IDIBC Chapter 119

The Prelude to a New Life

Everyone within the system knew that Ricardo’s knights had practically occupied the Imperial Palace.

Due to the Emperor’s strangely quiet behavior, all sorts of strange rumors circulated in high society, but Ricardo and Rochester, the actual protagonists of this affair, remained silent.

Amid all this, Ricardo, who had returned victorious from war, hastened his marriage to me, who had received an ambiguous oracle, and the Grand Priest attended, whether willingly or unwillingly.

Moreover, the Grand Priest withdrew his intention to elevate Harriot to the position of Crown Prince yesterday at dawn, and immediately Stuart re-entered the Imperial Palace. Under the protection of the Demahen Knights.

Rochester had abandoned the saintess.

God had denied the existence of Judith Fan Monzania.

And the Grand Priest had betrayed the saintess.

The rumors spread everywhere as if they were established facts.

Because of this, those who hadn’t been invited hurried to gather at Rochester to attend the wedding, but Ricardo didn’t open the door to anyone.

Only those who bore the Rochester name and those who bore the Fennel name crossed the high gates.

However, Julian attended the ceremony as Sabrina’s fiancé, and Walter attended as a witness to the engagement ceremony.

When even the Duchess stepped forward to greet the Grand Priest, only he and I remained in the room.

As soon as I heard the thud of the door closing, Ricardo wrapped his arm around my waist. Each time our lips gently met, my heart felt scorched in chunks.

A plaintive sigh escaped from me, still unable to part from his lips.

“You have to leave again soon, don’t you?”

Instead of answering, he tilted his head again and deeply bit my lower lip. Completely breathless, I clung to him with my arms around his neck.

It was a deep and gentle kiss that made me lose track of time, space, and even myself.

“At dawn tomorrow.”

I wasn’t unaware of why he was rushing the wedding. Stuart had returned to the position of Crown Prince, and the Grand Priest had declared his intention to elevate the one who holds the key to the labyrinth as Emperor.

So Ricardo had to leave to find the labyrinth.

He slowly pulled away from me and met my gaze.

Just as one never tires of admiring the beauty of a sunset and marvels at it every day, I gazed at Ricardo.

“I’ll be back soon.”

I nodded. As always, I was powerless as there was nothing I could do, but with all my heart, desperately.

“Because you are my every reason.”

Unable to believe Ricardo’s confession, spoken as if to remind me, I traced his cheek with my finger. The texture of his cheek transmitted softly felt unrealistically smooth.

Dreaming of a future with him felt vain and distant for now. Nevertheless, I would soon step forward before God to receive permission for our tomorrow together.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

A cool breeze blew through the gap in the not-quite-closed window.

His black eyes rippled with various emotions.

How much time passed as our eyes met? He extended his hand to me, and I took it without hesitation.

Now, even when we parted, it would no longer be a farewell. We would become a relationship where I would never again feel abandoned while watching his back.

It was the prelude to a new life.

****

In the carriage returning to Paquin, Sabrina recalled Lienne, who had shone beautifully throughout today’s wedding.

Sabrina shed tears throughout the ceremony. It wasn’t just her.

Her mother, who now found it less difficult to go out than before, and Jonathan, who would jump up even from sleep at the mention of Lienne, also had tears welling up.

At the moment Ricardo softly called God’s name and pledged eternity, sunlight poured in through the grand temple’s windows.

Sabrina decided to arbitrarily think that light must surely be God’s blessing.

Though it wasn’t a grand wedding, in some ways it was a perfect ceremony. Those in attendance weren’t distracted by other things, and the two people focused solely on each other.

Just before boarding the carriage after finishing the wedding, Sabrina clearly saw Walter. He had come to see Lienne get married but apparently couldn’t bring himself to enter the temple.

To think he had hidden such pure devotion behind that indifferent expression.

Sabrina felt deep compassion for his heart. Because she, more than anyone right now, knew best what it felt like to become lonely from loving someone.

But she soon shook her head to clear away the distracting thoughts. Almost all the thoughts she was having now were nothing but useless emotional luxuries.

Having been dragged to the Empire with an anxious heart unable to see even an inch ahead, wasn’t the present situation good enough?

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Sabrina barely managed to raise the corners of her mouth as she looked at the man across from her. Thinking that if it weren’t for this man sitting before her with such a frown, the current situation would be nearly perfect.

The man who had been frighteningly, passionately hot last night hadn’t looked pleased all day today. She didn’t know the reason, but she didn’t particularly try to find out.

Sabrina felt like a baby deer cowering before a hunter, begging for mercy.

“Young Duke Chaplin.”

Straightening her narrowed shoulders, she revealed her thoughts without reservation. Unrequited love was convenient in this way. Since he had already discovered everything about her, there was nothing left to hide.

“Walter?”

Julian asked sharply. His eyes narrowing even more than before.

Since last night, he seemed even sharper than usual, but Sabrina, in the midst of unrequited love, wasn’t in a position to consider his unstable emotions.

There was also a wretched part of her heart projected in this—hoping he might care a little that she was mentioning another man’s name.

Though he might feel bad as her fiancé, that also wasn’t something Sabrina needed to deeply consider and be considerate about.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I felt like someone should remember him.”

Though spoken provocatively, this was also sincere.

Sabrina knew exactly how Walter had loved Lienne.

In the past, the letter he had calmly written down to prevent Lienne from being taken by Harriot was love, word for word without exception.

Though she couldn’t know when his feelings had deepened so much, the abstract emotion called love was like a carriage accident.

You never knew when or how it would go bang and turn your life upside down.

“For what reason?”

As if to remind her that Sabrina and Julian were thoroughly in a relationship of give and take, Walter had treated Lienne without expecting anything.

“I don’t particularly… want to tell you the reason.”

Only then did Sabrina realize that the results of everything she was going through now had originated from herself.

She hadn’t treated anyone sincerely and had cowardly curled up to avoid getting hurt. The price for that was precisely this twisted relationship.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Sabrina’s face flushed hot at the unexpected question. Unfortunately, the man before her didn’t seem to have gained such realization yet.

The reason he asked such a question out of context was obvious, but understanding didn’t mean she could prepare for everything.

Julian simply watched with burning eyes as she moved her lips without being able to answer. Containing emotions resembling shame, Sabrina smiled again.

“Of course.”

“It was your first time.”

Trampling her efforts to maintain composure in one stroke, Julian showed his true colors again. Before her, revealing his emotions, she no longer tried to smile either.

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Your eyes, your gestures, your trembling voice whispering in my ear told me everything.”

Sabrina bit her lower lip hard. Not wanting to continue the conversation with him, she cast her gaze far out the window. The carriage was already running along the darkened road.

After a moment, the straight road entering Paquin came into view. Relying on the fact that she could get off this carriage if she just endured a little longer, she squared her shoulders.

“That Sabrina Rowe Fennel is actually an innocent young lady with no experience with men at all.”

But he didn’t just leave Sabrina alone.

“Is that an important matter to you, Young Duke?”

When Sabrina turned her gaze from the window and glared at him, Julian moved close to her. Her body retreated backward as a result.

“I can’t say it’s not important.”

“Nothing changes.”

Sabrina’s heart plummeted as she looked him straight in the eyes.

“You gave me your first time, and nothing changes?”

She had hoped it wasn’t love.

He was the best man among all the men she’d met, so she had hoped and expected until the very last moment that the flutter she felt, which she hadn’t felt with other men, was just a passing emotion.

But as she met the eyes of the man she hated to death and felt the world die and turn pitch black, Sabrina despaired.

Nothing changes? What a ridiculous thing to say.

Since last night, Sabrina had thought of him constantly. Even keeping him by her side, her heart crumbled continuously. She was certain it would be a memory that wouldn’t fade throughout her life.

“What antiquated words you speak.”

To avoid being consumed by that emotion, she pulled on the collar of the man who had come close and crashed her lips against his.