You never imagined I’d give it to Lucy.

Sikar Blake lowered his eyes slightly, looking disappointed—apparently frustrated that he couldn’t picture Vika Lamberst’s shocked reaction.

“Why do you want to give it to Lucy?”

“Because Lady Seo Yeon isn’t here. There’s no one else suitable. Besides, think about it—it’s meant to bless Lucy, so it’s not a bad idea.”

Of course, Lucy might be a bit shy, but imagining how adorable she’d look made me smile contentedly.

But Sikar Blake just scratched his nose with an unimpressed expression.

“Guess I won’t get to see Vika’s horrified face.”

“Instead, you’ll get to see Lucy’s cute reaction.”

“Hmm. Lucy’s secretly quite cunning—I’m not sure what she’s really thinking, but outwardly, she’ll probably play it cool.”

“That’s not because she’s cunning, but because she’s clever. And besides, if Lucy isn’t very surprised, Kian will be—and seeing Kian react adorably won’t be bad either, right?”

Sikar Blake seemed quite pleased with that idea.

“Then why not give the bouquet to Kian? There’s no rule saying bouquets must go to women.”

“Kian is already a blessed king. Giving it to Lucy carries the meaning of blessing her as the future empress—I want her to have it.”

Sikar Blake made that bored face again.

“Do as you please, my lady.”

His sullen expression made it clear he was disappointed.

Somehow, I found Sikar’s pouting face so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing how adorable it is when Sikar occasionally grumbles like that, I guess I must be completely smitten.

Soon, the bouquet ceremony began.

Though not particularly grand, it involved presenting the sacred royal bride’s bouquet to the person called forward, as if awarding a prize.

Guests and dignitaries gathered in small groups, clearly curious about who would receive the bouquet.

Moreover, since this wedding featured not one but two bouquets, it seemed even more intriguing.

Though I was the one handing out the bouquet, I shared the guests’ curiosity.

After all, I was also wondering who Veronia would choose to give hers to.

“Who will Veronia give hers to?”

Sikar Blake stood indifferently, then suddenly smirked at me as if remembering something.

“Would be nice to give it to Vika.”

“Do you really want to tease Vika that much?”

“After the wedding, Vika will threaten to demand the oath be dissolved. So I thought it’d be good to give him an unforgettable gift beforehand.”

Ah, right. I promised to dissolve the oath with Vika once we found Seo Yeon—so now she’ll leave.

Thinking of that made me feel oddly wistful.

“Then shall I give mine to Lord Vika? Since the bouquet symbolizes blessings, I could say I’m giving it with the wish that blessings follow his path—he might accept it.”

Sikar Blake patted my head approvingly.

“You’ve had a very thoughtful idea, my lady.”

Of course, Sikar was probably smiling more in anticipation of Vika’s horrified, shuddering reaction than out of genuine blessing—but I still believed a small part of Sikar’s heart wished to bless Vika.

It’d be nice if Vika had overheard my kind words about the bouquet earlier—then I wouldn’t have to explain twice.

But Vika was nowhere nearby.

“Vika’s not here—if I call him, will he even show up?”

“He’s probably perched in a tree somewhere again. His ears are sharp—he’ll come when called, so don’t worry.”

I decided to take Sikar’s word and let go of my worry.

Soon after, people began bowing respectfully toward a certain direction.

Through the crowd, Veronia walked gracefully, radiating elegance.

Holding the bouquet, dressed in her wedding gown, Veronia’s presence was truly… breathtakingly majestic, no matter how many times you looked.

As Veronia stood holding the bouquet in both hands, everyone bowed their heads.

Though this wedding was far more solemn than a casual one, its grandeur made it no less impressive.

I watched with anticipation, wondering who Veronia would call—and the person she named was completely unexpected.

Veronia called out none other than Lucy.

‘You were thinking the same as me, weren’t you?’

“Lucy Yukandar, step forward.”

Lucy was surely surprised—but I was so startled I turned to look at Sikar Blake.

True to his nature, Sikar merely smiled with amused interest, unfazed by surprises.

Lucy looked slightly startled at first, but then—as Sikar had predicted—walked forward with dignified poise and bowed before Veronia.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Veronia handed the bouquet to Lucy and spoke.

“May the sacred blessing of the gods be with you forever.”

“I am deeply honored, Your Highness.”

As expected, Lucy handled it well—but Kian’s face turned bright red as he stared off into the distance.

Kian looked so adorably flustered I almost wanted to ask why he was the one blushing.

Now it was my turn to call the person who would receive my bouquet.

Please, Vika, don’t run away—come here.

I took a deep breath, glanced around, and called out.

“Vika Lamberst.”

But Vika didn’t respond immediately, and no matter how much I looked around, he was nowhere to be seen.

I shot Sikar a sideways glare and wrinkled my nose.

“What? He’s not here.”

Sikar stood perfectly still, showing no change in expression.

“He’s probably waiting for us to get anxious. Vika. You know Durion will risk his life to obey any of my commands, right? If you don’t come out right now, I’ll order Durion to marry you. He’ll chase you down and beg you to marry him—with his life on the line.”

As if Sikar’s words had worked, Vika’s voice suddenly came from behind us.

“That’s a nightmare-worthy threat.”

Though Sikar’s method of summoning Vika was rather unique, Vika eventually strolled forward calmly and stood before me.

“You called for me?”

I extended the bouquet toward Vika.

“May sacred blessings be with you.”

Vika bowed gracefully, observing human decorum with practiced ease.

“Vika Lamberst will never forget the Duchess’s kindness.”

Once the bouquet ceremony ended, I truly felt the wedding was completely over.

The wedding was reaching its conclusion, and guests were leaving one by one.

We, too, needed to prepare to return to the ducal manor.

First, I reported to Veronia that we would be returning to the ducal manor.

As always, Veronia spoke with an impassive face.

“So in the end, you made me take over this palace and then left. I congratulate you on quietly achieving your goal.”

Somehow, I interpreted her words as expressing regret over my departure—and I smiled involuntarily.

“I will visit you often, Your Highness.”

Veronia merely gazed at me languidly, as if I’d said something obvious.

“You should at least have that much propriety.”

Meanwhile, Valije’s reaction was completely different from Veronia’s. He hugged Sikar Blake so tightly it clearly made him uncomfortable.

“I will miss you. Please visit often, Duke. I heard from Kian—or rather, the King—that you enjoy chicken soup. When you come, I’ll prepare a splendid meal for you.”

Sikar’s expression was nearly at the point of foaming, but he endured (?) Valije’s embrace with gritted patience.

“Blake isn’t far from Lecador—please calm yourself.”

Though I said that to soothe Valije, Sikar almost immediately regretted saying it.

Upon hearing that Blake wasn’t far from Lecador, Valije’s eyes sparkled even brighter.

“Then you must visit often.”

Unable to make empty promises, Sikar substituted an answer with a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha. Then we shall take our leave now.”

So instead of Sikar, I gave Valije the answer he wanted.

“Lord Consort. As I told Her Highness, I plan to visit often—so please don’t feel too wistful.”

Valije grasped my hand tightly and lowered his eyes.

“I can’t express how regretful I feel about parting like this. Thank you sincerely for promising to visit often, Duchess.”

They say Valije, born as the son of the captain of the royal guard, had lived stifled by rigid rules—and thus felt suffocated by formalities.

That must be why Valije had absolutely no sense of decorum.

Sikar, though Valije was Kian’s biological father and consort, firmly removed his hands and spoke sternly.

“Even with good intentions, improper actions distort communication and diminish meaning.”

Fine. He’s angry, but very politely so.

Valije bowed toward me, genuinely apologetic.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Duchess. Having lived so long in the snowy mountains as an ordinary mountain keeper, I’ve committed a breach of etiquette.”

Ah, I see. Living in hiding, almost like a commoner, he rarely interacted with people.

And even after being revived, he lived again with Veronia in the snowy mountains.

To help Valije feel less guilty, I smiled brightly at him.

“It’s quite alright, Lord Consort.”

As we turned to leave after our farewell, we heard Veronia’s sharp reprimand.

Next time we visit the palace, Valije will likely have relearned proper decorum.

Since today was the day everyone returned to the ducal manor, many carriages were waiting.

Thinking about actually returning to the ducal manor made me feel bittersweet.

But as I moved to climb into the carriage, I saw Vika Lamberst already seated inside ours.

“Huh? Lord Vika, I think you’ve boarded the wrong carriage.”

Vika stepped down from the carriage with a composed, as-if-he’d-been-waiting expression.

“Before I go, dissolve the oath.”

He was speaking not to me, but to Sikar Blake standing behind me.

“You can do it at the ducal manor.”

“No. I intend to leave immediately—so do it here, now.”

There was no trace of jest in Vika’s eyes. Even Durion, who had been about to climb into the carriage, paused and stood watching Vika.

“So you’re finally leaving, Vika?”

“Yes. It’s time. I’ve stayed in one place far too long.”

Sikar paused briefly in thought, then nodded.

“I suppose there’s nothing left to use you for—so letting you go is the right thing to do.”