Episode 49. The Wedding Bride is Not You
Doana waited in the waiting room, oblivious to everything.
Dreaming of a lavish wedding with Eric that would never happen.
"Their skills are terrible."
She looked at herself in the mirror, her expression dissatisfied.
I clearly asked for it to be extravagant, but...!
"Ha, the dress is so clown-like."
Far from being extravagant, it was utterly messy.
The fabric was cheap and unattractive, and the finishing touches were shabby. The jewels on the dress also looked incredibly cheap.
Doana regretted entrusting everything to Tercia. No matter how kind she was, she was still her "in-laws." How foolish of her to trust everything.
Even when she realized Tercia wouldn't be sincere, it was already too late.
"Ha, you old fox!"
The kindness Tercia showed her was merely a means to stab her in the back of the head.
She'd been fooled once, but she wouldn't be fooled twice.
Thinking of her, she bit her lower lip.
'Still... Thanks to you, the wedding went so quickly, right?'
Fortunately, thanks to Tercia, she was able to become a Countess without much trouble.
Doana recalled the conversation with Tercia when she visited her in the waiting room. She had gently embraced Doana, who was sitting there with a sullen expression, and said,
'Oh, my dear. You're so pretty.'
'Really?'
'I'm really looking forward to today's wedding. The bride is so beautiful, everyone's praising you.'
'And your mother. No one has seen me yet, and you're praising me too much.'
The maids had snickered at Doana's words, still thinking she was the bride, but she was oblivious. She simply shrugged at Tercia's splendid compliments.
Besides, today, she didn't want to put white gauze on her face.
Doana had been using thick makeup to cover her scars; her face was caked thickly, and she looked older than usual.
"But aren't the guests even coming to the waiting room to see the bride's face?"
She arrived at the crack of dawn and spent over five hours in the waiting room. She was bored to the point of sleepiness.
Perhaps it was the excitement that kept her awake.
"Well, I'm sure they're already seen the bride's face,"
The maid replied, trying to suppress a smirk.
They had been disillusioned by the news that Doana would become a Countess, but today they finally learned the true identity of the bride.
Having learned that Doana wasn't the one Eric was marrying, they had been beaming all day.
They were united, not even telling Doana the truth. They didn't see the need to clear up the misunderstanding Tercia had deliberately created.
"What are you talking about? We haven't even seen the groom, let alone any guests!"
Tercia was the only one who had come and gone.
Even Eric hadn't come to visit Doana. Far from being the center of the wedding, they felt like a useless burden.
"It's so frustrating, you can't even let me leave!"
Doana's annoyed outburst ignited a rage, but the head maid spoke quietly.
"Please, calm down. Your wrinkles look like they're covered in makeup."
The head maid's words annoyed Doana, but she kept her mouth shut.
She had to be flawless and beautiful today, at least.
The maids standing behind Doana whispered among themselves.
"But do you really not know?"
"If you did, you wouldn't have reacted like that."
"That's right. You referred to yourself as 'bride' earlier when you were talking to the previous Countess."
"Pfft, that's right. I almost burst out laughing that time."
"Me too."
They were incredibly pleased with her current situation.
She'd been treated so rudely by Eric, and now, instead of getting married, she was being ridiculed.
"I want to see the wedding soon."
"Of course. By the way, have you seen the Marquis's daughter?"
“Oh. I saw her in passing, and she looked as cold as the rumors say. I think she has a cold personality...”
“Haa.”
They sighed at the same time. They missed Rose, who had left the mansion.
“There really was no one like our Madam.”
“That’s right.”
“I wish she would come back...”
As soon as the maids finished speaking, someone knocked on the waiting room door.
Knock.
The head maid frowned at the sound. There probably won’t be anyone coming...
She stuck her head out the door and surveyed the situation.
“...! Madam?”
She froze in place at Rose’s unexpected appearance.
Because she never dreamed that Rose would come. And so beautiful.
“How... is this?”
Had she come to cause a scene, saying, “This man is your husband?!”
“I brought Madam here.”
Jane looked at the head maid with a bright face. Rose spoke softly to the head maid.
“I came looking for Doana. She’s in here, right?"
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll go in for a moment.”
The head maid nodded with a bewildered expression and opened the door to the waiting room. Rose entered elegantly, escorted by the Grand Duke.
Doana turned at the commotion.
“Who’s here?”
She was delighted to have a visitor in her boredom. However, Doana’s face hardened when she confirmed that it was Rose.
“... Rose?”
“Hello, Doana.”
Rose straightened her back and greeted Doana.
Doana’s gaze at Rose was not kind.
'You came here with such determination?'
Anyone could tell that she'd put a lot of effort into it. Not only the dress and hair, but even the makeup looked quite polished.
Doana glared at Rose with a sullen gaze. For some reason, the thought that Rose was more beautiful than herself made her feel uncomfortable.
However, Doana feigned innocence and greeted Rose.
"...I didn't know you'd come to congratulate me. Welcome."
It was hard to call it a conversation between a maid and a noble, but the people of Count Wence's household were already quite accustomed to it.
Rose's declaration that Doana, a maid, was practically her friend had initially been shocking, but as time passed, she had become numb.
"But, you're going too far. Someone would think it was you getting married, not me. You should wear clothes that suit the occasion."
Doana said sarcastically, looking Rose up and down. Then he turned his gaze to the man standing next to Rose like a folding screen.
“Who is he?”
He had a cold expression, but he was incredibly handsome.
“Did you hire a knight to show off at my wedding?”
Doana, who had never imagined him to be the famous Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum, in his mind, was an ugly man with a cruel temper. She didn’t even greet the Grand Duke, but glared at him and stood up. Then, she walked towards Rose, her voice cracking. Doana, who had approached, played with Rose’s necklace and earrings and chuckled.
“You did something that looks good.”
“You don’t have any money, do you? You didn’t borrow money from the bank, did you? Or...”
Doana trailed off, then spoke with a bitter laugh.
“Did you have some fun and make some money at night?”
Doana blurted out the rude remark without a second thought and chuckled.
The Grand Duke's expression hardened terribly at Doana's words. It wasn't just the Grand Duke. Everyone stared at Doana with cold expressions.
The Grand Duke moved as if to say something to Doana, but Rose grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"My knight will beat you up. Be afraid."
Doana giggled, insisting she was only joking, and glared at the Grand Duke.
"You know, you can't treat me like that. I'm about to become a Countess. A knight like you has a high status to uphold."
Doana hadn't read any romance novels, so she seemed unaware that knights were also nobles.
Of course, the problem was that the Grand Duke before her was not a knight, but a higher status.
"A Countess..."
Rose pondered Doana's words. Hearing Rose's voice, Doana looked at Rose with a triumphant smile.
"I didn't expect to get married so soon. Well, Eric's mother is so fond of me, isn't she?"
She shrugged and looked at Rose.
“His mother prepared everything for me today. You don’t know how wonderful it is to be a beloved daughter-in-law.”
Doana tried to tease Rose.
“Poor Rose. His mother never did that to you. I was really scared at first, but you never had to worry about that.”
She covered her mouth femininely and put on a blissful expression. She seemed delighted to confirm that she was superior to Rose.
“That’s strange. Why do you think you’re a Countess?”
Doana, who had been giggling, hardened her expression at Rose’s words.
“You... got divorced, kicked out, and now what happened to your hair? Who else is a Countess if not me? My mother-in-law prepared this wedding and even the dress. If you’re just here to make a fuss out of jealousy, then you should just leave.”
Rose burst into laughter at Doana.
“Oh, wait a minute. Heh heh... You’re so funny. Seriously.”
That vicious, ugly man?
Doana frowned at the Grand Duke's appearance, which did not match her imagination.
The Grand Duke muttered, looking down at the fallen Doana.
“You, you bastard, seem to have no idea what it means to insult royalty.”
Doana flinched at the mention of “royalty.” She was completely overwhelmed by the Grand Duke's chilling aura.
"They say there are those who offend the royal family and become crippled. Oh, there was even one who had his tongue cut in half, unable to speak for the rest of his life. Or perhaps they were even deprived of their status as slaves."
The Grand Duke's lips gushed out horrific punishments unimaginable in Korea.
Doana had already turned pale. She stared at the floor, unable to hide her trembling fingers. She had heard of the Grand Duke's brutality from Eric and the maids.
Perhaps the Grand Duke's words were not a lie. A chilling fear ran down her spine.
After her possession, Doana, who had lived exclusively in the Count's household, was nothing more than a frog in a well.
She had never met anyone of a higher rank than Eric, and having monopolized his affections had led to an arrogance that reached the sky.
In her world, Eric's power was paramount, and she was the woman of such a formidable man. That's why Doana was always so unyielding.
Ultimately, that must have led to today's situation.
Doana's lips went dry as she realized there was no escape.
"But I'm in a good mood today, so I might let it slide."
Doana, her eyes tinged with anxiety, found a glimmer of hope in the Grand Duke's words.
"If you bow your head at my feet and beg, I'll let your arrogance slide."
It wasn't a bad deal. The only slight drawback was that Rose was right next to the Grand Duke.
That would mean she'd have to kneel and bow to Rose, and that was something she desperately wanted to avoid.
"Rose, get out of the way."
Doana spoke sharply to Rose, and the Grand Duke of Artaeum furrowed his brow.
"I'm not a man of leisure. I'll give you three seconds. If you don't intend to apologize within that time, I will punish you according to Imperial law."
As the Grand Duke's cold voice rang out, Doana immediately fell to the floor and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry..."
Before she could even think, her body moved. Doana felt utterly ashamed of herself, bowing at someone's feet.
She glared at Rose's high heels by her bedside with a glint in her eyes.
'Because of you...!!'
If it weren't for Rose, she wouldn't have had to deal with the Grand Duke of Artaeum. She blamed Rose in anger.
"Let's go now, Grand Duke of Artaeum. We'll all be late for the wedding at this rate."
Rose snickered at the sight of Doana bowing at her feet and grabbed the Grand Duke's arm.
As Rose and the Grand Duke left the room, Doana could be heard screaming in frustration behind her.
Rose walked with the Grand Duke, her face flushed with relief.
"Thank you."
The Grand Duke had clearly stepped up for her. The way he invoked imperial law was as ruthless as rumored.
"I'm so glad I didn't squabble with the Grand Duke."
If Rose were to face his murderous gaze head-on, she might faint on the spot.
Rose stopped walking without entering the temple where the ceremony was taking place.
“You don’t plan on going in, do you?”
“No. There’s something else I want to see.”
Rose took her place in the crowd and looked toward the waiting room where Doana was.
Soon, she saw Doana rushing out.
Doana wandered around, as if searching for something.
And just then, the true bride of this wedding, Beliana Dikar, appeared. As Beliana appeared in a white veil, the guests began to murmur.
“Oh my, look at that bride over there.”
“She’s as beautiful as the rumors say.”
The people admired Beliana, but at the same time, they felt sorry for her.
“Tsk tsk, how did she end up with Count Wence...”
“That’s right. You’re so lucky.”
“I envy Count Wence... He takes all the beauties away.”
“Oh my, what are you talking about?”
“Oops. I didn’t say anything.”
While everyone was focused on Beliana, one of the nobles pointed to Doana, who was standing shabbily.
“Look. But who is she?”
“Ah. She’s Count Wence’s mistress. I heard she’s going to be a bridesmaid today, and what does she look like? How ridiculous.”
“She must have no balls. If it were me, I wouldn’t come to this wedding.”
“Hey. His ex-wife is here, so how can she not come just because she’s his mistress?”
“At least his ex-wife dressed up and came.”
“That’s right. And it’s funny that she said she was a bridesmaid.”
Hundreds of eyes surrounded Doana.
Laughter could be heard here and there. They were busy judging and mocking every single thing about Doana, from head to toe.
Doana’s face, which had been under the stinging gaze, soon flushed red with shame. Doana stared at Beliana, her eyes reddened with tears.
Beliana, clad in a pristine white wedding dress, was exquisitely elegant. Not only was the design so luxurious, unlike her own, but she also wore a pure white veil, reserved only for brides.
Only then did Doana realize: today's wedding wasn't for her.
Doana waited in the waiting room, oblivious to everything.
Dreaming of a lavish wedding with Eric that would never happen.
"Their skills are terrible."
She looked at herself in the mirror, her expression dissatisfied.
I clearly asked for it to be extravagant, but...!
"Ha, the dress is so clown-like."
Far from being extravagant, it was utterly messy.
The fabric was cheap and unattractive, and the finishing touches were shabby. The jewels on the dress also looked incredibly cheap.
Doana regretted entrusting everything to Tercia. No matter how kind she was, she was still her "in-laws." How foolish of her to trust everything.
Even when she realized Tercia wouldn't be sincere, it was already too late.
"Ha, you old fox!"
The kindness Tercia showed her was merely a means to stab her in the back of the head.
She'd been fooled once, but she wouldn't be fooled twice.
Thinking of her, she bit her lower lip.
'Still... Thanks to you, the wedding went so quickly, right?'
Fortunately, thanks to Tercia, she was able to become a Countess without much trouble.
Doana recalled the conversation with Tercia when she visited her in the waiting room. She had gently embraced Doana, who was sitting there with a sullen expression, and said,
'Oh, my dear. You're so pretty.'
'Really?'
'I'm really looking forward to today's wedding. The bride is so beautiful, everyone's praising you.'
'And your mother. No one has seen me yet, and you're praising me too much.'
The maids had snickered at Doana's words, still thinking she was the bride, but she was oblivious. She simply shrugged at Tercia's splendid compliments.
Besides, today, she didn't want to put white gauze on her face.
Doana had been using thick makeup to cover her scars; her face was caked thickly, and she looked older than usual.
"But aren't the guests even coming to the waiting room to see the bride's face?"
She arrived at the crack of dawn and spent over five hours in the waiting room. She was bored to the point of sleepiness.
Perhaps it was the excitement that kept her awake.
"Well, I'm sure they're already seen the bride's face,"
The maid replied, trying to suppress a smirk.
They had been disillusioned by the news that Doana would become a Countess, but today they finally learned the true identity of the bride.
Having learned that Doana wasn't the one Eric was marrying, they had been beaming all day.
They were united, not even telling Doana the truth. They didn't see the need to clear up the misunderstanding Tercia had deliberately created.
"What are you talking about? We haven't even seen the groom, let alone any guests!"
Tercia was the only one who had come and gone.
Even Eric hadn't come to visit Doana. Far from being the center of the wedding, they felt like a useless burden.
"It's so frustrating, you can't even let me leave!"
Doana's annoyed outburst ignited a rage, but the head maid spoke quietly.
"Please, calm down. Your wrinkles look like they're covered in makeup."
The head maid's words annoyed Doana, but she kept her mouth shut.
She had to be flawless and beautiful today, at least.
The maids standing behind Doana whispered among themselves.
"But do you really not know?"
"If you did, you wouldn't have reacted like that."
"That's right. You referred to yourself as 'bride' earlier when you were talking to the previous Countess."
"Pfft, that's right. I almost burst out laughing that time."
"Me too."
They were incredibly pleased with her current situation.
She'd been treated so rudely by Eric, and now, instead of getting married, she was being ridiculed.
"I want to see the wedding soon."
"Of course. By the way, have you seen the Marquis's daughter?"
“Oh. I saw her in passing, and she looked as cold as the rumors say. I think she has a cold personality...”
“Haa.”
They sighed at the same time. They missed Rose, who had left the mansion.
“There really was no one like our Madam.”
“That’s right.”
“I wish she would come back...”
As soon as the maids finished speaking, someone knocked on the waiting room door.
Knock.
The head maid frowned at the sound. There probably won’t be anyone coming...
She stuck her head out the door and surveyed the situation.
“...! Madam?”
She froze in place at Rose’s unexpected appearance.
Because she never dreamed that Rose would come. And so beautiful.
“How... is this?”
Had she come to cause a scene, saying, “This man is your husband?!”
“I brought Madam here.”
Jane looked at the head maid with a bright face. Rose spoke softly to the head maid.
“I came looking for Doana. She’s in here, right?"
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll go in for a moment.”
The head maid nodded with a bewildered expression and opened the door to the waiting room. Rose entered elegantly, escorted by the Grand Duke.
Doana turned at the commotion.
“Who’s here?”
She was delighted to have a visitor in her boredom. However, Doana’s face hardened when she confirmed that it was Rose.
“... Rose?”
“Hello, Doana.”
Rose straightened her back and greeted Doana.
Doana’s gaze at Rose was not kind.
'You came here with such determination?'
Anyone could tell that she'd put a lot of effort into it. Not only the dress and hair, but even the makeup looked quite polished.
Doana glared at Rose with a sullen gaze. For some reason, the thought that Rose was more beautiful than herself made her feel uncomfortable.
However, Doana feigned innocence and greeted Rose.
"...I didn't know you'd come to congratulate me. Welcome."
It was hard to call it a conversation between a maid and a noble, but the people of Count Wence's household were already quite accustomed to it.
Rose's declaration that Doana, a maid, was practically her friend had initially been shocking, but as time passed, she had become numb.
"But, you're going too far. Someone would think it was you getting married, not me. You should wear clothes that suit the occasion."
Doana said sarcastically, looking Rose up and down. Then he turned his gaze to the man standing next to Rose like a folding screen.
“Who is he?”
He had a cold expression, but he was incredibly handsome.
“Did you hire a knight to show off at my wedding?”
Doana, who had never imagined him to be the famous Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum, in his mind, was an ugly man with a cruel temper. She didn’t even greet the Grand Duke, but glared at him and stood up. Then, she walked towards Rose, her voice cracking. Doana, who had approached, played with Rose’s necklace and earrings and chuckled.
“You did something that looks good.”
“You don’t have any money, do you? You didn’t borrow money from the bank, did you? Or...”
Doana trailed off, then spoke with a bitter laugh.
“Did you have some fun and make some money at night?”
Doana blurted out the rude remark without a second thought and chuckled.
The Grand Duke's expression hardened terribly at Doana's words. It wasn't just the Grand Duke. Everyone stared at Doana with cold expressions.
The Grand Duke moved as if to say something to Doana, but Rose grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"My knight will beat you up. Be afraid."
Doana giggled, insisting she was only joking, and glared at the Grand Duke.
"You know, you can't treat me like that. I'm about to become a Countess. A knight like you has a high status to uphold."
Doana hadn't read any romance novels, so she seemed unaware that knights were also nobles.
Of course, the problem was that the Grand Duke before her was not a knight, but a higher status.
"A Countess..."
Rose pondered Doana's words. Hearing Rose's voice, Doana looked at Rose with a triumphant smile.
"I didn't expect to get married so soon. Well, Eric's mother is so fond of me, isn't she?"
She shrugged and looked at Rose.
“His mother prepared everything for me today. You don’t know how wonderful it is to be a beloved daughter-in-law.”
Doana tried to tease Rose.
“Poor Rose. His mother never did that to you. I was really scared at first, but you never had to worry about that.”
She covered her mouth femininely and put on a blissful expression. She seemed delighted to confirm that she was superior to Rose.
“That’s strange. Why do you think you’re a Countess?”
Doana, who had been giggling, hardened her expression at Rose’s words.
“You... got divorced, kicked out, and now what happened to your hair? Who else is a Countess if not me? My mother-in-law prepared this wedding and even the dress. If you’re just here to make a fuss out of jealousy, then you should just leave.”
Rose burst into laughter at Doana.
“Oh, wait a minute. Heh heh... You’re so funny. Seriously.”
It was so funny that tears welled up in Rose’s eyes.
“Are you crazy? Why are you laughing like that all of a sudden?”
She felt uncomfortable for some reason. It was because Rose’s gaze seemed to mock her.
Rose wiped the tears from her eyes and held out the wedding invitation to Doana.
“Open it.”
Doana took the invitation from Rose. The moment she saw the invitation, Doana’s mind went blank.
Doana looked at the invitation in her hand and looked at it again and again. No matter how many times she looked, the name on the invitation was Eric.
However, the bride’s name wasn’t hers.
The groom, Eric de Wence, and the bride, Beliana Diker.
“Why is my husband...”
Did it say he was marrying another woman?
Doana couldn’t understand the situation. She just bit her lower lip and stared at the invitation. Her eyes shook pitifully, unfocused.
Rose brushed back her long, wavy hair and looked at Doana, who was trembling.
Watching Doana desperately look at the wedding invitation, she couldn't help but laugh. It was amusing to see her being treated the way Gyeo-ru had treated her.
"You didn't think you were the bride all this time, did you? You're pathetic."
Rose's mocking words made Doana's face instantly flush. But she couldn't easily believe Rose's words.
"You're definitely playing this prank to sabotage my marriage!"
Doana tried to push Rose away and leave, but the Grand Duke was a step faster.
He pulled Rose toward him. Rose, oblivious to the situation, looked at the Grand Duke, and with a 'thud', Doana fell. It seemed her balance had shifted, causing her to fall.
"Ahhh!!"
Doana, unable to control her anger, shouted. Then, she leaped to her feet and glared at Rose.
“It seems you want to ruin my marriage. Enough! And you, do you think you can get away with laying hands on a noble?”
Despite having fallen over while trying to push Rose, the arrows of criticism were still aimed at the Grand Duke.
“Doana, stop it! Do you know who this man is?”
The head maid, who had been treating Doana with respect for three days, seemed to have had enough and shouted back as before.
“His Highness the Grand Duke of Artaeum! Get on your knees and apologize!”
“If it’s the Grand Duke of Artaeum...!”
“Are you crazy? Why are you laughing like that all of a sudden?”
She felt uncomfortable for some reason. It was because Rose’s gaze seemed to mock her.
Rose wiped the tears from her eyes and held out the wedding invitation to Doana.
“Open it.”
Doana took the invitation from Rose. The moment she saw the invitation, Doana’s mind went blank.
Doana looked at the invitation in her hand and looked at it again and again. No matter how many times she looked, the name on the invitation was Eric.
However, the bride’s name wasn’t hers.
The groom, Eric de Wence, and the bride, Beliana Diker.
“Why is my husband...”
Did it say he was marrying another woman?
Doana couldn’t understand the situation. She just bit her lower lip and stared at the invitation. Her eyes shook pitifully, unfocused.
Rose brushed back her long, wavy hair and looked at Doana, who was trembling.
Watching Doana desperately look at the wedding invitation, she couldn't help but laugh. It was amusing to see her being treated the way Gyeo-ru had treated her.
"You didn't think you were the bride all this time, did you? You're pathetic."
Rose's mocking words made Doana's face instantly flush. But she couldn't easily believe Rose's words.
"You're definitely playing this prank to sabotage my marriage!"
Doana tried to push Rose away and leave, but the Grand Duke was a step faster.
He pulled Rose toward him. Rose, oblivious to the situation, looked at the Grand Duke, and with a 'thud', Doana fell. It seemed her balance had shifted, causing her to fall.
"Ahhh!!"
Doana, unable to control her anger, shouted. Then, she leaped to her feet and glared at Rose.
“It seems you want to ruin my marriage. Enough! And you, do you think you can get away with laying hands on a noble?”
Despite having fallen over while trying to push Rose, the arrows of criticism were still aimed at the Grand Duke.
“Doana, stop it! Do you know who this man is?”
The head maid, who had been treating Doana with respect for three days, seemed to have had enough and shouted back as before.
“His Highness the Grand Duke of Artaeum! Get on your knees and apologize!”
“If it’s the Grand Duke of Artaeum...!”
That vicious, ugly man?
Doana frowned at the Grand Duke's appearance, which did not match her imagination.
The Grand Duke muttered, looking down at the fallen Doana.
“You, you bastard, seem to have no idea what it means to insult royalty.”
Doana flinched at the mention of “royalty.” She was completely overwhelmed by the Grand Duke's chilling aura.
"They say there are those who offend the royal family and become crippled. Oh, there was even one who had his tongue cut in half, unable to speak for the rest of his life. Or perhaps they were even deprived of their status as slaves."
The Grand Duke's lips gushed out horrific punishments unimaginable in Korea.
Doana had already turned pale. She stared at the floor, unable to hide her trembling fingers. She had heard of the Grand Duke's brutality from Eric and the maids.
Perhaps the Grand Duke's words were not a lie. A chilling fear ran down her spine.
After her possession, Doana, who had lived exclusively in the Count's household, was nothing more than a frog in a well.
She had never met anyone of a higher rank than Eric, and having monopolized his affections had led to an arrogance that reached the sky.
In her world, Eric's power was paramount, and she was the woman of such a formidable man. That's why Doana was always so unyielding.
Ultimately, that must have led to today's situation.
Doana's lips went dry as she realized there was no escape.
"But I'm in a good mood today, so I might let it slide."
Doana, her eyes tinged with anxiety, found a glimmer of hope in the Grand Duke's words.
"If you bow your head at my feet and beg, I'll let your arrogance slide."
It wasn't a bad deal. The only slight drawback was that Rose was right next to the Grand Duke.
That would mean she'd have to kneel and bow to Rose, and that was something she desperately wanted to avoid.
"Rose, get out of the way."
Doana spoke sharply to Rose, and the Grand Duke of Artaeum furrowed his brow.
"I'm not a man of leisure. I'll give you three seconds. If you don't intend to apologize within that time, I will punish you according to Imperial law."
As the Grand Duke's cold voice rang out, Doana immediately fell to the floor and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry..."
Before she could even think, her body moved. Doana felt utterly ashamed of herself, bowing at someone's feet.
She glared at Rose's high heels by her bedside with a glint in her eyes.
'Because of you...!!'
If it weren't for Rose, she wouldn't have had to deal with the Grand Duke of Artaeum. She blamed Rose in anger.
"Let's go now, Grand Duke of Artaeum. We'll all be late for the wedding at this rate."
Rose snickered at the sight of Doana bowing at her feet and grabbed the Grand Duke's arm.
As Rose and the Grand Duke left the room, Doana could be heard screaming in frustration behind her.
Rose walked with the Grand Duke, her face flushed with relief.
"Thank you."
The Grand Duke had clearly stepped up for her. The way he invoked imperial law was as ruthless as rumored.
"I'm so glad I didn't squabble with the Grand Duke."
If Rose were to face his murderous gaze head-on, she might faint on the spot.
Rose stopped walking without entering the temple where the ceremony was taking place.
“You don’t plan on going in, do you?”
“No. There’s something else I want to see.”
Rose took her place in the crowd and looked toward the waiting room where Doana was.
Soon, she saw Doana rushing out.
Doana wandered around, as if searching for something.
And just then, the true bride of this wedding, Beliana Dikar, appeared. As Beliana appeared in a white veil, the guests began to murmur.
“Oh my, look at that bride over there.”
“She’s as beautiful as the rumors say.”
The people admired Beliana, but at the same time, they felt sorry for her.
“Tsk tsk, how did she end up with Count Wence...”
“That’s right. You’re so lucky.”
“I envy Count Wence... He takes all the beauties away.”
“Oh my, what are you talking about?”
“Oops. I didn’t say anything.”
While everyone was focused on Beliana, one of the nobles pointed to Doana, who was standing shabbily.
“Look. But who is she?”
“Ah. She’s Count Wence’s mistress. I heard she’s going to be a bridesmaid today, and what does she look like? How ridiculous.”
“She must have no balls. If it were me, I wouldn’t come to this wedding.”
“Hey. His ex-wife is here, so how can she not come just because she’s his mistress?”
“At least his ex-wife dressed up and came.”
“That’s right. And it’s funny that she said she was a bridesmaid.”
Hundreds of eyes surrounded Doana.
Laughter could be heard here and there. They were busy judging and mocking every single thing about Doana, from head to toe.
Doana’s face, which had been under the stinging gaze, soon flushed red with shame. Doana stared at Beliana, her eyes reddened with tears.
Beliana, clad in a pristine white wedding dress, was exquisitely elegant. Not only was the design so luxurious, unlike her own, but she also wore a pure white veil, reserved only for brides.
Only then did Doana realize: today's wedding wasn't for her.
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