Cahirun’s figure, striding across the room straight towards me, was more magnificent than ever.

His forehead, swept back with his hair, was straight and fully revealed his perfectly handsome facial structure.

Beside me, I heard Eliya and the Countess swallowing gasps of admiration. I too could not take my eyes off Cahirun as he drew closer.

Cahirun did not glance once elsewhere, as if I were the only one present.

Soon he stood before me and slowly looked me up and down. Then he leaned in close and tilted his head. His lips curved in satisfaction.

At a distance where I could feel his breath, he opened his mouth secretively.

“I must be too handsome. Seeing how you can’t take your eyes off me.”

Fair enough. Cahirun’s purple eyes were mischievous.

“…..”

I stared at him glumly with a crestfallen face. Normally in this situation, the first words out of a man’s mouth would be,

‘You’re so dazzling I can barely look at you properly.’

‘You’re unbelievably beautiful.’

‘Even an angel descending from heaven wouldn’t be as beautiful as you.’

Well, something cringe-worthy like that, right?

What’s with that confident expression, as if he knows he’s handsome? Seeing Cahirun so different from the male protagonists in the romance novels I’ve read made me acutely realize that reality is different from fiction.

“Yes, you’re so unbelievably dazzling today that I can barely look at you properly. Even an angel from heaven wouldn’t be as splendid as Your Highness.”

Cahirun laughed lowly at my lukewarm response, as if telling me to eat my words.

“Thank you for the praise that lacks even a shred of sincerity.”

When I pushed his shoulder as if to tell him to move, he obligingly shifted but suddenly grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. My shoulders jolted in surprise at the sudden skinship. Cahirun looked down at me with his lips still pressed against my hand.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his deep purple eyes that seemed to ensnare my gaze. It was as if time had stopped, as they say.

Ahem, at the sound of a forced cough, I snapped back to my senses and turned my head. Eliza smiled contentedly.

“I’m pleased to see the two of you so affectionate. But the ceremony will start soon, so it would be best if you moved along now.”

At her gaze, as if looking at foolish young lovers who didn’t know what to do with their feelings for each other, my face flushed and I quickly pulled my hand out of Cahirun’s grasp.

‘Goodness.’

Anyway, I can’t let my guard down because of Cahirun who tries to seduce me at every opportunity. I rubbed the tingling back of my hand with my other hand for no reason.

Watching this from the side, the Countess wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes with a handkerchief.

“As a mother, I’m relieved to see Your Highness love my daughter so.”

Eliya, who had been staring at him in a daze, also snapped out of it and added:

“As the only sister of my elder sister, I’m so happy that she’s marrying such a wonderful person.”

Speaking as if Floria didn’t exist, Eliya couldn’t take her eyes off Cahirun.

While wondering if it was okay to blush at the sight of her new brother-in-law, I understood. I too had forgotten how to breathe at first because of his beauty, though I’d gotten used to it after being around him so much.

Cahirun nodded briefly to those looking at him with sparkling eyes and held out his arm to me.

“Shall we?”

As I slowly reached out to link arms, Cahirun pulled me close and curled his lips.

Normally, the wedding preparations for direct royal family members took nearly a year.

It was one of the country’s biggest celebrations.

But because the King’s condition was worsening by the day, the preparations for my wedding with Cahirun were completed in just 2 months. It was the same time as when Cahirun and Isola’s wedding took place in the original story.

The season was late autumn, about to turn into winter.

The sky was clear and the clean air was refreshing.

Cahirun and I walked the wedding aisle arm in arm. Although many delegations and nobles were in attendance, not everyone looked at us with congratulatory eyes.

Even though we had practiced countless times for this day, walking through the many eyes staring as if ready to pounce on any mistake was more nerve-wracking than I expected.

I must have unconsciously tightened my grip on his arm. Unlike me, Cahirun who was walking calmly leaned down and whispered.

“Nervous?”

“How can you be so nonchalant when everyone is staring at us?”

“Well. I’ve never paid attention to it.”

Cahirun swept his gaze over the audience with an indifferent look. He seemed completely unbothered by how anyone looked at him. Perhaps it was natural, having been born into royalty.

“If it bothers you that much, try thinking of them as pig nostrils.”

“What? Pig nostrils?”

“Think of those two eyes as one pig nostril. Randolph advised that to Marchy when he was shaking at his wedding.”

“Lord Marchy is married?”

“You didn’t know? He’s quite the devoted husband.”

Distracted by this unknown fact, I hadn’t even realized we’d walked more than half of the wedding aisle.

I saw people whispering about us as we walked along chatting, but as he said, when I imagined them as pig nostrils, I almost burst out laughing.

I could feel Cahirun’s lips curl up as he saw me visibly relax.

Thinking it was quite a good method, I was scanning the pig nostrils when my eyes met Isola’s as she was clapping.

Just a few months ago, when I said we’d meet again soon, I never imagined we’d be in such opposite positions.

Isola was looking at me with pity, but her expression said she was glad that place where you’re standing now isn’t mine.

“Prince Cahirun de Hilic of Hilic, do you swear to cherish, love, and respect Reneola Violet as your wife for the rest of your life?”

At the question from the high priest officiating, Cahirun looked down at me and answered.

“Yes. I swear.”

Cahirun’s low voice made my palms tingle.

“Beautiful bride Reneola Violet, do you swear to cherish, love, and respect Cahirun de Hilic as your husband for the rest of your life?”

Cahirun stared at me intently and raised an eyebrow. I looked at his face and answered softly.

“Yes.”

Sunlight streaming through the window shattered above Cahirun’s head as he looked down at me with a light smile. As I stared at him blankly, I found myself smiling without realizing.

After the wedding ceremony, we traveled by carriage to swear our marriage vows before the goddess statue in the temple. That procession through the capital’s main street was a parade to announce the royal wedding to the kingdom’s people and receive their congratulations.

The streets were bustling with crowds, but unlike with Floria, it wasn’t filled with just cheers. There were far more eyes filled with criticism. It was clearly because of the rumors that had spread since House Violet entered the palace recently, worsening public opinion.

At every point along the carriage’s path, people glared at me and whispered.

Though I had been prepared, it was impossible not to shrink from being hated like this.

But rather than being intimidated, I resolved that soon Floria would be standing where those gazes were directed. Now they see me as the wicked villainess who bullied her stepsister, but,

‘Soon those gazes will be directed at Floria, who has cleverly deceived everyone.’

Beside me, Cahirun who had been watching me with his head tilted spoke up.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking with that small head of yours, but your expression is quite fierce. We just had our wedding, couldn’t you smile a bit?”

“I am smiling.”

I answered with a forced smile. Cahirun raised his eyebrows and laughed silently. He looked as if he knew what I was thinking.

“Want me to change the temperature of those gazes right now?”

“How?”

Is there such a way?

As I tilted my head, Cahirun lowered his eyes. Realizing his gaze had landed on my lips, I hurriedly backed away. Or rather, I tried to back away. My arm was immediately caught by Cahirun and I couldn’t move an inch.

“If you recoil with such disgust in front of everyone, tomorrow’s newspapers will be filled with articles about our discord.”

“That’s because you’re looking at me strangely.”

As I fanned my inexplicably heated cheeks, Cahirun spoke languidly.

“We’ve already done it twice, what reason is there not to do it a third time?”

The second time he was referring to was the vow kiss at the wedding ceremony.

But that was just unavoidable skinship out of necessity. It wasn’t the same as during the jousting tournament. Of course, the soft sensation still remained vividly.

Besides, what is this man planning to do in front of all these people?

Cahirun stroked my cheek with his long fingers.

“Hilic is very generous when it comes to love. Why do you think they can’t tolerate an unmarried king?”

“That’s true.”

People who don’t marry are treated almost as if they’re flawed in some way.

That’s why Floria and Eric’s love story was so popular. On the day of the jousting tournament, when Cahirun ostentatiously gave me the golden rose, it was also to gain the favor of people who are weak to love.

Ah, could it be?

Seeing that I seemed to understand his words, Cahirun smiled faintly. The fingers that had been stroking my cheek were now caressing my lips.

“The front page of tomorrow’s newspaper should read something like ‘The Uninhibited Love of the First Prince and Princess.'”

Cahirun’s purple eyes fixed on my lips as he drew closer.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. And soon, warm lips met mine. I thought I heard fireworks going off at that moment.