ITMHIAM 22

Chapter 22

Me, marrying Johannes Schultz?

Ahin told me I’d be fine, but I was still nervous.

‘Why am I trembling like this?’

I’d been okay while preparing for the ceremony. I guess it hadn’t felt real yet.

But now that it was happening right in front of me, I was overwhelmed with worry.

I stood by the window and watched as guest after guest entered through the front gates.

“So many people…”

A commoner woman suddenly marrying the Duke of Schultz after his mysterious disappearance—it was more than enough to stir the curiosity of every gossip in the empire.

‘Judging by how many nobles came to the banquet…’

Was Johannes Schultz alive and well? Had he become half a recluse? Or had he become a cold-blooded man who didn’t even flinch at his father’s death?

Speculations must’ve run wild. And in this atmosphere, the banquet had been held—no doubt clearing up some of their questions.

But curiosity always leads to more curiosity.

Now their attention had shifted—to me.

After the banquet, the articles became even more sensational.

Apparently, someone had seen Johannes escorting me through the hallway.

Thanks to that, ridiculous rumors started to spread—like how the Duke Schultz was so obsessed with me, he didn’t even want me appearing in public. Other rumors naturally followed.

‘Well, I guess it’s better than being ignored.’

As a result, I became the center of attention too.

I’d already experienced it once at the banquet.

I’m not usually the type to care about others’ stares, but this kind of attention was definitely burdensome.

How long had I been staring out the window? The guests seemed to have all arrived, and only a swarm of reporters hovered restlessly near the gate.

“My lady, it’s time.”

Thankfully, just as I managed to regain some composure, Ahin came to fetch me.

Because we were using a different staircase than usual, I got slightly lost on the way down.

I draped a thick wool shawl over my shoulders and stepped out of the manor.

Outside smelled like winter—sharp and metallic.

The chilly air made me instinctively look up at the sky, which hung low and gray, as if snow might fall at any moment.

I shivered involuntarily and pulled the shawl tighter around me.

“From here, you’ll have to go alone.”

As we neared a narrow path, Ahin stopped.

I frowned when I saw the petals scattered across the road.

It was just as Sir Pret had explained.

Nobles could only marry with royal approval, and traditionally, the path the bride walked was lined with flower petals provided by the royal family.

The type of flower chosen was considered a subtle signal—a clue about which families the royal family favored or disapproved of.

The problem?

‘Begonia?’

I let out a hollow laugh.

To express hostility toward the Schultz family so blatantly—how could they possibly send begonias to a wedding that’s meant to be blessed?

No wonder I felt so baffled.

Begonias are commonly known to symbolize gratitude, but they carry another, lesser-known meaning too.

‘Did they think no one would notice?’

They probably assumed as much.

Most people don’t remember the language of flowers, except for the most commonly gifted ones.

Even I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t studied pharmacology. I’d skimmed through flower meanings once, thinking it might help with my studies.

The hidden meaning of begonia: Warning.

In other words, the royal family had blatantly sent a warning to the Duke of Schultz—on his wedding day.

A wave of disgust hit me.

But it was considered taboo to avoid walking on the flowers selected by the king himself. No matter how I felt, I had to smile and walk over them.

‘Still, a little defiance should be fine, right?’

I stepped firmly on the begonia petals as I made my way toward the chapel at the eastern end of Evanstein Castle.

Finally, the towering shadow of the grand cathedral loomed above me. I paused and looked up. The spire was so high I had to crane my neck all the way back.

This cathedral had stood for nearly 200 years and was only opened for major national events or significant affairs related to House Schultz.

And today—one of those major affairs—was the wedding of Johannes Schultz.

He had arrived before me.

It was our first encounter since that day. I debated how to approach him, but in the end, I chose not to overthink it.

“You’re early.”

When I approached, he turned from the firmly closed cathedral doors toward me.

“Oh, not that long ago.”

He was just like usual. As if nothing had happened between us.

So it really must’ve been nothing more than a passing incident for him.

His deep blue eyes slowly scanned me—then paused at the hem of my dress.

“Begonia, huh.”

He let out a short laugh. I quickly glanced down at my dress.

Some petals had clung to the long train.

‘I should’ve checked.’

Until the bride arrives and speaks, the groom has no way of knowing what flower the royal family sent.

If I’d stayed silent and hadn’t picked up those petals, Johannes wouldn’t have known even after the ceremony.

My expression soured.

‘But he probably doesn’t know the hidden meaning.’

Trying to appear nonchalant, I replied.

“Yes, it’s begonia.”

“So, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”

He muttered like he was talking to himself. I looked up at him in surprise.

He knew the hidden meaning.

The mood started to turn awkward, and I was just trying to think of a topic to shift the atmosphere when—

“Oh—snow.”

I felt something cold touch my shoulder. Looking up, tiny snowflakes had begun to fall.

Thanks to that, I briefly forgot about the begonia incident.

“It’s the first snow…”

It wasn’t surprising—it was early winter—but for some reason, I wanted to assign meaning to it.

“If you get married on the first snow, it’s said you’ll have a happy life. I hope my daughter meets someone nice and marries on the first snow day too.”

I suddenly remembered something my father had once said.

‘But… our relationship is way too awkward for that.’

I rubbed my nose, trying to hide the sting, and looked up at Johannes.

“Duke, have you heard of that saying?”

His expression loosened slightly.

“Hmm. Hard to answer such a broad question.”

He furrowed his brows lightly. I continued like I didn’t care about his reaction.

“They say if you marry on the first snow, your marriage will be happy.”

It felt like I was making a promise to myself.

“So we’ll be fine—even without love.”

His jaw visibly tensed.

He didn’t respond immediately, so I kept my eyes on him.

Maybe I’d been too resolute. I’d lashed out before, and now I was talking about living well together—it must’ve sounded ridiculous.

“Right?”

I asked again, needing a clear answer this time.

After a moment of silence, he finally replied.

“Of course.”

And he even smiled—a smile so perfect it could’ve been painted.

Only then did I feel a wave of relief wash over me—maybe it really was okay to marry this man.

“This way, please.”

It seemed the guests had taken their seats.

A group of nuns arrived to guide us to the cathedral’s main entrance.

Though they didn’t reside here, the nuns moved with practiced familiarity—clearly accustomed to visiting the cathedral when it opened.

They gently removed my shawl. Cold snowflakes landed on my shoulders.

My heart began to pound again.

‘So nervous.’

I sneaked a glance at Johannes, who—unlike me—looked utterly composed.

His posture was upright, his chin slightly raised, and his expression unreadable. It was like I was the only one getting married.

How could he seem so unaffected?

He caught me looking and bent forward slightly, closing the distance between us.

“Miss Prim.”

Startled by his hushed voice, I instinctively leaned back.

“Your face is pale. Maybe you should keep the shawl on.”

I quickly shook my head.

“No, we’ll be going in soon. I can manage. You know I run hot.”

He raised an eyebrow, as if remembering.

“It’s still very cold. Are you sure?”

“I’m fine.”

I was absolutely not fine.

But if the door opened suddenly while I was still bundled up? I didn’t want to be seen awkwardly throwing off a shawl.

‘I have to do well.’

I had promised Johannes, hadn’t I?

I didn’t want to make a single mistake in front of the nobles filling the cathedral. They were surely watching me like hawks, waiting to pounce.

When I forced a smile, Johannes finally let his worried expression fade. And then, unexpectedly, he said something that sounded… very much like a real husband.

“The dress suits you. You look beautiful.”

“…What?”

I hadn’t expected that at all. I blinked rapidly, unsure how to react.

“Are you pretending to fall for me at first sight or something?”

I took a step back and asked. He frowned, clearly confused by the absurdity.

“If you’re saying that out of obligation, you don’t have to. I know what this marriage means.”

“I was being honest. I don’t think I need to flatter you with lies.”

“Oh…”

I blinked slowly. He really was going to be a decent husband.

“Then… I’ll take the compliment. Thank you.”

He didn’t seem to like my response much—his brows furrowed deeper. Then he lowered his gaze to my neck.

“By the way, is your neck okay?”