Chapter 24

“Didn’t we agree that you would call me Cain?”

He knelt beside the bed where Lariana lay, like a devout priest. His deep blue eyes were unusually sharp, filled with intense possessiveness and affection.

“Cain….”

“Yes, that’s me. Well done. You can call me that,” he replied, leaning down to gently kiss her forehead. Her delicate and soft skin trembled as his lips touched it.

“Cain, I doubt myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m truly terrified of your illness. How can I live and endure someone who will despise me for the rest of my life?”

“Lariana, as long as we don’t come face to face during the manifestation of the madness, it will be fine. Just… avoid me a little during those times. Then we can be happy forever.”

“Are you saying a couple that loves each other for just a few days in a month can be happy?”

“I will make it so.”

Avoiding eye contact with Lariana, he finally left the bedroom. Quietly rising from the bed in the room Cain had left, Lariana stifled her footsteps and approached the door.

“Lady, what’s the matter? Shall I call a maid?”

Standing guard in front of the bedroom was a Delacroix knight. The same was true on the day of the wedding, with a knight stationed outside the bride’s waiting room. Even if there was a chance to escape, she knew she couldn’t leave her family behind in the Delacroix mansion.

“There’s no one more beautiful than you in this world, my lady. Don’t you know how everyone praises your beauty?”

Everything about the wedding felt uncertain and precarious. In the midst of the confusion, Lariana, feeling dazed, couldn’t register the compliments and admiration. Even Jena’s praise only left her sitting there like a doll.
“Now we should go to the chapel.”

As she tried to get up, Lariana, burdened by the heavy and uncomfortable dress, hesitated and sat back down on the chair. She doubted if she could properly go through with the wedding like this.

Of course, there was something else that frightened her more than the dress itself. It was Cain. He would be her lifelong companion. Throughout the journey to the chapel in the palace garden, Lariana was consumed by anxiety. She couldn’t predict what Cain would be like today, after singing of love yesterday.

In the morning, she had briefly tried to visit his room to check on Cain’s condition, but once she started preparing, there was no opportunity to do so.

“Is Count Heliosen attending by any chance?”

“After checking the palace entrance log, it has been confirmed that he entered, but there’s no need to worry. We have strict security measures in place to ensure that he cannot attend the wedding on the lord’s orders.”

Just as she was concerned about Cain, she was also concerned about Jenox. However, despite Knight Commander Ester’s confident response, uneasiness continued to linger.

As she conversed with the performers and engaged in various conversations, she finally arrived at the magnificent and sacred chapel. The white chapel gleamed brilliantly under the high and blue sky. Amidst the gathered crowd, Cain stood tall, exuding an aura of elegance. Just from seeing his back in a white tuxedo, one could anticipate his impeccable appearance.

Lariana slowly made her way from below the marble staircase. The wedding dress, personally chosen by her mother-in-law Marcella, was so long that it made it difficult for her to walk.

“Ah…”

Finally, as she stood in front of the crimson altar of the chapel, her long dress got the better of her, causing her to stagger. In a hurry to regain her balance, she unknowingly grabbed Cain’s arm, but she nervously shrugged it off. Then, he said in a cold, chilling voice that pierced her ear, “How frivolous.”

It was words and action that only those in close proximity could notice, but the atmosphere instantly cooled down as if someone had poured cold water over it.

Today, Cain was indeed mad. Overwhelmed by sadness, Lariana bit her lip. However, she quickly composed herself. She couldn’t just passively accept her unfortunate fate. Lariana stood confidently by his side, pretending nothing had happened. Everyone knew that she had chosen this marriage as a last resort after being rejected by Lejandro. She had to remain dignified.

“This marriage is your choice. It’s not just about me being happy, so let’s maintain proper decorum.”

In response to her sharp retort, Cain’s gaze wavered for a moment. Before he could respond with anger, the sound of the pipe organ resonated, and the doors of the chapel opened. Behind the stained glass symbolizing the goddess Vuerin, a shower of iridescent colors poured down like shooting stars, blessing the union of the two people.

The sight of the two most praised individuals within the empire was overly fantastical. As they took a step onto the altar, the nobles and high-ranking officials inside the chapel erupted with cheers. The following wedding ceremony was a continuous sequence of tense anticipation. The monotonous sermons of the officiant felt brief. Finally, the moment they had hoped would never come arrived.

“Well, under the blessings of the goddess Vuerin, these two individuals have become a married couple. Demonstrate to everyone that you have become a couple.”

Oh, Goddess Vuerin, at the mention of a kiss, Lariana felt like a curse was about to burst forth from her lips. Could Cain possibly kiss me?

“Disgusting.”

As expected, Cain’s attitude at this moment was not pleasing, and Lariana couldn’t help but find it amusing. To think he would went mad at their wedding day…

Cain’s moist lips came into contact with hers. Despite his arrogant demeanor, his lips were hot yet gentle. If he doesn’t like it, at least do it decently. Pushing him away, Lariana stood firm. Cain grimaced and let out a shallow groan. His pain was utterly satisfying to Lariana. Thus, their first kiss tasted of bitter blood.

As soon as the kiss ended, Cain roughly wiped his mouth and turned his head. Everyone present at the wedding witnessed it—the act of spitting out saliva by contemptuously turning his head. His actions were like spitting in Lariana’s face.

? ? ?

The wedding had finally come to an end, after all the preparation. Despite managing to carry out the wedding ceremony, the banquet that followed was a series of humiliation and misery. Cain didn’t even bother to attend.

“Lady Heliosen, or should I say, the Duchess now? Duchess, congratulations on your marriage. But where is the Duke?”

It was Leshian, lady-in-waiting of Marcella, her mother-in-law. Leshian openly mentioned Cain’s contemptuous treatment of Lariana, from the wedding ceremony to the banquet.

“He’s not feeling well. Thank you for attending, Lady Leshian.”

“Goodness. So the wedding was delayed due to the Duke’s health? I hope the Duke recovers quickly.”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll pass on your wishes to the Duke. I hope you enjoy yourself.”

With a picturesque smile, Lariana gracefully moved away from Leshian to join another guest. However, as soon as she turned her back, the words of Countess Eschel, Baroness Herbert and her companions struck like daggers.

“Oh my, how shameless. Everyone saw how the Duke was during the wedding, yet she’s lying.”

“She’s shameless, she was the mistress of Lejandro. To think that he married such a woman… How unfortunate for Duke Delacroix.”

“It seems true that she forced the marriage by taking advantage of the Duke’s weakness. Baroness Herbert saw the Duke berating Lady Heliosen in front of the chapel.”

They poured out criticism and mockery, hoping to see her crumble. But she couldn’t move. Marcella sat in the seat of honor, overseeing that she fulfilled her duties as the Duchess.

After midnight, just before collapsing from exhaustion, she was finally able to make her way to the bedroom where the groom awaited. She hadn’t expected it, but of course, the room was empty.

Lariana discarded the red dress adorned with lace and ruffles, to an excessive extent. Marcella had chosen the dresses not to showcase her daughter-in-law’s figure but to make her look ridiculous and suffer. It wasn’t Lariana’s taste, but fortunately it still suited her well.

The bodice of the evening gown and the corset underneath were so tightly bound that she would have to cut them with scissors. Her whole body was throbbing and red. Finally alone, Lariana sat on the bed, naked, and covered her face with her hands. She had barely made it through the wedding, and life was already akin to hell. She had no idea how long she could endure this marriage.

? ? ?

The Heliosen territory townhouse was filled with shouts of anger. Although the Heliosen County had been poor, they did have a townhouse. There was an old, rundown two-story mansion. It wasn’t used by anyone, and no one took care of it.

“D*mn it, d*mn it, d*mn it!”

Jenox, the newly appointed Count Heliosen, couldn’t control his anger and began smashing a few precious objects. The faded wooden bookshelf, armchair, and desk. He overturned everything.

His eyes fell on the family portraits of the previous Count Heliosen. His uncle, aunty, uncle’s son, and Lariana. He strode forward, acting as if confronting them, and flipped the large portraits with their frames.

Jenox collapsed onto the floor. Among the broken objects and shattered glass fragments.

“Lariana Heliosen. You cursed me and went on to marry another man?”

Approaching the shattered frame, Jenox found fragments of Lariana’s photos among the torn pieces. Young Lariana was smiling happily. Jenox kissed her image on the portrait. Falling in love with Lariana had been a kind of curse, if not worse. Despite his efforts to not love her, it was futile.

As the son who inherited his father’s love for his sister-in-law, falling in love with Lariana was inevitable. Read ahead here.