Chapter 52

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Wedding
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While many were skeptical at first, they began to believe as more and more people repeated the same story. Naturally, public interest shifted to ‘why the Grand Duke chose Aileen Elorde.’

The Grand Duke already possessed enviable power, wealth, and honor. The prevailing opinion was that instead of choosing a family that would cause a stir in a bid for more power, he had opted for the daughter of a house he could easily manage.

They speculated that while Aileen Elorde’s appearance was lacking, she must possess a surprisingly gentle and submissive nature. The theory was that the Grand Duke, who had wandered battlefields since childhood, had chosen a woman who would nurture him.

The rumors, which had been swelling uncontrollably, reached their peak thanks to Lady Ornella, the daughter of Duke Parvellini.

Attending a private gathering of ladies and noblewomen, she shared that she had met and spoken with Aileen at the imperial palace, confiding her worries with a deeply troubled expression.

“Her family seems to be in some difficulty. She asked if she could work as my handmaiden, and I had to dissuade her, telling her we would soon be family in the imperial court. It pained me so much that I couldn't be of more help…”

She added sadly that His Excellency the Grand Duke seemed terribly indifferent to Lady Elorde.

When it was revealed that the reason for the incomprehensible misalliance was not even love, everyone was shocked, yet they couldn't contain their curiosity. Ornella quietly observed the women, each busy speculating on the reasons, before dropping another comment.

“Could it be pity or a sense of duty? I heard she is the daughter of his late wet nurse.”

It was new information on the hottest topic in the empire. The noblewomen and ladies returned home in excitement and immediately spread the rumor throughout high society.

By the day of the wedding, Aileen Elorde’s reputation had hit rock bottom. Sordid scandals surrounded her, and not a few openly criticized the Grand Duke’s choice as a mistake.

Thus, the guests invited to the Grand Duke’s wedding eagerly awaited the appearance of Aileen Elorde, the true star of the day.

Meanwhile, Ornella looked particularly beautiful today, like a lily. Seeing how well she matched the outdoor wedding venue decorated with lilies, the guests shook their heads, thinking how embarrassed the bride must be.

When Cesare appeared in his formal uniform, sighs of lament rippled through some of the guests. They clicked their tongues in pity, wondering why such a flawless man had made such a foolish choice.

And then, at last, when the long-awaited Aileen Elorde appeared.

The guests were momentarily speechless. Before them stood a woman more beautiful than any they had ever seen in dreams or fantasies. A fairy-like being who perfectly suited the lily-filled wedding venue.

Each time the woman in the dress adorned with embroidered lace and crystals took a light step, her mysteriously colored hair flowed in soft waves. Her face, visible through the thin veil, was as pure and lovely as a flower fairy’s.

When the veil was lifted and Aileen Elorde’s beauty was fully revealed.

The guests swallowed hushed gasps.

The feature that made her seem mystically otherworldly was her eyes. Her green eyes, flecked with gold like shattered fragments, shimmered with various colors whenever they caught the light.

Those who had been captivated by the Grand Duchess’s beauty were further stunned by the deep kiss the ducal couple shared afterward. Lost in a daze, they came to their senses only to find the wedding ceremony had already ended.

The guests, each clutching a large bouquet of lilies and fresh flowers, only regained their composure upon entering the banquet hall, and all began to say the same thing.

That the wedding of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Erzet would go down in the history of the Traon Empire.

***

To take a photograph, one had to remain perfectly still in the same pose for several dozen seconds. It was said that it once took hours to capture a single image, making it possible only to photograph landscapes, so this was a remarkable improvement.

Still, the fact that she couldn't move for some time was quite stressful. Aileen, having her picture taken for the first time, was constantly worried. She imagined countless times that she might accidentally sneeze, resulting in a strange photograph being published in the newspapers.

When the time actually came to take the picture, she followed the photographer’s instructions, straightened her posture, held a gentle smile, and managed to stay still.

But once the photograph was taken, a new worry began.

‘A picture of the ugly Grand Duchess is going to be released to the entire empire.’

All the citizens of the empire were waiting for, and eagerly anticipating, the wedding photograph of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Erzet. She had been told that as soon as the photograph was delivered, the newspaper company would immediately begin printing like mad.

The president of *La Verita*, who had been specially invited to cover the story, had rushed back to his office as soon as the wedding ended. He intended to publish an editorial about today’s wedding alongside the photograph. She heard that all the other articles were already written, and they would only need minor adjustments to match the details of the wedding.

Aileen could only hope that people wouldn't be too disappointed. Or perhaps they would think that the Grand Duke of Erzet had such a surprisingly gentle nature that he would take even a woman with a grotesque appearance as his wife.

‘It’s already been taken, so I should just forget about it.’

Aileen resigned herself to it with practiced ease, then parted from Cesare and headed for the bathroom.

While Cesare entertained the guests in the banquet hall, Aileen was finally freed from the wedding dress she had been wearing since morning. Even though her waist was naturally slender and the corset hadn't been tightened excessively, she had felt suffocated. Laden with all the uncomfortable ornaments, she had truly felt like she was dying.

All the servants rushed in to help her out of the dress and massaged her weary body. After filling her empty stomach with some light food and drinks, she soaked herself in the bathtub.

A servant who had come with a small knife inspected Aileen’s smooth armpits and pubic area, then set the knife down. Instead, she brought out a file. To ensure she wouldn't accidentally scratch the Grand Duke’s body, the servant meticulously smoothed all of Aileen’s fingernails and toenails with the file.

She was fussed over for a long time after that, but she was so tired that she dozed off midway through. She snapped awake only when a servant began to dress her in a nightgown as sheer as a dragonfly’s wing.

‘Is it really going to happen? Tonight…?’

Aileen looked down at the nightgown, which barely served its purpose, and bit her lip. Her throat went dry with nervousness. When she tried to drink some water, a servant advised against it, but she felt as if her throat would close up if she didn't, so she drank several glasses anyway.

With all preparations complete, Aileen was ushered into the Grand Duke’s bedchamber. She had expected the bed to be strewn with rose petals, but there was nothing of the sort. Instead, the lilies, lisianthuses, gerberas, and baby's breath from the wedding ceremony had been arranged into large bouquets and placed in vases.

After the servants withdrew, Aileen was left alone in the bedchamber. She approached a vase and smelled the flowers. The strong scent of lilies was the first thing she noticed.

To Aileen, lilies were Cesare’s flower.

Though Cesare seemed to think the opposite…

After inhaling the fragrance for a while, Aileen gently pulled a single lily from the vase. She carried the fresh flower to the bed. She thought it would be pretty to place a single lily on the bed instead of red rose petals.

She was looking around, trying to decide where to place the lily. Without any warning, the bedchamber door opened.

Startled, Aileen clutched the lily to her chest with her arms. When she finally identified the intruder, he had already closed the door and stepped inside. Cesare’s eyes briefly raked over Aileen from head to toe. He tilted his chin and asked.

“Is covering the top enough?”

At Cesare’s words, she slowly lowered one hand to cover herself below as well. Her private area was now covered, but one of her breasts was left completely exposed. Her nipple, kissed by the cool air, pebbled against the thin fabric of her nightgown.

He let out a low chuckle and strode toward Aileen. Unlike Aileen, who was clad in nothing but a dragonfly’s wing, Cesare was still in his full uniform. Aileen blushed before the man dressed in his perfect formal attire.

His leather glove touched her skin.

Before any greetings or conversation could be exchanged, he pushed Aileen straight onto the bed.