The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 115

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

Episode 115

I knew I would be dancing with Lionel at today’s commemorative banquet, but I never imagined I’d be dancing the opening dance alone with him in front of everyone watching.

So I was a bit nervous, but perhaps all our diligent practice under Mother’s guidance paid off?

I magnificently completed the opening dance following Lionel’s lead, and was able to return to Mother’s side amid thunderous applause.

“Mother! How were we?”

“You were absolutely wonderful. His Grace the Grand Duke was magnificent as well.”

“You’re too kind.”

As we exchanged these warm greetings, the banquet began in earnest and the handsomely and beautifully dressed men and women started heading out to the dance hall.

I was about to watch them while putting the chocolate my brother brought me in my mouth, when Father spoke to me in a solemn voice.

“Cecil, prospective son-in-law. Actually, my wife and I have been discussing something separately over the past few days.”

“A discussion?”

“What kind of discussion do you mean?”

“Prospective son-in-law, no, you’ve become His Grace the Grand Duke now. Since you’ve officially become a lord, shouldn’t Your Grace be departing for the Northern Region in the near future?”

“That’s… well, yes.”

Surely he’s not about to say that I can’t go and Lionel should go alone?

When I glanced sideways, Lionel had his eyes downcast with an expressionless face.

I firmly grasped his hand. With a smile that conveyed my feelings that I had no intention of being separated from him, no matter what Father might say.

‘Of course. What if I send him to that distant land beyond the Imperial Family’s reach and he starts a rebellion?’

Did Father sense my feelings? He didn’t tell Lionel to go alone, leaving my daughter behind.

No, quite the opposite.

“Before you depart for the Northern Region, please hold your wedding ceremony with my daughter.”

Much earlier than I had expected, our wedding was decided.

And with an incredibly rushed schedule of just two weeks!

* * *

“What? You had already started preparing for the wedding? Since when?”

“Since when, you ask. You talked about the engagement ceremony while we were on our way to the capital, didn’t you?”

“Ah.”

Right, I did mention that to Mother. I said we should have a formal engagement ceremony once Lionel returned to the capital.

“What I mentioned then was an engagement ceremony, but you prepared for a wedding?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say when you ran out on coronation day that you’d bring back a son-in-law?”

Thanks to that, even though the title and decoration ceremony was just yesterday, I was already trying on wedding dresses.

It was still the fitting stage, but there were seven dresses in total. I clicked my tongue as I looked over the lined-up dresses along with the prepared wedding shoes and wedding veils.

This was truly a scale that couldn’t be prepared in just a day or two.

“Miss, please stand up straight.”

“Oh, yes.”

I entrusted my body to the maids and asked Mother, who was examining the dresses with a cold expression alongside the costume designer.

“But why didn’t you tell me you were preparing for the wedding?”

“Even while preparing, your father and I weren’t certain whether there was a need to hold the wedding so soon.”

“And now you’re certain?”

“Yes.”

What could be the reason for that certainty? It probably wasn’t simply because Lionel would be departing for the Northern Region.

‘It doesn’t seem like Mother and Father are worried that Lionel might secretly start a rebellion…’

What could it be? What on earth could it be?

It seemed like they would tell me if I asked, but there were too many listening ears here right now.

So I hesitated and missed the timing to ask, and Mother changed the subject.

“Oh, you should know in advance. His Holiness the Pope has agreed to officiate your wedding ceremony.”

“Really? That’s truly amazing… Wait, who?”

“His Holiness the Pope.”

His, His Holiness the Pope?

“My goodness! Duchess, is that really true? His Holiness the Pope only officiates the wedding ceremonies of His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”

“I thought so too. But His Holiness the Pope said there was already a precedent from the previous generation of officiating a wedding ceremony for imperial family members other than the Emperor, and he proposed it first.”

“Oh my, oh my. His Holiness the Pope personally proposed to officiate the ceremony?”

“Of course. Who in the world would dare ask His Holiness the Pope to officiate?”

Despite her words, Mother’s tone was somewhat arrogant, with a boastful feeling to it.

The designer must have sensed it too, as she chimed in saying it was truly remarkable.

“Duke Roheim has spared no support for the people of the Northern Region over the past three years. Having accumulated so many good deeds, His Holiness the Pope, no, God himself couldn’t help but respond.”

“Your words are too excessive. Even so, you shouldn’t carelessly invoke God’s name.”

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I was so happy as if it were my own affair. But if His Holiness the Pope is officiating, where will the wedding ceremony be held? Perhaps…”

“They said they’d lend us the Central Cathedral.”

“As expected! Truly congratulations, Duchess! To hold your once-in-a-lifetime wedding at the Central Cathedral. What a glorious occasion!”

Somehow the designer and tailor seemed happier than me, the one getting married.

Actually, it wasn’t strange.

Didn’t even the Emperor and Empress skip their wedding ceremony for the coronation? But Lionel and I were going to hold our wedding ceremony at the Central Temple with the Pope officiating.

Though it was a very rushed schedule of sending invitations with only two weeks until the wedding, there couldn’t be anyone who would miss this wedding ceremony unless they had unavoidable circumstances.

Even if they didn’t receive an invitation, they’d probably hover around the area using worship as an excuse.

Undoubtedly, the bride of this year’s, no, perhaps the next few years’ most talked-about wedding ceremony would be wearing a wedding dress they made. How could this not be an honor?

“Duchess, Miss. We will definitely create the masterpiece of our lives for you.”

“Yes, even if we have to stake our lives on it!”

“Oh, no. You don’t need to stake your lives…”

“No! We must stake them. Don’t stop us!”

“Now that I look at it, the dress decorations seem too plain. More! It needs to be more glamorous!”

“Lace! Bring more lace!”

And so the designer and tailor completely went into overdrive, and I sent Mother a pleading look for rescue, asking her to please stop them, but.

“I think the jewels should be bigger than they are now… We’ll probably need to call the jeweler again.”

“I’ll contact the auction house as well.”

“Good. Tell them if there’s anything we like, we’ll pay five times the expected winning bid.”

…Looking closely, I was the only person in this dress room whose eyes weren’t burning with passion.

What could I do? Since escape was impossible here, I had no choice but to become the best bride everyone wanted!

* * *

While everyone was frantically busy preparing for the wedding, on the night three days before the ceremony, Lionel was quietly summoned to Duke Roheim’s study without Cecilia’s knowledge.

“Prospective son-in-law, have you ever drunk alcohol?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your drinking capacity?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never drunk until I was intoxicated.”

“Should I take that to mean you have quite a high tolerance?”

Duke Roheim chuckled, saying it was better to be good at drinking than bad at it, and brought out strong whiskey, filling Lionel’s glass to the brim.

“Since there isn’t much time left until the wedding, let’s have an honest man-to-man conversation. Actually, I was going to call Albert too, but that boy is weak with alcohol. Anyway, all he knows how to do is study…”

The man-to-man honest conversation began with gossip about Albert.

No, it was closer to bragging about his son disguised as gossip. Summarizing Duke Roheim’s long rambling, it was ‘Still, our son is good at studying.’

It was the same when the topic moved to Belrose. Though he was very active from a young age, causing many accidents and breaking many things, after he started sword training, he defeated someone at a certain age, and at another age he beat a wild boar with just a wooden sword…

All Lionel did was make responses like “Is that so?” or “I see” whenever Duke Roheim bragged about his sons and daughter, while refilling Duke Roheim’s empty glass.

So Duke Roheim probably drank twice as much as Lionel.

Eventually, Duke Roheim’s face flushed red and with unfocused eyes, he began talking about Cecilia this time.

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