The protagonist of the wedding before my eyes…

As she watched the groom and bride, the queen’s face began to shadow with intense disbelief.

‘This… doesn’t make any sense… How are they… how are they here?!’

A beautiful bride, dressed in a luxurious pure white dress…

And the groom, walking alongside her in neat attire.

The queen knew exactly who they were.

It was only natural.

They were the very people she had been thinking about just moments before.

The ones she had secretly mocked, believing they could never be realized due to the wall of reality.

‘S-Santana… and… and that woman over there… surely that filthy paladin from back then?!’

Even at this moment, they were the two she couldn’t forget, memories that remained vividly etched in her mind.

The fact that they were not just guests but the stars of this splendid, dreamlike wedding, made it impossible for the queen to believe her own eyes.

‘This… this is ridiculous. Why are they… why are they here? Especially that paladin! Why is she in the place of a princess?!’

Although she was now wearing a stunningly beautiful dress, shining with various jewels, the queen could recognize her for certain.

At that moment, the woman in her view was indeed that filthy girl… the one named Cazerose.

‘What on earth… how did this happen…?’

Lost in deep confusion about her incomprehensible situation, the queen felt a wave of dizziness hit her. With trembling voice, she turned to her mentor standing beside her, desperately seeking answers.

“Um… excuse me… Master?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“It’s just that… um… are those people over there…”

“Oh, now that you mention it, you were in Bohemia too, so you would know. That’s Santana Andreas, the lord’s son. And the one next to him is our princess, Cazerose Sophia Dragona. You’ve seen her before when you stayed in Bohemia, right?”

“…Y-yeah… I guess I did…”

“Haha, looks like you’re really shocked? Well, it’s not every day you see your old ‘master’ in such a distant place.”

“Um…”

From Soul’s perspective, it was perfectly understandable that ‘Freddy,’ who had worked in the Bohemia lord’s castle, would be surprised to see their former master. Especially considering that Cazerose had been hiding her identity back then.

However…

Separate from her mentor’s thoughts, the queen felt an even stronger dizziness wash over her.

Having received undeniable confirmation of the facts from her mentor, a flood of memories and the complicated current situation began crashing into her mind like waves.

‘I’m done for… so seriously, I’m in deep trouble… not just Santana, but if that princess finds out who I really am, it’s not just a matter of returning to Bohemia…’

Back when she was in Bohemia, the queen had constantly displayed contempt for Cazerose, whom she always thought of as a lowly noble lady.

Although she had laid low at that time for certain reasons, now that she was back in her noble position, it was evident she would no longer have to exercise patience.

‘If she starts bringing up what happened back then, I’m finished… being the daughter of an earl, it would be a piece of cake for the princess of the Dragona Empire to crush me.’

Moreover, she was currently disguised as Freddy, learning magic in this place.

Learning magic meant acquiring the knowledge of that country, which was entirely different from Cazerose, who had merely stayed here.

Depending on the situation, it could become grounds for punishment.

Most importantly, once this wedding going on in front of her concluded, Santana would become Cazerose’s husband and son-in-law of the Dragona Empire’s dukedom.

With that, Santana, whose position as the eldest son and impressive abilities were already remarkable, would further solidify his footing. And the queen, who had been at odds with him, was bound to be at the receiving end of a crushing defeat.

And this was in Dragona Empire, where she had no one to protect her.

‘It’s dangerous… at this point, to survive here, I must do whatever it takes to ensure they don’t discover my identity. The moment I’m exposed, it’s game over for me.’

Having always kept her identity hidden, it had now become a matter of survival for the queen.

Especially with Santana, the possibility of being recognized simply by passing him was high, putting her on even higher alert.

‘Damn it… I really didn’t intend to come here. For now, I must figure out a way to avoid making eye contact with them.’

Thankfully, she was wearing a mask, thus hiding her face for the moment.

Yet, there would come a time soon where she would need to greet the bride and groom as a guest, necessitating utmost caution.

Recognizing that she had stumbled into a dire situation, the queen swallowed dryly.

‘Please, let that younger sibling not recognize me…’

*

Amidst the wedding ceremony viewed by countless people, I carefully gazed at Cazerose’s face, who was gripping my hand tightly, filled with tension and excitement.

‘Seriously… she was already beautiful, but now, all dolled up like this, she truly looks like an angel.’

Cazerose radiated a breathtaking beauty that could blind anyone.

The very thought that this woman would become my wife made me question if I was in a dream at this moment.

‘It seems I must have built up quite a bit of karma in my past life to deserve marrying someone like her.’

Of course, there were still numerous issues I had to deal with, piling up like a mountain, but for now, I focused solely on her.

She was the one who had supported me throughout my life until this point.

And I knew that she would continue to stand by my side as we navigated countless hardships together.

Above all, she was someone I must protect at all costs.

With that conviction, I smiled in response as I watched her shyly blush, smiling back at me.

“Now then, the groom and bride shall share their vows with a kiss.”

At that moment, the last stage of the wedding ceremony began, and I slowly leaned in to meet her gaze, whispering softly.

“I love you… Cazerose. I have always loved you… and will continue to forever.”

“I love you too… Mr. Santana… I have always loved you… and will continue to forever…”

With those words exchanged, we began to move toward each other slowly.

And then…

“Smack…”

A small sound, barely audible to anyone else, coupled with the fiery sensation of our lips meeting.

At that moment, thunderous applause and the sounds of bells filled the air.

Together, we embraced each other, savoring this blissful moment.