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Chapter 25
After that, the marriage certificate was handed over to the priest conducting the ceremony.
Everything proceeded in the blink of an eye.
“Please take good care of us, Priest,”
Edwin said with a smile.
“Y-yes… understood,”
the priest replied, accepting the certificate while feeling an inexplicable chill.
He then hurriedly excused himself.
Instinctively, he sensed that this was something that needed to be dealt with before anything else.
High Priest Rojas briefly envied the priest who was fleeing, then cleared his throat.
“Ahem. I sincerely congratulate you both on your holy union.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you, High Priest,”
Dana and Edwin replied, exchanging satisfied looks.
‘How pitiful…’
Rojas sighed inwardly as he looked at Dana.
Still, his own safety came first.
He gently issued a polite dismissal to Edwin.
“Now that the marriage has been concluded, you may take your leave.”
Please go…
But Rojas’s plea did not reach Edwin.
Edwin spoke gently to Dana.
“Senior, they say the entire temple is influenced by divine power.”
“Is that so?”
“Perhaps because of that, the garden has flowers that never wither throughout the year. Their petals even have a golden hue.”
“Really?”
Edwin remembered that Dana loved nature dearly.
He looked toward Rojas.
“May we take a look?”
“…Pardon?”
“Isn’t the temple meant to be equal for everyone?”
“…That is true. Please enjoy yourselves.”
If he refused, it felt like next time it wouldn’t be his beard but his hair that would burn.
With an exhausted expression, Rojas sent the two of them off.
Then he pointed directly at a priest.
“Priest Bill, take them to Priest Ian.”
“Yes, sir.”
The priest named Bill guided the two of them.
The entire time he walked ahead, he didn’t forget to keep glancing back, worried Edwin might do something.
Contrary to his fears, the Third Prince wore a smile the whole way.
“Senior, we’re really husband and wife now.”
“That’s right.”
Dana smiled shyly.
Seeing her, Edwin unconsciously rubbed the back of his stiffened neck.
With Dana’s pink cheeks growing deeper in color, he was going mad with the urge to kiss them.
‘He’s going to devour her at this rate…’
the priest shook his head as he saw the fire in Edwin’s eyes.
He decided to stop looking back.
The two already seemed completely absorbed in their own world.
The three of them walked for quite some time down a corridor supported by white pillars.
Gradually, the fresh scent of grass drew closer.
Along with the chirping of birds.
Finally, after passing through an arched passageway, bright sunlight poured down.
Dana squinted briefly at the dazzling rays, then quickly adjusted and looked around.
“Wow…”
An exclamation escaped her without her realizing it.
The garden of the Imperial Palace’s temple was truly beautiful.
Centered around a pond, plants of all colors bloomed brilliantly.
Just as Edwin had said, the flowers, imbued with divine power, bloomed more beautifully than their natural state.
They boasted lush petals and gave off deep floral fragrances.
Everything touched by divine power was tinged with gold.
The trees and flowers sparkled as if scattering golden dust whenever the breeze stirred—
and even the pond reflected traces of sunlight across its surface.
“It’s really beautiful…”
Seeing how much Dana liked it—more than he had expected—Edwin broke into a bright smile.
As long as Dana was happy, anything was fine.
At that moment, the accompanying priest Bill called out to someone.
“Priest Ian, we have guests!”
From afar, a priest who had been trimming trees walked over.
He was a man with long hair that shone silver.
“What brings you here?”
Unlike the other imperial priests, Ian’s gentle demeanor put Dana at ease.
Bill introduced Dana and Edwin to him.
“These two are… newlyweds who have just received the High Priest’s blessing. They wished to see the garden.”
As soon as he finished the introduction, Bill hurriedly disappeared.
Seeing how frightened he looked, Ian blinked in confusion, then smiled at Dana and Edwin.
“Congratulations on your marriage. I am Priest Ian. I oversee the garden here.”
Dana replied with a polite smile.
“Thank you for the congratulations. We’ll look around on our own, so please don’t worry.”
“Is that all right? I was in the middle of trimming the trees…”
At that moment, a small bird flew over.
It was a parrot with a body covered in light green feathers and a yellow face.
The bird perched on Ian’s finger.
Then it opened its beak.
“God loves everyone! God loves everyone!”
“Oh my, how cute!”
When Dana exclaimed in genuine admiration, the parrot excitedly bobbed from side to side.
“I give you my blessiiiing!”
Ian looked at the bird with a proud expression.
“This one learns very quickly. Living in the temple, it picked up phrases like that.”
“It must be very smart.”
“It never forgets anything it hears even once. And words it fixates on, it repeats for years.”
The parrot hopped over and landed on Dana’s shoulder.
Ian panicked and tried to stop it.
“Come here—doing that to a guest is rude.”
“It’s okay. We can walk together.”
In the end, Dana, Edwin, and one parrot decided to tour the garden together.
Ian returned to trimming the trees.
“Edwin, look at this! The color of the petals changes depending on the angle.”
“It really does.”
Dana was excited the entire time they walked through the garden.
Her cheerful 모습 lifted Edwin’s spirits as well.
‘Should I build a greenhouse garden?’
He wanted to give Dana a garden that bloomed brightly in all four seasons.
Just then, another bird circled around Dana.
“Senior, you’re popular with the birds, aren’t you?”
At Edwin’s words, Dana smiled.
“It’s been like this since I was little. They’ve always followed me especially well.”
“You’re like a forest fairy.”
“You really are something…”
“I mean it.”
Dana blushing at his single remark was adorable.
So Edwin said teasingly,
“Senior, you’re beautiful like a forest fairy.”
“Ah, please…!”
As her face grew even redder, Edwin burst out laughing.
After walking for quite some time—
their distance closed, and the backs of their hands brushed.
Edwin’s fingers slowly slid along the back of Dana’s hand.
“……”
“……”
Dana’s steps slowed as well.
All of her senses focused on her fingertips.
They walked slowly, looking straight ahead.
Edwin’s fingers brushed over the back of Dana’s hand, then slipped into her small hand.
Unlike before, when their hands merely overlapped, his long fingers threaded through the spaces between hers.
Their fingers intertwined.
Edwin tightened his grip on their clasped hands.
“Senior, we’re really husband and wife.”
“…Yes.”
“Truly husband and wife.”
“Yes. You’re my husband.”
“And you’re my wife.”
Even after saying it, Edwin seemed unsatisfied, repeatedly confirming it through Dana—
that they were spouses.
He seated Dana on a long bench near the pond.
Then, in a calm, gentle voice as if soothing her, he said,
“They say that being a married couple isn’t just about sharing good times.”
“……”
“When you share pain and hardship together, that relationship truly shines.”
“When things hurt, when they’re hard…”
“So let’s promise.”
He gently tightened his grip on the hand he was holding.
“No matter what happens, don’t swallow it alone. Share it with me.”
“…Okay.”
“That’s what real spouses do.”
“Got it. You mean if I cry, you’ll be sad with me.”
Dana nodded.
Her blue eyes curved into crescent moons.
Then she opened her arms.
Edwin didn’t hesitate.
He immediately pulled Dana into his embrace.
Her small body fit snugly against him.
Feeling her lovely warmth, Edwin stroked the back of Dana’s head.
Would it really end with just sharing sorrow? Anyone who made Dana cry, he would personally—
Edwin smiled while indulging in a dangerous imagination.
After the guests had left, the parrot perched on Priest Ian’s shoulder.
“Did you have fun?”
Ian gently stroked the bird’s head.
Then the parrot spoke.
“We’re a real married couple!”
“Huh?”
Ian tilted his head at the parrot’s sudden remark.
“You’re like a forest fairy!”
“What’s gotten into you? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
The parrot didn’t stop and gazed deeply at Ian.
“Beautiful like a forest fairy!”
“Parrot!!”
Ian’s face flushed with embarrassment as the parrot continued to flirt with him relentlessly
