Episode 111. Madam Lorisha Kydel
They say that preparing for a wedding is a blood-drying process. It is said that making dozens of decisions and preparing for months causes extreme stress.
However, I went to my wedding as if I were going to someone else's wedding. The ceremony was held in the spacious garden of the Duke of Kydel's residence.
No outside guests were invited, so the only guests were the two families' main vassals.
Although the guests were few, the wedding preparations were even more impressive considering the short time.
The wedding hall was lined with canopies filled with gold tassels to create space for the guests, and fragrant flowers filled the all.
The smell of alcohol and food was sweet, and the music was elegant and soft, as if coming from heaven. When I saw deer wearing flower crowns and rabbits with ribbons on their ears wandering around the garden, I doubted my eyes.
Miss Misha was spending money like water.
Even before the ceremony, Misha gave various instructions on how to proceed with the wedding as if she thought I was her mother.
The Count’s gaze at Misha was warm.
“That girl is trying to score points at my wedding.”
But I didn’t hate her.
Instead, I was annoyed by the Count. The Count didn’t come to see me while talking to the Duke.
The Count must have been angry, too.
When I secretly looked outside, the Countess was sitting in her seat with a fierce and pale face, as if she would curse me if I touched her. She said that I had taken the position of Duchess of Kydel away from her daughter.
The only face that gave me comfort was Miss Julia. And even the villa keepers, Moria and Lisa, came to see me, pretending to accompany the Count.
Miss Julia said to me as I was about to cry,
“Don’t cry, Lorisha. Today is your happiest day.”
A lot of words came to my mind, but I couldn’t say a single word. Miss Julia just kissed my forehead.
After they all left, I stared blankly at the bridal waiting area, at my crazy, gorgeous wedding dress and bouquet that looked more expensive than my body. The surrounding noise sounded unrealistic.
And then the Count came in. It was time.
I almost burst into tears the moment I saw the Count’s face, but the Count said sternly,
“Hold on, Lorisha.”
When I heard that, I swallowed my tears with a sound similar to “uh.” Strangely, I held back again. However, the sadness in my heart grew even bigger.
I linked arms with the Count and walked to the entrance of the wedding hall, whispering,
“I’m sorry, Count.”
“What?”
“...I didn’t get those wings.”
But the Count looked at the podium where the priest was standing and said,
“It’s time to go over there now, Lorisha.”
I don’t remember much about what happened after that. Prince Kydel had a very solemn expression on his face.
During the ceremony, he didn’t make eye contact with me. I also stood there with my eyes down like a demure woman in the world.
The wedding ring he had put on fit my finger perfectly. I was surprised to realize that I had never worn a wedding ring before, so I glanced at him and he whispered,
“Do you think I would have put that emerald ring on for no reason?”
I opened my mouth in bewilderment even in that tense situation. It was really fortunate that I was wearing a veil.
The real problem was what came next.
“The groom may kiss the bride.”
“...!”
Maybe it was because of the excessive tension, but I felt slightly dizzy. Prince Kydel saw me like that, sighed slightly, lifted the veil, and kissed me on the lips.
Then, the knights who had attended the wedding erupted in boos.
However, if Prince Kydel had responded to the boos and given me a real ‘kiss,’ I swear I would have fainted on the spot.
When the reception began, we even danced. Prince Kydel, who was pushed onto the floor by the crowd, seemed to be just walking in place while holding me.
“I can’t believe I’m using Misha’s lessons like this!”
He asked in surprise as I moved the steps on my own.
“When did you learn to dance?”
“Mi, Misha...”
He was smiling faintly as he looked down at me with his arms around my waist. Even though I was feeling sad, I felt a little better at his smile. I was so grateful that I could dance now.
Time passed like that, and when I came to my senses, I had about two glasses of wine at the banquet.
Most of the Kydel family’s vassals were commanders of knights and the military, so the atmosphere at the banquet was masculine and noisy.
They were constantly pouring drinks for Prince Kydel, and when I listened closely, it was all dirty talk.
This was my in-laws.
I glanced around at the ladies of the household who had gathered around me in the drunkenness, but they all avoided my gaze as if they had been waiting for it.
The only one whose eyes I made eye contact with was the Countess, who was laughing fiercely at the end.
'Oh, this... '
I intuitively felt that the disgust on the ladies' faces came from the Countess. In the meantime, they had been gossiping about me.
The ladies of the household were already able to properly despise the new little mistress, who was rumored to be a bad thing thanks to the Countess.
I thought I was now free from the Countess's grasp, but the seeds of contempt she had sown would still grow next to me.
I whispered to myself and raised my glass, smiling brightly at her.
'Countess, I wish you were dead.'
Then she covered her hardened face with her fan and went out.
A lady who had been watching her muttered to herself so that everyone could hear.
“I thought you were just a badass, but you’re also a drunkard. Oh, the hundred-year reputation of the Kydel family has come to an end like this!”
Even in the commotion, those words strangely rang clearly in my ears.
I was an adult, and now married, a proper adult. Maybe that’s why my mind seemed broader than before. It wasn’t because I was drunk at all. I glared at her and smirked, emptying my glass in one go. As if to say, ‘Yes, I’m a drunkard!’
If it were me, I would have sworn at that lady, but now that my behavior was the responsibility of Prince Kydel, I had to change.
She avoided my gaze from then on, but judging by her face gradually turning red, my provocation seemed to have worked. The other ladies’ faces were also rotten.
Unfortunately, however, Kydel’s liquor was quite strong. When I felt that I was getting drunk, Lady Olga came and took me to my room.
I had decided to quit drinking after I had acted strong while drinking to scare Misha, but I forgot.
“Are you okay, little lady?”
Instead of answering, I just laughed.
Madame Olga took me to the bedroom, sat me down on the sofa, and asked,
“Would you like me to change you into your pajamas?”
Even though I was drunk, I felt that she was genuinely worried about me, so I asked,
“Didn’t you hear what the Countess said, Madame Olga?”
“I heard a little bit.”
“Oh! Don’t tell me. I really don’t want to know. And you’re going to change my pajamas?”
“The Countess is just an outsider.”
I tried to focus my eyes and said, making a face.
“Isn’t Madame Olga a very strange person?”
“Is that so? Drink some water, little lady.”
The water Madame Olga gave me was so refreshing that I suddenly felt good and sat down on the sofa laughing.
Suddenly, I realized that this was all I needed for happiness.
I called her out loud.
“Lady Olgaaaaa!”
“Yes.”
“I just drank the most delicious water in the world. You are an angel!”
“No, my lady.”
“Then, can I be alone now? My dream is to live alone!”
“Then have good dreams.”
She hesitated for a moment and left me behind.
Only then did I kick off my shoes with just my toes and look out into the brightly lit yard. My eyes were not focused, so I frowned.
“Oh, is this his house? That unlucky, handsome boy! Hehehe.”
It was around midnight when Locard was finally released from his servants.
‘Now, please entertain the bride! It’s the first night, Your Excellency! Aha, isn’t it the first night? Hahaha.’
They were just as excited as fellow males at the fact that their little master was taking a woman, and they sent Locard into the bridal chamber with a shout.
However, when he entered the bedroom, Locard held his breath for a moment at the silence that filled the place.
He looked at the back of Lorisha sitting on the sofa, took off his jacket, and walked over to her, letting it drip on the floor. More precisely, it was closer to finding a place to sit because of extreme fatigue.
However, when he got there, she was asleep while sitting. The strong smell of alcohol told him that she was drunk.
“...”
Only then did Locard turn to face her with a sigh of relief.
He focused on her closed face and muttered.
“It feels good when you’re drunk. I can look at it however I want.”
Her flushed right cheek and slightly parted lips.
Locard quietly watched her shallowly breathing lips and lightly stroked them with his fingertips.
A warm heat passed through his fingertips as if he were striking a match.
He looked at her with a face devoid of emotion and muttered,
“How did we end up here, Lorisha?”
He still remembered Lorisha’s face, her voice, the trembling of her breathing as she shook him by the collar.
She had not smiled for the past few days. The light that had caught his gaze until now was fading away.
She was unhappy around him.
That fact made even Locard unhappy. No one had ever said that they were unhappy around him. Whenever he realized that fact, he sometimes felt as if a hand were stabbing a dagger into his side and swinging it around.
The reason he was so drunk today was because of the fear of having to witness Lorisha’s most unhappy face alone tonight.
Until now, he had always been confident that he could make her laugh, but now it seemed impossible.
“Why don’t you desire me, Lorisha?”
At that moment, Lorisha opened her eyes.
They say that preparing for a wedding is a blood-drying process. It is said that making dozens of decisions and preparing for months causes extreme stress.
However, I went to my wedding as if I were going to someone else's wedding. The ceremony was held in the spacious garden of the Duke of Kydel's residence.
No outside guests were invited, so the only guests were the two families' main vassals.
Although the guests were few, the wedding preparations were even more impressive considering the short time.
The wedding hall was lined with canopies filled with gold tassels to create space for the guests, and fragrant flowers filled the all.
The smell of alcohol and food was sweet, and the music was elegant and soft, as if coming from heaven. When I saw deer wearing flower crowns and rabbits with ribbons on their ears wandering around the garden, I doubted my eyes.
Miss Misha was spending money like water.
Even before the ceremony, Misha gave various instructions on how to proceed with the wedding as if she thought I was her mother.
The Count’s gaze at Misha was warm.
“That girl is trying to score points at my wedding.”
But I didn’t hate her.
Instead, I was annoyed by the Count. The Count didn’t come to see me while talking to the Duke.
The Count must have been angry, too.
When I secretly looked outside, the Countess was sitting in her seat with a fierce and pale face, as if she would curse me if I touched her. She said that I had taken the position of Duchess of Kydel away from her daughter.
The only face that gave me comfort was Miss Julia. And even the villa keepers, Moria and Lisa, came to see me, pretending to accompany the Count.
Miss Julia said to me as I was about to cry,
“Don’t cry, Lorisha. Today is your happiest day.”
A lot of words came to my mind, but I couldn’t say a single word. Miss Julia just kissed my forehead.
After they all left, I stared blankly at the bridal waiting area, at my crazy, gorgeous wedding dress and bouquet that looked more expensive than my body. The surrounding noise sounded unrealistic.
And then the Count came in. It was time.
I almost burst into tears the moment I saw the Count’s face, but the Count said sternly,
“Hold on, Lorisha.”
When I heard that, I swallowed my tears with a sound similar to “uh.” Strangely, I held back again. However, the sadness in my heart grew even bigger.
I linked arms with the Count and walked to the entrance of the wedding hall, whispering,
“I’m sorry, Count.”
“What?”
“...I didn’t get those wings.”
But the Count looked at the podium where the priest was standing and said,
“It’s time to go over there now, Lorisha.”
I don’t remember much about what happened after that. Prince Kydel had a very solemn expression on his face.
During the ceremony, he didn’t make eye contact with me. I also stood there with my eyes down like a demure woman in the world.
The wedding ring he had put on fit my finger perfectly. I was surprised to realize that I had never worn a wedding ring before, so I glanced at him and he whispered,
“Do you think I would have put that emerald ring on for no reason?”
I opened my mouth in bewilderment even in that tense situation. It was really fortunate that I was wearing a veil.
The real problem was what came next.
“The groom may kiss the bride.”
“...!”
Maybe it was because of the excessive tension, but I felt slightly dizzy. Prince Kydel saw me like that, sighed slightly, lifted the veil, and kissed me on the lips.
Then, the knights who had attended the wedding erupted in boos.
However, if Prince Kydel had responded to the boos and given me a real ‘kiss,’ I swear I would have fainted on the spot.
When the reception began, we even danced. Prince Kydel, who was pushed onto the floor by the crowd, seemed to be just walking in place while holding me.
“I can’t believe I’m using Misha’s lessons like this!”
He asked in surprise as I moved the steps on my own.
“When did you learn to dance?”
“Mi, Misha...”
He was smiling faintly as he looked down at me with his arms around my waist. Even though I was feeling sad, I felt a little better at his smile. I was so grateful that I could dance now.
Time passed like that, and when I came to my senses, I had about two glasses of wine at the banquet.
Most of the Kydel family’s vassals were commanders of knights and the military, so the atmosphere at the banquet was masculine and noisy.
They were constantly pouring drinks for Prince Kydel, and when I listened closely, it was all dirty talk.
This was my in-laws.
I glanced around at the ladies of the household who had gathered around me in the drunkenness, but they all avoided my gaze as if they had been waiting for it.
The only one whose eyes I made eye contact with was the Countess, who was laughing fiercely at the end.
'Oh, this... '
I intuitively felt that the disgust on the ladies' faces came from the Countess. In the meantime, they had been gossiping about me.
The ladies of the household were already able to properly despise the new little mistress, who was rumored to be a bad thing thanks to the Countess.
I thought I was now free from the Countess's grasp, but the seeds of contempt she had sown would still grow next to me.
I whispered to myself and raised my glass, smiling brightly at her.
'Countess, I wish you were dead.'
Then she covered her hardened face with her fan and went out.
A lady who had been watching her muttered to herself so that everyone could hear.
“I thought you were just a badass, but you’re also a drunkard. Oh, the hundred-year reputation of the Kydel family has come to an end like this!”
Even in the commotion, those words strangely rang clearly in my ears.
I was an adult, and now married, a proper adult. Maybe that’s why my mind seemed broader than before. It wasn’t because I was drunk at all. I glared at her and smirked, emptying my glass in one go. As if to say, ‘Yes, I’m a drunkard!’
If it were me, I would have sworn at that lady, but now that my behavior was the responsibility of Prince Kydel, I had to change.
She avoided my gaze from then on, but judging by her face gradually turning red, my provocation seemed to have worked. The other ladies’ faces were also rotten.
Unfortunately, however, Kydel’s liquor was quite strong. When I felt that I was getting drunk, Lady Olga came and took me to my room.
I had decided to quit drinking after I had acted strong while drinking to scare Misha, but I forgot.
“Are you okay, little lady?”
Instead of answering, I just laughed.
Madame Olga took me to the bedroom, sat me down on the sofa, and asked,
“Would you like me to change you into your pajamas?”
Even though I was drunk, I felt that she was genuinely worried about me, so I asked,
“Didn’t you hear what the Countess said, Madame Olga?”
“I heard a little bit.”
“Oh! Don’t tell me. I really don’t want to know. And you’re going to change my pajamas?”
“The Countess is just an outsider.”
I tried to focus my eyes and said, making a face.
“Isn’t Madame Olga a very strange person?”
“Is that so? Drink some water, little lady.”
The water Madame Olga gave me was so refreshing that I suddenly felt good and sat down on the sofa laughing.
Suddenly, I realized that this was all I needed for happiness.
I called her out loud.
“Lady Olgaaaaa!”
“Yes.”
“I just drank the most delicious water in the world. You are an angel!”
“No, my lady.”
“Then, can I be alone now? My dream is to live alone!”
“Then have good dreams.”
She hesitated for a moment and left me behind.
Only then did I kick off my shoes with just my toes and look out into the brightly lit yard. My eyes were not focused, so I frowned.
“Oh, is this his house? That unlucky, handsome boy! Hehehe.”
***
It was around midnight when Locard was finally released from his servants.
‘Now, please entertain the bride! It’s the first night, Your Excellency! Aha, isn’t it the first night? Hahaha.’
They were just as excited as fellow males at the fact that their little master was taking a woman, and they sent Locard into the bridal chamber with a shout.
However, when he entered the bedroom, Locard held his breath for a moment at the silence that filled the place.
He looked at the back of Lorisha sitting on the sofa, took off his jacket, and walked over to her, letting it drip on the floor. More precisely, it was closer to finding a place to sit because of extreme fatigue.
However, when he got there, she was asleep while sitting. The strong smell of alcohol told him that she was drunk.
“...”
Only then did Locard turn to face her with a sigh of relief.
He focused on her closed face and muttered.
“It feels good when you’re drunk. I can look at it however I want.”
Her flushed right cheek and slightly parted lips.
Locard quietly watched her shallowly breathing lips and lightly stroked them with his fingertips.
A warm heat passed through his fingertips as if he were striking a match.
He looked at her with a face devoid of emotion and muttered,
“How did we end up here, Lorisha?”
He still remembered Lorisha’s face, her voice, the trembling of her breathing as she shook him by the collar.
She had not smiled for the past few days. The light that had caught his gaze until now was fading away.
She was unhappy around him.
That fact made even Locard unhappy. No one had ever said that they were unhappy around him. Whenever he realized that fact, he sometimes felt as if a hand were stabbing a dagger into his side and swinging it around.
The reason he was so drunk today was because of the fear of having to witness Lorisha’s most unhappy face alone tonight.
Until now, he had always been confident that he could make her laugh, but now it seemed impossible.
“Why don’t you desire me, Lorisha?”
At that moment, Lorisha opened her eyes.
Comments
Post a Comment