TPOTLPIM Chapter 31

The next day.

Knock knock-

The door to Dmitri's office, located in the Foreign Affairs Department within the imperial palace, burst open with the knocking sound.

Dmitri wondered who would open the door without even listening for a response, but seeing his younger brother's commanding presence, he understood the situation. The person who had arrived was someone he should be thankful to for even bothering to knock.

Dmitri felt his head throb and pressed his temples.

"What brings you here of all places? Even doing something as unusual as knocking."

"Since I'm at the palace, I thought I'd get a cup of tea from my brother."

Teros strode boldly to the sofa without being invited, sat down, and crossed his legs.

Dmitri asked his aide, who was in the office with him, to bring tea.

After taking a sip of the tea placed on the table, Teros silently stared intensely at Dmitri's face.

"You suddenly show up and stare at me like that - is there something on my face?"

Dmitri said, touching his chin and mouth with his hand.

Hands without a single wound, perfectly clean. A soft jawline and lips.

Teros looked down at his own hands, calloused from training and marked with many small scars. They were thick-knuckled, large hands.

Damn, my brother is the complete opposite of me.

He didn't like that fact and clenched his fist tightly.

"How is Miss Cecilia doing?"

When Dmitri asked about Cecilia's well-being, Teros felt irritation surge up.

"Mind your own business while I'm asking nicely."

"Why are you suddenly saying such hurtful things?"

Dmitri, flustered by the unexpectedly aggressive tone, scratched the back of his head.

"Pay more attention to Sister-in-law Rosein instead."

"How admirable of you to care so much about your sister-in-law. I thought you didn't like her."

When Dmitri smiled as if surprised, his eyebrows rose in an elegant arch.

A gentle yet leisurely smile. Not just his mouth, but his entire face seemed to be smiling.

Had Cecilia liked that kind of expression? Teros unconsciously tried to raise his eyebrows like Dmitri.

"What's wrong with you? What's that strange expression?"

At Dmitri's reaction, as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have, Teros hardened his face back into his characteristic stoic expression.

"Are you acting like this because I visited the Serin house the other day? Let me make it clear - that was purely social courtesy without any personal interest. You wouldn't understand though."

"Go ahead and drop by the Serin house occasionally. Recite some favorite poetry verses too. She'll enjoy it."

"What? Earlier you told me to stay away from Miss Cecilia, and now I'm supposed to understand this fickleness how exactly?"

"Do you think I want to be doing this?"

Teros spoke as if spitting out the words, then sighed and ruffled his hair. Veins stood out on his tightly clenched fist resting on his knee.

"I have to go to the Forest of the Demon God, leaving Cecilia behind, and my heart won't be at ease. Because of the unfavorable rumors about the Serin family, Cecilia hasn't been invited to even small tea parties these days. The only person she opens her heart to is Asen Odik, and I'm taking her along on this expedition. So... please drop by occasionally and be her conversation partner. Oh, and I'm getting married this weekend."

"What? Did you get Father's permission?"

Dmitri struggled to follow the unpredictable flow of conversation.

"As if that old man would give permission. I'll inform him before I go."

Dmitri rubbed his face as if he had a headache.

"I'd better not go anywhere near that old man's room for a while."

"You should probably avoid meal times too."

"I'm moved to tears by your thoughtful advice. Why don't you ask Rosein instead of me to look after Miss Cecilia?"

At those words, Teros's face hardened.

"You know why. Can't you see the two of them don't get along?"

"I know. Watching that is my joy, how could I not know? Seeing them pretend otherwise when it's so obvious - it's adorable to death."

Dmitri smiled an inscrutable smile, and Teros couldn't understand such a Dmitri. The brothers had been unable to understand each other since time immemorial.

"What exactly do you like about Sister-in-law Rosein?"

Dmitri's lips curved up, and an answer came without a moment's hesitation.

"She's the most beautiful in the capital, isn't she?"

Only then did Teros thoughtfully recall Rosein's appearance.

Her red hair, small face with large eyes, and proudly arched eyebrows certainly gave a glamorous impression. If beauty were ranked by glamour alone, Rosein would undoubtedly take first place.

But she wasn't lovable.

Teros realized anew that expression and demeanor were more important than facial features.

He suddenly remembered the smile Cecilia gave him. When she laughed playfully, when she listened attentively to his words, even the expression she made to hide her embarrassment.

All of it was lovable.

She was someone whose good mood showed transparently on her face. That's why being with her made him feel good too.

To have such a woman's love and not even realize it, getting engaged to Rosein instead - Dmitri was definitely a fool.

"I can't agree that she's the most beautiful in the capital. I don't even like that hair color. It's just like that woman from before..."

"Stop. Little brother."

Teros recalled Dmitri's past relationships. Dmitri had two official relationships and one secret one. All his lovers had been beautiful, but the relationships hadn't ended well.

"In any case, I hope you'll be a bit more cautious this time."

"That's not something I should hear from a brother who's suddenly getting married this week. I'll handle my own affairs."

When Dmitri got up from his seat and went to his desk, indicating he refused further conversation, Teros also sprang up from his seat in reaction.

"I think I need to meddle a bit. If you treat sister-in-law the same way as before, in the end..."

"I told you I'll do things my way."

"Damn! You really have a terrible personality."

"Saying 'damn' - what terrible manners."

The brothers glared at each other, each thinking the other's personality was worse.

The weekend came.

Inside the rattling carriage, Rosein looked out the window with a listless expression.

Dmitri, sitting beside her, wore his usual gentle smile, seemingly unaware of her mood today. Both were people who usually dressed fashionably, but today they had made an especially elegant effort.

"We got engaged first, but Teros is getting married first. Isn't that funny? Life really is unknowable, I suppose."

"Funny? I wanted to get married before Cecilia, but I feel like the order has been stolen from me."

Rosein pouted her lips and grumbled quietly. Dmitri, who used to be so perceptive, somehow couldn't read her mood anymore.

"Cheer up, Rosein. You may not be today's bride, but you'll certainly be more beautiful than the bride."

Dmitri reached to stroke Rosein's hair, which was braided up and decorated, but instead touched the large butterfly-shaped hairpin in her hair. The hairpin studded with pink coral beads sparkled in the sunlight.

"Am I allowed to attend the wedding? They said they weren't inviting anyone. You're going because you're his brother, but Cecilia didn't personally invite me."

"I wasn't particularly invited either. He only called me because a witness is needed for the wedding. Where the needle goes, the thread goes too - Teros must have anticipated that much."

Rosein, quite pleased with the comparison of their relationship to a needle and thread, unconsciously put away her sulky expression and smiled.

The monastery where Teros and Cecilia would marry was a nameless one on the outskirts of the capital.

The carriage passed through a quiet village with few houses, climbed a gentle hill dotted with wildflowers, and stopped in front of a small monastery standing alone atop the hill.

Getting out of the carriage, Rosein looked up at the monastery's somewhat desolate exterior. The monastery wasn't tall, had no ornate stained glass, and lacked even elegant marble sculptures - it was just a building with plain gray walls.

'They're getting married in a place like this?'

When Rosein looked at Dmitri standing beside her with eyes full of bewilderment, he seemed to understand her thoughts and said naturally:

"He said he'd have a proper wedding later. He wanted today's ceremony to be quiet."

Rosein became curious about what today's bride would look like inside the monastery. She hurriedly entered the monastery with Dmitri leading the way.

Once inside, Rosein could see Cecilia being dressed with the help of her maids.

The pure white dress was clearly the finest quality at first glance. Delicately crafted jewels sparkled like snow on the pristinely flowing fabric. Though it was a monastery that pursued asceticism, it seemed they allowed this level of luxury for a high noble's wedding.

On her head was a golden crown that Teros had given her as a gift. Though it wasn't originally meant to be worn on the head, it fit reasonably well on Cecilia's small head.

"Rose!"

Cecilia turned toward Rosein and smiled. Once again, she didn't treat Rosein coldly. Thanks to the maids' makeup, her appropriately flushed cheeks looked lively.

"My goodness, Cecilia! You're so beautiful..."

Rosein covered her mouth with both hands and spoke as if amazed. Though it was partly said with awareness of Teros and Dmitri nearby, it was somewhat sincere. The wedding venue might be a gloomy monastery that barely got sunlight, but today's bride was beautifully pristine in white.

"Hello, Lord Teros. Congratulations on your marriage."

Rosein also curtsied toward Teros, who stood beside Cecilia, lifting her dress hem. Teros, who always looked good in uniform, was indeed a handsome man today as well.

"Rosein, we'll be family soon, so how long will you keep using such formal address with Teros? You can just call him by name now."

When Dmitri cheerfully sorted out the forms of address, Rosein glanced at Teros. Even though they would soon be family, Teros was still an uncomfortable person. She remembered his cold tone when he had scolded her in front of Cecilia that day at the reading club in Odik Castle.

"I'll allow calling me by name after my brother gets married."

"What? As expected, my little brother is a principled man. Except for getting married without an engagement."

Though Dmitri spoke with a teasing laugh, Teros, who had been concerned about marrying hastily, glanced at Cecilia at those words. But no matter what he heard, he could not permit the familiar address of calling him by name only. The only woman who could call him by name alone was still just Cecilia.

When a priest in white robes appeared, today's bride and groom stood facing each other in front of the altar. Dmitri and Rosein hurriedly sat in the pews to witness the two's marriage.

The priest stood between the bride and groom, recited a prayer blessing them both, and then had them recite their marriage vows.

As Cecilia's voice rang out clearly while reciting the vows, even the dark monastery seemed to brighten.

When a ray of sunlight entered through the cloudy window, a soft halo seemed to surround the bride and groom. Cecilia's pure white dress appeared to glow.

Rosein watched the scene in a daze. She remembered conversations she'd had with Cecilia in childhood, dreaming about their future marriages.

In the past, before debuting in society, the two girls had no acquaintance with men other than a few young masters from noble families they had known since childhood, so they had no choice but to pick their preferred ideal types by reading various novels.

["Rose, I think I like someone like Lord Rockfellin from this novel."]

Cecilia had chosen a character from the novel 'Knights of Evern' as her ideal type. The 'Lord Rockfellin' that Cecilia chose had delicate features and witty, well-mannered speech. So very different from the rock-like Teros standing up there.

["If I were to marry, I'd want it to be with someone like Lord Rockfellin. The wedding should be at the capital's largest temple. I'd gather friends at the mansion for a reception too. Decorate the house beautifully with flowers and party all night."]

The wedding Rosein was witnessing now, with not a single guest, was the complete opposite of what Cecilia had described. As Dmitri said, life truly was unpredictable.

["Cecilia, I understand Lord Rockfellin is wonderful, but what specifically did you like about him?"]

["Well, I liked the part where he goes to war to save the woman he loves. He rescues a princess held hostage in a foreign country. It's love that goes beyond loyalty."]

If Rosein had thought a little deeper about why Teros and Cecilia were rushing their marriage, she might have found similarities between Lord Rockfellin and Teros.

But right now, she was only looking at Cecilia with eyes where slight pity and proud superiority coexisted.