CH 46

“I think the Wife seems to want to make the wedding different from everyone else.”

The kiss of oath… It was the least fitting word for him. Elysia didn’t want to end her life faster by kissing Damon for nothing. No matter how much he liked her, it was only a simple interest.

She glanced at Damon’s face as she interfered with the marriage vows.

If she really put her thumbprint and signed that paper, she would be Damon Raphael’s wife. She couldn’t stop hesitating when she accepted the wedding vows right before her eyes.

“Wife?”

Would she be able to survive this terrifying man…? Not only did she need to survive, but she also had to run away proudly and be happy. Elysia slowly signed the marriage vows. She could see Damon smiling at the round, red marks on the vows.

“With this, Grand Duke Damon Raphael and Lady Elysia Caitlyn are married. Then, the kiss…”

“Let’s skip the kiss of oath.”

“Yes… ?”

“Because I don’t want to have my first kiss with my wife in front of everyone.”

Obviously, Elysia said she wouldn’t kiss for the oath, but she never told him to speak like that. Suddenly, it became as if Damon liked her too much.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear, and it was enough to resonate in the quiet ceremony. As Damon finished speaking, the guests were in an uproar.

* * *

After the wedding, unknown how it went, she became the Grand Duchess. Elysia Raphael, was her new name. She wasn’t used to how to pronounce it yet, so she repeated it several times.

…Now, she had to divorce him before she got used to this name.

“You have to hurry and get ready for the reception party.”

“You won’t tell me that I ruined the wedding?”

Despite Elysia’s sudden action, Estelle did not say anything. She might be upset, asking why she acted as she wished.

“Tradition is just tradition, and if Your Grace did it that way, there must be a reason.”

In fact, even though Elysia made the veil, she really hated it. To make her own prison-like veil that she couldn’t even take off herself, and had to wait for the groom to take it off… It was as bitter as her situation.

“Why didn’t anyone think of it, for the bride to take off the veil herself?”

“Did Estelle also use a veil?”

“Of course, I use it. I remember being so uncomfortable because I couldn’t walk properly.”

As Estelle eagerly instructed the maids, she gave a nostalgic look.

“To be honest, it was really exciting. I wonder why I didn’t think of that? Perhaps, all married women are thinking the same thing as me.”

In her case, the wedding preparation period was short, though there were many brides who got hung up on the veil for up to half a year. It was terrifying that she had to make a veil to contain herself for more than half a year.

“Don’t worry about what’s going on. They’ll all be envious of you on the inside. I was touched by what Your Grace did today.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it was the best wedding I have ever hosted.”

She quickly lowered her hair that had been raised up. As her dress changed, she had to change all of her makeup and hair. She had chosen yellow, but she wondered if Damon would have chosen yellow as well.

“What color does the Grand Duke wear?”

“I heard that he wears white so that he doesn’t look too different from Your Grace.”

It was fortunate. She couldn’t be more confident if she could be next to Damon in a golden suit. She didn’t want to be compared by wearing the same color clothes next to someone who shone more than anyone else.

“There’ll be a lot of behind-the-scenes stories about a wedding that breaks the tradition.”

After the wedding was over, Elysia was a little worried about what would happen next. Considering that the reaction inside the hall was very noisy, it was a very unconventional wedding in the noble society.

“Maybe, even if Your Grace had followed all the traditions, the story would still have come out.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s a place everyone pays attention to. Rather, I think it is fortunate that it was Your Grace’s wedding. The young girls seemed to be very shocked.”

Was it such a shocking wedding…? At that, Elysia only smiled shyly. There were a few things that she did not see.

“Actually, all marriages of nobles are arranged marriages. Whether the bride wants it or not, she wears a veil where she can’t see through and is presented to the groom.”

She was surprised by Estelle, who said the reality of the situation. It was exactly how she felt. How much did the brides inside the veil tremble at the feeling of being a tribute? She wore a veil that she could not walk properly alone and even had to wait for the groom to take it off.

“Only lucky brides get decent grooms. I don’t think it’s a good tradition.”

“I thought Estelle supported tradition.”

“Everyone would have wanted to break this tradition. However, no one had the courage, especially when it comes to women of lower status.”

In fact, she probably wouldn’t have even tried if she hadn’t married Damon.

“Because I didn’t even think about it until I saw Your Grace today.”

It wasn’t because she had other thoughts, her actions were purely for her. Elysia rebelled because she didn’t want to have a marriage that was no different from hell where she could never divorce. It was the greatest resistance she could make.

“Don’t worry if there are talks. Surely sooner or later, the Empire’s wedding culture will begin to change. Trust me, I’m an expert on that.”

“Estelle has hosted so many weddings.”

“Originally, the Madam of the bride’s family is in charge. I’ve done a lot of chaperone work. Sometimes, high-ranking chaperones help out a lot.”

So, that was why Estelle was particularly familiar with it.

Elysia was afraid to open that door and go out as her dressing got finished slowly. She might not have met people at the wedding, but that wouldn’t be the case in the reception party. Now, she had to deal with people in person…

“The Grand Duke is waiting at the door.”

“The Grand Duke?”

Elysia was nervous when she knew that Damon was waiting at the door. How dare she make him wait. She was afraid that his mood might change in the meantime.

“You don’t have to rush. It is the groom’s responsibility to wait for the bride.”

That was true when it was an ordinary groom.

“Please, hurry it up.”

“I can’t just do it recklessly. It’s your first social debut.”

No wonder she somehow thought that dressing up was more effortful than at dawn.

“The first to arrive will be the congratulatory speech of the imperial family. Perhaps, the Grand Duke will take care of everything for you, but..”

Trusting Damon, who lacked sociability more than anyone else… It was just something as bad as not mentioning it.

“Do you know who will come next?”

“The four Duchy.”

“Probably, tacitly, Duchy Drake will be the first to greet you.”

The Empress’s family. Last time, Estelle said that the Duchy Drake’s family prestige was the highest among the four Duchies.

Up until now, Elysia had never seen a single noble, except for the Countess. She was also an illegitimate child, so there were no parties and socializing for her. In the case of other families, even the illegitimate child socializes.

Her heart was pounding because the party, which was almost like her first debut, was a gathering of high-ranking nobles.

“There will be no surprises.”

No, Estelle didn’t know Damon. He was a surprise in itself.

“….”

When she opened the door, Damon was waiting for her. Contrary to what she had seen him in before, he was sexy with his hair pulled back and stylishly dressed in white clothing. He was so handsome that she couldn’t even put it into words.

“Wife?”

“Ah…”

His hair, as black as the night sky, was neatly tucked back, whatever was applied. Because of that, his handsome face was revealed more clearly, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

‘…This is a foul.’

The usual Damon always had his hair down because he didn’t have anything particularly formal to do. He didn’t even raise his hair at the wedding a while ago. His sharp jawline and deep masculinity made his face stand out even more.

In particular, Elysia stared blankly at him, feeling that the sky-blue eyes had become particularly dark.

“Wife…? Is there any problem?”

If there was a problem, it was he who was the problem. No matter what anyone said, Damon Raphael’s face was the best in the world… No, it was out of the world and no universe could surpass him.

This appearance really was her taste. Everyone said he was such a sexy piece of garbage.

“N, no….”

After all, he almost lost her reason by his looks. Perhaps, she had already been possessed. Knowing how cruel he was, she couldn’t resist… He was dangerous enough to make her forget everything.

“You look very tired.”

“Yes, I guess so.”

That was the way it was. Otherwise, she shouldn’t have been caught swaying in his face. Damon knew very well how his appearance had a ripple effect on others. He used his appearance to do all sorts of cruel evils.

When committing murder, he used everything he had available. In fact, there were not one or two victims who fell because of his face. Elysia almost became the victim.

He was the most attractive man in the world, and it was so hard not to fall for him.

Eventually, Damon asked with a more charming smile.

“Then, shall we stop the party?”