Chap 11

What broke that tranquility was the sound of a knock.

"Is everything ready?"

Upon hearing Ivan's voice, the maids quickly draped a veil over Blair. The bride's beauty was meant to be seen first by the groom alone.

The maids nodded with admiration as they watched Ivan enter the bride's waiting room.

"If you're ready, let's go."

Ivan approached Blair and extended his hand.

Blair looked at his hand for a moment before placing her own hand on top of his.

Exiting the bride's waiting room together, Ivan spoke.

"The surest way for a woman to establish herself in her in-law's home is to give birth to a son. You know that, right?"

Blair didn't react.

Ivan, despite his concerned advice, found his quiet sister somewhat annoying.

"And as your older brother advises, you're too stiff, my dear. It's good to be a lady, but in the bedroom, you should behave like a wife."

"…"

"Mother worried a lot."

Blair, who had been silent all along, finally spoke at the word 'mother.'

"Tell Father not to worry too much about Mother's daughter, Your Highness."

Anywhere on this continent.

Once this contractual marriage was over, Blair planned to travel freely with her beloved son, Asiel.

As Blair took Ivan's hand and stepped out, the waiting crowd welcomed her with enthusiasm.

Even though she wore a veil, they couldn't help but admire Blair's silhouette hidden beneath.

"Wow, you look like an angel descended from heaven."

"You also look like a fairy of the snow."

Herdin listened to the nobles' praises with one ear, his gaze shifting to Ivan and Blair who approached him.

To him, it was an unremarkable wedding.

Ivan, who had approached Herdin with Blair in hand, handed her over.

"You've raised a precious child. Please take good care of her."

"Is there a possibility of an heir?"

The two, holding hands, stood side by side in front of the officiating priest, Gerard.

He looked at them and smiled with satisfaction.

"I am pleased to see Lady Blair, who has grown up safely, marrying. It warms my heart."

He had been the one who had treated the injured Blair during the Empress Dowager's palace fire incident.

Furthermore, he had attended the funeral of the previous Duke and Duchess as a priest with the Pope's status and personally offered condolences.

Thus, the connection with the two had continued until now, leading him to officiate the wedding.

Soon, the ceremony began.

Amid the excited crowd at the wedding of the Empire's first son and daughter, the two parties involved were the only ones calm.

"Then, both of you, please exchange the final kiss of the oath."

Herdin lifted Blair's veil. At the same time, the eyes of the two met.

In that moment, Herdin's eyes, which had been as still as a frozen winter lake, seemed to ripple like waves.

The all-white dress and fine platinum hair accentuated all the colors above her.

From the slightly flushed face beneath the veil to the amethyst-like transparent purple eyes above, and even the crimson lips.

All of it against the backdrop of snowflakes falling lightly outside the window.

The Fairy of the Snow.

The words fit the pure white woman perfectly.

Herdin thought that the nobles' praises weren't entirely empty as he willingly kissed the lips of the fairy.

After the wedding at the temple, a reception was held at the palace.

It was a yearly event where the Emperor participated in the affairs of the royal family with everyone, while also considering the newlyweds who had just tied the knot, Herdin and Blair.

Ruth had finished sorting the documents that had arrived in front of Herdin throughout the day and was about to leave the office when she collided with a large shadow.

"Ah, you scared me!"

Standing before her was Herdin, dressed in a robe. His hair was still damp as if he had just washed it.

Ruth looked at him with surprise, her heart racing.

"Why did you come here at this hour?"

"Do I need a reason to come to my own office?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that today is your wedding night, isn't it?"

"There are documents I need to handle."

"There's nothing so urgent that it needs to be handled on the day of the wedding."

"You were hoping I wouldn't come to the office, weren't you?"

"Of course. Who would want their boss to be alone with them at such an ambitious hour? Especially today, with a newlywed boss."

On the first night of the wedding, the boss had come to the office with an aide, not to the bride's bedroom.

It was a combination that could lead to strange rumors.

Ignoring Ruth, who was shivering at the terrible thought, Herdin sat down at his desk and asked for poetry.

Intense, intoxicating. A venomous poem.

Ruth, who had been sticking out her tongue and looking at him while watching him really review documents, asked casually.

"…By the way, what are you going to do from now on?"

Although the object was omitted, Herdin understood what Ruth was talking about.

"I promised to cooperate as much as possible in finding the memories related to the incident ten years ago."

"Really?"

"Yes. Whether she really lost her memory or has another purpose in pretending to have lost it, I don't know."

While Blair had accepted the proposal for a contract marriage, he still couldn't trust her completely.

"…But don't you think it's strange not to go to the bedroom?"

Suddenly, Ruth asked about the unexpected visit of her not-so-loving husband.

Thinking about it, Herdin remembered the face of the woman who had been sitting by his side with the same expression all day.

Chances are, she had collapsed from exhaustion. She was so fragile that she might not have been able to endure it.

And above all, wasn't there no need for a ceremony like that on the first night of a contract marriage? She would be the same.

As he reached that conclusion, his mind changed.

"I'll go."

At Ruth's question, Herdin, who had been lost in thought with his fingers on his lips, answered with a strange smile.

Ruth blinked at her husband's unexpected answer.

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