After Lortell was showered with blessings and congratulations, the crowd slowly began to relax. The party returned to its usual lively atmosphere. Some nobles started chatting in small groups, exchanging greetings and building new connections. Many of them had brought elegant gifts—jewelry boxes, rare artifacts, golden envelopes—and politely handed them to Lortell with big smiles, hoping to earn her favor.
Meanwhile, Esdeath, who had just been introduced as Lortell's future wife, became the new center of attention. People couldn't stop staring at her. Her pale skin, black hair, and cold expression made her stand out like a star in the night sky. Some people approached to shake hands, others only dared to glance from a distance. Even those who had been avoiding eye contact earlier were now giving her polite smiles.
Finally, after a long stream of guests, things calmed down a bit. Lortell and Esdeath stood close together, enjoying their first moment of peace. That's when a graceful woman in an expensive lavender dress walked toward them.
It was Lortell's older sister, Lucy.
With a polite smile, Lucy shook both of their hands.
"Quite the unique choice you've made," she said, her voice gentle but with a hint of seriousness. "Did you speak to Father about this?"
Lortell returned the smile, but her red eyes were calm and confident.
"I don't need his permission… but of course, I did. He approved it."
Lucy gave a soft chuckle, though her eyes studied Lortell carefully.
Just then, a calm male voice came from behind.
"So when's the marriage?"
It was Lortell's big brother, Lynn. He wasn't as tall as Lortell, but he still looked sharp and elegant in his formal clothes. His silver hair was neatly tied back, and his expression looked half-bored, half-interested.
"Tomorrow morning!" Lortell answered excitedly, hugging Esdeath's arm tightly. "I know it's early, but I can't wait any longer."
Esdeath didn't say anything. She just stood quietly beside Lortell. Her calm presence was enough. She didn't need to speak—Lortell was handling everything with energy and passion.
"Well then… congratulations on your marriage," Lynn said casually before turning away to join the others.
Lucy gave a last warm smile and walked off as well, leaving the couple alone.
Lortell looked at Esdeath with shining eyes.
"Let's dance!"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Esdeath's wrist and pulled her toward the ballroom area, where couples were dancing under the soft glow of chandeliers.
The music playing was slow and romantic. A graceful tune filled the air as they joined the center of the floor. Esdeath placed her hand on Lortell's shoulder, and Lortell gently held her by the waist. Their bodies began to move in rhythm.
Lortell's movements were elegant and practiced. She had been taught noble dances since she was a child, learning how to spin, lead, and follow in perfect grace. She expected Esdeath to be stiff or slow—but to her surprise, Esdeath moved like she had danced all her life.
Their steps matched perfectly.
Their movements flowed with the music, their bodies swaying smoothly as if they had practiced together for years.
Lortell's eyes widened with admiration.
"Aren't you very experienced at this?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
Esdeath smiled softly. Her expression was calm and mysterious.
"I just practiced… sometimes," she replied, her voice quiet, almost teasing.
-------------------------
In one quiet corner of the ballroom, Kailith and Maruti were dancing too. Their movements were smooth and natural, but the people around them kept stealing glances with confused expressions.
Most guests understood why Lortell and Esdeath were dancing — they were going to get married, after all. But seeing two other girls dancing together, especially ones as unique as Kailith and Maruti, made many curious.
Still, Kailith didn't care at all about their stares. She looked proud and confident, holding Maruti gently but firmly as the music guided their steps. They had been dancing even before Lortell and Esdeath joined the floor, and yet, Kailith hadn't shown any sign of stopping.
There was a reason.
Several men were standing nearby, waiting patiently for their chance to dance with Maruti. Some of them even wanted to ask Kailith too, but no one had the courage. Her usual cold expression and sharp eyes scared most of them away.
But Kailith wasn't going to let Maruti go. She didn't like the idea of anyone else dancing with her. She wanted to keep her for herself, at least for tonight.
"You're pretty good at this!, It seems you like this music!" Kailith said with a smirk. Her silver eyes sparkled with excitement. "I feel like dancing all night!"
Maruti gave a dry look, clearly bored. "I like rap songs more though," she muttered under her breath.
"Rap what?" Kailith blinked. She had never heard of that kind of music.
----------------
Meanwhile, back at Lortell's side, the dance was reaching its beautiful end.
As the music slowed, both Lortell and Esdeath stopped with grace, their eyes locked on each other's. And then, in front of everyone, Lortell leaned in and gave Esdeath a romantic kiss — soft and confident, full of love.
The ballroom was silent for a moment.
Those who had doubted this marriage — thinking it might be some sort of trick or political game — began to rethink. The kiss felt real, not something done for show.
After the dance, Lortell dragged Esdeath over to the dining area, where the best food was waiting.
She didn't let Esdeath sit alone — instead, she pulled her right into her lap like a little child. With a gentle but stubborn smile, Lortell picked up bits of food and fed Esdeath with her own hands, completely ignoring the curious looks around them.
Esdeath, as usual, said nothing. She just opened her mouth and let Lortell do whatever she wanted.
Thorough the whole party, Everyone watched how lortell spoiled Esdeath.
Many even felt jealous that even their husband weren't this romantic.
--------------------------------
The party ended slowly as one by one, the guests started leaving the palace. Everyone returned to their homes with smiles and memories, chatting about the grand event they had just witnessed.
Only Esdeath and her family stayed behind in the palace. Lortell had already informed them beforehand and made all the arrangements. She had even chosen and prepared the wedding gown for Esdeath, carefully picking something she thought would suit her bride perfectly.
That night, neither Esdeath nor Lortell could sleep. They both lay in their separate rooms, staring at the ceilings with wide eyes. Their hearts beat fast with excitement and nervousness. The night felt longer than usual, but when the morning finally arrived, neither of them looked tired at all. Their eyes sparkled with energy, ready for the big moment.
After having breakfast together with Esdeath's family, the group got into a carriage and headed to the church. The ride was peaceful. Esdeath looked out of the window quietly while Lortell kept checking the time, eager for everything to begin.
Just like Nyx and Charlotte had asked, the wedding was kept small and private. There weren't many guests — not even Maruti or Kailith were present. It was meant to be simple, quiet, and heartfelt.
One important person did show up, though — Arthur. Even though he was still hurt and recovering, he made the effort to come. He walked slowly into the church with a cane, but his posture was proud and strong.
As he reached Nyx and Charlotte, they both lowered their heads out of respect. But Arthur quickly stopped them with a smile.
"There's no need to be so formal," he said warmly. "We're family now, aren't we?" Then he stretched out his hand. "Let's shake hands instead."
He shook hands with Nyx and sat down beside them, watching the front of the church with kind eyes.
Lortell was already standing near the priest, who wore a clean white robe. The inside of the church was quiet, with gentle light streaming through the stained-glass windows. The air felt soft, almost magical.
Lortell was dressed in a white tailored coat, with a tight red inner bodysuit underneath. Beautiful patterns ran across the fabric, making her look sharp and elegant. The outfit looked a lot like a red high-neck lace top, and she wore white pants below to complete her look. Her hair was styled the same way as yesterday — neat, cool, and a little tomboyish. She didn't wear a gown. She wanted to stand there proudly as the husband in this ceremony.
The gown was meant for Esdeath.
Lortell waited with her heart pounding. She stood tall, looking at the door every few seconds, her red eyes filled with excitement. She wanted to see Esdeath already.
And then, the door opened.
Esdeath stepped in, wearing a white wedding gown with a soft veil over her head. She held a bouquet of white and red flowers in her hands. Her steps were slow, gentle, and graceful, as if she was walking through a dream.
Everyone turned to look at her. She looked like a real bride — beautiful, shy, and calm on the outside. Her face had a sweet, innocent expression. But inside her mind… it was a bit different.
"I'm so tired of wearing these girly clothes since yesterday," Esdeath sighed quietly in her thoughts. "Let's just get this marriage done already."
She would have preferred something quicker and simpler — maybe a quiet court marriage with just one signature and no fancy ceremony. But even though she didn't say it out loud, she knew this meant a lot to Lortell. And so, she walked forward, step by step, towards Lortell.
Just as Esdeath reached the front, Lortell leaned in close with a smile on her face.
"You are beautiful as always," she whispered softly.
Without waiting, Lortell moved in for a kiss. But before their lips could meet, the priest quickly raised his hand and stopped them.
"Not now. The kiss comes at the end," he said with a plain, serious face.
Lortell's eyebrow twitched slightly. Inside her mind, she was annoyed.
"If it wasn't such an important day, I would've killed his whole family for stopping me," she thought, keeping her expression calm. She didn't say anything, just looked away and took a deep breath.
The priest then opened the thick grimoire in his hands and started chanting a few short prayers and incantations. His voice echoed softly in the church. After finishing, he gently placed the book aside and handed the marriage papers to Lortell first.
She took the quill and signed her name confidently. Then Esdeath followed, taking a moment before signing her name in neat letters. With that, their marriage was now officially registered.
"In the name of the goddess Seraphine," the priest said, "do you both accept this marriage?"
"Yes," Esdeath replied in a calm voice.
"Happily," Lortell answered, her eyes focused on Esdeath with warmth.
The priest nodded, then raised his hand again — this time with a gesture that asked Lortell to offer the wedding ring.
Lortell pulled out a beautiful ring from a small silver box. The stone on it wasn't a diamond — it was a rare white gem that shined with a soft glow. It was the eye of a powerful S-rank monster called the "pupil-less cosmic tuna fish." The gem was round, pure, and even more precious than any diamond.
She gently slipped the ring onto Esdeath's finger. But that wasn't all.
Lortell took out another small box and opened it. Inside was a pair of earrings — long, white, and sharp, shaped like the pointed fin of a shark. The design was elegant but bold.
These earrings were special in the Anastasia Kingdom. Married women wore them right after the wedding. They showed that the woman was now married, and also that she was no longer a virgin. It was a tradition that many followed with pride.
After everything was done, the priest closed his book and looked at them.
"You may kiss the bride."
Lortell didn't wait anymore. She leaned down quickly to match Esdeath's height and gave her a firm, deep kiss. Her arms wrapped tightly around Esdeath as if she didn't want to ever let her go.
Everyone in the church clapped gently as the kiss marked the end of the wedding ceremony.
Arthur, who had been watching quietly, leaned over and spoke to Nyx.
"The marriage is done. But according to our tradition, Esdeath will stay with Lortell for a few months. You can meet her or she can visit you later, from time to time!",
"Yes, yes! I know about the tradition, It's just... everything is happening so fast, I got dazed and didn't mentioned it!"," Nyx replied, nodding his head.
Charlotte added with a calm smile, "I've already arranged the carriage, We'll be heading back in the early evening."
[author]
IMPORTANT NOTICE:-
So this is the last chapter of Arc 2.5 and from now on Arc 3 will begin...But I'm taking a short break because the arc is very big, I can even divide it into different arcs, That's why I need to some tje arrange the timeline like which one will happen first or else I'll mess everything up.
And also I didn't take any breaks after arc one ended (Break because of exams doesn't count) , so I kind of deserve it but not like I'm gonna rest anyway... I'll be publishing The R18 thing that almost everyone vote for...
So for those who are going to skip this, Remeber every chapters have (18+) in them or you can just wait where I'll publish chapter with name "Third Arc Begins" or "Start Of third Arc" and you can start for there.
And lastly those who gona read it, Don't get hopes up, It's my first time writing something like that but I still try my best, You can give a review though, Maybe I can write something similar in future if I did it good!"
[/author]