What’s his deal? Here I mustered all my courage to swear to him while hiding that I’m so nervous I might start shaking. Dismayed, Rose shot Harij a questioning look.
Unlike Rose, who didn’t have a clue what was going on, the priest seemed to fully understand the situation.
Meanwhile, she heard an odd wet sniffling coming from the guest seats. Curious what it was, she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in surprise under her veil.
Of all things, she found Tien there, crying his eyes out in formal wear rather than his usual over-the-top clothes. He accepted a handkerchief hesitantly held out by the person sitting beside him and blew his nose while mumbling, “Sowwyy.”
Rose felt something like a hot lump form in the back of her throat. She had never seen Tien cry before. She never expected the man who was always smiling and aloof from the world to cry from seeing her as a bride.
The memories he had shared with her the other day came rushing to the forefront of her mind. Sure, he made her cry a lot, but thinking back on it, she had caused him a lot of worry and trouble. She wondered who, other than Tien, would have stuck around so long being such a good friend to a witch?
Why is it Tien who’s making me feel like crying at my own wedding? Rose pressed her lips tightly together. If she didn’t do that, she feared tears would spill from the corners of her eyes and ruin the makeup Mona had spent so much time doing for her.
“Ahem.” The priest cleared his throat.
Maybe there really is a god, Rose thought, grateful for that distraction that let her get away with a single sniffle and no tears.
But her moment of relief ended there.
“You may kiss the bride.”
What did he just say? Rose’s eyes bulged as she stared at Priest Ahem.
Harij stepped up to her while she was busy glaring down at the priest. Startled, she swung her restless gaze to Harij. In that time, he had brought his body within intimate distance from hers, his expression cooler than the surface of the lake.
Then he lifted the black veil off her face, exposing her misty eyes.
Here Rose thought Harij had prepared the veil to conceal her expressions since he knew the witches’ greatest secret, so when he pulled it off himself, she didn’t know how to react.
Her brain was in a state of pandemonium, but her face was so trained to remain expressionless, Harij didn’t notice. He cupped her slightly taut cheek in his palm. Apparently, he took the tightness to mean she was nervous.
He stroked her cheek with his thumb to help ease her nerves in a way no one else could see.
No, no, no. You don’t get it! Rose pointed out in her heart.
Harij was the primary cause of her consternation.
She didn’t know what was about to happen—no, she consciously diverted her mind away from what she’d rather not know, but she couldn’t escape it any longer. He lifted her chin and leaned in. As clichéd as it may be, Rose thrust out her hand.
The air instantly became electrified. Harij grabbed her slender wrist and moved her hand away from his lips.
“…Rose.”
His voice rumbled like hell’s gatekeeper rather than a man speaking at his wedding. Rose was also starting to comprehend that wedding ceremonies were supposed to proceed with more solemnity and grace, but she couldn’t help herself. There are some things you just can’t yield to.
“Th-This isn’t what we discussed!”
“And who do you think is going back on what we discussed?”
Rose had certainly conceded to kissing during the ceremony. She promised she would. But the situation at hand exceeded what she had imagined!
“P-People are watching!”
She was only expressing the modesty any being that spoke and walked on two legs should have, and yet it earned her the most pitying look yet from Harij.
“I guess I forgot to tell you. The kiss you share at a wedding is normally done in front of people.”
“Why is that necessary? It’s outright shameful!”
“Rose, I said you didn’t have to. But then you gave your consent. It became a done deal at that point.”
Rose couldn’t believe her ears. When she’d heard this kiss was a necessary part of the ceremony, she was under the impression they would move somewhere else for it. Never in her wildest dreams did she think they wanted her to kiss in front of not only people but also the god they worshipped.
“…A-Are you sane?”
“As sane as can be.”
She thought she was going to faint. If she could have, she would have swooned on the spot.
Rose was a witch. Witches honored promises.
And Rose had made a promise to Harij. The exchange was kissing during the wedding ceremony in return for Harij dancing with Yašm in her stead at the ball. This was a pit she had dug herself.
“But this, this is just…”
She looked to the priest for salvation and then to the guests, but aside from Tien, who was clutching his head, everyone looked at her funny. This look was different from the one usually filled with contempt for the witch.
Their gazes were tender, as if they were stopping themselves from laughing at the innocent girl with bright-red cheeks.
“Eyes! No eyes!” Rose swiveled back toward Harij. “Everyone, please close your eyes!”
Everyone in attendance showed their respect to the adorably shy bride by covering their eyes. Even the priest closed his. Rose’s legs were shaking so bad, she was close to falling over. Her face was so hot she could almost feel steam coming off it. Harij patiently waited for his new wife to be ready without making a single upset face over her delay. Wanting to reward him, she tightly shut her eyes and lifted her chin.
Harij caressed her cheek in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. And then, at last—
The End