“Ha..”
In the thick tension, I changed my clothes.
And… as always, Polena stood next to me.
“You look great, Master. The outfit suits you better than I expected!”
“Um… I can’t quite tell if that’s a compliment or an insult…”
“Hehe…”
Polena chuckled lightly, and seeing her like this made the heavy burden in my heart feel a little lighter.
“By the way, a wedding? I never thought I’d actually do this…”
Marriage with someone I love, something I never even dared to think about in my previous life.
And now, I was feeling both excitement and pressure about this opulent wedding.
“Well.. considering it’s the wedding of a princess, I guess this is to be expected… But coming from a commoner like me, it’s a bit too much…”
Of course, I had gotten somewhat used to being treated as a noble after coming to this world.
But with something as significant as a wedding, it was impossible not to feel that pressure.
Seeing Polena trying to ease my feelings, I felt grateful for her careful consideration once again.
“She’s definitely too good for someone like me to have as a servant.”
Thinking that, I started to leave the waiting room with Polena.
To meet the one waiting for me over there.
*
Countless people were in front of me.
As I looked at them, she…
Queen Freddy, also known as an apprentice of the Great Mage Soul, began to feel a deep astonishment.
“Wow.. It’s amazing.. I guess it’s because it’s the princess’s wedding, but the scale is incredible.. And every one of those people is either a high noble or a guest from there…”
Just the visible number of attendees easily exceeded 1000.
There were also several famous personalities, known even to Queen Freddy, who is from Bohemia, attending the event, with the venue showcasing extreme opulence.
In the center stood a pair of dragon statues made of pure silver and ruby, the symbol of the Dragona royal family, decorated with ornaments of gold and precious metals all around.
It was clear at a glance that this was a royal wedding.
Seeing this, Freddy, who was originally a count’s daughter, quietly nodded.
“The Dragona imperial family has traditionally valued frugality, but when it comes to events like this, they certainly know how to spend lavishly. Well, this kind of event is precisely meant to showcase the dignity of the royal family.”
A ruler’s frugality is undoubtedly a good thing in practical terms.
The historical examples of countries ruined by excessive extravagance are vast, especially in mighty great empires.
However, that doesn’t mean extravagance can simply be viewed as unnecessary means of satisfying the ruler’s personal desires.
Such extravagance, which others cannot easily attain, can sometimes serve as a manifestation of the imperial authority.
Displaying the wealth and cultural power of the nation, it helps suppress external forces and factions within the nation.
Gorgeous palaces, luxurious attire, and grand ceremonies exist for such purposes.
Thus, a ruler must skillfully handle the contradictory concepts of frugality and extravagance, and in that light, I could again realize that Queen Mina Rozebeta Dragona was an extraordinary individual in many ways.
“She maintains frugality in daily life to avoid troubling the nation’s finances. But at the same time, in politically necessary situations like this, she appropriately showcases her power through extravagance…”
Knowing that maintaining balance in such matters is no easy task, it was certainly a simple yet far from easy feat.
And in that regard, Freddy once again truly admired a person who could be considered her personal idol.
“Truly, a figure who developed our small principality, a combination of Bohemia and Rhapsody Region, into an empire rivaling the Sacred Empire… Even though it feels off to be here, just seeing that person would be far from bad.”
Just as those thoughts crossed her mind, she cautiously asked her master Soul, who was standing next to her, in a gentle voice.
“I’m sorry, honestly, I wanted to make things a bit easier…”
“No, it’s alright. No matter what, I should come out for your master’s reputation.”
As she said that, Freddy began to gently touch her cheek.
At that moment, she felt the stiff sensation of a mask.
She currently used a hastily procured mask to cover her face.
The reason? She had gotten a wound on her face due to an ‘accidental’ incident yesterday.
Although it wasn’t deep and could heal quickly with recovery magic, given the circumstances of the princess’s wedding, it was decided that today she would go out wearing bandages covered by a mask.
Of course, the real reason for all this was simply that showing her face here could be dangerous, but…
“Well, for now, this should keep me safe.. By the way… I came all the way here without knowing exactly who was getting married…”
Since it was a marriage she had no knowledge of, Freddy, preoccupied with overcoming her own crisis, didn’t have the luxury to care about the details.
But now that she had regained some composure, she finally began to pay attention to her surroundings.
So, she quietly asked her master Soul.
“By the way, Master… Who is the princess getting married today?”
“Well, honestly, I don’t know much. I’ve only seen her a few times when she was young. She’s the youngest daughter of the Duke and has been out for quite a while before returning. I’ve heard that the one she’s marrying this time is someone she met through that connection.”
“Oh.. I see.”
Suddenly, just hearing that, she thought there was a rather romantic aspect to it.
A love that transcends social status.
Although Freddy knew well that realistically, it wasn’t easy, and one could say it’s a foolish act.
Political marriages among nobles are like transactions with huge stakes at play.
While Freddy personally disliked it, she couldn’t ignore its effectiveness, and her position was that it should be done if necessary.
“Come to think of it… that little brother of mine ended up in a political marriage too. It’s still just a betrothal, but well… I pretty much know what comes after.”
Her little brother, who had liked a lowly Paladin during the time he was away, ultimately had no choice but to marry a noblewoman for political gain.
Reality is indeed so harsh, and she thought that romantic tales depicted in stories were just fabrications.
However…
This wedding in front of her seemed to lack such elements, or at least had very few, which made Freddy quite impressed.
“A marriage transcending social class with the person you love… I never thought that was possible. Well, I suppose it’s just a result of various strokes of luck.”
With that thought, Freddy started to watch for the entrance of the bride and groom, the lucky protagonists of this precious event.
But then…
“…Huh?”
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