TDWO Chapter 36

Trends are like dazzling fixed ideas that cannot be easily ignored.

The fact that the puffed sleeves were completely removed from the dress was innovative.

She didn’t even wear a crinoline to puff up the skirt or a corset to emphasize the waist.

There were no large ribbons, frills, or lace decorations at all.

This meant that, from the perspective of people in this era, the dress looked quite strange.

Although it didn’t match the current trends at all, it was a design that suited Anri well enough to radiate her unique atmosphere as it was.

Of course, Anri had always wanted to wear a dress like this in her previous life.

She was so excited and pleased that she twirled around in joy.

However, that was in her past life; in an era of Bloom and Romance, it was something she could only dream of…

(TL/N: “Bloom and Romance” is likely a reference to the cultural and artistic movement of the time, which emphasized beauty, elegance, and romance.)

Anri glanced out the window again.

As for the dress, she was more than satisfied with it, so she didn’t care how others viewed it.

She was just a little curious about Edwin’s reaction.

‘Without balloons or childish ribbons, what will he mock next?’

 

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

“As expected, he is as splendid as the rumors say.”

Guests who had been wandering around were now seated or gathered nearby.

A fluttering, excited whisper filled the air, like birds chirping.

The young noble ladies were repeatedly expressing their admiration.

Through gloved hands, they stole glances at Edwin beneath the parasol.

It seemed that the true attraction of the wedding venue was someone else.

Edwin was being led around by the Grand Duchess, exchanging greetings with high-ranking nobles.

The sight of him in a red uniform adorned with various medals was splendid.

The fabric was perfectly tailored, without a single wrinkle.

His handsome forehead was clearly visible, slightly more exposed due to his hair being swept back.

In the still garden, hearts fluttered.

He was soon to be someone’s husband, but he seemed like everyone’s lover.

However, Edwin had shown no emotion since he first appeared in the garden.

Even though it was his wedding, he looked more uncomfortable and annoyed than joyful.

The most excited person was the Grand Duchess.

“……”

Eunice subtly turned her gaze away from Edwin and waited for Will again.

She was a bit hesitant to go looking for him.

But waiting like this made her a bit anxious, as she wasn’t sure if Will would actually show up.

The ceremony was about to start soon…

Eunice was relieved, for the first time, that she had a physique that stood out wherever she went.

In fact, Eunice didn’t think she would ever meet Will again.

She didn’t expect to have any connection with any of the men she met at the ball, let alone Will.

Even the fact that men had asked her to dance still felt like a miracle.

So when Will came to find her right after the ball and asked for her address to write to her, she had been so stunned that she could hardly speak.

“Um…”

While she was standing with her head down, nervously fidgeting with her fingers, a familiar deep voice reached her ears.

Startled, Eunice lifted her head, wondering if the voice was calling her.

Then, like a miracle, a familiar face filled her vision.

Thick golden hair and green eyes.

He had a pure, innocent look and a soft physique like a big chunk of cream.

“W-Will…”

Eunice struggled to utter his name, feeling flustered.

In the end, she couldn’t meet his gaze and lowered her head.

The man called Will blinked just as awkwardly, clasping his hands together politely.

After swallowing hard, Will revealed an awkward yet fresh expression.

“I… I’ve been searching for you everywhere. Have you been waiting long?”

 

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

‘I can’t find her at all.’

The moment for the bride’s entrance at the wedding was fast approaching.

As Anri descended to the garden with the help of the servants, she scanned the guests thoroughly.

To others, it seemed like the bride’s eyes were suspiciously darting everywhere.

But fortunately, she wasn’t easily visible to the crowd.

While waiting in the room, she gazed out the window, searching for Erze.

There had been no news from the footmen about a member of the royal family arriving.

If the princess had come, there would have been a commotion outside the window, but there was no sign of that.

Edwin had been busy greeting people alongside the Grand Duchess.

Among those who had interacted with Edwin, there was no woman presumed to be Erze.

Not that she had been watching continuously, but still.

‘Could it be that Erze is disguising herself again?’

In the original story, Erze even wore a wig to attend the public ball.

Who knows, maybe she dressed as a man today.

However, it didn’t seem likely that Erze, who took great pride in being born a woman, would disguise herself as a man.

‘She never dressed as a man in the original story.’

Still, hiding her identity and mingling to make acquaintances was one of Erze’s hobbies.

She aimed to lure people in one by one to use them for her purposes.

Eventually, Anri entered the maze that led to the center of the garden.

The maze, made of well-maintained trees, was lush with green leaves.

Once she exited the maze, she would finally appear on the aisle where the guests and groom awaited.

Beyond the maze, which was much taller than Anri, only the clear sky was visible.

Following behind Anri were six noble ladies, serving as her attendants.

Everything felt unreal, as if it were a dream.

The chirping of birds, the sound of music, the soft murmurs of the guests, and the laughter of children were all distant and barely audible.

Even though it was a fake wedding, she was just as nervous and excited.

Anri was so tense that she wasn’t even sure how she was walking.

The fact that she would soon face Edwin made her unexpectedly tremble.

Until now, she had been secretly watching Edwin from the window, keeping an eye on whether he met with Erze or not…

But facing each other as bride and groom was a different matter.

As she moved further out of the maze, thoughts of Erze began to gradually fade from Anri’s mind.

She was becoming fully immersed in the feelings of an excited and anxious bride.

Throughout her past and present lives, marriage had not been a particularly romantic affair for Anri.

However, the wedding dress was almost magical, making the ceremony feel like a romantic event just by wearing it.

Since earlier, a tingling sensation like chills had been subtly coursing over Anri’s pale skin.

Finally, a bright white light began to shine from the dark end of the maze.

She was almost at the boundary between what could be the end or the beginning.

 

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

“How many times do I have to shake hands?”

Edwin already wanted to retreat to his room.

The wedding hadn’t even started yet, but he was already worn out from being forced to follow his mother around.

Edwin generally disliked physical contact with people.

Thus, he was very reluctant to share polite handshakes or dance with women.

However, if someone pushed a dance partner into his arms, he had no choice but to respond.

In such cases, Edwin would barely hold his partner’s waist and hand, just going through the motions.

The obligatory small talk and eye contact were nothing but bothersome.

Shaking hands with men was the worst.

It was quite rare for men to keep their hands clean.

So, Edwin maintained a handshake style that barely made contact.

Yet, having to endure that kind of handshake dozens of times while exchanging meaningless greetings and congratulations left Edwin feeling…

“This is truly the worst.”

This is a wedding he could never go through twice in his life.

He should have insisted that his mother limit the number of guests from the beginning.

However, Edwin stood expressionlessly facing Bishop Pope, not showing any signs of his annoyance.

It was customary for the groom to stand in front of the altar while the bride entered.

Everyone, including Bishop Pope, was fixating their eyes on Edwin’s back.

Soon, the bride would emerge from the maze.

Instead of seeing the bride approaching, Edwin stared blankly at Bishop Pope’s expression.

Just as Bishop Pope smiled contentedly, the murmuring guests gradually fell silent.

It seemed Anri had come out of the maze.

However, a strange reaction began to unfold.

Bishop Pope’s warm smile slowly faded.

Then, with a puzzled and bewildered expression, he stared intently at one spot.

“…?”

Edwin furrowed an eyebrow and glanced around, still facing away from the bride.

But nothing in Edwin’s line of sight indicated what was happening.

He didn’t want to completely turn around either.

Bishop Pope’s eyes widened in surprise.

Now, Edwin was not only curious about what was happening but also increasingly uneasy.

The guests maintained an eerie silence, as if orchestrated.

However, it was not a thrilling hush; it was an ominous silence.

Could something have happened to the bride?

As that thought suddenly crossed his mind, Edwin turned around without realizing it.

At first, his vision seemed to blur as if he were momentarily blinded.

No, he couldn’t immediately locate the bride, causing his gaze to wander for a moment.

But soon enough, Edwin’s gaze locked onto Anri.

It seemed that his initial blurry vision was not a mistake.

Anri was radiating light so bright it was almost blinding.

“…”

Now, Edwin fell silent, feeling the same way as the guests.

The guests’ silence was not one of shock or surprise, but rather a sense of ‘awe.’

It was like witnessing something beautiful and mysterious that kept their gaze fixed. They were entranced.

 

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

‘Why does this path seem so long?’

Anri was walking slowly; her gaze lowered.

The reactions of the guests within her line of sight were so quiet that she couldn’t sense the atmosphere at all.

It made sense for the guests to be silent since applause and cheers were typically reserved for the recession.

But there was something strange about the mood.

“What on earth is that dress…?”

At that moment, a soft murmur from one of the guests broke the stillness.

Starting with the voice of a nobleman, a wave of shared sentiment began to spread.

The guests were unable to take their eyes off the bride for various reasons.

The dress was of a style no one had ever seen before.

It was undoubtedly unfamiliar and strange, yet the bride’s beauty transcended even that feeling.

So beautiful that it left everyone speechless.