Chapter 5 – If You’re Not A Spy, Does That Mean You’ll Act Properly As My Wife?
“Yes. I swear.”
If I said no to this marriage, it was obvious that the Emperor and the Owens would not leave me alone.
There were still five years left for Theodor to kill me, and fifteen years for him to become a devil.
Besides, if I don’t try to kill this kid, Theodor, I am sure he won’t kill me for now.
Shouldn’t I take some time and investigate whether that face was a mask or not?
After all, it is safer to keep enemies close. It will be easier to handle and more predictable.
“You may exchange the wedding rings.”
I held out my hand. Gerard took the ring from the young priest’s silver tray. Then he lifted my hand, placed it in the palm of his own, and slid a fifteen-carat diamond ring on the middle finger of my left hand.
According to medieval beliefs regarding marriage, it was thought that the heart was connected to the middle finger, and the idea seems to be accepted here as well.
‘As expected, the position of Grand Duke has its perks.’
My future budget will be pretty good, right?
I also received a ring from the priest, just as Gerard did, and I put the band on his middle finger.
“Now, you two share a kiss.”
I was taken aback by the high priest’s words, and my eyes popped.
Gerard calmly removed my veil and passionately grabbed my waist and bent me backward in a dramatic dip.
“Hyuk!”
The guests cheered.
The High Priest Yuvios spoke slowly.
“I will require the proof of the first night, so please be careful here, Grand Duke.”
‘The proof of the night?’
But the High Priest’s words didn’t register in my consciousness, because Gerard’s emerald-green eyes twitched violently as if they would swallow me.
I shut my eyes tightly.
I felt his face nearing mine.
The exhalation from our respective noses spread hotly around and down my pharynx.
But he didn’t get any closer than that. I opened my eyes slightly. He was just staring at me with his head tilted in front of my nose.
His eyelids flickered like the South Pacific sea over coral reefs, and his focus shifted from me.
And his hard hands around my back lifted me.
‘What?’
I couldn’t help but be confused.
Besides, those eyes were somewhat — cold.
“The Bride and Groom will leave.”
Majestic music played, and Gerard reached out to me. I put my hand in his and we slowly left the chapel ushered by a chorus of applause from the guests.
The students of the Viatria Empire were waiting with their long swords held high.
We passed under the canopy of swords toward a pure white open wagon waiting for us. It was decorated with flowers like a wedding carriage for newlyweds, and bells were attached to the back to make a beautiful sound.
However, it wasn’t just our carriage.
Looking at the engraved wagon wheel pattern, it must have been the chariot described in the book I read, right?
After the first one, noblemen’s carriages with family patterns were waiting, ranging from four, eight, and even 16 seats.
I poked my head out and looked at the long line of carriages.
“Aren’t you going to ride?”
Gerard assisted me in ascending the carriage first, his arms raised. I sat on the eagle-shaped open carriage, one hand clutching his arm and the other pulling up the front hem of my wedding dress. Gerard joined me, sitting himself next to me.
After a while, the high priest who had previously officiated boarded the front carriage with another young priest.
My palms broke out in a cold sweat. Why did I feel like I was stuck in a swamp?
Every time something occurred that wasn’t in the book, my heart constricted in fear that I would be caught for not being Sinclair.
And suddenly.
Knock. Knock.
I looked under the carriage.
It was Theodor. He put an index finger in each corner of his mouth and lifted.
I looked back at Gerard. He already had a smile on his face, greeting everyone as they climbed into the wagon.
‘That child, are you already taking care of me?’
I pointed one finger at my chest, wondering if Theodor was talking to me.
“Should I greet the guests?”
Theodor nodded.
“Thank you.”
As I closed my eyes and smiled, a gray-haired middle-aged man approached Theodor, politely folded one knee, and said,
“Grand Prince, we must also get on the wagon.”
“Okay.”
Theodor stretched out his little hand and waved. The graying middle-aged man bowed his head to me, took Theodor’s hand, and walked towards the carriage waiting behind him.
‘Phew, the weddings in the Viatria Empire seem to be quite complicated.’
I shot a quick glance at Gerard sitting next to me, but he was still attending the guests and didn’t even look at me.
Would I get along living in the same house with a man like that who greets everyone without acknowledging me?
I was a little worried about this marriage.
Wow!
I couldn’t stop the flow of exclamations coming from my mouth.
It was because I was able to appreciate the scenery of the world that I had only read about.
That must be the riverside of Staia, where Alfred and Cordelia kissed for the first time.
After all, the flowers did a good job.
Kissing with the gentle moonlight surrounded by the sweet scents of yellow chrysanthemum, purple lilac, and white roses in full bloom.
Just imagining it sent a thrill down my back.
And over there, I could see the Grand Library, Viatria Empire’s pride!
The Grand Library at the ‘Viatria Imperial Academy’ was a large library containing all the books published in the Empire.
Alfred’s lover, Cordelia, finds and reads all kinds of books in the library, without proper sleep, just to break the curse on this world.
At that time, an explanation of the Demon Realm appears in the book “Demon Realm, The Magical Stone” which Cordelia was reading.
Demon Realm.
The late Emperor Julius drove the Demons beyond the Therion River in the last war. And he established a territory to defend the Empire in that former demon province. I had to live in that land.
Recalling the novel’s description, it seemed that the author indicated the territory of the Demon Realm with a volcano as a hint. Occasionally, clouds of acid rain crossed over and devastated the Viatria Empire.
They often said they would go on a crusade to conquer the Devil Realm. But it was actually looting. Originally, there are many different and useful minerals close to volcanoes, so I guess the author substituted magic stones for them for the plot.
Wouldn’t there be plenty of materials there to apply as a source of funding?
Huhuhu.
Maybe it was because the wind was refreshing, somehow my future seemed bright.
“Are you laughing?”
I quickly adjusted my expression and looked at him in those eyes colder than a glacier.
“I heard a story earlier. That the guards and the maids assigned by the Empress were fired?”
“That’s right.
“Didn’t you say that you would bring your maids and knights after the wedding?”
“I changed my mind.”
Gerard’s expression hardened even more.
“Then, what will you do for maids and an escort?”
“Who knows. Should you choose someone for me? I’ll be living there anyway.”
Gerard’s eyebrows rose.
“Are you speaking informally to the head of the family while asking me to attach a person to you?”
“Didn’t you speak informally first? Wasn’t I being formal before?”
“…!”
“The words that come are nice when those that go are nice as well. I’m saying that if you want me to be polite, you should be respectful too.”
“How impertinent! Are you implying that the Empress and Emperor are behind you?”
‘Oh, listening to you, you didn’t really want this arranged marriage either.’
That was why the kiss earlier was staged.
“No way, they already have nothing to do with me! My last name now is ‘Vonzeyer,’ not ‘Owen.’ And even if I divorce you, I’ll never be ‘Owen’ again.”
“Divorce?”
Gerard’s face stiffened.
However, to live I had to show him that I drew a line with the Owen household. It was essential for my survival.
“Does that mean you intend to be my wife, not a spy?”
…!!
Right! The Archduke wasn’t stupid at all.
If so, won’t it be better for me to be honest?
“That’s right! I don’t want to be used by anyone. It’s my life! And if you want to be treated with respect as a husband, you should start treating me respectfully first.”
As I spoke, he loosened his crossed legs, lifting his shoulders from the backrest while looking at me intently, and then looked away.
‘Did I already run through my five years?’
In the distance, Karikas, the Demon Realm area conquered by the former Emperor Julius and now a territory that Gerard inherited and ruled, began to appear.
What was more surprising was that the fief itself was surrounded by a fortress wall just like Castles in my country.
Of course the book described it, but I didn’t think it would be this huge!
That was why Alfred struggled so hard.
Pwooo—
A horn resounded.
The large gate of the fief opened. As we entered, a narrow tunnel-like wall appeared.
But if we leave these walls…
[Alfred suffered a fatal wound on his shoulder while destroying a part of the Karikas fortress and entering the territory. He blanched.
It was because the land was quite different from the Karikas Estate that he had visited when he was an academy student. The beautiful buds of the unknown wildflowers that bloomed on those desolated and calm fields suddenly turned into evil beasts and swallowed the soldier next to him in one bite.
In an instant, the elite troops collapsed.]
Look at that — I will be the Grand Duchess of such a place!
Uuuuugh!!
Fear caused gooseflesh to rise all over my body.
‘Am I entering straight into the Demon Realm right now?’