Chapter 64: The Unveiling of Brides

The black-and-gold double-headed eagle on the dome spread its wings, enveloping the arriving guests. The deity it symbolized, whose coronation it was, calmly observed the minuscule mortal beings below.

Today, the royal court had shed its solemn dignity, now engulfed in boisterous clamor.

Musicians loudly played celebratory music, the drumbeats resonating in the ears like scattering jade beads.

Court poets bustled about, peddling their newly composed verses to the nobles.

Glasses clinked across the tables as nobles, clad in black or white, raised their cups in toasts. Yet, the two factions, black and white, remained distinctly separated.

They gathered, distinct as black and white chess pieces in a jar, with the central red carpet serving as their dividing line.

Chloe, hidden behind a curtain, silently awaited her moment to enter.

Three pairs of newcomers waited in the left, center, and right wings of the royal court. The center wing was naturally reserved for the host, Cliff, while Norria and Lilith had already gone to the right wing to prepare.

This left only Carloman and Chloe. Fortunately, Una was by Chloe’s side; otherwise, she would not have been able to endure being alone with Carloman.

Despite being one of the wedding’s protagonists, Chloe felt an inexplicable sense of detachment. Her head buzzed, and her legs trembled slightly.

She was afraid.

Afraid that Xina would never awaken from her long sleep, that Wuxu would simply leave, and that Alice would meet an unfortunate end.

Yet, her greatest anxiety remained her own uncertain future.

The accumulated stress of recent days converged upon her, enveloping Chloe like a dark cloud. She bit her lip, attempting to expel this surge of aggression.

Catching sight of Chloe’s unusual expression, Carloman gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The sudden touch made Chloe’s heart clench.

She leaped back like a startled cat, only to step on the hem of her wedding dress, which trailed to the ground. Her foot slipped, and she seemed poised to fall.

However, the anticipated pain never came. The soft touch of cotton fabric on her arms indicated that someone had supported her from behind, preventing her fall.

Chloe turned her head in gratitude, only to see the one person she wished to avoid.

“Oh my, isn’t this Lady Chloe?”

A shrill, piercing voice flowed into Chloe’s ears, instantly igniting a surge of disgust within her. Longinus’s alluring green eyes roamed over Chloe’s face.

She pinched Chloe’s small nose, a faint smile playing on her lips. “You’re so beautifully dressed. Are you trying to make me devour you completely?”

“Let go of me!”

Longinus obediently released her, then gave Chloe a gentle push on the back, sending her swaying like a willow in the wind towards Carloman. Seeing Carloman open his arms to embrace her, she managed to halt her steps in time, her high heels digging firmly into the red carpet, thus avoiding an awkward situation.

Una, standing nearby, put her hands on her hips and indignantly demanded, “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I merely wish for this engaged couple to be more affectionate.”

Longinus playfully winked, swirling the stemmed glass in her hand. She had shed her unremarkable gray robe, now clad in a backless, sleeveless gown.

Purple ribbons clung tightly to the curves of her body, accentuating her well-developed bosom. Beneath the ripple-like folds of her skirt, a pair of fair legs was revealed. She seemed to merge seamlessly with the banquet, yet an incongruous scent of blood made her stand out from the crowd.

Chloe was utterly perplexed. Hadn’t Longinus died in Bruen Castle? However, more than that, she wanted to know one thing: How had Longinus managed to conceal such a remarkable figure?

“Excuse me, Miss, do we know each other?”

Carloman stared at Longinus’s youthful face, as if it stirred distant memories within him.

“Perhaps.”

Longinus shrugged, her gaze shifting to Chloe. The music outside suddenly changed tempo. Carloman let out a long breath, then pulled back the curtain.

“I must go, Chloe. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Though Chloe detested Carloman, at this moment, she surprisingly wished he would stay by her side a little longer. After all, compared to Longinus, he was practically an angel.

The murderous intent from that day surged back into Chloe’s heart. She murmured, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for the wedding, can’t you tell?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes, her expression serious. “For the wedding? But this is backstage.”

“I know.”

Longinus raised her stemmed glass, downing the red wine in a single gulp. The crimson liquid trickled from the corner of her mouth, like a streak of alluring blood.

Her lips left the rim of the glass as she raised it to her brow. “To a new world.”

With that, the stemmed glass slipped from her hand.

The music outside suddenly swelled, conveniently masking the sound of the glass shattering. Fragments scattered, reflecting Chloe’s crimson eyes.

Una eyed Longinus warily, but Longinus merely glanced back. After a brief exchange of gazes, Una seemed to be stunned by something, her voice trembling slightly.

“What do you want?”

“My apologies, my hand slipped.”

Longinus lifted the hem of her skirt, bowing slightly in a gesture of apology. She walked forward and pulled open the curtain, allowing Chloe to see the scene outside.

Norria had already donned his groom’s attire. The makeup artist, with a divine touch, had transformed the rough countryman into a handsome prince in mere minutes. He appeared somewhat nervous, his eyes involuntarily darting around.

Then, the music abruptly ceased, and Norria’s face turned purple as an eggplant.

“Today, Saint Fros and Eledis shall become one.”

Accompanying the master of ceremonies’ declaration, Carl, arm-in-arm with Lilith, slowly approached Norria. Olga stood by, like a towering wall, attending them.

Lilith wore a red wedding gown, a remarkably rare sight for the predominantly white Eledis. The nobles below murmured amongst themselves, but a single, sweeping glance from Olga silenced them.

Carl came to a stop, facing Norria. Norria straightened his back, striving to present his best before the father-in-law who had given him a beating just yesterday.

“Prince Norria, I entrust my most beloved daughter, Lilith, into your hands. I hope you will treat her well and allow this marriage to be a feast that ends all strife.”

Lilith gazed at Norria with deep affection, yet Norria struggled to utter a single word for a long moment. After a brief silence, the master of ceremonies could only continue.

“Then, Bride, do you take this Groom to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do!”

Before Lilith could speak, Norria blurted out the answer. He clearly realized his mistake, his face flushing crimson. It was unclear who started it, but the laughter was infectious, and soon, peals of amusement erupted from the audience.

Longinus also chuckled softly, openly mocking the simpleton. Chloe’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Mopping the sweat from his brow, the master of ceremonies continued, “It seems the Groom is eager to whisk the Bride to bed. But out of respect, I shall ask once more: Bride, do you take…”

“I do.”

Lilith uttered these three words as naturally as breathing. She freed her wrist from her father’s grasp, actively took Norria’s hand, and then leaned close to his lips, as if craving something.

However, Norria shook his head repeatedly, refusing to comply. Lilith sighed, abandoning the kiss. The master of ceremonies cleared his throat twice to ease the awkwardness.

“Let us wish this happy couple well.”

Thunderous applause erupted, though it primarily came from the Eledis nobles. This was Chloe’s first wedding. When her sister married, would she, like Carl, walk her down the aisle and hand her over to the groom?

She hoped she would have that chance. The master of ceremonies finally saw off the clumsy couple. He turned to the audience and announced loudly, “Now, please welcome His Majesty Cliff and Miss Dorota!”

The Saint Fros nobles applauded enthusiastically, while the Eledis side fell silent. The first thing that caught Chloe’s eye was the famous golden falcon.

Cliff and Dorota entered hand-in-hand. Unexpectedly, Dorota wore a black wedding dress. A black dress for a wedding?

Some Eledis nobles chuckled, seemingly mocking the aesthetic sensibilities of the Saint Fros people. The master of ceremonies repeated the process.

Cliff and Dorota proceeded more conventionally, smoothly reaching the kissing segment. Unlike Norria, Cliff willingly bestowed a light kiss upon Dorota’s lips.

However, compared to Norria and Lilith, this couple was far too traditional, utterly unremarkable. Some even began to yawn.

“And now, please welcome the final couple of this wedding, Charles Caroline and Chloe Raina!”

Finally, it was Chloe’s turn. Chloe took a deep breath, preparing to step out from behind the curtain.

“Oh, right, your wedding gift.”

Longinus retrieved a small, gleaming object from her bosom and tossed it to Chloe. Chloe caught it instinctively, her finger brushing the dagger’s tip, which sizzled as if burning.

It was a silver dagger, capable of harming vampires, and potentially inflicting a fatal wound at close range. Chloe tucked the dagger into the folds of her wedding dress.

Both the dagger and the dress were silver-white, making it completely undetectable from the outside. “What do you want me to do?”

“Do what you want to do.”

Longinus’s face split into a grin. She glanced at Una, who was trembling in the corner. “Now, please send this noble princess away.”