The Safe Marigold

16.

For the three days leading up to the wedding, Marigold’s mood swung between heaven and hell.

“Lancel Dante is marrying the Chief Attendant’s daughter?”

“Ha, that’s unbelievable.”

“He pretended not to be interested in women, but he couldn’t resist one of the three great beauties of the empire, after all.”

“I wouldn’t be able to resist either. How could anyone resist the three great beauties? I’d want to ask him how he charmed her.”

The people gathered inside the Mercenary Guild all reacted with surprise, and for some reason, they kept glancing at Marigold.

“Mary must be heartbroken.”

“She’s been in a state since this morning…”

Marigold heard even the quietest whispers like a ghost.

She strode towards them.

“Aren’t you working? Do you think the Mercenary Guild is a tavern?”

“D, did you hear us?”

“Hear what? Anyway, if you keep loitering around, I’ll tell the Master.”

“W, what can we do if there’s no work?”

Marigold’s hand moved towards her sword hilt.

“Then, how about we spar to warm up?”

“I, I, I think I should get going.”

“G, go, go together!”

This kind of thing had happened several times today.

She didn’t know why people were so conscious of her regarding the Master’s marriage news. But what was certain was that it was irritating Marigold to no end.

“You’ll meet a good person, Miss Mary. Or how about me?”

“No, thank you.”

Even the number of people flirting with her and trying to get close had increased more than usual.

The day before the wedding, which had arrived quickly.

“Mary, don’t take any requests today. Come with me.”

“Yes?”

“We’re going to buy you new clothes.”

“I already have a lot of clothes, though?”

“If you’re going to enter the Imperial Palace, you need to wear something decent. I told you you’re coming with me.”

For some reason, Lancel was planning to bring Mary to the Imperial Palace where the wedding would be held.

Thanks to that, Mary spent the whole day going around high-end clothing stores, getting dresses fitted from head to toe.

“Pretty, it suits you well.”

Or,

“Even the Third Prince will fall for you.”

And so on.

Marigold felt like she was floating on air with Lancel’s constant compliments.

“Oh, who is this! If it isn’t the Head Butler’s son-in-law! Sir Lancel! How did you manage to win over one of the three great beauties of the empire?”

“You never know what might happen. I thought he was a bit of an eccentric young man for starting a Mercenary Guild, hehe.”

Whenever she heard the words of the Rodniss nobles who recognized Lancel on the street, her body stiffened.

—Lancel Dante is marrying the Iceford Heiress!

In the Imperial Capital, where rumors spread like wildfire when it came to matters of the heart, the news had already spread far and wide in just a few days. She heard similar news everywhere she went.

“So, about the children? Are you going to have them right after the wedding?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. There’s no rush, is there?”

“Come on, why are you acting like this with people who know everything?”

“What are you talking about?”

“This, this. Have you already done it?”

A frivolous hand gesture. Laughter spread from the mouths of the watching nobles.

“Hahaha!”

“Hehehehe!”

Crack.

Cracks appeared in the wooden cup in Marigold’s hand. Marriage, children, a happy family…

“Ggggrrr!”

She tore off a piece of hard bread and ate it roughly.

Something was wrong. Marigold felt like there was a burning ember in the middle of her chest.

Every time she heard stories about marriage, the Iceford Heiress, or the three great beauties of the empire, it was like a bellows blowing on the embers, fueling the fire inside her.

It was certain because heat was actually rising from her body.

“Mary, half of what you’re eating is falling on the floor.”

“The bread! Is too hard! I can’t help it! Ugggrrr!”

“Tear it with your hands. That’s an expensive dress.”

Then, when Lancel Dante approached, the fire would subside again.

Marigold repeated this process all day long.

“Could it be that you like him?”

“Huh?”

Pina asked before going to bed that night.

“Lancel, Darling.”

“Like? Me? The Master?”

“Yes. Do you like him?”

“I, I do like him.”

“Not in that way. Do you like him as a woman? Like you want to kiss him or something.”

“Wh, wh, what…”

Marigold’s mouth stammered.

Lancel Dante. The man who had appeared in her dreams long ago. As her husband in a previous life.

Marigold felt a sense of nostalgia whenever she saw him. Like when she thought of her mother, who she had been separated from as a child.

When she was hugging him, she often didn’t want to let go because it reminded her of those memories. That was definitely true. But was that really liking him? Was it really love? Marigold didn’t know much about that feeling.

“I…”

What kind of person is he?

Why did he appear in my dreams?

Why am I so drawn to that man?

If there was a god, she wanted to ask him.

Yes.

God.

.

.

.

“God!!!”

Marigold’s anger surged as she watched the woman wailing as if the sky would fall.

Lancel Dante was completely covering his ears.

“What should we do about this?”

“Please understand. She’s my daughter, but once she loses it, she’s like this.”

Even the Count Palatine, who had rushed over after hearing the news, was holding his head.

“In any case, we have to hold the ceremony within two hours. There are too many people gathered to postpone it now.”

“Tsk, this is a headache.”

Various ideas were quickly thrown out.

Soothe her somehow and bring her, gag her, knock her out and drag her away, use magic to control her, and so on.

But they were all rejected.

“My partner should be the Third Prince… sob…”

A chill settled in Marigold’s eyes.

“Your eyes are too scary, Mary.”

“This is the average of pampered noble ladies, Master.”

“Don’t forget that the person who pampered her is standing right next to you, listening.”

“I’m fine. It’s true, so what.”

The Count Palatine readily admitted it. It seemed that even he thought his daughter was a burden.

“But Master, I was looking at the bride’s attire and something came to mind.”

It was Hesti who broke the silence.

She held up the veil that the bride would wear over her face.

“So, the nobles in the Imperial Capital wear this over their faces during the ceremony, right?”

“Well, yes. But why?”

“Couldn’t I just wear this and go through the ceremony?”

“…Hesti, you’re not in your right mind either.”

“Was it strange?”

“You’re suggesting a substitute for the wedding?”

The smile on Lancel’s face, who had been laughing in disbelief, suddenly disappeared.

He suddenly looked at the Count Palatine. He immediately made a face of disgust.

“Don’t even think about it. His Majesty is watching. What are you doing?”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

Lancel wasn’t too worried. It’s fine if we don’t get caught, right? No, even if we get caught, it’s okay. Lancel already knew who the current Emperor (fake) was. That person wouldn’t care about something like this. He would probably be happy to see something interesting.

The Count Palatine eventually sighed at Lancel’s repeated words.

“I don’t know anything about this. If something goes wrong, you’ll take all the responsibility.”

“Of course.”

I’ve even cut off the Prince’s head, would this be scary?

17.

“Enter.”

The wedding hall was crowded with nobles who had gathered in droves.

A wedding held in the Imperial Palace was one of the rare parties. And the Head Butler’s daughter was getting married? Most of them had dropped even urgent matters to gather.

“In the name of God, I, Frieze, bless this marriage.”

The Emperor, who was presiding over the wedding, was still behind the curtain.

“The couple who will become husband and wife, come forward to the platform and face each other.”

Lancel wasn’t particularly shaken by the dazzling interior decorations or the countless eyes watching him.

He was too busy feeling a sense of déjà vu at the presence of the fake bride, Hesti, who had walked out with him.

‘Did I put her in shoes that are too high?’

The nobles’ reactions were the same.

“Was she always that tall?”

“She was a bit tall for a woman, wasn’t she? There’s a reason she’s one of the three great beauties of the empire?”

“Still, that’s, that seems taller than usual.”

“My woman… the person who should have been my woman… sob…”

There were occasional sobs. This was because there were more than a few noble men who had been captivated by the Iceford Heiress.

Hesti hadn’t uttered a single word since she appeared wearing the veil.

‘My first marriage partner is Hesti.’

To be exact, Marigold was first, but Lancel didn’t have those memories. At least for him, this was his first marriage.

Amidst the bright yellow petals that rained down like rain, Lancel and Hesti faced each other.

“Silence. Let everyone listen.”

The Emperor behind the curtain raised his hand.

“There may be many trials ahead for the two of you who have become one today, and days of breaking and shattering will always cover your path. But if you rely on and help each other, I, Frieze, have no doubt that you will eventually overcome them.”

Lancel realized it around that point.

The identity of the person in front of him.

How could he not know? The outline of her face under the veil was that of the person Lancel knew best in this world.

‘Marigold?’

Why are you here.

He barely managed to swallow those words.

The wedding was still in progress.

‘Is this Hesti’s doing?’

There’s no one else.

Lancel saw Marigold’s shoulders trembling slightly. She was nervous amidst the countless gazes.

He quietly placed his hand on her shoulder. He stared at her eyes through the veil. He could feel her trembling gradually subsiding.

“God. Under this sky blessed with blessings, the two have finally become husband and wife.”

The High Priest of the Imperial Family finally began the pronouncement.

“Now, may neither good nor evil, death nor time, nor eternity separate these two!”

==========

—Marigold stood in the same place once again with the man from her memories. She instinctively felt that her connection with him was so strong that it could not be severed even with a blade.

※Your connection with the young noble Lancel Dante has increased.

※’300 points’ have been accumulated in the album. When you reach 1500 points, ‘Inheritance of Memories’ will be opened.

==========

Marigold’s face could be seen beyond the falling petals. Lancel smiled bitterly.

‘Did I fail again this time?’

But why?

It wasn’t that bad.

It was rather refreshing.

Because there was an infinite amount of time left.

“The two shall kiss.”

Lancel approached Marigold and kissed her.

==========

TIP: When the Inheritance of Memories is opened, you can view all flashbacks. You can also start the game with all abilities acquired.

==========

‘Huh?’

The thought of what that sound was was soon gone. It disappeared, buried in the hot heat felt on his lips.

18.

“Your Majesty.”

That evening.

A servant arrived at the Emperor’s bedchamber.

“The Fifth Prince, who went to war, has sent an urgent message. It’s a urgent report requesting support.”

“…He insisted on going out to wallow in the war, and eventually caused an accident.”

The Emperor’s voice heard from behind the curtain was not the heavy voice of a middle-aged man as before.

Rather, it was the complete opposite.

It was the voice of a young woman.

“Prepare troops by tomorrow and send them with the Sixth Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Wait.”

The voice stopped the servant.

“Send Lancel Dante with them as well.”

“If we suddenly send someone who just got married today to the battlefield, there will be talk. Are you sure you want to do that?”

A low laugh was heard from behind the curtain.

“The Third Prince recommended him as a skilled knight. It might be worth trusting him.”