<Chapter 41>

‘Huu, seriously. At a time like this, the male lead should pull the heroine in for a deep kiss—it’s the perfect move to save her face!’

This won’t do. I guess I’ll have to protect the heroine’s pride myself.

Lifting my veil, I tilted my head slightly toward Temenos.

‘Wow, he looks even more handsome now that I’ve lifted the veil…!’

He had only brushed his hair back and donned a formal suit, yet he exuded a completely different atmosphere. The sharp expression he wore, as if on high alert, added an air of authority, and his intense gaze deepened his allure.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by his appearance, I stared at him in admiration. Temenos, seemingly uncomfortable with my gaze, awkwardly turned his eyes away.

‘Geez, look at him being all shy and awkward.’

This won’t do. I’ll take charge of this wedding myself.

Rising on my tiptoes, I aimed for Temenos’ lips. He had turned his gaze but not his head, so it wasn’t difficult for me to kiss him.

The sensation of his lips was softer than I had anticipated. I thought I felt a faint chill from his nose, like touching cool scales, but I didn’t have the chance to confirm because I teetered off balance from standing on my toes.

‘Eek, I’m falling!’

Fortunately, Temenos—who had been frozen for a moment—quickly caught me.

“Are you alright?”

I wanted to say yes, but instead, my face slammed into his chest with a thud.

“Ouch, ouch…”

The veil I had lifted fell back over my face, obscuring my view. I slipped a hand beneath it to rub my nose.

Just then, my vision cleared.

Lifting my head, I saw Temenos, lowering his posture slightly, holding up my veil and looking at me.

“No nosebleed… that’s good.”

We were at eye level, and the distance between us was close.

Belatedly realizing the proximity, Temenos’ gaze shifted downward, and a faint blush spread across his cheeks.

For some reason, that made me happy. Without needing to rise on my toes this time, I leaned in and kissed him again.

Startled, Temenos recoiled, causing the veil to fall back over my face. Thanks to that, I could grin without worrying about my expression being seen.

It was then…

Flash!

A mysterious golden light descended from the sky, enveloping Temenos and me as if blessing our union.

“Wha… what is that light?”

“I-it’s God! God really has been watching over us!”

“Oh, holy deity…!”

The shimmering golden particles radiated outward from the two of us, filling the hall.

The guests reached out with their hands to touch or gently cup the glowing particles, marveling at the spectacle.

“God must be blessing the Duke and Duchess’s marriage!”

“They say the Duchess wasn’t just a Saintess candidate—she’s the actual Saintess!”

“For God to personally bestow such blessings, He must truly cherish the Duchess!”

In the North, there are no priests.

The people cannot offer prayers, nor do they receive divine care. Over 300 years, their faith had faded—not from willful rejection, but from resignation and apathy.

Now, seeing with their own eyes that God had not entirely abandoned the North…

‘How could they not feel awe and reverence?’

“With the Duchess here in the North, perhaps God will begin to watch over this land as well.”

“I wondered why His Majesty sent a Saintess candidate to marry the Duke, but it seems he had a plan all along.”

“Come to think of it, did you hear? They say the Duchess personally treated patients with conditions that even doctors couldn’t heal…”

The guests’ excited chatter echoed through the hall.

Above it all, I heard Temenos’ voice: “Does this mean the wedding is over, Bishop Roam?”

“Y-yes.”

Bishop Roam nodded reflexively, then belatedly realized his mistake, a look of regret flashing across his face.

Judging by his expression, there seemed to be a reason why the ceremony wasn’t supposed to end smoothly.

‘Well, in that case, I’d better wrap it up quickly.’

Just as I was about to urge Temenos to leave, my foot hit something. It was the mask Temenos had taken off earlier.

‘If we leave like this, people will see his face and start gossiping again.’

Picking it up and placing it back on his face isn’t an option.

“Wait a moment.”

As Temenos turned to leave, I stopped him and suddenly had an idea.

Removing the veil from my head, I draped it over his.

“What are you doing now?” came his startled voice from beneath the veil.

“Stay still. I have to keep my husband’s handsomeness a secret, don’t I?”

Wow, with someone else wearing it, the face is completely hidden!

“You can see clearly from inside, right? Just in case, I’ll escort you. Trust me and follow my lead.”

“W-wait. Stop—!”

“Let’s go!” Ignoring the Bishop’s voice calling out from behind us, I grabbed Temenos’ hand and strode down the wedding aisle.

Without my veil, I could see the astonished faces of the guests clearly. Some even leaned in to whisper about me.

“So, um… she’s covering his face because she doesn’t want to see it, right?”

“Didn’t you hear her? She said she wants to keep his handsome face all to herself.”

“She’s just saying that! I’ve seen the Duke’s bare face before—how could anyone call that handsome?”

“But… his side profile earlier was honestly pretty good-looking…”

Ha, I knew it.

Someone out there had to recognize how handsome he is.

‘But it doesn’t matter now. The wedding’s already over.’

This man is now my husband.

Relishing the smug satisfaction bubbling up inside me, I waved to the guests.

“Thank you for your congratulations, everyone. We’ll live happily ever after. Thank you so much.”

With my arm linked through Temenos’, I beamed at the crowd, my smile as bright as ever.

The applause that followed was endless.

I loved it. Whatever they thought of me behind closed doors, the fact that they had to clap for me publicly was exhilarating.

‘Being a duchess… is amazing!’

What a thrill!

*  *  *

“Thank you for your congratulations, everyone. We’ll live happily together. Thank you.”

The bride, with a bright smile on her face, held tightly to the arm of the Monster Duke, who now wore a white veil adorned with lace. To anyone watching, she appeared nothing short of blissful.

The guests, caught off guard, managed to mask their bewilderment with polite applause.

‘So, the rumors about her wanting to take her own life to avoid this marriage were just nonsense?’

A few nobles, who had arrived expecting an unprecedentedly tragic wedding filled with tears and wails, clicked their tongues in disappointment at the anticlimactic scene.

On the other hand, the vassals and retainers of Winstein exhaled a collective sigh of relief.

Given that the two bride candidates the Emperor had sent previously had fled before even reaching the North, the concern wasn’t just whether the marriage ceremony would conclude successfully, but whether the Duchess would actually stay in the North.

“At least one worry is off our minds now.”

“You don’t think she’s just acting and planning to escape later, do you…?”

“Acting? How many times do I have to tell you? The Duchess came to the North of her own will!”

“Exactly! She must have answered the will of God to watch over the North. That’s why she started healing people the moment she arrived.”

“Speaking of which, someone mentioned earlier that the Duchess healed incurable patients. Is that true?”

“True as can be! Everyone living in Winstein Castle knows about it. Just wait a little longer—you’ll see proof for yourself.”

And the proof of the Duchess’s healing countless people? About an hour later…

To announce the successful conclusion of the wedding, the Duke and Duchess embarked on a grand procession in a splendid eight-horse carriage that departed from the main gates of the ducal castle.

Dozens of knights in full ceremonial armor flanked the carriage, guarding it from both front and rear. At the very front, a parade guard carried banners bearing the Winstein crest, along with musicians playing instruments to clear the path ahead.

Crowds gathered to watch the procession, but they were quickly left speechless when they caught sight of the faces of those in the honor guard and parade corps.
 

<To be continued>

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