A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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56.
Cedric regarded Alex with clear, piercing eyes.
“Your Highness Alex.”
“…Unfortunately, it seems the wedding has just concluded.”
Alex spoke with a smile, though his words carried no positive intent whatsoever.
As the reckless scoundrel of high society, he understood not only women but also the depths of his fellow men with perfect clarity.
He couldn’t fathom why this dignified Holy Knight had volunteered himself as the Princess’s protector.
“The opportunity to steal her away has already passed.”
“…I’m not certain what you mean. And it seems you’re hardly in a position to speak of others’ affairs.”
As Cedric’s response mirrored Princess Lilith’s own, Alex’s eyes narrowed once more.
Leaving him to his frustration, Cedric swept his gaze across the surroundings before speaking.
“More pressing is the malevolent aura I sense in this place. Are the military deployments sufficient?”
“That’s not something the Duke needs to concern himself with. I’ve already handled it.”
“You have? You mean Leonard didn’t deploy the Imperial Army?”
“My brother was occupied. Is there a problem with that?”
Cedric’s eyes narrowed as he reached down to touch the hilt of his sword at his waist.
“It’s unfortunate that I cannot carry weapons to a wedding ceremony.”
“Are you suggesting my command of military forces is lacking?”
“At least compared to Leonard.”
Alex’s lips twitched, but he had no grounds for rebuttal.
No one in the Blake Empire could match Leonard’s tactical brilliance.
Not even Demian.
Demian could only rival Leonard because he possessed boundless magical power and extraordinary precision in magical control.
Before Leonard’s emergence, Alex had been the most capable among the princes.
It was inevitable.
The 4th Prince Benjamin cared only for the arts.
The 5th Prince was dead.
The 2nd Prince remained secluded in his territory, refusing to distinguish himself.
Thus, the consensus held that the succession struggle would inevitably pit himself, the 3rd Prince, against Demian, the 1st Prince.
Until the 6th Prince, Leonard, had appeared.
‘This is absurd…. I do not envy my brother. I absolutely do not.’
The moment Alex clenched his teeth, a roar erupted from within the Wedding Hall.
* * *
The interior of Aither Palace, repurposed as the wedding venue, was lined with towering white marble columns.
The ceiling was adorned majestically with crimson banners and golden ornaments, while the midday sunlight poured down upon the floor in cascading brilliance.
And at the far end of the hall, upon a golden dais draped with a red carpet, Leonard stood waiting.
He wore an unadorned tuxedo, unlike his usual attire.
Hair swept back smoothly. A face with sharp, defined lines. Eyes that appeared indifferent yet piercing cold.
Yet I knew that sharp gaze was not directed at me.
It was merely an unavoidable mask, meant to intimidate the dignitaries gathered in this wedding hall.
Yet my mood was far from unpleasant.
The moment I saw him, my heart began to thunder wildly.
Why? He wasn’t even a supporting character—just an extra—so how could he look so magnificent? Wasn’t that a bit unfair?
I’d stormed into the Wedding Hall fuming over the necklace, but my mind went completely blank.
‘…I’m really getting married now.’
Get a grip, Charlotte Sincester.
Don’t forget why you came here.
The moment I finished steeling myself, the processional march echoed through the hall.
As the Handmaidens grasped the hem of my veil, I stepped onto the Red Carpet and began walking slowly forward.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, my racing heart quickly steadied for an entirely different reason.
Several people who caught sight of me began murmuring. The weight of their stares burned against my neck.
But I paid no mind. Instead, I held my head even higher and advanced deliberately, as if to say: look at me.
At the end of the carpet, Leonard extended his hand toward me.
The moment I gently took it, he drew me to his side and asked quietly.
“What trouble did you cause that people are murmuring at the sight of you?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
He furrowed his brow slightly, then looked ahead.
The Former Crown Princess approached to officiate the ceremony.
The ceremony was long, but truthfully, I couldn’t focus on a single word.
It wasn’t merely the necklace’s fault.
The tension radiating from his hand spread through my entire body, burning hot.
‘Why am I like this? Get yourself together.’
Moreover, after the eternal vows, there was one more thing we had to do.
Just as my lips began to dry, the officiant reached the climax of the ceremony.
“Now, the two of you shall complete your vows of love with a kiss.”
Fortunately, Princess Lilith didn’t suddenly jump up and shout “I object to this marriage!!”
—in some melodramatic turn of events.
Leonard simply lifted my veil slowly, and I felt his hand touch my cheek.
We had agreed beforehand to merely pretend to kiss.
The veil was thick and densely woven with lace, so if I turned my face behind it, no one would notice.
But the moment I understood what the necklace meant, I changed my plan.
“Leonard. Are you… are you a good kisser?”
Leonard’s expression went blank at first, then his ears gradually flushed red.
“Why are you suddenly asking that… You said we wouldn’t kiss.”
“Just answer the question.”
“I’m probably not particularly skilled.”
“Then do your best somehow. I need you to.”
After dropping that bombshell, I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.
I caught his eyes widening in my peripheral vision, but I didn’t stop—I pulled his neck down toward me.
Leonard’s massive frame swayed from the force, and my veil slipped away.
As my breath reached him, I felt him momentarily catch his breath.
“…!”
Without hesitation, I pressed my lips against his.
To be precise, rather than kissing him, I was conveying my intention through the contact of our lips.
Making it appear as though we were sharing a passionate love, so that the necklace would instead be perceived as a symbol of enchantment.
And showing Princess Lilith that I cared nothing for her.
That was my purpose.
From the Guest Seating Area came a different sort of exclamation—”Oh!”—followed by a wave of murmurs that swept through like a storm.
I could see Princess Lilith’s face flush crimson as she rose abruptly and left the Wedding Hall.
‘Success.’
I should have stopped there. Though it was I who had initiated the kiss, I no longer had the confidence to continue.
My heart felt as though it might burst, and a dizzying sensation ran through my fingertips.
Moreover, our pressed lips had grown rigid, as if frozen.
He must have been displeased. I slowly lowered myself from my tiptoes and whispered faintly.
“Leonard. I’m sorry. The truth is, this was because—”
But I could not continue speaking.
He wrapped his arms firmly around the back of my head and my waist, drawing me flush against him.
Close enough that our breaths mingled. Only then could I truly see his eyes.
Where confusion and bewilderment had been, something else burned in their place.
The moment our eyes met, his lips covered mine again. This time, it was not of my doing.
It was a kiss entirely different from the first—resolute and deep. His lips were no longer cold and rigid.
As I tilted my head slightly, his tongue carefully entered my mouth.
When that unfamiliar sensation touched the tender inside, my legs weakened and my body trembled involuntarily.
My heart raced wildly, and warmth spread through my entire being. This was no calculation, no intention, no deception. I could think of nothing but the genuine heat that consumed me.
The wet sounds that escaped unbidden and the heat of his body threatened to steal away my very soul.
While the Former Crown Princess, who presided over the ceremony, continued to clear her throat, and Princess Lilith departed the Wedding Hall, and Emperor Yukal burst into laughter, the kiss continued.
Only when I could no longer breathe and desperately pounded his chest could I finally break free.
“Cough—cough, cough.”
As I lifted my head while coughing, his face came into view.
A face faintly flushed. Wet lips. A strange, lingering heat in every place they had touched.
And beneath the Chandelier, his glistening lips were surely from my own….
For a moment, I thought my heart would stop. A ringing filled my ears, and I could hear nothing else.
‘Oh, what, what have I done….’
I had gone too far.
In my panic, I did not even notice the Former Crown Princess hastily concluding the ceremony.
I could barely endure the weight of his gaze fixed upon me.
Within it lay something that could not be explained in words.
But one thing was certain—a small spark had ignited.
A spark that might well burst into flame.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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