"Indeed, I should temper my pride before I’m mocked for gushing too much. By the way, Your Highness’s companion is quite charming—like a modest wildflower on the roadside."
The compliment was so clearly contrived that it bordered on mockery. No, it was mockery.
The baron’s daughter, with her petite stature, lack of curves, and small chest, was cute in her own way—but unremarkable. A woman of her caliber could be found with little effort.
I knew the prince had resented my wife’s beauty for wounding his pride, but I still couldn’t fathom why he had chosen this baron’s daughter.
I vaguely recalled him justifying his choice with nonsense about wanting someone fragile and in need of support, but such sentimental reasoning only exposed his immaturity.
A half-grown man taking on a fragile woman was a recipe for mutual collapse.
After giving the baron’s daughter a quick once-over, I turned back to admire my wife. Then, glancing at the baron’s daughter again, I let out a quiet, derisive laugh.
The baron’s daughter flushed red, her lips trembling as she bit them, and looked up at the prince for help.
But he was too enthralled by my wife to notice her plight.
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