VNC 07

Chapter07

The weight of standing in for the female lead was heavier than expected.

Schwynn was taken almost as if kidnapped at dawn, barely even able to open her eyes, and put into an imperial carriage bound for the palace.

When the emperor’s precious jewel was getting married, it was impossible not to hold a wedding ceremony.

What the emperor devised was simple: until they departed for the North, no one was to see Schwynn’s face.

Fortunately, there was a convenient excuse for the bride.

She was never to remove her veil.

The kiss of vows was replaced with a handshake.

By imperial order.

That said, there weren’t many people who knew Schwynn’s face to begin with.

After reincarnating into Schwynn’s body, she had never had much interest in high society.

Though Schwynn was free to move about the palace, she stayed almost exclusively in the princess’s quarters.

This was even her first time going to the emperor’s audience chamber, and she had wandered around for quite a while before finding it.

Publicly, the marriage was known to be between Titiana von Lucenia and her groom.

So even if someone did recognize Schwynn, they would keep silent.

The emperor would make sure of it.

“Miss, what in the world is going on? I’m so scared I can’t stand it. What is this, all of a sudden…?”

The emperor had shown no consideration.

He hadn’t warned Schwynn that a knight would come for her at dawn.

As a result, the imperial knight who suddenly appeared while everyone was asleep struck terror into the entire count’s household.

“I didn’t know it would go this far either. Were you very surprised?”

It was only natural.

After all, she had to pretend to be a princess.

“What kind of business is handled this brutally…!”

Sophie whispered, her voice low enough that only Schwynn could hear.

There were knights stationed at the detached palace, watching them.

“It’s fine. They said it’s just in case something unexpected happens…”

That was what the knight escorting Schwynn so politely had told her.

She was frightened, but Schwynn had to keep her wits about her.

Knock, knock.

She hadn’t answered, yet the door opened.

The woman who entered briefly introduced herself.

She was the head maid of the imperial palace.

“It is time to prepare. I will send the maids in.”

The palace maids bathed Schwynn and combed her hair.

Their professional hands were on an entirely different level from Sophie’s efforts the day before.

“From now until the end of the ceremony and your entrance into the bridal chamber, you must never remove your veil. Even on the journey to the North, keep your face covered as much as possible. This is an imperial decree.”

“From now? But my lady hasn’t even eaten yet!”

As soon as the preparations were complete, the veil was placed over her head.

Sophie, who had been crouched quietly in a corner, sprang to her feet and protested.

But the palace maids were cold and unyielding.

“It is an imperial decree.”

Time passed quickly.

From the moment she began following the knights in a half-dazed state, Schwynn had been tense to the extreme.

So much so that she didn’t even feel hungry.

She clenched and unclenched her stiff hands.

Her fingers, covered in white silk gloves, trembled faintly.

It wasn’t just the marriage that made her nervous—it was what would happen during the wedding ceremony.

Though she didn’t show it, Schwynn had never intended to accept this marriage obediently.

Even if she failed, she planned to do everything she could.

Unaware of Schwynn’s ambitious plan, Sophie smiled sadly.

She then held Schwynn’s hand tightly.

“Do you know how you look right now, my lady?”

“…How do I look?”

Was it that obvious she was nervous?

The palace gates had already opened.

It was time for the nobles to attend the princess’s wedding.

“Very…”

Very…

“You look beautiful.”

Schwynn’s lips curved into a small smile, faintly visible through the veil.

“But I’m completely covered. You can tell?”

“No, I saw you before you put this cumbersome thing on. Still, I can’t compete with the palace maids’ skills. Should I learn before we head north?”

Sophie’s playful tone eased Schwynn’s tension.

But only for a moment.

Before long, Sophie was escorted out.

The wedding was held in the imperial palace.

The nobles gathered in the central hall kept glancing around restlessly.

Everyone was talking about the princess.

Schwynn took a deep breath in and let it out.

She was waiting for the Grand Duke of Lanied.

By custom, the princess was to enter holding the emperor’s hand.

But breaking tradition, the emperor ordered—for the first time ever—that the bride and groom enter together.

‘Good thing I greeted Bedin back then. Who would’ve thought things would get this hectic?’

Ever since that day, preparations for the wedding had kept her busy.

Not that there should have been much to do—but in reality, she was so busy she barely had time to breathe and rarely even went to the palace.

In the end, Schwynn submitted what was essentially a leave-of-absence notice.

Since she didn’t go to the palace, she couldn’t meet Bedin.

Still, she had told him she would be leaving for a long trip, which eased her heart somewhat.

“This will be the end of it, right…?”

There was no way things would work out with Bedin after six months.

She had no intention of shamelessly asking him to wait for her.

They weren’t that close to begin with.

“What do you mean?”

At the voice beside her, Schwynn nearly bit her tongue.

Startled, she instinctively turned toward the sound.

“We’re only just beginning.”

It was the Grand Duke of Lanied—Eselian.

“….”

Schwynn was shocked that Eselian had heard her voice.

But she soon realized there had been no order forbidding her from speaking.

‘I’ll have to talk constantly once we go north anyway. This much should be fine…’

Eselian looked quietly at the princess gazing up at him, then moved his lips as if he’d realized something.

“Ah. You don’t know me.”

“….”

“I am Eselian Lanied, who will be your husband.”

“….”

“Pleased to meet you, Princess.”

Schwynn froze exactly as she was.

What was she supposed to say?

After thinking for a while, she responded briefly.

“Ah… yes. Pleased to meet you too.”

Today, Eselian was flawless.

His silver hair, neatly swept back, shimmered in the sunlight.

His sharply defined nose followed a cool, exposed brow.

His long, narrow eyes were lowered as he looked at Schwynn, but the blood-red eyes beneath held no emotion.

“Please proceed with your entrance.”

Yet Schwynn couldn’t see the appearance so highly praised by the people of the empire.

Through the white curtain, Eselian was nothing more than white and red.

What made her stiffen was his low voice.

‘Why does his voice sound so good…?’

She shook her head, chasing away the stray thought.

Still, she couldn’t take a step forward—only tightened her grip on the bouquet.

“You must give me your hand.”

Eselian’s fingers brushed against hers.

When she lowered her gaze, she saw his hand lightly tapping against her white silk glove.

The spot where he touched felt oddly ticklish.

Suddenly, she wanted to pull her hand away and hide it behind her back.

‘I’m Titiana… I have to endure this.’

Suppressing herself with difficulty, Schwynn extended her hand in consent.

She glanced up at Eselian’s face, but it was hidden behind the veil.

She assumed his expression was blank.

Fear seeped into each step she took forward.

“Do you swear to honor one another for life and to stand together even when trials come?”

The officiant’s voice echoed through the quiet hall.

‘No.’

The answer came immediately to Schwynn’s mind, but she couldn’t say it aloud.

‘I’ll leave in six months.’

Six months—that was the promised time.

If she truly went north with Eselian, she only had to endure six months.

What the emperor would do afterward to extract her from this farce was unclear, but that was his problem.

“Do you swear?”

Neither of them responded.

The officiant asked again.

This time, Eselian Lanied spoke first.

“I swear before the gods and before the Sun of Lucenia.”

“….”

Schwynn’s green eyes shifted restlessly.

As she glanced sideways at Eselian, the officiant whispered softly, “Princess.”

Only then did Schwynn open her mouth.

The words came out more smoothly than she expected.

“I… swear.”

As she spoke the lie, guilt pricked at her conscience.

But reminding herself that Eselian’s vow wasn’t sincere either made her feel a little better.

“The kiss of vows will be replaced with a handshake. Bride and groom, please face one another.”

There was an imperial order forbidding the removal of the veil.

Relieved by the altered procedure, Schwynn hesitantly turned to face Eselian.

Eselian, likewise, faced her.

He extended his hand.

No—more accurately, he reached out.

“…!”

He didn’t wait for Schwynn’s hand.

Instead, his gloved hand grasped the veil covering the bride’s face and lifted it upward.

His red eyes slid sideways. He looked indifferently at the princess’s hand gripping his arm.

Then he turned his gaze forward again.

The veil was not fully lifted.

Between the trembling red lips and the fabric, her nose was barely visible.

Eselian stared at it for a brief moment.

“Without a kiss of vows, can we truly say we have become husband and wife?”

It was a formal procedure.

But the kiss of vows wasn’t considered the highlight of a wedding for nothing.

It was the moment that confirmed the promise between two people—or two families—and made it impossible to break before all witnesses.

Since the founding of the empire, there had never been an imperial wedding without a kiss of vows.

That was why the hall had stirred when the kiss was replaced with a handshake.

“Isn’t that so, Princess?”

He sought her agreement.

No—absolutely not.

Unable to voice her refusal, Schwynn slightly shook her head instead.

But he seemed not to understand.

The veil was lifted a little higher.

Sensing danger, she stepped back.

But by the time she retreated, her eyes had already met his.

Their gazes tangled.

Eselian’s eyes widened.

The startled woman’s face retreated, and the fabric he had let go fluttered down.

Soon, her small face disappeared behind the thin veil once more.

The emperor’s treasured jewel.

Aside from palace maids, not a single person had ever seen the princess’s face.

They said the princess was ugly.

They said she bore a hideous scar.

They even said the princess was not a woman at all, but a man.

Baseless rumors circulated.

Those who scoffed at them were, deep down, just as curious about the princess’s face.

Most—no, all—of the people attending the wedding wanted to see it.

“She’s ugly, they said.”

In truth, the only one who had seen her face was Eselian.