Chapter 11.
What About the Wedding Night?
“…Surely… you’re not postponing the expedition, are you?”
Even after hearing William’s nervous tone and uneasy gaze, Miklok wanted nothing more than to do exactly that—postpone everything. But at this point, delaying the campaign wasn’t an option.
The Maon tribe had danced to the Haran Empire’s tune and mocked the Kingdom of Pritan. As Pritan’s king, he could never forgive such a provocation.
The reason today had been chosen for departure was because it was the ideal timing. So he had only one choice: depart quickly, subjugate swiftly, and return like the wind.
Taking his eyes off the papers in front of him, Miklok asked William, “When does the ceremony begin?”
“In about an hour. We need to hurry, Your Majesty. There’s still much to prepare.”
With a frown, Miklok looked down at the stack of documents. Duke Zenon, ever quick on the uptake, promptly swept them aside.
“I’ll handle the rest. Please get ready.”
“What about the knights?”
Miklok turned to William.
“They’re ready to march as soon as the wedding ends. Don’t worry—just focus on the ceremony for now.”
Running a hand down his face, Miklok asked, “Can I go see her now?”
“No, absolutely not!”
The bride had already complained about being short on time—if he barged in and took up more of it, they might not even get through the wedding today.
“You’ll bring bad luck if you see the bride before the ceremony.”
“What nonsense—”
Miklok grumbled, but William ignored him and dragged him off.
When he entered the bedroom, the royal designer, handmaids, and attendants waiting in the grand dressing room pounced on him fearlessly.
Normally, such a thing would’ve been unthinkable—but today was the king’s wedding day!
They were excited, imagining just how stunning this flawless model of a man could become with their final touches.
No matter how deeply Miklok scowled, his will was completely disregarded.
After a hot spring bath and a full-body massage with fragrant oils, I stood before the wedding dress once worn by a former queen of Pritan.
Exhausted and dazed, my body was prodded and adjusted by many hands, but I lacked the strength to resist.
When they told me to lift my arms, I did. When they said to turn, I turned.
Sophie and Adele pulled the elegant but simple wedding gown over my head.
It was a little roomy, but the back was laced with ribbons, so they pulled it tight to fit my figure perfectly.
Upon closer look, the hem of the dress was densely adorned with diamonds, each no bigger than a pinky nail. It was like someone had dumped an entire basket of gems over the fabric.
“Your hair is so soft… and the color is quite unique.”
Sophie commented in fascination as she gently combed my long hair. Then, with skilled hands, she twisted it up to accentuate my slender neckline.
She seemed very pleased with the result, smiling as she stepped back.
“Where’s Millie?”
“She went to choose the accessories and shoes. She knows Your Majesty’s taste best.”
Your Majesty… The title felt awkward, but it would soon be my official designation. I had better get used to it.
Just as my makeup was nearly finished, Millie entered, accompanied by attendants carrying boxes of jewelry and shoes.
As she looked at me, her eyes welled with emotion. I grinned playfully.
“What? Do I look weird?”
“…You look absolutely beautiful.”
Quickly wiping her tears, Millie opened the jewelry box and held various ornate necklaces, earrings, and bracelets up to my neck, ears, and arms.
Since she’d chosen them to match the dress, they all looked great.
But Millie furrowed her brows in deep thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“They all matched the dress perfectly when I picked them out, but…”
“But?”
“The dress brings out your features so well… it doesn’t need anything too flashy.”
She chose simple diamond stud earrings and a necklace with a small purple gem.
“Is this amethyst?”
“No, it’s a purple diamond. Apparently, they’re rare—but in Pritan, they find a lot of rare diamonds.”
Stepping back, Millie gave me a final once-over.
“Wow. The diamonds match your eye color perfectly!”
Sophie and Adele admired me with equal awe.
“You look perfect!”
Even I had to admit, my reflection in the mirror was impressive. The disgraced daughter of the marquis’s family was gone. I was going to start a new life in Pritan!
While I was firmly resolving my future in the mirror, someone knocked at the door.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded and held out my hand to Millie, who quickly handed me a bouquet of lilies.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Let’s go.”
For all the chaos and flurry of preparation, the wedding itself was brief and simple.
The only guests were Duke Mark Zenon, William, and the six knights who had traveled with me by carriage.
A young priest dispatched from the Holy Empire led the ceremony with clean, efficient brevity.
I stole a glance at King Miklok beside me. His fitted white formal wear suited him perfectly. From this angle, his jawline and nose looked even more defined.
As if he sensed my gaze, his deep blue eyes casually met mine—and in that instant, my heart nearly froze.
Damn… my husband is seriously handsome!
From that point on, I didn’t hear a word the priest said. Everything just sounded like white noise.
The lightning-fast pace of the wedding, the solemn priest, and even Miklok beside me—all of it felt surreal.
The most unreal of all was, without question, my husband’s face. Even when dirtied from travel or bruised from battle, he had looked impossibly good. Now, cleaned up and radiant, his face practically glowed.
A sense of indescribable pride bubbled up in my chest.
Mom… I did it. Just like you wished, I married a man with a killer face. Does that mean I can be happy now?
As I silently posed my unanswered question, the ceremony neared its end.
The young priest looked at us with a solemn expression and declared:
“By the authority entrusted to me by the Holy Goddess Vestea, I, Priest Yulius of the Holy Empire, pronounce Miklok Pritan and Lea Pritan as husband and wife.”
The knights behind us broke into enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The prime minister bowed, followed by William and the knights who knelt and pledged their loyalty.
I looked up at my new husband with a gentle smile.
Miklok Pritan. From now on, you’re my husband.
His deep blue eyes flickered, and he lowered his face toward mine.
Peck!
Just like that day in the valley when I had stolen his lips, his touch was soft and fleeting.
Startled, I tried to brush it off—it was part of the ceremony, after all. No need to overreact and look like a bumpkin.
But then suddenly, he grabbed me tightly by the waist and nape.
Unlike the earlier gentle kiss, his lips descended forcefully and bit down on my lower lip.
When I gasped in surprise, his kiss deepened with burning intensity, robbing me of breath. My knees nearly buckled—but thankfully, he was holding me up tightly enough to prevent an embarrassing collapse.
The priest’s awkward cough and the knights’ loud cheers sounded distant, like echoes in a dream.
And just like that… I became Queen of Pritan.
After the dramatic and troublesome wedding finally ended without issue, Millie felt all the tension drain from her at once.
As soon as Lea entered the bridal chamber, Millie unknowingly slumped onto the steps, letting out a huge sigh of relief.
“You must be exhausted.”
The deep voice startled her. She looked up to see William gazing at her sympathetically.
Millie jumped to her feet.
“Sir William!”
“You must be tired too. You didn’t even get a break after arriving—just dove into helping with the wedding.”
“Her Majesty had it harder than I did.”
“In any case, it was a tough journey. I’m glad you endured it well.”
Millie blushed at the unexpected praise. William glanced her over and asked,
“Is the Pritan castle cold for you?”
“I was too busy to notice if it was cold or hot. Sir Ralph did pack a lot of furs, though.”
William nodded slowly. Then suddenly, he grabbed her hand and placed two small heating magic stones in her palm.
Seeing Miklok fawn over Lea had left William oddly worried about Millie—so he used his own money to buy her the stones.
“What are these?”
Millie examined the curious little stones with wonder.
“They emit heat on their own, but when in contact with body temperature, they warm up even more. If you keep one in each coat pocket, the cold will feel a lot more bearable.”
“These are amazing! I should give them to Her Majesty, right?”
“No! I mean—”
Startled by her question, William blurted out louder than intended.
“Ahem. Her Majesty already has plenty of better ones. So those… they’re yours.”
“Wow~ Really?!”
Millie beamed like a child with a new toy, and William smiled too, pleased by her joy.
“We’ll be departing soon. Once we do, you’ll finally get some proper rest. So hang in there just a bit longer.”
“You’re leaving? Already?”
“Yes. Didn’t you know?”
“Then… what about the wedding night?”
At her innocent question, William flushed red.
“W-Well… seeing as the knights are already being called for departure, I doubt they’ll have time for that.”
