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Chapter 25
The Oath Ceremony.
It was a special ritual where two people who were betrothed publicly declared their intent to marry before holding the actual wedding ceremony.
This custom was practiced only among the nobility of the Empire.
In the neighboring Kingdom of Kasus, the royal dynasty had been founded by an ordinary human without any magical or divine power.
But in the Empire, the very foundation of its royal bloodline was magic — it was a mage who had built it.
Kasus did have its own “Magic Tower,” where magic was studied and used as part of their military strength.
However, compared to the Empire, both the number and skill of its mages were hardly worth mentioning.
In the Empire, the royal family itself could use magic, standing at the pinnacle of authority — and the mages were the ones who held real power.
Naturally, a nation born from magic had marriage customs that were very different from any other country.
Marriage was considered a binding contract — a gamble that could determine one’s life.
And so, in order to give that life-binding contract both weight and formality, it became customary in the Empire to hold an Oath Ceremony before the wedding itself.
‘But to suddenly ask when we’ll hold the Oath Ceremony…’
This was troublesome.
Considering what the Oath Ceremony meant socially, it wasn’t a question that could be answered lightly.
Above all, in this life — just like in the last one — I had thought such things as Oath Ceremonies or weddings would remain far from me.
After some thought, I trailed off and replied vaguely.
“…Well, I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
That should at least convey that this wasn’t the right time or place for such a conversation.
As always, Frater spoke in a formal but not entirely cold tone.
“Forgive me. It seems it would be better for you to discuss this directly with His Grace.”
“That human man looks angry — but he’s pretending to be calm!”
That damned tree again.
Trees cannot lie. Yet they live far longer than humans and see everything, making them wise in their own way.
So if the tree said Frater was angry but pretending otherwise, it was probably true.
Curious, I made the mistake of speaking aloud what I had meant to think silently while keeping my hand on the sacred tree.
“Frater’s angry?”
“…Pardon?”
I wanted to bite my tongue.
Even someone skilled at keeping a poker face would be thrown off if suddenly told they were angry.
I had a bad feeling that if I kept listening to the tree, I’d only end up saying more stupid things. I quickly withdrew my hand from the bark.
“No, no! Frater, that wasn’t directed at you, I just—well, I felt like you might be upset!”
It was such a pathetic excuse that even I could feel my face burning.
If I said I’d been talking to a tree, he’d think I’d gone mad.
But contrary to my fears, Frater answered in an unexpectedly calm voice — so calm it almost sounded sorrowful.
“No. There’s nothing for you to apologize for. …It’s true, I am angry.”
“What?”
I was stunned. Frater had never shown clear emotion to me before.
“You seemed displeased as well… Indeed, matters like this are best discussed face-to-face between those engaged.”
I blinked.
How had the conversation suddenly become this gentle?
What was going on?
“Please follow me. Breakfast has been prepared with His Grace.”
“Uh… yes.”
Still confused, I took Frater’s hand and followed him to the castle.
“Lady, do you have any idea how frightened I was when I went to your room this morning and found it empty?!”
“S-sorry!”
As soon as I entered the castle, I was greeted by Asha’s scolding voice full of worry.
Frater, holding my guiding stick in one hand, said nothing and simply walked ahead.
“How on earth did you manage to dress and put on shoes all by yourself?”
“I used the stick to sense the surroundings… that’s how.”
That was only half true.
Even if I had regained about twenty percent of my vision, knowing the outline of my surroundings wasn’t enough to dress or put on shoes properly.
It’s only because I remember everything from my previous life that I could manage at all.
Of course, I couldn’t say that.
I pressed my lips together and continued walking down the corridor under Frater’s guidance.
Come to think of it… if what I saw last night was Frater’s true self…
According to Asha, the two of them had known each other for a very long time.
If their relationship was more than just master and servant — if it was one of genuine friendship — then what I saw last night wasn’t an act.
“Is something wrong, my lady?”
“N-no! I’m fine!”
Maybe he sensed some discomfort in me?
Well, he was human too — even someone like him could lose his temper once in a while.
What was I even thinking?
As I was silently scolding myself, Frater suddenly stopped walking.
The scent of savory soup and freshly baked bread drifted through the doorway.
It was the same dining room I had first entered when I met Russell after crossing into the North.
Since then, I had been eating alone in my room, so it had been a while.
My mouth watered instinctively.
“There’s a step here. Please watch your footing.”
“Thank you.”
Creaaak.
As the door opened, I switched my hold from Frater’s hand to Asha’s and followed her to my seat at the table.
…But since when was the dining room so filled with the scent of mint?
I turned toward where I expected Russell to be sitting across from me and spoke.
“It feels different somehow.”
“I asked them to seat me beside you.”
His voice came from a direction I hadn’t expected, and I flinched in surprise.
“W-why?”
Russell asked back, sounding genuinely puzzled.
“Why not? You’re my betrothed. Besides, we have to talk about the Oath Ceremony.”
I hesitated, then carefully asked, “How do you plan to hold the ceremony? Your brothers and sisters… they’ll be attending, won’t they?”
Even if he was born illegitimate, Russell still had imperial blood and ruled the North.
Just days ago, the Emperor himself had visited and shown him favor.
I waited nervously for his answer, but Russell replied almost too casually.
“No. They won’t be attending.”
“What? But why—?”
“Sorry. I’d rather not explain that yet. We’re not that close, are we?”
He really had a knack for saying heartless things.
Just as I was about to protest, Russell cut a piece of steak into a neat diamond shape and brought it to my lips.
“There’s no need to be nervous about the Oath Ceremony. It’s just an old custom the nobles in the Capital cling to.”
I chewed and swallowed the steak before answering.
“Then we don’t really have to do it, right?”
“No. We do. We’re going to use it to our advantage.”
Clink.
The sound of his knife slicing through the cooled steak filled the air.
“We’ll go to the Capital and hold the ceremony there. First, we need to make a show of it. You underestimate your own worth — but I don’t.”
The worth of the name Fiana Lucianos.
He understood that value even better than I did.
“You’re still the daughter of the great House Lucianos, no matter what anyone says. If word spreads that the Northern Duke and the Lucianos Lady are to be wed, the whole Empire will be talking.”
“And what good would that do us?”
Russell froze, as though he hadn’t expected that response.
I continued.
“I’ll become nothing more than a puppet duchess, and you’ll be the one who marries that puppet. Isn’t that the whole point of this betrothal?”
My goal was simply to survive — to become strong enough to protect myself.
But what was his goal in marrying me?
It’s not like he’s trying to please the Emperor, I thought.
I didn’t have nearly enough information to guess at his true intentions.
All I knew was that he had once executed his former fiancée and that the rumors about him in the Capital were far from favorable.
“Then I’d like to know your real reason. We need to understand each other’s interests, after all.”
At least tell me your motive.
Any relationship built on trust had to go both ways.
I had already revealed most of my cards — yet I couldn’t read his at all.
That made true trust impossible.
When he finally spoke, his voice was darker and emptier than I’d ever heard before.
“I don’t ever want to be betrothed to anyone else again. That’s why I chose you.”
My thoughts froze solid.
He wanted this engagement… just so he wouldn’t have to marry anyone else?
I opened my mouth to ask what he meant exactly — but before I could speak, the doors burst open with a loud BANG.
“I—I beg your pardon…! Your Grace, my lady!”
Asha was breathless, barely able to speak.
A bad feeling crept up my spine.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest, cold sweat breaking across my forehead.
Russell’s voice was low and sharp. “Speak clearly.”
“T-the Lady of Lucianos… Lady Lena has arrived at Glacies Castle’s main gate!”
