The explanation, which began with an apology from my brother-in-law Count Salsarmo, gave me the distinct impression that things had gone rather unfortunately.
First, the reason my mother's former family had shown up at this wedding venue was, in short, that a retainer of House Salsarmo had let them in. This retainer happened to be a former classmate of the head of House Brown—my mother's maiden family—and they had maintained a reasonable relationship over the years. Once House Brown learned of the wedding, they used that connection to crash the ceremony, apparently hoping to mend fences with House Otouri. The thinking was that even though House Brown was normally disliked, the head of the house would be in a good mood at such a joyous occasion, so maybe they could pull it off (on top of that, apparently they also planned to use my name to forge connections with major noble houses like Duke Sanga's)... but the fact that it never occurred to them that ruining a joyous occasion might put someone in a worse mood spoke to either irredeemable stupidity or the sheer desperation of having their backs against the wall—probably both, honestly.
Incidentally, the retainer who had let House Brown in had been talked into it by the head of House Brown and had been blinded by the potential gains—thinking he could curry favor with several influential figures, including House Otouri. Add to that that he didn't really understand my personality, and you had all the ingredients for the disaster that followed.
When Count Salsarmo learned of this retainer's reckless gamble, he was so furious that the moment he found the man, he knocked both the retainer and Viscount Brown unconscious on the spot, dragged them outside, and was about to cut off their heads. However, just before he could do the deed, Lyle intervened. Apparently, aside from some blood flowing from their noses and mouths when they were punched, it never got to the point of anything truly gory.
Duke Sanga's outburst of "That idiot!" was apparently directed at three things: the count attempting to behead someone at the wedding venue on the wedding day, the trouble he caused Lyle, and the bloodshed in close proximity to the King. One of the reasons the count had knocked them down on the spot was that Viscount Brown had been eyeing the King, trying to get close to him—an act that, if things went wrong, could have been judged as putting the royal family in danger. In that case, the King and his entourage might have withdrawn from the wedding and returned to the royal castle. That could have led to the wedding's cancellation. And the blame for that would have fallen not only on House Salsarmo, but on House Sanga as well.
According to Duke Sanga, if the count had simply had the two of them taken somewhere out of sight and beaten there instead of doing it in front of the King, it wouldn't have been a problem. Well, it still would have attracted attention, but the ones who would have stepped in to stop it would have been Din and Jan—who were guests but also royal guards—or the Sanga duchy's security personnel.
"And yet, because you struck them in front of His Majesty, Maria, and the other royals, Lyle felt compelled to act."
"I think Lyle shares some of the blame for acting on his own and ignoring Din and the others, but... that's not really the issue here, is it?"
"No. If it hadn't been right in front of the royals, Lyle could have claimed he didn't know—or that he only found out afterward. But as it stands..."
"Once you do it right in front of everyone, there's no way to sweep it under the rug. Not for the duchy, and not for the royal family either."
These were all people who could handle things however they pleased when no one was watching—yet because they did it in full view of everyone, it became a problem. Personally, I thought Lyle storming out was also a contributing factor, but the count had been Lyle's junior at the academy and they were already acquainted, so he had reacted on impulse. That was exactly why I felt things had gone so unfortunately.
At this rate, the wedding could potentially be cancelled—the worst possible outcome. There was no way to pretend the count's blunder had never happened, so I needed to come up with a way to cover it up, even if it meant being heavy-handed. I'd been put in an awkward position as an affected party, but since my mother's former family was involved, you could say I bore some responsibility too. More importantly, the wedding absolutely could not be cancelled, so I had to do whatever it took, heavy-handed or not.
And so, the cover-up I came up with was—
"In other words, Brother Hendrick acted out of anger because he was upset on my behalf, and his body just moved before he could think. Is that about right?"
The idea was to frame it not as the count striking them out of personal anger and nearly beheading them, but as the natural result of his fury at seeing my and Primera's joyous day about to be ruined.
It was a pretty forced cover story, but the long-standing grudge between our family and House Brown stretching back to my grandfather's generation was well known. If we spread a story that mixed truth with fiction, we could rally plenty of support. On top of that, if the King could say even one word of praise to the count, it would lend credibility to the claim that he acted for my sake, and the count's honor could be preserved even with the whole affair. As a bonus, it might even showcase the King's magnanimity.
"Let's see if we can get that story to hold. I'll go check with the King and Maria."
"Aye. I don't think they'll refuse, and for situations like this, I happen to have plenty of leverage over Alex and Ernest... Let's force them to cooperate, shall we?"
Since my plan involved using the royals, I'd have to get approval from the King and Maria before carrying it out. Well, the King and the others apparently disliked House Brown because of the whole thing with my father and mother, so while they'd probably complain a bit, they'd likely cooperate.
Grandpa was also looking delighted, meticulously picking out the weaknesses of the two men in his head, deciding which ones to use and which to save.
"Well then, Father-in-law, Brother-in-law, we're off to pay our respects to the King and the others."
"His Majesty and Lady Maria are in a dedicated waiting room. Allow me to guide you."
After excusing ourselves to the Duke and the Count, Grandpa and I followed Aina to where the King and the others were.
To put it simply, my plan was adopted without a hitch. As a bonus, we also received an apology from Lyle-sama, who had been sitting cross-legged and getting an earful. Apparently, the King and Maria-sama had told Lyle-sama that if he hadn't chased after the Count himself and instead just sent Din or Jan running over there, things would have gone smoother. Normally, Lyle-sama would have understood that much, but since the Count was his junior and an acquaintance, he felt he had to step in himself, and he now regretted how his body had just reacted on its own.
"So, it looks like this whole commotion is going to settle down safely."
"I'm disappointed I couldn't get to play with Alex and Ernest, but if this means the wedding can proceed without issues, then I suppose it's fine."
Upon reporting back to Duke Sanga and the Count in Primera's waiting room, Duke Sanga wore an expression of mild exasperation, while the Count looked relieved.
"So, what's happening with the Viscount Brown family and your brother-in-law's retainers?"
"As for the Viscount Brown family, their domain will most likely be confiscated. Their reputation was already poor, and they couldn't even manage a Viscount's house properly, which led to this incident. While they caused a disturbance, it wasn't quite enough to warrant the death penalty, so the Viscount will likely be imprisoned, and his family will either be taken in by the Viscountess's birth family or exiled to some remote province."
"As for my retainers, I plan to dismiss them, transfer them to the Count's domain for imprisonment, and then administer punishment."
Regarding the Viscount, while the crime wasn't punishable by death, he was to be imprisoned for causing a disturbance, including unlawful entry, at a wedding where the King was a guest, an act intended to ruin the ceremony. The Viscount Brown family's domain was to be confiscated, but considering mitigating circumstances, their family's punishment was to be reduced from collective imprisonment to being placed under the supervision of a guardian if one came forward. Otherwise, they would be exiled to a location far from the Royal Capital. As for the Count's retainers... The Count hadn't said it outright, but given his demeanor, they would likely face execution after their imprisonment. He had apparently been so consumed by rage that he was about to cut down both his retainers and Viscount Brown on the spot, only stopping because Lyle-sama intervened.
Duke Sanga and Count Sartimo offered their apologies again before heading off to where the other attendees were.
"In any case, that's one matter settled. I wonder if there's time to relax before the start time?"
"Likely not. Some of our invited guests may have other engagements scheduled after this, so now that the trouble is resolved, I'm sure some are eager for it to begin as soon as possible."
Aina replied that since the start time was already quite delayed, they would likely begin as soon as possible. Immediately after she answered, a staff member from the venue came to say they were ready to start.
"Aina, I'm sorry to ask, but could you check Primera's and my outfits?"
I didn't think they were dirty, but there might be wrinkles, so Aina was the right person for the job—she could inspect every detail and was used to this sort of thing. Absolutely not Aura. She'd definitely miss something or make a careless mistake.
"Both Lord Tenma and Lady Primera, there are no problems."
"Great. Then tell the staff we're ready to begin at any time."
"Understood."
Since Aina's check had been completed without issue, I had her relay the message to the staff, and a few minutes later she returned with a staff member in tow. Apparently, if Tenma and Primera were ready, they wanted to inform the guests and begin the ceremony right away.
So less than ten minutes after the staff arrived, Primera and I were standing before the doors to the ceremony hall, waiting for the staff to open them.
"Tenma, my heart feels like it's about to burst from nerves now that I'm here… What should I do?"
"It's okay—I'm the same way… I thought I'd built up at least a little courage about being in front of people compared to before, but it seems my experience hasn't helped at all."
I said that half-jokingly, and perhaps it eased our tension slightly, because both Primera and I managed a small smile. Maybe it was because the staff noticed that—they gave us the signal to open the doors, and Primera looped her arm through mine.
"Well, shall we go?"
"Yes."
And so, with the eyes of our invited guests upon us, Primera and I began walking toward becoming husband and wife.
Primera's Side
I had always thought this was a scene that had no place in my life. I was used to watching from the outside, never being the main character… No, I was certain I never would be.
Fortunately, despite being born into a duke's family, I was never used as a pawn. As the youngest daughter, I was doted on, and there was likely the reasoning that the Sanga household was secure enough that it didn't need to marry me off for political leverage. But even setting that aside, I was certainly an exception to the norms of nobility. If I hadn't fulfilled my duties as a noble, I would have had to find some way to live independently, without support from my family—like Lina. Well, Lina hadn't completely cut ties with her family either, but she had earned achievements impressive enough to be called a successful adventurer. When you think about it that way, she had certainly contributed plenty to her family.
Compared to her, I attended the academy on my parents' money, secured my position through my parents' connections, and claimed a station far beyond what I deserved through my parents' power. I may have been a burden, but I could hardly say I had given anything back.
Maybe that was why? The first time I met Tenma, I was jealous of how easily he had obtained something I desperately wanted. At the time, I was a squadron leader, but in reality I was barely a year out of the academy. Even having graduated with excellent grades, normally one would join as a knight cadet, spend time doing chores and laundry while gaining experience within the squadron, and if things went well, maybe earn the rank of "journeyman." For someone like me to be a squadron leader was, no matter how you looked at it, the result of the duke's connections, and having subordinates take orders from an accomplished nobody must have been… no, it must have been humiliating for most of the knights. So I was looked down on and mocked. No one was brazen enough to say it to my face, but behind my back… I actually stumbled upon occasions where squad members who hadn't even noticed I was present were laughing about it with colleagues. Each time I pretended I hadn't heard, but each time I felt a murky, dark emotion bubbling up in the depths of my heart.
And then, around that time, Tenma and Lily's group had accomplished a remarkable feat—destroying a bandit gang that had been plaguing the knights and rescuing the surviving victims, just the four of them. So I felt jealous. If the ones who had achieved it had been a veteran party, one with the track record and reputation of the Dawn Sword, I think the jealousy could have been rationalized. But in reality, it was an improvised group of four—younger women than me and a boy who had just registered as an adventurer and was on his very first commission. So I told myself it wasn't a feat born of skill, but simply the result of good luck. No—I wanted to believe that. And as a result, I directed my misplaced anger and ugly emotions at him.
My feelings were easily brushed aside by Tenma, and when he learned I was from the duke's family yet still refused to change his demeanor, I felt a quiet fear. And then with the Geese affair, where I might have earned at least a small achievement of my own, mixed in with the anger of the Sanga name being sullied, I felt the faintest glimmer of joy. Well, my father saw through that almost immediately, and I got a proper scolding for both that and the original jealousy incident… But seeing my father's reaction at that time, and observing how Tenma subsequently treated my father, I found myself intrigued by the young man who called himself Tenma for the first time. And that interest soon turned to sympathy upon learning part of his past, and then swiftly into respect.
I remember the jealousy, anger, fear, interest, sympathy, and respect I felt toward Tenma. But I don't know exactly when I fell in love. I can vaguely recall thinking, "I find this person agreeable," but I can't pinpoint when those feelings grew into something more. Perhaps it was during Cerna's wedding. Or perhaps it was much earlier, when Tenma came to report that he was relocating his base from Gunjou City. But when I was chosen as his dance partner, I was already fully aware of my feelings—so the one thing I know for certain is that I was happy when the person I loved proposed marriage to me.
Halfway down the aisle, the faces of the people seated in the front rows came into clear view. My father and mother were teary-eyed, my brother and sisters-in-law smiling warmly in blessing. On the Ootori side, there was Grandpa Mark and Martha with tears in their eyes, and His Majesty and Maria beaming with joy. But the first place my eyes went was to Jeanne and Amour. As people close to Tenma's family, they were seated one row behind the grandparents. The fact that His Majesty and Maria were seated in the third row said volumes about just how special the two of them were treated.
I understood well enough that the two of them loved Tenma, and that Tenma cherished them deeply. And I fully understood that I was stepping in front of them to become Tenma's wife. That must have been why. When I saw the two of them smile at me without the slightest hint of displeasure despite my having cut in from the side, my heart ached just a little. Of course, though it wasn't exactly a consolation, they were shrewd enough to leave open the possibility of becoming concubines—and from my perspective, having them there would be reassuring in many ways, so accepting that much was only natural.
After passing my father, mother, and grandfather in the front row, only the priest remained. If I stood there for ten minutes, I would cease to be Primera von Sanga and become Primera Ootori.
At that moment, Tenma and I briefly fell out of step with each other. I was nervous, but it looked like Tenma was too. I felt a little relieved.
When we stood before the priest, he began making some declaration. Once the declaration was over, he asked Tenma something, and Tenma replied, "I do." Honestly, because of my nerves, the priest's words weren't really sinking in. Amid all of that, the priest turned to face me and spoke. I still couldn't quite grasp the meaning of his words, but drawing on what I remembered from practice and half-guessing,
"I do,"
I replied. The priest looked a little surprised—perhaps my timing was a bit off—but Tenma was simply smiling, so it probably wasn't a big deal.
Then the priest handed over the wedding rings, and Tenma placed the ring on my left ring finger. After that, I placed the ring on Tenma's left ring finger as well. I thought I'd be more moved, but considering what was coming next, I had other things on my mind.
"And now, the kiss of vows."
It was finally here! Was it because I remembered the kiss of vows? Or thanks to it? Either way, despite how nervous I'd been during the vows, I was considerably calmer during the ring exchange.
Then again, having your first kiss be at your own wedding—that's got to be pretty rare outside of political marriages, right? ...As I thought about that, the nervousness started creeping back in.
Oblivious to my anxiety, Tenma stood before me, lifted the veil, and placed a hand on my shoulder. Then Tenma's face gradually drew closer, and just before that moment finally arrived, Tenma suddenly tensed up—as if sensing something—and turned toward the entrance door, shielding me with his body. Looking more closely, I could see Grandpa, Amour, Viscount Hana, Chris, and Vice-Captain Jeanne of the royal guards all rushing out. The royal guards led by Captain Din had swiftly positioned themselves to protect His Majesty and Maria, as well as Caesar-sama and the others on the opposite side. Branca had also moved to shield his wife and son.
The Duke's side, by contrast, was slow to react. They only started taking defensive positions a little while after the royal guards had moved in to protect Caesar-sama. Even Stael, who reacted the fastest, didn't get to Father and the others until after the guards had arrived. Well, I felt bad for Stael, but given the difference in ability, it couldn't be helped. Still, even accounting for that, it had to be called a failure. If this had been an actual battle, that split-second delay from Stael could have led to irreversible consequences... Once this commotion died down, I'd have to go around and offer my apologies to everyone... After all, I'd gone along with this terrible prank, even if I'd been threatened into it... The only consolation was that I wasn't the only one who'd been roped into it... Still, I wished the intruder had shown up just a little earlier or later, and as that thought crossed my mind, I silently cursed the intruder while apologizing to every single person present.
End of Primera's Side
I was a little surprised that Primera, so nervous during the vows, had answered before the priest finished speaking, but everything proceeded smoothly from there—the ring exchange went off without a hitch.
And then the moment for the vow's kiss arrived. Having your first kiss at your own wedding... I was guaranteed to be teased mercilessly about this. Sure, I could argue there had never been the right opportunity, but that excuse probably wouldn't fly. I had to admit I'd been too much of a coward to make a move before now.
The moment of my and Primera's first kiss was now less than a minute away. I was being careful not to let my hands tremble from the nerves as I lifted the veil, placed my hand on Primera's shoulder, and leaned in—and right at that very instant,
(Something is approaching at high speed!)
I sensed a presence hurtling toward this location at tremendous speed. I immediately activated Search and Appraisal, but the intruder's identity was unknown.
Against this intruder, Grandpa, Captain Din, Hana, Branca, and I all noticed at nearly the same time and snapped into defensive postures. Jeanne and Chris and the others, the instant Captain Din moved, shifted to protect the royal family as if by reflex. On the Ootori side, Amour was a hair slower than the rest, but even the fastest reactor on the Duke's side—Stael—was slower than Amour. Well, when I say slower, this was all happening within a span of maybe one second, so I didn't think it was a critical failure. If anything, it spoke to the fact that the guests on our side were an extraordinary bunch. For reference, Border Count Haust—who was said to be evenly matched with Captain Din in a fight without magic—entered a defensive stance even later than Stael, but given that the Border Count was more the one being protected than the one doing the protecting, there wasn't much point comparing.
I positioned Primera behind me to shield her, keeping my guard up toward the door where the intruder was approaching. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to grab anything that could serve as a weapon, so I braced myself to cast a spell at a moment's notice.
And then, the intruder stopped right in front of the door. And then,
"Hold that wedding—just you wait!"
He burst in as if straight out of a scene from a movie. The intruder's name was Namitarou. I'd been worrying about what he might pull, but to show up at precisely this moment... it was definitely deliberate.
Well, neither Primera nor I abandoned our wedding partner and ran off to Namitarou like in that movie, but still.