105 The Wedding Begins (1/2)
Although Dawn barely showed itself, the Kracht mansion had already risen. No, rather than ”risen,” it was more accurate to say that it had not slept. While the preparations were complete, they still needed to pay attention to every single detail, from food to seat assignments to make sure no blunder would occur.
The leading Kracht servants moved about, guiding their subordinates through various tasks and preparing to receive the guest. Them aside, even the main Kracht Kinsmen failed to find sleep.
Using the resources Konrad put at his disposal, Wolfgang's cultivation was sharply rising. With a few more days, he could easily breakthrough the fourth step Semi-Holy Knight Rank. However, that wasn't enough. Konrad wasn't the only one eager for breakthroughs. The feeling of being coerced by a greater force and backed into a corner stifled the Kracht Patriarch.
Was he powerful enough, why would his daughter need to go through this fake wedding? Why would a Kracht son need to sacrifice his life? He could just obliterate the von Jurgen and be done with it.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the ability.
Meanwhile, Wulf paced back and forth within his chambers. Wolfgang aside, no one knew the full details of the operation. Therefore, Wulf's only knowledge was that the wedding day was bound to shake the city…an, perhaps even the empire. Success or failure would determine their house's future.
Although they never spoke such words in front of their ladies, the Kracht brothers knew very well that if the imperial family's ploy weren't thwarted, Wolfgang would get murdered so that they could fully take control of the Kracht assets in Iliana's name.
Such were the empire's politics.
…
Daphne, Zamira and Iliana were currently standing within the latter's chambers. Although they were still several hours away from the wedding time, Daphne dutifully combed Iliana's hairs while Zamira oversaw the process from the side.
As a former Barbarian Chieftain, the Kracht matron was never particularly fond of such things. However, for the sake of blending in, she had to learn. And for the sake of her daughter, she would supervise and make sure nothing went wrong.
The men might think that this was nothing more than a sham, but as far as Iliana was concerned, Zamira firmly believed that she was taking the ceremony with absolute seriousness. Whether she would have another such aceremony in the future was a total unknown.
Therefore, she should relish in it while she still could.
Although the church didn't intervene in weddings, they followed its customs. The Celestial Realm's wedding customs. A pearl white gown hanged by Iliana's side. As if animated by heavenly forces, it shimmered and dazzled the eyes.
This enchanted robe was the standard wedding dress within the Holy Continent.
As she stared at it from the right corner of her eyes, trepidations overtook Iliana's heart. Trepidations Daphne felt.
”Why are you getting nervous? That dress is yours, just like the day is yours.”
Daphne reassured, feeling Iliana's anxiety.
”But after all, this isn't really…”
”It doesn't matter. As long as you walk down the aisle by his side, all else is unimportant.”
Bitterness and self-depreciation intertwined within Daphne's voice as she spoke. At the end of the day, the status of imperial consort still hanged above her head and therefore, as long as the holy emperor breathed, even a false wedding was out of her reach.
She may not care about status and conformity, but at the end of the day, even she could picture herself in that radiant gown by the side of the man that made her heart tremble.
Experience allowed Zamira to spot the small details within Daphne's face and reconstruct her thoughts. However, she didn't comment, allowing the two to carry on. If she held any peculiar thought, she showed nothing of it. Then again, she rarely did.
…
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
The knocking sounds pulled Konrad out of his meditation, lifting his eyes toward the door behind which a nervous servant awaited.