Following the steps that my adjutant Raul had repeated to me so many times it could make my ears ache, I approached my fiancée, Lady Citroen.
There would normally be a priest standing at the altar of the palace chapel, but today, no one was present.
Instead, the stained glass overhead cast colorful light, vividly tinting Lady Citroen’s veil.
I glanced subtly toward the wall. A few chairs had been arranged for my parents, King Tidros and the Queen, as well as my elder brother, the Crown Prince. Sitting next to them was Lord Barrymore.
It was only a month ago that an official marriage proposal came from the Kingdom of Tania.
I was utterly shocked because I was sure it would be rejected.
From that moment on, it was a whirlwind of preparations.
To be frank, the bride-to-be over there already had all her arrangements for marriage in order, so it was just a matter of us getting things ready.
But still… My brow furrowed slightly, my face contorting.
“Is it really okay for someone like me?” I couldn’t help but wonder.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a deliberate cough from behind me.
While strolling leisurely down the red carpet, I shifted my gaze and saw Raul glaring at me. He clearly wanted me to stop dawdling and move forward.
Raul is a young man, probably around thirty. He’s my milk brother and serves as my adjutant in the knightly order.
He has a cool, composed face, which makes him quite popular with women, but he always says, “I can’t even think about getting married before the captain.”
I’d always tease him back, saying, “If you wait for me, you’ll be an old man,” but I recalled how last night, while we were drinking together, he suddenly started crying, saying, “Now I can finally get married without any regrets.”
That made me smile softly.
Despite everything, Raul must have wanted to get married too. I felt bad about that and gave a rueful laugh.
“You’re not popular because you lack motivation and your clothes and hair are uncool,” Raul would always say with a scowl, but in my opinion, clothes are just fine as long as they fit, and appearance only needs to be clean.
Last summer, as I held the Crown Prince’s child—my nephew—in my arms, I thought, “Well, if I don’t get a wife, that’s fine too.”
I figured, “This kid’s enough. I’ll just pour my love into him. I’ll give my paternal affection to this little one.”
And then, out of nowhere, this marriage proposal appeared.
“Listen, don’t make a single mistake,” they had warned me.
Three days before the engagement ceremony, the Crown Prince and my second brother, who had hurriedly returned from his new home abroad, had pressured me relentlessly.
“We’ve stumbled upon quite a find. It’s lucky for us the Crown Prince of Caravon is an idiot,” they said, with wicked grins.
Honestly, I never understood why women found these scheming men so charming.
Ignoring my bewilderment, the Crown Prince summoned a tailor, while my second brother instructed Raul, “Make him look as handsome as possible. The material isn’t bad, after all.”
And thus, here I am—dressed in the finest military uniform, sporting a trendy hairstyle, and freshly shaved for the occasion.
“So, what kind of girl is she? I still haven’t seen her face,” I inquired.
This marriage was arranged by my mother, and my father had approved. More importantly, my brother, the Crown Prince, was enthusiastic about it, so I had no say in the matter. Still, I was curious.
I didn’t know anything about her appearance—just her name.
“She’s twenty years old. The Crown Prince of Arrios wasn’t fond of Lady Citroen’s appearance, and two years ago, she left for the United Kingdom of Caravon for bridal training. Apparently, the distance never closed between them. So, don’t expect too much,” the Crown Prince said bluntly.
Well, she probably wasn’t expecting much from my looks either, so I guess we were even.
“But get this—she has a dragon mark. Isn’t that something?” My second brother explained, sounding a bit excited.
A dragon mark, huh?
I’d heard of it before.
The Kingdom of Tania is also known as the “Dragon Kingdom.” Dragons were deeply involved in its founding, and the royal family still bears a tattoo of dragon scales on their bodies.
In other words, having such a tattoo is proof of being a member of the royal family.
Marrying someone with this mark, or even bringing them into your service, is an enormous honor.
However, on the flip side, some consider the tattoos a barbaric custom, and others ridicule the scale patterns, calling them “lizard people” behind their backs. The newer the nation, the more prevalent these attitudes seem to be. They don’t understand history and lack tolerance for other cultures.
I came to a stop next to Lady Citroen.
Her appearance was hidden entirely beneath a veil, so I couldn’t see her face, but she was quite small in stature.
Her head reached about the middle of my chest.
I’d have to bend down quite a bit if I wanted to kiss her.
My brothers and Raul had told me to lift her veil and kiss her on the forehead.
Ah yes, the infamous “forehead kiss.” I never imagined I’d be the one giving Lady Citroen a kiss like that.
Just then, Lady Citroen shifted slightly. It seemed she had turned to face me.
But with that veil wrapped around her like a cocoon, it was hard to tell which way was front or back.
I glanced at the attendees. The Crown Prince gave me a nod, signaling, “Do it.”
Raul, walking behind me, blocked my retreat. Not that I planned on running away.
There was a soft sound as footsteps approached, and I saw a maid step forward from behind Lady Citroen.
Ah, so I’m supposed to hand her the veil.
The maid extended both hands, palms up, so I guessed that my interpretation was correct.
Grabbing hold of the veil, I lifted it with a quick motion.
The delicate lace fabric fluttered in the air, lighter than a spider’s thread.
What I saw next made me gasp in shock.
Her silver hair gleamed with clarity that rivaled the purest spring water. Bathed in the colors of the stained glass, her skin looked as flawless as porcelain.
Her well-defined features, wrapped in a pristine white dress, stunned me.
What… on earth…
What on earth is…?
I stared in disbelief at the young woman before me.
What part of her is supposed to be unattractive?
