episode_0060

From early in the morning, the interior of the Great Siege Castle was buzzing with activity.

Employees moving around busily without even batting an eye, people gathering in groups of twos and threes chatting noisily, and nobles gathering to celebrate the grand finale.

The vitality that has been felt for a long time, even the baby birds waking up from their morning slumber and lining up to embroider the tree branches.

The morning filled with laughter and joy clearly signaled that the grand finale of this engagement battle was approaching.

Perhaps, in order to liven up the current situation, Archduke Logan summoned each household head to quickly resolve the situation.

Moreover, his youngest daughter’s engagement match would be the last in his generation, which meant that the Northern Territory Festival would be on hiatus for the next ten years.

That’s why northerners are even more eagerly waiting.

Anyway, I felt strange as I stood by the bedroom window and looked at the bustle outside.

It took a long fifteen days.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t anxious all this time.

I wasn’t too worried after obtaining the treaty, but I was a little worried that Archduke Logan’s early return might act as a variable and try to turn the whole situation around.

Fortunately, the escape of a single rat did not seem to be a big problem for him.

Above all, it was not pleasant to watch the heroine becoming devastated.

Although it was an inevitable result of an unavoidable choice, I was not cruel enough to cheerfully accept other people’s tears.

I just hoped that Deron Kelid would roll over and pray for Lemien.

I just prayed that through that, Lemien would seal his fractured heart.

“Renderer? Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

The housekeepers thoroughly cleaned the outbuildings.

I also helped out on the top floor.

Therefore, it would have been possible to have the family leave for the mansion right away, but as a result of a public opinion poll (?) through Rendler, the departure was postponed due to the overwhelming popularity of those who wanted to see the parade of the wedding ceremony.

And when many of them arrived at Rapelion Mansion, they would pack up their bags with a modest severance pay and go their separate ways.

There were only the minimum number of people left to manage the mansion, and Rondel, the next head butler appointed by Old Man Rendler, was scheduled to take charge of managing the mansion.

Since there is no family member, there will be nothing to do.

It would probably be the best working environment, and I told Old Man Rendler to spend his last years in peace at the mansion, but he stubbornly refused, so I put up my hands and feet.

“Confucius is now the head of Lapelion. It is natural for the head deacon to assist the head of the family.》

《… However, there is no need to go out hunting monsters. With an old body.》

《If the path the matriarch is going to take is a thorny one, it is my job to provide her with plate shoes. What would I do in a mansion without the matriarch?”

“what… That’s true.》

Due to Rendler’s stubborn will, he was eventually allowed to accompany him.

Every word of it, it wasn’t wrong.

Anyway, the trio of Ariel, Rachel, and Rendler became guests on the Monster Gourmet Tour.

Ariel had decided to only accompany him on the journey to the Duchy of Langren for now.

Of course, our journey will begin after the Monster Cooking Festival ends.

In the meantime, I plan to look for a chef to accompany me on a culinary tour around the festival site, but if that doesn’t work, I plan to leave right after the festival ends and look for one in the Duchy of Langren.

Because I said there was a place there that ‘specializes’ in monster cuisine.

“Then let’s go.”

The parade will begin at the brightest time of the day, when the sun is high in the sky.

The leisurely morning of gazing at the sky was coming to an end, and Rachel, Rendler, and I headed to the central square of the Great Siege Castle where the parade would begin.

and.

“Elden!”

I was able to meet Ariel, who was free from her hangover.

Ariel was the one who arrived first and took a seat in a nice place.

“Are you okay now?”

“Yes! After drinking the honey water that Sir Rachel taught me, I felt completely fine, right?”

“Thank goodness.”

“When will I see the wedding ceremony parade again? You can’t miss it!”

Well, the parade of the Northern Territory’s grand festival is said to have more spectacular attractions than any other festival parade in the kingdom, so it’s natural to be excited.

I looked around.

The crowd filling the square was so dense that it would not be an exaggeration to say that all the nobles residing in the Northern Territory had gathered there.

As it was the largest event of the Grand Duke of Winterfell, it seemed that people of all ages and genders gathered to celebrate the grand ending.

Naturally, only ‘nobles’ were allowed to enter the square where the parade would begin, and commoners lined the road leading from the square to the central square of the city through the south gate of the Grand Duke’s Castle.

Part of me didn’t want to watch the parade from the first row, but I did it because it might offend Archduke Logan.

Just as the Battle of Marriage is the finale, my escape is also the finale, so there is no harm in being careful.

After a while.

“Your Highness Logan Winterfell-!”

Archduke Logan stood on the high platform, followed by Deron Kelid.

I don’t know why he became the winner, but since Blund’s face is not visible at this moment, it appears that an amicable agreement was not reached.

Of course, in a situation where Archduke Logan and the family’s heir are with their eyes wide open, all Deron Kelid can do is reflect and repent.

And seeing as Deron’s father is proudly standing on the podium, there must be something promised between them.

Moreover, the head of the family and his father would have found out about his ugly and foolish inner self, so the moment he incurs Lemian’s contempt with his foolish nonsense, Deron would lose his limbs.

Therefore, I shook off my thoughts and looked up at Archduke Logan, who was reciting something while placing the Archduke’s sword on Daeron’s shoulder.

And Deron, who had been given the sword, raised it high in the sky, and tremendous cheers and applause erupted from the area.

“Wow–!! Deron Kelid! Deron Kelid!! Deron Kelid!!”

People chanting Deron’s name.

His path will not be easy.

It’s going to be quite difficult.

As a husband, I will have to work hard to heal Lemien’s wounds.

However, after going through that hardship, I hoped that he would reflect on the past days, and soon, when the protagonist of this wedding battle took the podium, the hall became quiet.

It was a dazzling sight.

Lemian, wearing a pure white dress, a translucent veil, and a small white crown on her head, was showing off a figure that was enough to make a stir.

Fortunately, her expression, reflected through the veil, is neither crying nor dead.

It was a peaceful face.

I hoped that it contained a step forward to adapt to fate and clear away the dark clouds, and I had to feel my eardrums tingle as the cheers and applause exploded like thunder again.

“Grand Duchess! You are so beautiful-!”

“Kya-!! The handsome man and woman of the century were truly born-!!”

If you just look at it from the outside, it’s definitely a great thing that can cause an uproar on the continent.

Of course, to me, who knew the inside, it was a beauty that I couldn’t praise.

Just as Grand Duke Logan’s face, who knows what’s inside, is not bright.

Because there remain remnants of the past that have not yet been resolved and that will now be resolved.

In this way, the wedding ceremony proceeds without any hesitation.

Lemian and Deron bowed to each other, and Deron lifted her veil.

Then, when he knelt down and put the ring on Lemien’s finger, the excitement of the engagement ceremony reached its peak.

After a while.

In a loud voice, the member of society announced that it was a grand ending to the engagement battle and that the two would walk together into the future.

“Then~ Prince Deron and Grand Duchess Lemian’s powerful march will continue~!!”

From here to the central square of the city, there was a platform as tall as an adult, and the two walked forward while stepping on flower petals sprinkled by a young boy and girl.

On the left and right sides of the podium, a musical band played a beautiful melody, and behind Lemien and Deron, a huge sculpture symbolizing winter flowers and dozens of other small and pretty sculptures followed, a circus troupe performed and magicians displayed dazzling magic. Even after these protagonists passed, they became a rich attraction and made the parade more colorful.

and.

Deron and Lemien walked along the connected platform and waved goodbye to the guests on both sides.

All I can do is pray, so I remember Lemian as he is now.

and.

“… … .”

The smile reached me and stayed for a moment.

When it reached me, the joy grew stronger and then faded.

What is it?

Does it mean that she supports me just as I support her?

It was an unexpected smile.

Because it was something that passed by in an instant and cannot be interpreted.

All I could do was pray towards Lemien’s back, which was getting further and further away.

I looked at them until they were no longer visible, and then they disappeared into the crowd.

I hope that the pure white winter petals scattered on the path in front of the two are not pale, but sunny.

I don’t know what the story will be written in the future, and now the only thing I can leave behind for someone who has to leave is a sincere prayer.

like that.

I am.

We were able to escape the Great Siege quietly.