Stepping on the red carpet, she walked inside. As expected, the seat for Carl, the groom, was empty.

It was a certain thing, for sure. Now that he was officially wounded near the border of Castro, he was threading to his death. Moreover, it was a wedding that Carl apparently did not recognize.

A wedding that can only be held without him. Even though she had already experienced it, when she checked Carls quarters, she felt as if a cold breeze was hitting the pit of her stomach.

The ceremony proceeded quickly. In the Laifsden Empires case, one of the nobility representatives read a poem of blessing on behalf of the aristocracy, for they did not mandate a state religion. It may seem like a splendid royal wedding to the eyes of a stranger, but in fact, it was a half-baked wedding with nothing in place.

Of course, it was a wedding made for them. Nevertheless, her partner was not accompanying her while they gave a blessing through a poetry reading of the noble emperor, not what representatives mainly had to do. The seat delegated to celebrate people from another country was empty. It was an urgent marriage, so they didnt have time to tell other countries the news. Even if they were to release a statement, the foreign visitors wouldnt have been able to make it on time.

Still, there was something different about it. Roy was the priest who held the mission in his lonesome.

He had dressed in unusual clothing: a white gown and a funny big hat with gold thread and a symbol of the goddess. Roy is now the representative of the Holy Empire.

When Sienna smiled at Roy, he bowed to her.

You must get on your knees.

The maid whispered, who helped the ceremony proceed. Before Siennas gaze from the stairs, Empress Arya was looking down at her. Sienna didnt like the way she had to look up at her.

You have to kneel.

Then Sienna bent her knees as the maid whispered again. This was originally an act where the emperor would confer a knighthood onto someone. Arya stood before him on behalf of the emperor.

You know, Sienna Waters

None of Aryas words were entering her ear. After hearing her long officiating, the delegations gift-giving ceremony began.

Although they considered this as the typical way in which they held the traditional ceremony, the position of the delegation was still empty. Thus, the failure to skip this segment was only done to cause trouble.

Clearly, Arya led it.

The woman had hurt Sienna mentally as she has done before and tries to reach out to her as if this woman were the only person she could trust.

Id like to salute the delegation.

The guest room grew quiet. Somewhere in the background, some people could not hold back their laughter, scoffing. Siennas face turned red with impudence, even though she had already expected this.

Jamies image came into her eyes. He was gnashing his teeth. It was clear that the blood that stood on his lip was his way of bearing this insult. Jamie would never have thought about how Siennas wedding would go.

If her brother had known, he would have stopped Sienna from attending the wedding without caring about the honor of the imperial family. When Sienna saw Jamie, who could barely endure the insult, she regretted having told him the situation in advance. She felt uneasy about his unexpected behavior, but she then heard a familiar voice.

Excuse me!

It was a small voice, but it caught peoples attention. It was Roy. He raised his hand with a stiff face.

My name is Roy Whist. May I offer a blessing for Sienna saint who was named the daughter of the goddess on behalf of the Holy Empire?

He spoke in a soft voice as his servants guided him to Siennas side. A playful smile then hung over his mouth.

Not everyone here is an atheist just because Laifsden has no exclusive state religion. Inside the wedding hall, some believed in the goddess of the earth. The Holy Empire was not a negligible country. The landmass was small, but it had held significant influence among its neighboring countries.

People seemed curious about the identity of the envoys from such a divine empire. The room grew agitated with the anticipation of seeing Roy as he descended from the podium and stood, facing Sienna. Then he whispered to Sienna.

I dont look good with my legs shaking, arent I?

Not at all. It seems to me that youre the prince on the white horse who came to save the damsel in distress.

Roy drew the sign on Siennas horse with a smile and began praying to the goddess. His fingertips stayed on her forehead and shoulder as the fire broke out. Those who watched them were so dazzling that they could not see clearly for a while, even though they closed their eyes. Roy whispered in Siennas ear.

In fact, its gorgeous, but it doesnt work well. It only works to make brilliant lights, so we use them for events in the Holy Empire. The priest who taught me this said it was a prayer that made it look like something magnificent was happening, and he loved it.

Thank you.

Roy put his lips on Siennas forehead.

May the Goddess always bless you wherever you may go

*

After a long, tiring ceremony, Sienna moved into the Crowned Princesss room.

A corset made of whalebone was tightening her ribs and waist, while a massive, loose dress wound the ankles of her dress. Several maids lifted Siennas skirt as if to carry a load, so she could walk into the room.

There was a red cushion in the middle of her bedroom. She meant to sit on it and wait until her husband, Carl, to come.

Im not being punished; its not like I cant have a husbandless wedding, and Im not allowed to do it either. I dont have any compassion left anyways.

You cant take off your clothes alone. Its not something you can take off by yourself anyways.

Can you bring me a glass of water before you go?

Her question put the maid in a quandary.

I can bring it to you, but

Sienna realized what she was saying. She can give herself water, but she was worried if what she could do after drinking the water. She couldnt take it off alone or move around with it easily without someones aid. Besides, its not like her husband could come over tonight.

Its alright. Ill just stay like this.

Then well step back. I hope you have a good night.

They walked out of the room.

Whats that good night farewell greeting for?

How could one have a good night when they were treated this way? She then heaved a deep sigh. Thereafter, an expensive whalebone corset poked at her ribs.

Still, she felt comfortable without the maids. She turned her head back and saw that the hem of her skirt covered the room.

Filling this spacious room with a skirt already made it dirty.

Sienna wanted to take off this skirt for a moment, thinking that she would have swept the floor with it if she hadnt done it otherwise. Now, she didnt know what was missing. She thought shed lie down and try to get some sleep instead, but she had to rest with her back full because of a corset tightening her back.

I must discover who in the world invented these wretched corsets and go to their grave to find out more about it!

Sienna burst into laughter when she thought about how having to take off her corset had anything to do with her revenge against Arya.

Haha. Ow! Oh, I shouldnt be laughing, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Ow!

Her hard corset had then continued to prick her chest and waist every time she laughed. Thus, Sienna continued her bizarre behavior wherein she looked irritated while laughing at the same time. As she moved about, she found a decent posture.

Only

She began to doze off with her arms folded and her head bowed. She would definitely suffer from a sore throat tomorrow, but she hadnt gotten enough time for sleep. Sienna, who had been dozing off for such a long time, suddenly opened her eyes to something.

Mommy!

She screamed at the teddy bear, which was closer than she thought.

I was surprised. Why are you screaming?

It was from Carl. He was standing on her dress and looking down at Sienna. She spoke nervously, sweeping down her chest.

So why are you standing so close to me like that? You almost sank my heart.

The clamor.

Sienna said as she shoved him off her, for he was stepping on her skirt.