14

Two weeks passed... and Henrick made sure I never left the room.

"I just want to make sure you're fully healed before you go back to work," he kept saying as an excuse.

Even though my hip was already completely healed. In fact, I managed to move around a bit the other day.

"Duchess, here's your lunch," Lucy announced as she placed my meal on the table before leaving the room.

I watched her set it down before heading towards the food, but the smell hit me, and I immediately backed away. I ran straight to the bathroom and threw up.

This... this is something I haven't told Henrick yet. He's been so busy lately. He's been coming home late, and honestly, it feels like everyone here has their hands full.

I returned to the bed, but before lying down, I had the food brought to me. I lay there, unable to find any comfort.

"Duchess, a gift has arrived from Priestess Irene Theano," a maid said.

"Leave it there. Thanks, Lucy," I replied, as she left the room. I looked at the gift. Was it my birthday? Why would Irene be sending me a gift?

"Congratulations, Duchess Veronica Audovera, from your friend, Irene Theano."

Huh? Does she know...?

When I opened the gift, my eyes widened. "Isn't this bridal underwear?" Wait, why on earth is Irene giving me something like this?

I quickly hid the gift away. What is Irene thinking?

The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of Lucy and the other maids moving around. To my surprise, there were seven other maids in the room.

"Good morning, Duchess," they greeted in unison.

What's going on here?

"By the way, where is Henrick?" I asked Lucy as the maids continued helping me get ready. I was confused because they were going all out with my appearance.

"The Duke is currently at the palace, Duchess," Lucy answered.

"Okay? But why am I wearing this overly designed white gown?" I asked, noticing the extravagant outfit they were dressing me in. Aside from the thick makeup, the gown was incredibly elaborate.

"The Duke wants you to deliver this letter," Lucy explained, handing me the envelope. I looked at it and saw that it was an invitation for breakfast with the emperor. Huh? Is this really happening?A few hours later, I found myself in a carriage on my way to the palace. Before long, we arrived. A group of maids greeted me, and I was handed a bouquet of flowers.

"Excuse me, but where exactly are we going?" I asked the maids, but they only smiled in response.

I thought this was supposed to be a breakfast gathering, but why did it feel like we were heading straight for the throne room? Were we going to eat there?

By the time we reached the large doors of the throne room, my questions went unanswered. What was going on?

"Duchess of Audovera, you may now enter the throne room," said the knight standing guard outside.

"Okay?" I replied, my confusion growing.

When the doors opened, I gasped in surprise. The room was filled with people, all clapping and cheering for me.

The moment I stepped into the throne room, my jaw dropped. The decorations were stunning—flowers, silken drapes, and candles lined the walls. It looked like someone was getting married."Veronica, my daughter," a familiar voice called out.

I turned to see none other than my father. "F-Father? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss my daughter's wedding," he said with a sly smile, which only deepened my confusion.

"You have another daughter?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"It's your wedding, Veronica. The Duke planned everything," he replied before gently turning me to face the gathered crowd. My eyes traveled down the aisle until they landed on Henrick, standing at the end, looking dashing beyond words.

My heart skipped several beats. My father started walking me down the aisle, and I felt like an absolute fool for not realizing what was happening sooner. Before I knew it, I was standing face-to-face with Henrick.

"Am I dreaming?" I blurted out, earning a chuckle from him.

"This is real, Veronica," he said warmly, taking my hand and kissing it with such tenderness that my chest tightened.

"But... aren't we already married?"

"Yes," he said with a small smile, "but we never had a proper wedding."

A wave of emotions surged through me—shock, joy, disbelief. My throat tightened as tears prickled at the edges of my eyes. So this is why he's been so busy lately... he was planning all of this.

Henrick turned us toward the emperor, who stood waiting with an almost mischievous grin plastered across his face. I blinked. Was the emperor... officiating our wedding?

The ceremony began, with the emperor speaking in his deep, regal voice. But my focus wasn't on him. I barely heard his words because Henrick leaned closer to me and murmured softly, "Knowing that you are beside me... I am truly happy."

A smile crept across my lips, warmth spreading through my chest. "We will both be beside you forever, Henrick," I replied gently.

Henrick froze for a moment, his eyes searching mine, and then realization dawned on his face. The depth of my words had struck him—I wasn't speaking only for myself.

Before I could say anything else, Henrick pulled me into a kiss. My eyes widened as our lips met, right in the middle of the emperor's speech.

"We're not in that part yet!" the emperor's voice boomed, sounding both startled and exasperated. A collective gasp rose from the crowd as Henrick deepened the kiss, ignoring every ounce of decorum.

It wasn't a quick kiss, either. It was long, passionate, and full of all the things Henrick rarely said out loud. It was as though he was pouring all his emotions into this one act, right in front of everyone.

By the time we pulled apart, my face was burning, and I could see people whispering and giggling. The emperor looked absolutely scandalized.

"Shall we finish the ceremony before your enthusiasm gets the better of you, Duke?" the emperor said, raising an eyebrow.

Henrick laughed, unrepentant, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. My thoughts swirled with disbelief and happiness. By the time the emperor pronounced us husband and wife, the room erupted in applause.

As we turned to face the crowd, Henrick whispered into my ear, "You'll never have to doubt how much I love you, Veronica. Not today, not ever."

My heart felt like it could burst with happiness.

Later, the kiss became the hot topic of the empire. Some were scandalized, others amused, but honestly, who cared? As far as I was concerned, it was perfect—just like Henrick.