“...Ever since Duke Huguenot took Flora away with him, Duke Arbor has been keeping a vigilant eye on me. It’s like house arrest, only under the name of protection. I haven’t been able to leave the castle at all recently, so it’s all thanks to you that I’m able to go outside today, Professor. Although there are countless supervisors acting as guards outside...” Christina’s face darkened with annoyance and she spoke quietly.
“...You must have suffered, too, Princess Christina,” Celia said, frowning herself.
“No, everything about my current situation is retribution stemming from the failures of the royal family... And those failures have shifted their effects to the Count Claire family and you, Professor Celia. I have no way of making this up to you, but allow me to apologize on behalf of the royal family. I truly am very sorry,” Christina said in a voice filled with shame, bowing her head deeply at Celia, who was taken aback.
“Y-You mustn’t do that, Princess Christina! The First Princess shouldn’t be lowering her head to anyone so carelessly! And I never blamed my current situation on anyone else... This marriage is something I decided on. There is nothing you need to apologize for, Your Highness,” Celia said in a fluster.
“It isn’t careless. That’s how much trouble we have caused for you and the Count Claire family. While it isn’t official, I will personally apologize as much as I can,” Christina said, continuing to bow her head at Celia.
“But there isn’t any reason you should be apologizing in the first place... There isn’t anything to apologize for,” Celia said uncomfortably. Of course, she understood what Christina was trying to say, because content-wise they couldn’t discuss the matter any more specifically than this. If someone were to witness Christina bowing her head, or even caught a little of their vaguely worded conversation, it would be quite the problem. Christina most likely understood that too, but she continued talking.
“...I cannot say it clearly, but if I had to, then it’s because your smile was snatched away.”
“...Oh, don’t say that. I’m happy, you know? I’m about to get married, after all,” Celia said with a smile, unthinkingly reaching for her cheek with her hand. Perhaps she had grown unsure of whether her smile was coming across correctly.
“Back when I attended the academy, I really looked forward to your electives, Professor. Part of it was that the electives were the few classes I could take with Flora, who was in a lower year, but I genuinely did admire you as a person. That’s why I used to watch you a lot. If my eyes don’t deceive me, the Professor of today is like a bird trapped in a cage, and the Professor from back then was far happier. I believe you would know best why that is...” Christina said regretfully as she watched Celia’s expression.
“Is that so... So that’s how it looks to you. Ahaha...” Celia smiled sadly and avoided replying.
Christina stared at Celia closely. “It may not be of any salvation to you, but if an opportunity to regain your smile from back then ever presents itself to you, I think you should take that chance without hesitation, Professor. I can’t do anything for you in my current state, and it may end up being an empty promise, but if you ever need my assistance, I vow to do everything in my ability to help you. Just say the word,” she said seriously.
“...Thank you very much. There’s nothing you can do for me, but I will pray from the shadows that you may reunite with Princess Flora once more,” Celia said, smiling with just a small dose of happiness.
“...Yes.” Christina’s expression twisted apologetically as she nodded.
◇ ◇ ◇
The wedding parade began at noon time.
The parade squad entered the capital city from the main road to the south, merrily proceeding toward the Great Temple for the ceremony. Celia and Charles were riding on an extravagant horse-drawn carriage, surrounded by six horseback knights and enclosed in a neat outer ring of foot soldiers and musicians.
Charles Arbor had the smile of a leader as he waved his hand at the civilians standing alongside the road. Celia was also smiling at the citizens she met eyes with, waving her hand.
“Ooh, she waved back at me!”
“She’s so beautiful, it’s like she’s sparkling silver. She’s like a goddess!”
“So you can have such cute girls as wives when you’re a great lord, huh?”
Most of the attention of the people was drawn toward Celia; everyone was captivated by her fantasy-like beauty.
“She’s a silver bride.”
“A silver bride!”
“Hurray for the silver bride!”
“I’ll follow you forever!”
And so on. The nickname of the silver bride spread among the people. Charles must have heard the cheers of the citizens, as his mouth loosened into a smile.
“Oh? A Silver Bride, they say. Not a bad nickname for an impromptu creation by the foolish masses. Well, that just shows how beautiful and sinful you are. See? Take a look. Everyone is envying me for stealing your heart. It wouldn’t have gone this way with any other woman,” he said to Celia with an expression filled with superiority.
“I don’t believe that’s true...” Celia replied anxiously.
“No, you really are beautiful. Even now, my heart is stolen by you. I’ve never felt so passionate about a single woman in my life. Take pride in yourself, Celia,” Charles said, staring at her whole body with a heated gaze.
“...Thank you very much.” Celia’s body shuddered, but she was unable to move and remained standing there helplessly.
“Your every action strongly stimulates my male instincts. It’s a vast difference to those hard-headed, calculating women. Knowing that you’re almost mine makes it almost painful to hold myself back. I suppose I shall first enjoy our kiss of vows on the altar,” Charles said in a tone that couldn’t hold back his excitement, a smug smile on his face.
“...Yes.” Celia nodded, her heartbeat thumping unpleasantly. There was a hard to describe feeling of repulsion swirling in her chest, something different to nerves or anxiety. She couldn’t imagine kissing the man standing next to her and becoming a married couple... She simply didn’t want it. However, the moment for that to happen was almost upon her.
“Now then, it’s about time we set things into motion,” Charles murmured in satisfaction as he watched the excited civilians and sent a signal to the knights on horseback next to their carriage. The knights who received the signal drew their swords and raised them high into the air.
“Hail the Duke Arbor family! Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!” they yelled in a loud voice.
“Hail the Duke Arbor family!”
“Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!”
The other people in the parade started to chant too, along with the citizens within the general population. The shouting spread through the masses at a rapid speed until both the parade members and the general population were yelling extravagant praise for Charles and his house. Charles chuckled to himself.
“Are you surprised? The people are in need of a leader they can easily understand. That is what gives them happiness. As my father’s heir, I will eventually become that leader. And you will be my wife,” he said, smiling at Celia expectantly.
“...” Celia was unable to find any words to respond with. The only thing she could do was keep up the smile on her face.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, a huge crowd of attendees closed in on the grounds of the Great Temple where the ceremony was to be held. They were all waiting eagerly for the arrival of Celia and the others in the magnificent outdoor garden.
A single road stretched from the entrance of the temple, continuing toward the outdoor altar where the ceremonial vows were to be made. The Great Temple itself towered over the altar a short distance away, and a party was to be held in the Great Temple and outdoor garden after the ceremonial vows were over.
Rio stood blending in with the crowd of attendees, Aishia resting within him in her spirit form. Only those formally invited were allowed into the t
emple grounds, but with over a thousand individuals invited, it wasn’t that difficult for Rio to slip into the crowd. He stood waiting patiently for Celia’s arrival.
Haruto, Celia is approaching. Aishia’s voice echoed in the back of Rio’s head.
So it seems. I can hear the commotion, Rio responded quietly. The noise of the music band and cheers of the crowd echoed from a distance, but Rio’s heart was filled with silence.
Haruto, you’re very calm, Aishia said in a flat tone.
It’s because I was able to understand the situation properly. My head’s cooled in the time that has passed, and I know what I want to do about it, too. It’s all thanks to you, Aishia. Rio smiled gently. “Thank you.”
All I did was some research. It was no big deal.
That’s not true. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to fully educate myself of the sequence of events that led to Professor Celia’s marriage. I would have been lost.
Even if you were lost, you would have moved forward anyway, Aishia stated with no hesitation at all.
...Who knows. I’m a coward, after all. I may have run away. Rio’s eyes widened faintly, hesitating as he gave a strained smile.
That’s just part of being lost. Even if you get lost, even if you’re wrong, you have the strength to move forward.
...Thank you. I feel a little more confident now with regard to what I’m about to do. Let’s keep waiting... Professor Celia should be here soon.
Yes, let’s wait. Aishia nodded. From there, a lull in conversation fell between the two of them as they silently waited for the parade to approach.
Some time later, the parade squad finally entered the grounds of the Great Temple with quite a bit of hustle and bustle. The visitors that had been waiting on the temple grounds cheered excitedly.
The visitors in the temple grounds yelled at the carriage carrying Charles and Celia.
“Glory and honor to the Beltrum Kingdom sustained by the Duke Arbor family!”
“Hail the Duke Arbor family!”
“Glory to Sir Charles Arbor!”
Most of the attendees were nobles of the kingdom — nobles from Duke Arbor’s faction, that is — which explained why the mood was welcoming of them. Charles looked down at the attendees from the horse carriage and smiled with satisfaction. They must have all been faces he recognized, as he waved his hand at each one in turn.
Meanwhile, standing beside him was Celia, who despite having a fleeting smile on her face, was still acting as the pure and graceful smiling wife.
Professor... Rio watched Celia with a pained expression on his face. However, he had completely blended into the crowds, so Celia didn’t notice him. Rio wasn’t about to yell “Professor” out loud to attract her attention, so the carriage Celia was on proceeded until the middle of the road.
Haruto, should I go now? Aishia asked through their telepathic connection.
Rio took a small breath and agreed. ...Yeah. Please do, Aishia.
Okay. As she responded, Aishia slipped out of Rio’s body, still in her spirit form.
Rio was unable to see her, but he was already aware of where she was headed, so he directed his gaze in that direction without hesitation. She was headed for the carriage, where Celia stood.
Celia was smiling, waving her hand at the attendees, when suddenly, her entire body flinched. “?!”
She glanced around at her surroundings in a slightly suspicious manner, before completely freezing in place. Her expression changed with a gasp, and she shook her head in a fluster. Then, her eyes turned to where Rio was blended in with the crowd, as though she knew he was there from the very start.
Her gaze wandered around shakily as she searched the area, but she eventually locked on to the sight of Rio’s figure among the people. Rio stared fixedly at Celia, and when their eyes met, he smiled gently.
“Wh... y...?” Celia’s mouth moved minutely. Then, her expression twisted with pain as tears started flowing out of her eyes.
When Rio spotted Celia’s crying face, he turned on his heel and left the crowd of people.
◇ ◇ ◇
Just before Celia spotted Rio among the crowd...
Celia had eventually started to perceive herself as a puppet as she faced the parade, focusing on acting graceful and friendly so that she wouldn’t mess up and bring trouble to her family. After all, the people congratulating her were all having fun and smiling with wonderful expressions. As she responded to them, Celia gradually felt as though she had been abandoned by the world.
Then, before she knew it, they had arrived at the Great Temple. At the end of the road, stretching straight forward from the entrance, were the stairs that reached up to the outdoor altar.
Next to the stairs were the VIP seats for people from inside and outside the kingdom. Among them were royals like Christina; the “King’s Sword” renowned for being Beltrum’s strongest, the commander of the Royal Guard, Alfred Emerle; and the Proxia Empire’s ambassador who had a personal connection to Charles, Reiss.
Last but not least, standing below the altar just before the stairs was a single boy clad in hero-like clothing, his blonde hair fluttering in the wind smoothly as he gave a refreshing smile. He was between his mid-teens to late-teens.
Celia knew who he was; though she had never met him directly, she had seen him once from afar when there was a commotion over a hero being summoned in the castle.
He was the hero who had been summoned by the spirit stone held by the Kingdom of Beltrum — Rui Shigekura.
His facial features and hair color were different from his friends that he had been summoned along with. According to him, it was because he was “half-Caucasian.”
Rui Shigekura was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to the altar because Charles had arranged for validity of the marriage to be solidified through having a hero — a servant of the Six Wise Gods — give his direct approval. As a result, once the hero’s acknowledgment was given, there would be no way to take back the marriage.
Even as she smiled and waved in a friendly manner, Celia cowered at the reality looming closer before her.
Celia. An unfamiliar girl’s voice suddenly sounded in Celia’s head.
“?!” Celia trembled with a start.
I’m currently talking to you by directly connecting to your mind. There’s no time, so don’t be afraid. The unknown girl suddenly started to speak.
W-Who are you? Celia looked around dubiously.
My name is Aishia. Haruto... No, Rio asked me to talk to you like this.
Celia froze. R...Rio?
Look toward the back on your left.
Celia’s expression changed with a gasp as she looked in the direction as told. Don’t tell me...?!
A little further in front... Yes, around there.
Celia moved her gaze, checking each and every face of the people standing among the crowd. ...Rio. Celia spotted Rio blending in with the masses. He smiled gently at her.
“Why...?” He had come. Even though she told him not to... Even though she hadn’t wanted him to. Even though he was the only one she didn’t want to have witness the sight of her being married to Charles.
Unable to look directly into Rio’s face, tears started escaping from Celia’s eyes before she knew it. Even though she knew she shouldn’t cry, her tears wouldn’t stop.
“...Hey, hey, what’s the matter, Celia? Have you been moved to tears with happiness?” Charles was taken aback by the sudden sight of Celia’s tears. He questioned her curiously.
Just go along with him, Aishia’s voice echoed.
Celia faltered, rubbed her eyes furiously, and answered Charles. “...Ah, umm, I’m not sure. There’s happiness, and a lot of other emotions, mixed together.”
It wasn’t a remark she made thinking that she had to obey Aishia’s orders. If anything, they were words her confused head had blurted out.
They were her real feelings.
Happiness at seeing Rio’s face again, anger at how he
came when she told him not to, repulsion at how she was seen on display next to a man she didn’t even like, and a complicated mix of other emotions, too.
Even so, the most prominent emotion occupying Celia’s chest was happiness from seeing Rio’s face. She had believed they would never meet again after she pushed him away, yet she was unbearably happy at seeing Rio’s face again.
“Fufufu, is that so. So you wanted to be with me that much...” Charles misinterpreted Celia’s emotional state in a way that was convenient for himself and leered in a smile that was filled with narcissism. “Come now, Celia. Don’t be so down. Everyone is watching,” he encouraged, playing the good husband.
It wasn’t that rare for a new bride and groom to burst into emotional tears during the ceremony, so the attendees watched over Celia with gentle smiles.
This is a good act. That must be how much Celia is delighted to be wed to me. Charles chuckled, pleased with himself as he looked out over the attendees gathered around them. As he did that, the horse that drew the carriage they were riding on neared the stairs of the altar.
Here, Celia finally raised her head after crying for some time. She wiped her tears and looked toward the point where Rio had been standing earlier, but he was already nowhere to be seen.
...Huh? Where’s Rio? Celia’s gaze wandered in a panic.
Hey, umm... Aishia? Can you hear me? she asked within her head, but there was no reply.
Hey, can you hear me? Where did Rio go? Celia asked with a pale face, but there was still no reply from Aishia.
Was it... an illusion? But that can’t be...?! Celia suddenly felt very anxious. Feeling fear from Rio’s disappearance, she glanced around at the attendees to the rear, searching for him.
“Celia, we’ll soon be where the hero is.” Before she knew it, the horse drawn carriage Celia had been on had arrived at the stairs where the hero was waiting. It stopped a bit of distance away from Rui, and the knights on guard moved to attach a staircase to the end of the carriage. They would be moving on foot from here.
“All right, let’s get down,” Charles said, extending a pompous hand to Celia.
“Who are you?! Freeze!” A foot soldier that had been protecting the rear of the horse carriage suddenly raised his voice. The squads in the parade instantly became noisy. The attendees of the ceremony also made a commotion, turning their eyes to what was happening in the squads that formed the rear of the parade.
The Silver Bride Page 14