“Ugh… I’m so nervous…”
A week had passed since Louis’s attempted nighttime ambush and his subsequent detention, and the day of Melza’s and my engagement ceremony had finally arrived.
Since the marquis had forbidden all members of his household from approaching us, Melza and I had been able to spend our time in peace and harmony.
More than anything else, we had the servants dispatched from House Woodstock to thank for our continued comfort. As a result of their efforts, Melza was all smiles, which ensured my own happiness as well.
And so, I found myself sitting alone in a carriage on my way to the chapel where the ceremony was to take place, fretting and praying it would all go off without a hitch.
“It’s times like this that I wish she were here. Her smile would really help me calm down…” I sighed and gazed out the window.
I wasn’t supposed to see her until we met in the chapel, and I hadn’t caught a single glimpse of her since we parted ways that morning. To make matters even more difficult, she’d made a rather intimidating declaration the previous night.
“Oh-ho… I’m looking forward to seeing you in your finery tomorrow, Hugh.”
“Ah-ha-ha… And to think, when I first approached her and Archduke Woodstock, I was simply planning to use them to exact my revenge on House Grenville…” I chuckled under my breath.
The fire of anger and hatred still burned within me…yet over the past few days, my feelings for Melza had grown just as strong, if not stronger. And there was something I’d realized recently…
“…I’ve never properly told her how I feel…”
I had expressed my happiness on several occasions and told her how glad I was that I had met her. But I hadn’t yet put into words the depth of my affection.
Of course, I suspected she was well aware of my true feelings. After all, she could see through malice and falsehood, so it stood to reason she could discern love and warmth as well.
“Still… I’m sure she’s waiting to hear it directly from me…”
She was kindhearted and gentle, and of course she knew all about my quest for revenge. For those reasons, she had chosen not to pressure me.
Yet I suspected making her wait like this had left her increasingly uneasy.
And so I made up my mind. Today, I would tell her how I truly felt.
“……”
With bated breath, I waited in front of the altar as the archbishop began the ceremony.
When the doors to the chapel next swung open, the archduke himself would escort Melza up to where I stood…
Creak.
A blinding light flooded in, enveloping Melza in her snow-white dress and the archduke in his well-tailored tuxedo.
Under the watchful gazes of those close to the illustrious Woodstock and Grenville families, the pair slowly made their way down the red carpet and stopped before me.
“…Son-in-law. I leave Mel in your hands.”
“Yes… I promise to take good care of her.”
Kneeling, I took Melza’s hand in my own.
“Hugh…” Melza peeked up at me from behind her veil.
The woman to whom I was about to make my vows was even more radiant and beautiful than the goddess Galene.
“Ahem.”
Ah-ha-ha… I was so distracted by Melza’s captivating looks that the archbishop had to clear his throat to catch my attention. But faced with a woman this gorgeous, who could blame me?
“Now, then…,” the archbishop began. “O Galene, rich in blessings. By your holy providence do this man and woman declare their intention to marry, to love and to support one another, and to be betrothed in your name in the presence of these gathered witnesses…”
The man continued his solemn prayers for a short while, until he reached the crucial line.
“…Hugo Grenville and Meltreza of Woodstock. Do you swear in the presence of the goddess to be engaged and to remain pure and righteous to one another?”
“I do.”
“I do.”
Melza and I bowed in unison.
“We give thanks, O Galene, for allowing these two to be engaged with this sacred oath. We pray that you will protect their faith and aspirations, bless their companionship and livelihoods, and guide them toward love and mutual understanding. May your abundant blessings be upon them until they are permitted to marry. So we pray in the name of the goddess Galene…”
With that, Melza and I were officially engaged. There could be no arguing about it now—she was my fiancée.
At last, it was time for me to say something, to express the depth of my feelings in a manner worthy of our commitment.
“Melza… For the longest time, this life of mine was filled with nothing but disappointment and despair…”
“Hugh…?”
Bewilderment passed over her face for a moment, but sensing the solemnity of my words, she fell silent and straightened up.
“I approached you, thinking only to leave all that behind me…”
“……”
“But then…you accepted me, despicable though I was. You shone a light on me in the darkness, gave me warmth…”
“Th-that goes for me, too, Hugh…!”
“Ah-ha-ha. Please, let me finish… You saved me, I’m sure of it. And at the same time, you became the most important person in my life. And you always will be.”
I took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. It was time for the most important part of my speech.
“Melza… I love you.”
“…!” She gasped audibly, her crimson eyes opening wide. “Hugh! I love you, too! So very much! Thank you for accepting me, for seeking me out! I love your gentle gaze! Your kind voice! And more than anything, I love the tender feelings you’ve offered me…!”
She was overwhelmed with emotion, and tears trickled down from her crimson eyes as she carefully took my hand.
We pressed our foreheads together as both of us cried tears of joy, identical smiles on our faces.
We basked for a while in the happiness of our mutual affection.
“Ho-ho… Now you’ve made me cry during our ceremony…”
Melza stuck out her tongue playfully, tears still streaking down her cheeks. Her every gesture and expression were lovely beyond measure.
“Ah-ha-ha… It’s my special privilege to make you cry. Tears of joy only, of course.”
“How many times do you plan on making me cry before I become an old woman?”
“Hmm… How about this? I swear to make sure your smiles outnumber even your tears of joy.”
“Ho-ho… Oh, Hugh.”
“Ahem.”
Ah-ha-ha… The archbishop cleared his throat again…
“Then the two of you may leave, taking with you the blessings of all those in attendance.”
“Thank you, Archbishop,” I said sincerely.
“Yes, thank you,” Melza added.
We bowed to the clergyman and turned to make our way back down the red carpet.
“Oh-ho… Look how Grandfather is crying…”
“It’s only natural. I’m sure your happiness matters more to him than anything else.”
I suspected the archduke had worked tirelessly over the years to fill in for her missing parents. That was probably why he was so eager to find a partner who would truly support her.
“…He must be so relieved,” Melza remarked.
“Yes… I promise to make you as happy as can be.”
“I know you will…” She rested her head against my shoulder.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice the reactions of those in the audience…
Ha-ha, my stepmother isn’t even trying to hide her irritation. At least Anna is managing to hold it in.
Naturally, Louis was nowhere to be seen. If he dared show his face in public, House Grenville would never recover from the disgrace. Nevertheless, his confinement would no doubt be lifted once I left to join the archduke’s household.
“Master Hugo! Congratulations!”
Ellen was the only one on House Grenville’s side of the chapel to offer me words of encouragement. After all, she would be coming with me when I joined the Woodstocks.
One might have expected her to face the same consequences as Molly and her other colleagues, but for whatever reason, she had received no punishment whatsoever. Given her position as a spy and a practitioner of psychic magic, she was probably indispensable to the marquis’s plans.
“Ordinarily, both families would come together for a banquet,” I said under my breath. “…But luckily, it seems we were able to avoid that little tradition.”
“Yes… If the conversation turned to that beastly Louis with my grandfather present, it might have spelled the end for House Grenville. Calling it off was a wise decision.”
Typically, a banquet would be held after any noble engagement ceremony as a means of introducing the couple to relatives from both sides. But House Grenville had requested not to hold such a celebration. It was obviously the right call, considering the risk of exposing Louis’s attempted nighttime attack on Melza.
As such, dinner tonight would be a modest event including only the members of House Woodstock. But knowing the archduke, I trusted it would still be a lavish affair.
“Well, Hugh. Let us return to our new home.”
“Indeed.”
Melza smiled delicately as I leaned down to kiss her outstretched hand.