Chapter 155: The Fortuitous Wedding 3

At the banquet following the ceremony, where guests greeted the newlyweds in turn, Queen automatically began trembling with fear and tension.

‘It’ll…It’ll be fine. As…As long as I keep my greetings brief, they won’t notice. Definitely…’

In hindsight, her predicament was truly pitiful.

Her younger brother, whom she had long looked down upon.

The reality of having to tread carefully lest he recognize her filled Queen with a sense of how far she had fallen.

‘Even if this path was my choice, this is just…’

She, who had once held her head high as the heir to Bohemia.

Yet in this moment, she could not even lift her gaze, cowering before her brother – the center of congratulations from the multitude.

And that wretched wench she had scorned as a lowly woman, was by his side.

‘Where did I go wrong?… Just… Just where did it all go awry?…’

Until now, such thoughts had never crossed her mind.

While her departure from her homeland gnawed at her, she had consoled herself that it was merely a justified response to her father and nation’s dismissive treatment.

Moreover, the fruits of her magical training had granted her power incomparable to her former self.

Shattering the 7th-rank barrier she had once deemed an impregnable wall, Queen now stood on the precipice of the 8th-rank archmage realm.

Through such achievements, she had believed she was simply pursuing the optimal path, her life always headed in the righteous direction.

However…

In this moment, having chosen what could be deemed a desperate path in pursuit of success, she tasted profound defeat as she beheld her resplendently shining brother.

Unlike herself, unable to even show her face as she cowered, her brother basked in the adulation of the masses with a radiant smile.

That sight filled Queen with profound self-loathing.

It was then that Queen realized she and her mentor now stood before the newlyweds…

Before Santana and Cazeros.

“My heartfelt congratulations on your marriage, Miss Cazeros.”

“Yes, you must be Soul Mary, correct? It has truly been ages.”

“Indeed, Miss. I believe the last time was when you were but a child? To see you now, all grown and wed, fills me with immense joy.”

“Haha, thank you. Yet you, Soul, seem utterly unchanged from those days – still as beautiful as ever.”

“You flatter me, making me quite flustered.”

The two conversed like old acquaintances.

Then, Soul finally gestured toward her disciple, standing rigidly behind her, as she made the introduction:

“Now then, allow me to introduce my newest disciple – Fredy Mast.”

“A…A pleasure to meet you. Fredy Mast.”

Introduced by Soul, Queen spoke in a lowered, stiff tone.

Cazeros slowly nodded, her gentle tones carrying her response:

“I see… So you are Soul’s disciple. From what I know, Soul is quite discerning in choosing her disciples. To meet her criteria, you must be truly remarkable.”

“Erm…Well…”

“Truly a remarkable child. Despite being barely in her early thirties, she already possessed 6th-rank mage prowess when we first met. By now, I estimate she has likely surpassed the 7th-rank and is aiming higher. Possessing both talent and diligence… A pupil after my own heart. Her burning desire to grow stronger makes teaching her a joy.”

“I see. Already approaching the archmage realm, you say… Soul’s discernment is as stringent as her judgment is peerless.”

Beaming with pride, Soul began gushing about her disciple – a situation Queen found utterly mortifying from her perspective of avoiding attention.

‘If this keeps escalating and draws any more interest, it could lead to a truly disastrous situation… Oh mentor, please…’

Should she inadvertently provoke Cazeros’s scrutiny, it would undoubtedly become Queen’s worst-case scenario.

Truthfully, even if she slipped in and out like a ghost, the gratuitous praise from her mentor felt like a dagger piercing her heart.

As Queen fretted over potentially exposing herself, Cazeros suddenly interjected:

“My, Soul’s disciple is truly remarkable. Already a 7th-rank mage in her thirties… Possessing power on par with my own father at such a tender age, it’s simply awe-inspiring.”

‘Ah… Shit! Why did you have to show interest, you bastard?!’

Her younger brother’s abrupt interest drew an inward torrent of profanity from Queen, though outwardly expressing it was impossible.

All she could do was maintain silence as cold sweat trickled down her body.

“Your father, you say… Ah yes, Count Turen, Santana’s father, was also a 7th-rank mage, wasn’t he?”

“Indeed. Though in our Bohemia he was peerless, it seems the Empire truly surpasses all expectations. Who would have thought Soul’s disciple could match Bohemia’s strongest?”

“Haha, well… There is a fundamental difference in weight classes, after all.”

Santana’s wry smile hinted at self-deprecating undertones, prompting an awkward smile from Soul as she too recognized the sentiment.

Then, sensing the slightly dampened mood, Cazeros spoke in a bright tone to dispel it:

“In any case, I’m truly grateful you could attend our wedding, Soul.”

“May you both enjoy lasting happiness. And should you ever require aid, do not hesitate to call upon me. As a loyal retainer of the ducal household, I shall gladly answer Princess Cazeros’s summons.”

“I shall keep that in mind for the future, Soul.”

With Cazeros’s words, their parting came naturally.

Filled with profound relief, Queen hastily withdrew alongside Soul.

‘That was too close… Far too close…’

Though the crisis had passed, Queen’s pounding heart refused to settle.

Truthfully, when Bohemia and her father Count Turen were mentioned, she had momentarily felt her world spin.

While not directly implicated, a single misstep could have exposed her Bohemian origins, revealing her identity in the worst possible scenario.

Fortunately, the conversation did not veer that perilously close, yet Queen could not shake the feeling of a blade grazing her nape.

‘But… Still, at least that’s a relief… I likely won’t have to face those two again anytime soon. For now, I can continue as Soul’s disciple as before.’

Having narrowly averted a major crisis, Queen followed her mentor out of the hall with a tentative sense of reprieve.

Watching the departing pair after their greetings, I could only feel profound admiration.

‘Remarkable individuals. The 10th-rank Great Witch Soul Mary and her 7th-rank disciple Fredy Mast… The Empire’s magical prowess truly seems unparalleled, far beyond our Bohemia…’

That her mere disciple’s strength rivaled Bohemia’s greatest, even surpassing my father who had reached his ceiling – it made me keenly aware of the vast gulf between our nations once more.

Of course, I did not feel disheartened.

Regardless of the process, Bohemia had become the Dragonian Empire’s brother nation.

While large-scale direct aid might be impractical, providing a mage or two seemed wholly feasible. Depending on the circumstances, I could entertain such hopes.

‘Fredy, was it?… As formidable as the Great Witch Soul might be unrealistic, but perhaps I could request to borrow that disciple’s aid…’