Lu looked at her dad with wide eyes. He wasn’t wearing a ceremonial robe now, and of course, there was no tiara, so why was he acting like this on the day of the fully adorned wedding?

“I’m not disappointed. Not at all. It’s just a bit regrettable, that’s all.”

Édann finished expressing this emotion with a somewhat strong tone. The only person who would understand this empty feeling was Milène, his lifelong companion. She approached and hugged both her husband and daughter tightly.

“If you have any problems, don’t ponder alone. You must tell Mom and Dad.”

“That’s too obvious…”

“If you know someone is doing something alone and getting hurt alone, wouldn’t you want them to tell Mom and Dad?”

Lu and Hayden never said it outright, but they were still parents. They noticed something strange and suspicious.

They must have had serious fights, given how severe Lu’s injuries were when she was in a coma.

Even in the midst of reassuring the Flaché Viscount couple not to worry about their son-in-law, there was so much to say, but Édann held his tongue.

He couldn’t treat his daughter, who had grown up alone, like a child, but he couldn’t help feeling reluctant. It was regretful.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Yeah, don’t go somewhere alone and get hurt. Understand?”

“If there’s something difficult, be sure to tell Mom and Dad.”

“There are no adults in the palace. Don’t groan alone when there’s no one to ask. Understand?”

These repeated admonitions, alternating between the parents, continued, and they hugged their affectionate daughter’s face repeatedly. Even though she was marrying the best man, it was still so regrettable and heartbreaking.

“If you want a break even on the day of the wedding, be sure to say it. The rest, Dad will take care of.”

Ahaha, while Lu laughed and held her waist, Milène looked disgusted and smacked her husband’s sturdy bicep.

“There’s nothing you can’t do.”

“Oh, why. With reliable parents, if you feel like you can’t do something, you can block anything. Tell us everything. Got it?”

But Lu just smiled and didn’t nod.

“Look at her not even answering. What’s up with that?”

Milène said with a snort.

Her fiancé was considerably good. There were often rumors in society that the emperor was very fond of and cherished his fiancée, but it was by no means a one-sided love.

Lu had devoted her efforts to stabilizing the empire during the cold winter, shooting here and there in the warm south. Always, no matter how late, she returned to Chaléa.

It was to avoid making her fiancé, who was quietly waiting for her, uneasy. Or maybe she also missed her fiancé terribly.

“Oh, thoughts can change, you know!”

“It won’t change, Dad. I’ve come this far; why step back now? Oh, of course, if there’s a man better than Hayden, I’ll consider it.”

Since there was no such man, it was an impossible task.

Lu, who said it with a decisive tone, felt sorry for Hayden, who was so disappointed at not seeing the bride’s dress. She had endured until the wedding day, trusting the vision of Milène and Lady Freya.
Yet, despite that, Hayden laid out all the jewels he had collected during the last war, and whenever he found a moment, he worked diligently in the workshop, creating numerous items to be worn.

Indeed, without Lu, he was a man who would forget how to breathe.

“I know that you feel sorry for Mom and Dad. I know, but I’m really looking forward to what will happen in the future.”

Expectation was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. When chasing an unattainable wish and trying to overcome barriers, there was no expectation.

It was a struggle for her everything. Even when she lost everything, there was naturally no expectation for tomorrow. She simply hoped that when she closed her eyes, she would never open them again.

“I’ve never felt like this before, wondering what to do today. I want to tell Mom and Dad about this, teach Xia something like this, play with Bella, thoughts like that are filling my mind.”

Although not deliberately mentioned, among them, Hayden took up a significant part.

There were so many things she wanted to do with him. Her expectations had grown so much, to the point of surprising herself with her greed.

“So, I’m happy. Since there are so many things I want to do with my family, please don’t be too disappointed, and don’t be regretful. As much as I regret it, I’ll do everything I want when I get home.”

She didn’t care about the noise from behind, saying that the Empress was strolling around her hometown.

In the current situation where the Emperor reigns alone, there was no need to be cautious, even if he didn’t care. Hayden proposed to Lu in such an environment.

“Really, I’ll do everything.”

From dining with the family, which she hadn’t done for over ten years from the age of fourteen to twenty-five, to quietly walking on the walking path near the Mel River with Hayden, holding hands.

It would be nice to ride horses together, and it would be even better to play with her siblings. Anything and everything, she was looking forward to it.

A joyful tomorrow was waiting.