Chapter 10: TWOCM

Chapter 10

Ever since then, gifts and invitations poured in for Reyna almost every day.

Most of them were driven by curiosity.

After all, there was very little information about her.

Of course, not everyone reacted positively.

There were also more and more people who became wary of her sudden rise like a shooting star.

The most obvious among them were Princess Isabel's followers.

They had lived in the same princess's palace and had always looked down on her.

Now that the girl they had quietly despised had suddenly risen in status, they were clearly displeased.

Surprisingly, however, Isabel herself—the queen of their little circle—showed almost no reaction.

Reyna decided not to concern herself with Isabel.

They had never shared any good memories as sisters, and once she left for the North, they would never see each other again.

Time passed, and before long, the day of the farewell banquet arrived.

Reyna stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

The pure white dress personally bestowed upon her by the Emperor was as magnificent as a wedding gown.

She couldn't even remember the last time she had dressed up like this.

Standing awkwardly as though she were wearing someone else's clothes, Reyna saw Kaiden walking toward her.

"Are you ready?"

"Kaiden."

Reyna turned around and unconsciously caught her breath.

With his forehead completely exposed, the sharp lines of his face stood out even more.

His dark purple formal uniform shimmered with the same brilliant hue as his eyes, making his handsome features even more striking.

His appearance practically declared that he was the protagonist of the world.

Reyna's cheeks turned red.

"You look very handsome today."

"You're saying what I was supposed to say."

Kaiden answered lightly before lowering his head to kiss the back of her hand.

Even through her lace gloves, she could clearly feel the touch, making her shoulders flinch.

"Reyna, you look wonderful too."

It was only a casual compliment, but Reyna's face grew hot.

"Let's go."

Kaiden skillfully escorted the stiff and awkward Reyna.

The moment they entered the banquet hall, the once-noisy room fell silent.

The number of guests far exceeded her expectations.

As Reyna tensed up, Kaiden whispered,

"If you're nervous, lean on me."

He smiled naturally as he guided her hand onto his arm.

Seeing how accustomed he was to events like this, Reyna gradually relaxed.

"Our stars have finally arrived!"

The Emperor, who had been speaking with nobles alongside Siegfried, personally led Reyna and Kaiden to the front of the hall.

"As you all already know, today's farewell banquet celebrates the marriage of Princess Reyna and Duke Crensia before their departure for the North. I am truly pleased that the long-standing friendship between Mernier and Crensia has once again become a deep bond. I hope everyone enjoys tonight's celebration."

As soon as the Emperor finished his speech, countless nobles surrounded Kaiden and Reyna to offer their congratulations.

"I never imagined the two of you would become husband and wife."

"It's such a shame you're leaving for the North so soon. Had I known this would happen, I would have visited you more often."

"I have relatives in the North. If the opportunity arises, may I visit you there?"

Young noble ladies she had never even met approached her warmly, even expressing regret over their impending farewell.

The whole situation felt surreal.

Reyna responded politely to each of them with a smile.

Perhaps because she was using her facial muscles so much all at once, her cheeks began to ache.

As she gently rubbed her face, the Duke leaned over and whispered,

"If you're tired, go take a break."

"Is that alright?"

"I heard they've decorated the fountain beautifully. Shall we go together?"

"No. I'll go by myself. If we go together, those people might follow us."

She glanced toward the people watching them before continuing,

"I already know they're not really interested in me. They just want to get on your good side."

Kaiden looked at her in surprise.

"You knew that, and you still entertained every one of them?"

"They're people whose paths may cross mine someday. I don't think it's necessary to make enemies for no reason."

"That's a very duchess-like way of thinking."

Looking pleased, Kaiden draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"The night air is cold."

"Thank you."

Reyna lifted the hem of her dress slightly in thanks before heading toward the fountain.

Since night had already fallen, she carried a lantern in her hand.

The garden surrounding the fountain was brightly illuminated by lights that had been prepared in advance.

Just as Kaiden had said, colorful candles decorated the area around the fountain.

The water reflected the candlelight, sparkling like stars.

Each candle burned brightly inside a glass jar to prevent accidents.

Just as Reyna approached the fountain—

"Hello, Reyna."

A cheerful voice rang out.

Isabel and her followers surrounded her.

Reyna had already noticed them whispering among themselves from a distance throughout the party, so her expression naturally hardened.

It was obvious they had been waiting for a moment when she was separated from the Duke.

A red-haired girl named Wendy folded her arms and sneered.

"So you came here alone. I guess the Duke doesn't care about you that much after all. Normally he'd come to a romantic place like this with his fiancée. Poor Reyna."

The others let out fake sighs of sympathy before bursting into mocking laughter.

Their words sounded caring, but they were filled with hostility.

Those words would have hurt the Reyna of the past.

But not anymore.

Looking annoyed, Reyna replied,

"I said I wanted to be alone."

So would you mind leaving?

Wendy snorted.

"Hah! What a lie!"

"Why would I lie to you? Even if the Duke didn't care about me, like you said, he wouldn't have given me his jacket."

Giving one's jacket to someone of the opposite sex was a clear sign of affection.

That was precisely why she hadn't refused his kindness.

Wendy's expression stiffened.

She clearly hadn't expected Reyna to answer so logically.

But to Wendy, Reyna was still just Reyna.

She sneered even more.

"Oh, really? So you still have some pride left? What a pathetic excuse. You really have no shame, do you, Reyna? Then again, you shamelessly stole Isabel's place, so I suppose this much thick skin is only natural."

At the mention of stealing Isabel's place, Reyna let out a dry laugh.

She had expected this ever since she learned that the Emperor had originally intended Isabel to marry Kaiden.

Someone as proud and arrogant as Isabel was never going to let the matter pass quietly.

Still, things were unfolding exactly as she had expected.

It was almost amusing.

She even pitied the version of herself who had once been hurt by people like this.

Instead of walking away, Reyna answered clearly,

"I never stole Isabel's place. The Duke and I have known each other for much longer."

"Stop lying! How could someone like you ever have any connection with the Guardian of the North? Oh, I know. Did you crawl into his bed? You seduced the Duke with your body, didn't you?"

"Hah... Your mind is filled with nothing but filthy thoughts. I can't even imagine thinking the way you do."

"What? Filthy? Who are you calling filthy—?!"

As Wendy's face turned red and blue with rage, Reyna deliberately raised her voice even louder.

People who believed that whoever shouted the loudest won an argument had to be answered with an even louder voice.

"Aren't you the shameless ones? The fact that you waited until I was alone proves you're afraid of the Duke. None of you dared say a single word in front of Kaiden, did you? If this had been before, you would have come over immediately to make fun of me."

"That's...!"

"Just know that your behavior is every bit as pathetic as the filthy accusation you just made."

"What did you say?! Have you completely lost your mind?! Since when have you started acting like the Duke's wife?!"

Having lost the argument, Wendy stepped forward as if she were about to attack.

Just then—

Isabel, who had remained silent the entire time, finally called Wendy's name from behind.