Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The First Night

The door opened.

First came Ria's feet in wedding shoes.

Then she appeared, dressed in a beautiful gown with a tiara and veil atop her head.

"......"

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

A radiance seemed to emanate from around Ria.

I could almost hear bells ringing in my ears.

She began walking down the white carpet.

I would never forget this moment for the rest of my life.

I went to meet Ria.

Our eyes met.

'This moment feels like a miracle.'

Ria nodded.

She must have been thinking the same thing.

We could communicate just by looking into each other's eyes.

I held out my hand.

Ria gently placed her hand on top of mine.

We turned to face the podium.

Next came the bowing ceremony.

Ria and I looked at each other and bowed our heads in greeting.

"Next, we will have the marriage vows. First, the groom. Groom An Seon-u, do you swear that no matter what hardship or trial may come, you will always protect, cherish, and love the bride more than your own life?"

"I swear!"

Before I knew it, Ria had become more precious to me than my own life.

Even when facing the Named Doppelganger, I had been prepared to die if it meant protecting Ria.

This was not a vow made of empty words, but a vow from the heart.

"Bride Aveline Emeria, do you swear to always respect and trust the groom and love him for the rest of your life?"

"Yes, I swear!"

Ria answered with conviction.

Next came the exchange of wedding gifts.

The Sword Saint, serving as both emcee and officiant, spoke.

"Next, we have a special segment. The lovely Rin, who is like a daughter to the couple, will enter carrying the wedding gifts. Please welcome her with a warm round of applause."

Rin, wearing a cute light green dress and a flower crown on her head, began walking down the white carpet carrying a basket holding a bouquet and a ring box.

"Rin! So cute!"

"That kid Rin is a little cute today, I will admit."

"The dress suits her so well."

Rin walked toward us with a smile, receiving cheers.

It was adorable and yet deeply moving.

Ria felt the same — her eyes had reddened slightly.

Rin approached and held out the basket.

"Thank you, Rin."

Ria took the bouquet from the basket.

I took the ring box.

Then Rin spoke.

"Rin, Seonu, be happee!"

"Yes, we will be happy!"

"Let us be happy together, Rin."

Ria and I lowered ourselves and embraced Rin.

Rin then kissed both Ria and me on the cheeks.

After that, she headed to the guest seats.

Ria and I stood facing each other and exchanged wedding gifts.

First, I slid the ring onto Ria's left ring finger.

Ria also took a ring from the ring box and placed it on my left ring finger.

The Sword Saint watched with deep satisfaction and read the declaration of marriage.

"Hereby, groom An Seon-u and bride Aveline Emeria have sworn to share joys and hardships together for the rest of their lives, leaning on each other, and have exchanged gifts as tokens of their vows. However, one more pledge remains."

What else is left......?

"The couple will now share a kiss, pledging their eternal love."

Right, that was still left.

Ria was a little shy about it.

Probably because the knight order was watching.

I slowly brought my face close to hers and kissed her.

The knight order reacted very intensely.

"Our Commander, who used to be all charisma......!"

"I cannot watch this."

"Hahaha! You two are a wonderful sight."

"Lady Ria......! That thief!"

Why am I a thief, Ruina?

The Sword Saint then declared.

"I solemnly declare that the marriage of these two has been established here and now."

Ria and I had become husband and wife.

We were truly family now.

A family that would be together for life.

Now for the truly final segment.

"Next, the newlywed couple will take their first bold steps together in a processional march. Please bless their first steps with enthusiastic applause!"

Ria linked her arm with mine and we began marching together.

Eriksson and Santos set off the party poppers they had prepared.

"Congratulations, Seon-u!! Congratulations, Captain!!"

"......Congratulations."

"Awoo-!"

Bell congratulated us too.

The knight order also stood and applauded.

"Lady Ria, Sir Seon-u, congratulations!"

"Commander — no, Captain! Be happy!"

"Wishing you both happiness!"

"Lady Ria......! *sob*! Congratulations on becoming Mistress."

Ria and I smiled at Ruina's tearful words.

Ria and I stepped off the end of the white carpet.

With that, the entire ceremony was complete.

"Seonu......! Ria......!"

Rin came running into my arms.

I lifted Rin up and held her in my arms.

"Are you happy that we got married, Rin?"

"Happy."

"That is right. We are a real family now. Let us live happily from now on."

I would never forget this day.

When I looked at Ria, her eyes were reddened too.

"Why are you about to cry, Ria?"

"Because I am so happy......"

"I know, it is blissful. But we still need to take photos, so you cannot cry. Your makeup will smudge."

"Photos......? Inside the Rift?"

"A mechanical film camera that runs entirely on pure mechanical components like springs, gears, and levers without any electricity or circuits can be used."

"I have no idea what you just said, but okay. I will not cry."

The photo session followed.

Ria and I took photos just the two of us.

We also took a family photo with Rin between us holding our hands, and Bell alongside.

We took photos with the knight order quartet and the three S-Rank guests as well.

After the photoshoot, Ria changed from her wedding dress into a more comfortable party dress.

"Want to go hang a wedding photo frame in the living room together?"

"Sure."

Ria and I went into the living room and hung the wedding photo taken at the wedding shop on the wall.

"I do not know whose wife that is, but she is truly beautiful. Still, the real thing is prettier than the photo — no photo can capture all of Ria's beauty."

"......You look handsome too, Seon-u."

We embraced each other.

Then, just as we were about to kiss.

We both stopped at the same time and said.

"......Later."

"......Tonight."

Ria's face turned red.

If I looked in a mirror, mine would be the same.

"Sh-shall we go out and eat?"

"Let us."

***

I took out some of the food I had prepared for the upcoming reception from Acresia.

Among them were dishes that bewildered the knight order.

"Is this not raw fish......?"

"Hmm, this is a bit much."

"You eat this raw?"

It was sashimi and sushi.

No less than an assorted platter of tuna, croaker, flounder, black sea bream, and lobster sashimi.

Not just the knight order — Ria was taken aback as well.

"Hmm, I have eaten salmon sashimi in poke before, but this is my first time with proper sashimi like this."

"If sashimi is difficult, try the sushi first."

"All right."

Meanwhile, the three S-Rank members loaded their plates with sashimi and sushi without hesitation.

The Sword Saint was naturally accustomed to it, and Eriksson and Santos seemed to have had it many times before.

Besides the sashimi and sushi, there were dishes featuring beef, lamb, pork, and goose prepared in various cooking methods.

High-quality seafood dishes were also lined up.

All food made by me with help from my former Pungjeong colleagues.

Plus premium desserts ordered in advance from a high-end bakery.

Eriksson quickly emptied his plate and said to me.

"Seon-u, can you not get married again? The wedding food is too good."

That was a bit......

Then.

SMACK!

He ended up getting hit by the Sword Saint's knife-hand.

"You fool, what kind of curse is that to say to someone who just got married?!"

"I was just joking......!"

The precious child Eriksson, feeling wronged.

This time, he deserved it.

I said to him.

"You can eat again at the reception."

Eriksson rubbed his head and replied.

"Good point."

Ria and I, the stars of the day, also sat at the table and enjoyed the food.

"Every single dish is so delicious. You must have worked so hard preparing all of this, Seon-u."

"Time was tight, but it went smoothly thanks to the Pungjeong staff helping out."

"I should meet them tomorrow and thank them."

The reception was tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the day I would introduce Ria to my acquaintances for the first time.

I had already had Ria's hanbok fitted and prepared for the reception.

'The wedding dress was beautiful, but Ria in a hanbok was beautiful too.'

The reception venue was the village parking lot.

I had gotten permission from the village chief and the neighbors had agreed to move their cars.

Then a commotion broke out.

"You said you were not going to eat sashimi, and you took all the lobster and tuna sashimi."

Eriksson's irritated voice.

"It turned out to be tasty."

Neville said nonchalantly while eating lobster sashimi.

When I stood up to look, the lobster and tuna sashimi were gone.

The two troublemakers were bickering over food.

"Eriksson, do not raise your voice at a celebration!"

"Neville, would you like some extra training sometime soon? You must be itching for it."

The respective leaders — the Sword Saint and Vice Commander Garrett — scolded them.

I said to them.

"There is plenty of food, so there is no need to fight."

I refilled the lobster and tuna sashimi.

And replenished the other empty plates as well.

Only then did the two stop their standoff.

A peaceful meal resumed.

Rin sat beside me eating fresh vegetables and fruits.

Bell was enthusiastically gnawing on boiled cow trotters in his bowl.

After the enjoyable meal.

Once the cleanup was done.

"We will see you tomorrow, then."

"I will help with things tomorrow."

The Sword Saint's group left the Rift through the Gate portal I opened for them.

They would be staying one night at my countryside house.

The knight order quartet also prepared to return to their campsite.

Ruina bowed to us.

"Congratulations once more on the marriage, Mistress, Sir Seon-u."

Hearing herself called "Mistress," Ria flicked Ruina on the forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Just keep calling me Lady Ria, now and always. We are friends, so calling me just Ria is fine too."

"As an attendant, that is not possible. If I cannot call you Mistress, I will continue calling you Lady Ria."

Her professional dedication remained unwavering.

The other knight order members also bid us farewell and returned to the campsite.

Now only our family remained.

We spent a leisurely, comfortable time together as a family.

As darkness began to fall, Rin yawned.

"Looks like Rin is sleepy."

"It seems so. It is about time for bed. I will go put Rin to sleep and come back."

"......Okay. I will wait in the living room."

"......Okay."

Ria took Rin's hand and headed for the room.

"Woof?"

I looked at Bell, who remained.

Bell tilted his head curiously.

"Bell, you should go to the knight order campsite too."

"Woof."

The obedient Bell immediately dashed off to the campsite where the knight order was staying.

As I was about to head to the living room, Ruina, who had gone back to the campsite, returned.

"Ruina, what is it?"

"Well......, please put this in your room."

It looked like a crystal orb containing a Mid-Grade Magic Stone.

"What is this?"

"It is a magical device inscribed with a silence spell. If placed nearby, no sound will escape within a certain radius. It is an essential item in the bedchambers of high-ranking noble couples."

Hmm, it is indeed essential.

"......Thank you."

"Then have a passion......, no, a pleasant evening."

And with that, Ruina departed.

I placed it in my room, finished showering, and came out to the living room.

"Maybe I will prepare some simple snacks."

I would not get drunk like before, but I still wanted to set the mood a little.

Something that did not overlap with today's menu.

'Yes, that will do nicely.'

I took out Brie cheese from Acresia, scored it in a honeycomb pattern, and placed it in a ceramic heatproof dish.

I tucked finely sliced garlic and peperoncino between the scored lines of the Brie.

I arranged cherry tomatoes around the cheese.

I drizzled a little olive oil over the top and placed the dish in the mini stone oven I had lit.

'One dish done.'

The next dish was also a very simple snack.

Canapes.

'There is no snack as simple and perfect as canapes.'

I topped crackers with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

A sprig of dill and a squeeze of lemon juice completed the smoked salmon cream cheese canapes.

The second canape was a Jamon canape.

I topped crackers with ricotta cheese, then layered on Jamon and sliced figs.

I finished with pine nuts and a drizzle of honey.

I also made shrimp avocado canapes and caviar canapes.

'I ended up making too many varieties again.'

Despite spending all that time cooking, Ria had not come out.

'Is Rin not falling asleep?'

That was not the case.

Shortly after, the door opened and Ria entered.

Ria was wearing a slip with a robe draped over it.

"......Ria, it looks like you freshened up."

"Yes. Freshening up took me a little longer."

Just seeing her like that made my head spin.

A lovely fragrance tickled my nose.

Ria approached and said.

"You made all sorts of things again. You did not have to."

"Making delicious things for you is my greatest joy, Ria."

"Even so......, you have been working so hard preparing for the wedding recently."

"I actually enjoyed every moment of it."

It had been busy, but every moment of preparation had been happy.

"Shall we have a glass, then?"

"Yes."

I took out a wine bottle containing the Wine Imbued with Dragon Mana.

Given the occasion, I had prepared the most premium, most expensive drink.

We each had a glass of dragon wine.

Along with the snacks I had prepared.

After finishing a glass, Ria and I locked eyes.

She was mesmerizing.

I kissed Ria.

That day came to mind.

"It was like this that day too."

"Yes......, I told you then that if it was you, I was okay with it."

"Can you say that to me again, like you did then?"

Ria's face reddened as she spoke.

"......If it is you, Seon-u, I am more than okay with it."

She added one more line.

"You do not have to hold back anymore."

"......"

I had truly been holding back for a very long time since that day.

Even after we had started dating, we had not gone beyond kissing.

I had held out with the stubborn resolve to treat Ria with the utmost care.

But now, we were husband and wife.

As Ria said, there was no longer any need to hold back.

I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the bed in my room.

Ria's figure was as breathtakingly beautiful as her face.

Her skin was soft as velvet and fair as white jade.

Her toned but not excessive abs, the sharp lines of her hips and pelvis that seemed to defy gravity.

And her gently curved chest.

Not a single flaw anywhere.

She was truly like a painting come to life.

"Seon-u......"

"Ria."

Thanks to the silence magical device, there was no need to hold back our voices out of worry that Rin might wake up.