Chapter 18
♛
I was worried because I had to have another breathtaking conversation with Ellex, but things worked out for good.
‘We might meet again someday, but Ellex, I’m sure he will be back in the North soon, and I’ll be fine for a while.’
The next meeting would probably be next year unless he personally visits the Imperial Palace,
Besides, the disaster would happen a year later, and he won’t be able to hold out on the New Year’s party, so it would be difficult to meet each other then!
I circled in happiness at that thought and asked Grandiel for our destination.
“Where are we going?”
“The wedding hall.”
An unexpected answer came back.
♛ Ellex POV
Ellex had a nightmare.
There was nothing there in his dream. There was no beginning or end.
He had a dream that the darkness that had swallowed him up would destroy the world.
When Ellex was born, his father was delighted. Because he felt that his abilities were enormous.
Ellex’s ability was strong enough to surpass the first Duke. His father believed that Ellex would strengthen the family.
But the serenity did not last long.
As a child, he never thought his abilities were dangerous.
It was natural as if he were breathing because he had the ability from birth, and it was a must-have ability for anyone who would inherit the Duke’s position.
At the age of ten, Ellex’s abilities first ran wild.
The young body couldn’t handle the enormous power, and the darkness he had was so powerful that it took his life. His ability, which had run wild, soon found stability, but his mother, who was by his side, was consumed by the darkness.
From then on, Ellex stayed away from weak things. Flowers blooming in the garden, small animals.
And I hated women the most. I remembered my mother who died because of my darkness.
As I grew up, my ability became stronger but still unstable. To the point that it’s not strange at all whenever it goes berserk.
I tried several methods to control this ability, but all failed. The only way that worked was to kill all my emotions.
Thus power was easily influenced by my emotions, and whenever I got excited, it went wild.
Joy, sadness, anger, despair. It didn’t matter what kind of emotion it was. The more I felt these emotions, the more this darkness went wild.
However, even if all emotions were shut, anxiety constantly tormented Ellex.
A terrible nightmare bit by bit ate away at his mind. To the extent that I would rather wish to be swallowed up in darkness.
Then one day, I accidentally discovered something new. I suffered a major injury on my back while on a mission of subjugating monsters.
He asked the priest to heal him, but his ability that had been rampant because of his wounds was silenced when he received divine power.
Ellex realized because it was an ability that was a gift from God, receiving divine power would calm it down.
After that, Ellex built a temple in the north and invited a priest.
It was fine for a while. However, the effect did not last long. Just as good medicines continue to be used to build immunity, so was divine power.
So, once a year, on the day he went up to the capital, he asked the High Priest directly.
The problem was that he couldn’t reveal his ability, although he could afford it no matter how much money it cost.
Inevitably, he made the excuse that he needed enormous divine power to explore the ancient ruins.
There was no doubt about asking to receive divine power, as well as the effect of not only healing but also temporarily strengthening the body.
‘That’s annoying.’
There was a woman who particularly irritated him when he went up to the capital.
I didn’t even know her name, but she always annoyed me. I could stand being kicked out of my back and waiting in advance.
But sometimes it was disgusting to bump into her occasionally. She was a woman who stimulated his suppressed irritability.
“Wait!”
Ellex thought she had been following him that day as well.
I didn’t listen to the woman and tried to unilaterally say what I had to say, but she suddenly grabbed my wrist.
Normally, I would have kicked her out as soon as she touched me, but strangely, it wasn’t disgusting.
So I didn’t notice it right away. I knew she was holding my hand all the time while she was talking to me.
The woman had changed. However, I didn’t care much because I had nothing to do with her and we would never see each other again.
And I realized it only when I went back to the Duke’s Mansion. That the ability that was like a time bomb has softened.
‘There was nothing special that happened. I went to the Imperial Palace to see His Majesty the Emperor and came back straight away.’
I didn’t even go to the temple today. The day I promised to meet the High Priest was tomorrow.
There was only one person who I had contact with. The woman who has always irritated me.
Ellex thought he might have simply been mistaken. He didn’t know if it was a coincidence or that he was only in good shape.
He let it go and thought that it wasn’t a big deal. That day, Ellex didn’t have a nightmare.
♛
“You’re going to the temple now?!” Mayerie shouted in the rattling carriage.
I thought lightly and followed him, but the destination was strange. Grandiel, sitting across from me, was grinning as if my reaction was funny.
“Yes, I got information that Radiata was getting married.”
“Strange…”
There was no mention of a wedding in the novel. I swallowed back words and was lost in thought.
In the novel, Radiata apparently said that her first wedding was to Ellex.
It was hard to compare the present to the novel because it was twisted from the first meeting, but it still didn’t make sense.
“What’s wrong?”
“You don’t usually have weddings when you’re a mistress. It’s just amazing.”
In general, marriages with a mistress are not held. I wonder if the old nouveau riche became senile.
(N: 졸부/Nouveau Riche/Rich man- A person who has suddenly become rich.)
“I guess he suddenly felt like having a wedding.”
It was a grim smile.
‘Was Grandiel involved in the wedding?’
Or maybe he threatened the rich man to force a wedding.
No, it can’t be true. There was no reason to make them marry. It’s too much work. I shook my head, brushed away my thoughts, and asked another question.
“By the way, why are we going there?”
I don’t know what happened, but it was understandable that an old rich man and Radiata were getting married.
It’s a bit absurd, but just as Grandiel said, he may have suddenly felt the urge to get married.
But I couldn’t understand why we were going to the temple. It would be much more efficient to steal Radiata before we get to the wedding hall.
Grandiel answered, still smiling, “To do Miss Mayerie’s request.”
I asked you to save Radiata. I must have said it wrong, but looking back, it was the same. Maybe there was a communication problem?
“What was my request?”
“To save the benefactor from danger?”
That’s right. I don’t think there was any misunderstanding about our communication.
Why does it feel so ominous? I looked at Grandiel’s expression with questionable eyes. It was just to figure out if there was anything I had missed.
“So we’re going to disrupt the wedding.”
“Disrupt? What?”
“Wedding.”
Seriously, I’ve been wanting to split Grandiel’s head off and see what his brain looks like. What the hell was he thinking about?
“I heard it’s a temple wedding. What if we get wanted for interrupting?”
“That’s all right, I’ve already talked to them.”
What have you done! The words that stacked up to my neck couldn’t get out of my mouth. Because the carriage stopped.
‘Won’t it faster to pay a ransom for Radiata to the old man and bring her back than to bribe the temple?’
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t make sense of it, but Grandiel didn’t give her time to think.
He opened the carriage door and got off first and reached out to help me. I grabbed his hand and asked him about his plans as I got off.
“Well, what’s your plan? You have a plan, don’t you?”
Looking at the magnificent and reverent temple, my heart shrank and stuttered without realizing it.
“I’m going to open the door and go in and get the bride.”
“Diel, you don’t want me to go into the temple gate and still the bride in the middle of the wedding, do you? Am I misunderstanding?”
“Aren’t you smart? You understand well.”
Don’t talk with such a pretty smile. Wasn’t he a schemer? What kind of plan was this?
I wanted to go back to the Imperial Palace right away. It was better to have a suffocating conversation with Ellex than be here.
But regretting it was always late, no matter how soon I regret it!
“Oh, I see. Was that Diel’s job?”
“No way. I’m in a position to hide my identity, so I shouldn’t show my face.”
No, this guy was really! Do you want me to act crazy? I couldn’t help it… Unfortunately, as long as there was a magic contract, I had no veto power.
“Miss Mayerie, are you ready?”
I took a deep breath and nodded with determination. With tears in my eyes, I opened the wide temple door. The attention of the guests attending the wedding was all focused.
The timing was also amazing. An old man was putting a ring on Radiata.
‘This was how a new page of dark history was written.’
I breathed deeply in the air and cried out in anger.
“Stop this marriage!”
There was a heavy silence in the temple. I shouted it out, but I’m too shy. I want to hide in a rat hole right now.
‘So what should I do now?’
A great deal of shame paralyzed my mind. As soon as my mind went blank, I rolled my eyes and looked at Grandiel, whose face was only seen behind the door.
“You have to get her.” He whispered.
In his words, my stiff body moved as if the play button had been pressed.
‘Yes, I’m gonna get Radiata out of here.’
I accidentally stepped on the red carpet. I haven’t had a wedding yet, but the first red carpet I’ve ever stepped on in my entire life was to make a fuss about someone else’s wedding.
It felt more sinful because it was a sacred temple built of white marble. The statue behind the priest caught my eye. Goddess Planta is watching, Can I do this?
‘Goddess, please allow me to be a righteous thief.’