A conversation between Merria’s father and the man who loves her.

 

The only word that could define the relationship between the two now was this. Both had silently acknowledged that all other additional factors were excluded.

 

“That’s correct.”

“Thank—”

“However. There is a condition.”

 

Hearing that far, Themis spoke in a firm voice, “Think again before you proceed.”

 

“I will abide by the Duke’s will in all things.”

Reukis answered before Themis could even finish speaking.

 

At his decisiveness, Themis’s rigid gaze seemed to soften slightly before hardening again.

 

“You must swear a blood oath.”

“A blood oath… you say?”

 

A blood oath was an absolute promise made under the sanctification of the temple.

It was a contract sealed not with money but with one’s own life. No one had ever dared to demand a blood oath from an Imperial Grand Duke—until now.

And from this moment onward, Themis would remain the only one who ever did.

 

The power of Frederick was formidable enough to force even the Emperor to choose appeasement over subjugation.

 

“If you swear a blood oath never to harm Merria in any way, I will no longer show disrespect to Your Grace.”

“That is…”

 

“If you refuse, I intend to immediately pass my title to Serinia. Naturally, the marriage contract bearing my signature will become void. If Serinia understands my heart, it will be a very long time before Your Grace can take Merria as your bride.”

 

Themis spoke rapidly, without pause.

Under the relentless pressure of his words, Reukis could only widen his eyes in surprise.

 

Tilting his head slightly, Reukis looked genuinely puzzled.

“Is that really all it takes?”

 

“…Pardon?”

This time, it was Themis who was caught off guard by Reukis’s straightforward response.

 

“I can do that right now.”

“Your Grace… do you not understand what a blood oath entails?”

 

In the end, Themis found himself questioning the man’s level of education.

 

Anyone born and raised in the empire had heard the tales of all those whose fortunes had risen and fallen through solemn oaths.

Such was the weight and gravity of an oath.

Yet Reukis acted as casually as someone making lunch plans for the next day.

 

“Isn’t it a divine pact where betrayal is met with immediate death?”

Reukis answered in a calm voice.

That much was true.

Yet, despite that, Reukis had accepted it. He had declared that even if it meant embracing deadly poison, he wished to stand by Merria’s side.

 

“But how…?”

Themis’s brow furrowed at the sight of him offering his life so readily.

 

“I, too, have no desire to live a life without Merria. So if death is the price, I will gladly pay it.”

His smile showed not a trace of fear toward death.

Reading a sliver of reassurance in Reukis’s expression, Themis had no choice but to concede. His second daughter had chosen a man who was utterly, hopelessly devoted to his beloved.

 

💫

 

Under the clear sky, pale flower petals fluttered wildly.

The bridal waiting room, which should have been overflowing with joyous laughter, was instead filled with an untimely silence.

Inside the spacious room, the only sound was Merria’s teeth clacking together nervously.

Her complexion was far from that of a soon-to-be bride. Her breath was tight with tension, driving everyone around her away.

 

Serinia teased her, calling her a fussy grand duchess, but soon enough, Miles—sensing the mood—dragged Serinia out.

Not long after—

 

Bang!

A purple-haired head popped through the forcefully opened door.

 

“Don’t touch the dress! If you even get a speck of snot on it, I’ll throw you onto the academy-bound carriage myself!”

Lilith’s murderous warning followed behind Derek, her young cousin, as he rushed toward Merria.

 

Whether he heard her or not, Derek skidded to a halt just one step away.

In that brief moment, he had already grown quite a bit taller.

 

Dressed up for Merria’s wedding, everything felt oddly unfamiliar.

Derek, who had been sprawled on the bed whining earlier, was nowhere to be seen even after rubbing my eyes and looking around.

 

‘Well, except for those resentful eyes of his.’

 

Though I didn’t slump down self-consciously, Derek’s eyes were already red and puffy.

 

“Derek, Lilith. Come here.”

Merria, stiff with lingering tension, waved her hand with a creak like an unoiled doorknob.

 

“Sister…”

Derek finally burst into tears. Merria’s eyes widened as she stared at him, droplets of tears falling one by one.

“Derek?”

 

“You said you wouldn’t get married—”

Derek’s eyes drooped downward as he spoke, voice thick with grievance.

 

At a loss over his tears, Merria reached out to him. But someone cold and composed stepped between them, blocking the way.

 

“No. Are you planning to ruin the only wedding dress with a kid’s snot?”

Lilith, who had rushed over at some point, frowned and shook her head. 

 

When Merria looked up at her with pleading eyes, Lilith let out a small sigh.

“Derek. Look at me.”

 

She pulled out a handkerchief and roughly wiped her younger brother’s face.

Derek blinked, his face now forcibly dried.

 

Only then could Merria pull her sniffling cousin into a hug.

“Don’t cry so much. It makes Sister sad.”

 

“If you’re sad, then just don’t get married.”

Derek mumbled, yet his reply was sharp. Though he knew it was unreasonable, he kept listing complaints—that she broke her promise, who was he supposed to eat cake with now, and so on.

 

“I’m your Sister, but I also want to be Reukis’ wife. Since we’re bound by blood, can’t you give my left ring finger to him?”

Merria smiled brightly.

 

In the end, Derek had to accept that neither his words nor his tears could persuade her.

The situation was finally resolved when Lilith forcibly pulled Derek away as he burst into loud sobs.

 

Lilith had a good reason for being so obsessed with the wedding dress.

The new venture of the Lawrence Count’s family, which had its hands in various fields, was a prestigious bridal atelier representing the capital.

Lilith, her beloved cousin, was the head designer and overall director of Lily-Bride, which had also partnered with Miolo’s dress shop.

And Merria’s wedding dress was set to be Lily-Bride’s very first flagship piece.

 

“Maybe I should’ve added more tulle to the veil.”

Lilith scrutinized Merria’s appearance with an extremely serious expression.

“No. If you had, the dress might’ve looked a bit overshadowed.”

Merria, summoning her survival instincts, gave the most appropriate response. 

 

With neither Karina nor Miolo around to intervene, there was a real risk that if anything caught Lilith’s critical eye, Merria might have to take off the dress for adjustments and put it back on again.

Not wanting to endure that exhausting process twice, Merria wished someone would stop Lilith.

But the only other person present—her cousin—sat stubbornly in a chair, lips pursed, refusing to budge.

Apparently, acceptance and understanding belonged to entirely different emotional categories.

 

Just as Merria’s consciousness began to fade from Lilith’s relentless fussing, her savior arrived.

Knock, knock—

 

“Lilith, are you in here?”

It was Geoffrey, who had come all this way to find her.

 

Geoffrey, with his easygoing charm, was always skilled at handling the spirited Lilith with smooth finesse.

“Come in!”

Merria welcomed him with a voice full of relief. But when the door opened, there was not just Geoffrey—one more person had come with him.

“My lady…”

 

The one who arrived carrying a bouquet as large as herself was Brenna.

Having recently entered high society, Brenna had formed an unexpected bond with Merria, and the two had since maintained a fairly close friendship.

 

“Congratulations, my lady.”

 

Geoffrey, standing beside Brenna, also offered a brief greeting.

 

The age difference between them made it hard to notice when they were apart, but seeing them side by side, it was clear that Brenna and Geoffrey were unmistakably siblings.

 

Merria smiled faintly at the Owen siblings, who gazed at her with their similar eyes.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Sniff. Even after you’re married, you must visit the capital often.”

 

“Hm?”

 

Merria, who had been admiring the armful of flowers, tilted her head in confusion.

 

With Reukis’s position as the Order’s leader and most of her acquaintances residing in the capital, she had planned to spend most of her time here, aside from periodic visits to oversee her territory.

 

It seemed Brenna had assumed she would be leaving for the Grand Duchy entirely.

 

“I’ll be staying at the Grand Ducal residence in the capital,” Merria answered with a shrug.

 

Brenna crumpled her handkerchief in her hands and asked, “Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then I’ll get to see the newlywed life of the Grand Duchess with my own eyes?!”

 

Brenna let out a short, excited scream.

 

In books, stories always ended with, “They got married and lived happily ever after.”

 

Brenna, who adored romance novels to the point of obsession, had always found that disappointing. She often wished she could read about what happened after the wedding.

 

From her perspective, Merria and Reukis were like protagonists straight out of a story, and nothing could be more thrilling than this. It was as if she’d get to witness a living, breathing behind-the-scenes tale right before her eyes.

 

Merria, seeing right through her, let out a quiet laugh.

 

Then, a small hand tugged at the hem of her dress, and she turned her head.

 

“Who’s there?”

 

The owner of the hand was none other than Derek.

His ears were slightly flushed, his face clean as if he had never cried.

Realizing whose reflection was in his clear eyes, Merria raised her eyebrows with interest. She could sense it instinctively.

Perhaps, from today onward, Derek would never sulk because of her again.

At this very moment, her cousin had lost his heart at first sight to the brown-haired girl.

 

💫

 

On a day in April, when flowers were in full bloom.

Reukis and Merria stood side by side, holding hands.

“May the bride and groom now seal their vows with a kiss.”

High Priestess Nethesia let out a soft laugh as she spoke. She couldn’t help but smile, remembering the last time the Grand Duke and Duke had barged in unannounced.

The bride standing there would likely never know what agreement had been made between the two.

After all, Grand Duke Frederick adored his lover to such an extent.

He was the kind of man who would rather break his own ribs than let a single callus form on Merria’s hand.

With a face full of unbelievable happiness, Reukis whispered, “Now, you are Merria Frederick.”

“That’s right.”

“From now on, I will never let you go.”

Reukis cradled Merria’s face in his hands as he spoke.

Merria leaned her head into his palms and closed her eyes.

“I’ll take full responsibility for you.”

For a lifetime.

Reukis’s warm breath brushed against Merria’s lips.

A smile lingered at the corners of their mouths—two people who had pledged eternity to each other.