Chapter 42

"What do you mean you haven't even decided on the dress design yet?"

The day after returning from the desert country, Rane went to the castle when Liene said she wanted to see her. Before she could even greet her properly, Liene approached her closely, and Rane smiled in a troubled manner.

"What can I do? We did have some discussions during the breaks from monster hunting, but there wasn't enough time."

"…You don't need to accompany Brother unless purification magic is required, right?"

When did she start calling him 'Brother' instead of 'Brother'?

While thinking about this, Rane looked at Liene, who was soon to be her sister-in-law. Her beauty had only grown, making her look like a pure noble lady. But this beauty was the result of her efforts to become a person worthy of Clarence.

"That's—"

Rane hesitated for a moment about whether to tell her about what Alex said in the desert town, but she decided to keep it to herself. Alex probably only told her because it was Rane.

(I'll keep it a secret between the two of us.)

She would never forget that day, but she probably wouldn't tell anyone about it in the future.

"Going without you is impossible. Alex tends to take risks. The other day, he was drenched in the blood of a highly venomous monster."

"Huh?"

"Of course, I purified it immediately, so it's fine."

"…I'm glad you were there, Rane."

Liene, who had looked worried for a moment, seemed to regain her composure, knowing that the holy maiden Rane was with him.

"But the wedding is only a month away."

It had been six months since the mourning period for the holy maiden Aki ended. The ominous aura had disappeared, and the air was now filled with purity.

A month from now, the wedding of the crown prince and the hero was scheduled to take place. Liene had been looking forward to the day when she would get married alongside her brother.

"Are you going to go somewhere again?"

"Don't worry. In the past year, we've defeated all the monsters that were troubling the various countries. From now on, we can focus on the preparations."

Liene seemed relieved to hear this.

"That's good. Then let's start the wedding preparations from tomorrow."

"Sure."

Rane was also looking forward to the wedding in a month. It had been a year since they officially became engaged, and she was finally going to be with the person she loved.

"Oh, right."

Liene seemed to have an idea and looked at Rane with sparkling eyes.

"If you don't mind, how about we wear matching dresses? That way, we don't have to decide on the design now, and we can just make another one, so it should be in time."

Liene made this proposal.

"Matching dresses?"

"Right. Is that okay?"

Wearing the same dress as her cute sister-in-law was quite a nice idea. Originally from a village, Rane had always thought of wedding dresses as something to rent, and she didn't have any particular preferences or attachments.

"But wearing the same dress as Liene, who will become the crown princess, would be too luxurious for me."

In the past year, Clarence had actively engaged in diplomacy, including reconciliation with neighboring countries and responding to aid requests from other countries, solidifying his position as the crown prince. His supporters, including his close aide Noah and the third prince, who had joined the knights, made it certain that he would become the next king. If that happened, Liene would be the future queen.

Wearing the same dress as her seemed presumptuous.

"What are you talking about? Rane is a holy maiden, and your brother is a hero. You are both unique and irreplaceable. In fact, the world is more interested in the wedding of the hero who saved the world and the holy maiden."

Not just in this country, but many people in other countries were grateful to the two of them for their monster-hunting efforts, Liene said.

"So, if you don't mind, let's do it?"

"Of course, I don't mind."

"Then it's settled. Sally, please call Mary immediately."

"As you wish."

Sally, Liene's personal maid, agreed with a smile. Mary's shop, which had become the official supplier to the crown princess, was thriving.

"I'm also selling handkerchiefs I embroidered. The proceeds are being donated to the orphanage. A crown princess who lived in an orphanage is probably the only one in the world. So, I believe there are things only I can do."

The girl who used to cry waiting for her brother to return said this with strong eyes, much like her brother's.

She would surely be a good queen. Rane thought the country's future was secure.

"I also plan to resume my work."

"By the way, the embroidery from Kikito Village is selling really well. Mary said it's thanks to the holy maiden effect."

"Really?"

The village had a mix of good and bad memories for her, but she was proud of its embroidery, so she was genuinely happy it had become famous.

From then on, it was really busy. She visited the castle almost every day, working on the wedding preparations. It wasn't until three days before the wedding that she finally had a little free time. Since she didn't have to go to the castle today, she decided to wake up a little early and go to the morning market with her mother.

"Look, Rane. Don't go over there."

Her mother, who was more familiar with the city than Rane, who had just arrived in the capital, warned her several times.

"Mom, you know the city well."

"Actually, I lived in the capital for a short time in the past."

Her mother said this, looking at the cityscape of the capital with a nostalgic expression.

"I always wanted to live here, but it was difficult financially. I never thought I would fulfill my dream at this age."

While saying this, she was excitedly looking at the old shops.

"Life is really unpredictable, isn't it?"

"…Yes."

Rane nodded, agreeing with her mother. Rane had come to the capital to attend Ada's wedding. Meeting Alex and falling in love with him had drastically changed her life.

"Mom, can you teach me how to make mead soup?"

Alex had said he liked the spicy soup his mother made, which was full of spices. Remembering this, she asked her mother, who nodded happily.

"Of course. Let's buy the ingredients."

She planned to live with her parents even after marriage, so she didn't have much of a sense of reality. However, she would soon be Alex's wife. While she had been busy with wedding preparations, she wanted to improve her cooking skills.

"But you don't have to be so enthusiastic. You can leave the cooking to me, and if you want, you can hire a helper."

She said it would be enough to make his favorite dish on special occasions.

"Then I definitely need to learn how to make mead soup. Alex said he likes it."

"Oh, my."

Her mother, looking pleased, taught her the ingredients and the method in detail.

"This soup is also your father's favorite. But after making it every time after an argument, he seemed to get a bit tired of it…"

"Did you argue a lot?"

She had never seen her parents argue. Surprised, she asked, and her mother looked into the distance, remembering the past, and smiled softly.

"Yes. Especially when we first got married, it was terrible. But no matter how much you argue, you can always make up. You and Alex might start arguing someday too."

"…I'll remember how to make the soup."

She couldn't imagine arguing with Alex, but she couldn't rule it out. She decided to remember it well for when it happened.

"From tomorrow, you'll be staying at the castle for three days, right?"

"Yes, for the wedding preparations."

Rane nodded at her mother's words. There were many things to do, such as the final adjustments to the dress and the rehearsal for the ceremony.

"At first, you seemed a bit down, but you seem to be doing better now."

"…Yes."

Rane nodded slightly, surprised that her mother had noticed. While preparing for the wedding, she couldn't help but think about Ada's broken engagement.

The pain in her chest at that time.

The uncertainty about what would happen next.

But as she thought about this being her wedding with Alex, her feelings gradually became more positive.

"I'm fine now."

The painful past would surely be overwritten by happy memories in the future.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived.