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Chapter 08
After what felt like an eternity, the Archbishop finally spoke.
“The two of you have exchanged the kiss of vows before God. From this moment onward, you shall become one within an eternal covenant, pledging to love and serve one another. May God bless you both, and may your love flourish according to His will.”
At last, the ceremony had come to an end.
Following tradition, the two of them walked side by side down the virgin road.
Had this been a marriage between Betas, or even a reasonably acceptable political marriage, a wedding banquet would have awaited them afterward.
But this marriage was different.
That meant only duty remained for the newlyweds. Each of them was led away by their attendants to prepare for what came next.
And that preparation was…
“The most important thing on the first night is satisfying your Alpha. Even if Lord Ronin is a Beta…”
It was preparation for their wedding night.
Not the natural union of an Alpha and an Omega according to nature’s order, but the first night between an Alpha and a Beta.
Their bridal chamber had been personally prepared by the Empress.
Perhaps because of that, every corner of the room reflected her refined and luxurious taste.
…It’s hard to breathe.
If anything, it was a bit excessive.
Overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere of the room and anxious about what was to come, Ronin found himself slipping into a mild panic. Every slow breath he exhaled only made him feel more uneasy.
At least I’m not wearing a corset.
If he had been forced into one again, he would have fainted like any well-bred Omega from a noble family.
Feeling slightly relieved, Ronin slowly climbed onto the bed.
The garment he wore was as thin as a fairy’s wings, hardly functioning as clothing at all.
At least the room was dark.
Otherwise, his bare skin would have been plainly visible.
The first night…
He slowly rolled the words around in his mind.
The phrase tasted both sweet and bitter.
For some, those words represented nothing but happiness.
For most nobles, however, they meant something entirely different.
After all, most marriages were political.
Just like his.
His thoughts naturally drifted to the man who was supposed to share this first night with him.
Compared to me… he was nearly twice my size.
The current Emperor, Charles Ermengarde, had always despised House Leofric.
And among them all, he hated Caelion the most.
The reason was simple.
Jealousy.
Stand the two men side by side, and anyone could immediately tell which of them embodied the true image of an Alpha.
Ronin slowly closed and opened his eyes.
Whatever feelings His Majesty has toward Duke Leofric have nothing to do with me. What matters is that tonight… I have to endure Leofric.
A man that large…
Surely every part of him would be just as intimidating.
He honestly wasn’t confident he could accept him with an unprepared body.
Keeping the worry from showing on his face, Ronin quietly wondered.
How much will it hurt? Will it hurt more than when Madam whipped me? More than when Father pulled out my fingernails? Surely… it can’t be worse than that… can it? …If it is, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from screaming.
His adoptive mother’s words suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
“The rumors that House Leofric is obsessed with war are famous. And among them, Caelion is said to be the most insane of all. They say he’s so consumed by warfare that he spends more time on the battlefield than in his own territory. He even skipped his own father’s funeral because he was out hunting monsters. He’s the kind of Alpha who simply can’t live without the sight of blood.”
If he truly desired blood…
Then there would be no avoiding it.
If that enormous body pinned him beneath it and claimed him, Ronin would have no choice but to surrender everything.
He quietly lowered his eyes.
The flickering shadows cast by the candlelight danced across the room.
Slowly, Ronin closed his eyes.
The scented candle that had been burning since before he entered the room had not been lit merely to create a romantic atmosphere.
It was specially prepared for Beta newlyweds, its fragrance relaxing the muscles while producing a mild numbing effect.
The problem was…
Ronin had inhaled far too much of it.
It wasn’t entirely his fault.
Under normal circumstances, the Alpha would have entered at the appropriate time, extinguished the candle, and their wedding night would have begun.
But Caelion never came.
As the hours passed, Ronin remained exposed to the scent with nothing to do but wait.
Eventually…
He collapsed.
Half-conscious, Ronin was awakened by a sharp voice.
“Lord Ronin! Wake up! Damn it, Ronin Alistair! Wake up this instant!”
The piercing voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it cut through his hazy mind all the same.
With great effort, Ronin opened his eyes.
Standing before him was Pam.
She looked utterly exasperated by the still-drowsy Ronin, who remained under the lingering effects of the fragrance.
Unable to lay a hand on a noble like him, she simply pounded her own chest in frustration.
Still sluggish from the drug’s effects, Ronin asked slowly,
“Pam? How did you get in here…?”
“How? I walked through the open door! I came to collect proof that you two spent your first night together!”
“…Ah…”
A faint groan escaped Ronin.
Proof of the first night.
The Temple judged whether a marriage had truly been consummated based on whether two virgins had given themselves to one another.
For that reason, the newlyweds were required to spend their first night together and submit proof of its consummation to the Temple.
Staggering to his feet, Ronin walked toward the window.
He pulled back the heavy curtains.
Beyond them, dawn was already beginning to break.
The proof must be submitted before the end of the day following the wedding night. If it isn’t, the Temple will reopen the investigation into whether this marriage was legitimate.
One side would argue that the marriage was valid.
The other would claim it was not.
In this case, House Alistair and House Leofric would stand on opposing sides.
It would become a long, exhausting dispute.
It might even take years to resolve.
Ronin turned around.
Seeing her chance, Pam hurried over to him.
“I’m asking just in case… but… His Grace Duke Leofric didn’t come here last night… did he?”
Ignoring the desperate look in her eyes that practically screamed, Please tell me he did!, Ronin quietly replied,
“…It doesn’t seem like he did.”
“Dear God!”
After crying out several more invocations to the heavens, Pam hurriedly asked,
“So you’re saying he didn’t just avoid touching you… he never even came to the bridal chamber?”
Ronin’s face flushed crimson with humiliation.
Still, he nodded.
“Dear God!”
Pam cried out once more.
Pale with horror, she muttered to herself.
Ronin could only make out fragments.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“The Marquis will never forgive me for this!”
She began pacing frantically around the room.
She even grabbed handfuls of her own hair.
After panicking for quite some time, Pam finally decided she had found the person responsible.
She whipped around to glare at Ronin and shouted,
“Damn it, everything’s ruined! To be rejected on your very first night! And you’re an Alistair—the family that produced the Empress! Do you have any idea what will happen if people find out? House Alistair’s honor will be dragged through the mud!”
Every word she said was true.
Pam is clever.
House Alistair—
No, none of the central noble families—
had ever suffered the humiliation of being rejected on the first night.
After all, every one of those marriages had been arranged with the full agreement of both parties.
