Chapter 96: Chapter 96

May 26 in 593 by the imperial calendar.

It was not until two days after the prearranged feast that the engagement ceremony began on this day. The atmosphere of the great temple, which had been heavy because of an unexpected accident, was lively again. After the early morning prayers, the priests were busy looking for their seats. There was a strange but excited atmosphere visible everywhere.

Marianne woke up at dawn and offered a brief prayer in her room.

She knelt before the window and gathered her hands according to the precept of the temple that she had heard before. The dim dawn and serene mountain air filled the space between the half-open curtains. Amid the serenity of the temple, people began to move around and the scent of light opium wafted in from nearby.

It seemed they had also begun making preparations in the emperor’s room. She held back the desire to enter the emperor’s room and took a look. Instead, she closed her eyes again.

She prayed, ‘Let nobody get hurt. Please help me protect them to the end and keep everybody safe…”

On the day she promised to marry the emperor, Marianne’s first prayer as his bride was for the oath of protection and wishes for peace. Her beautiful and sad wishes hovered in her closed mouth for a long time.

After she was done praying, two priests came in. Siel and Hess, who had assisted her up close since her stay at the temple, agreed to help her get dressed and prepare for the ceremony.

The two prepared two bathtubs in the room and filled them with water in turns. One was hot water and the other one was cold water. Marianne first washed her body with her hair mixed with lavender perfume. It was warm and comfortable enough to forget the aftereffects of the accident that had not yet gone by.

But as the scent of fragrant flowers was absorbed into her body, Siel and Hess moved her into the cold water as if to keep the fragrance on her.

“My dear lady, I know you might not like it, but please be patient. The cold water is the holy water from the waterfall. Only the bride who has bathed in this holy water can receive the holy grace of the nine gods.”

Siel spoke sweetly, sweeping her wet hair behind her ear. Marianne nodded, trembling in the cold.

In the end, Marianne got out of the cold bath after they poured the holy water drawn from the waterfall over her head twelve times. Her neck even felt cold until they could dry her body and hair.

Meanwhile, the sun rose high in the sky.

“Fortunately the weather is good today. It looks like it’s clearer than the original festive day,” Siel with a brightly smiled, opening the curtains.

Sunlight penetrated through the window, and Marianne drank her medicine and rinsed her mouth with clear tea. In fact, she was hungry, but she couldn’t eat properly before the ceremony was over.

Hess, who was applying ointment to her face and body, smiled when she smacked her lips unconsciously. Siel closed the bathtub, cleaned it up, and spread the sleeves of her priest robe that she had rolled up.

“Priest Hess, please comb her hair after you are done treating her.”

“Sure, will do.”

“Lady, let me go and bring the noblewomen and noble daughters.”

“Please.”

Siel left the room with her permission.

Hess applied the ointment carefully to the wounds between her fingers and pushed the tray containing the medicine. Soon, Hess held a comb made of juniper. Hess didn’t have nimble fingers, but she knew how to move her fingers delicately and smoothly. Marianne felt drowsy and closed her eyes while Hess combed her hair. She felt good when Hess swept through her thick hair over and over. Hess’s warm touch touched her tender feelings.

Although Marianne couldn’t remember, her mother would have combed her hair kindly like Hess if she had been alive, whispering, ‘Marie, you are so beautiful…’

At that moment, Hess said, “Lady Marianne!”

“Yes, Hess.”

Marianne, who was lost in fleeting thoughts, opened her eyes suddenly.

Across the slightly old but clean mirror Hess blinked her eyes, holding her hands together.

Clearing her throat, she bowed politely and said, “Congratulations on your engagement. Although I may not be of good help, let me pray for your happiness everyday.”

She was done, followed by a brief silence.

Marianne turned around and grabbed Hess’s hands tightly.

“… Priest Hess. Did you practice?”

Without stuttering at all, Hess fluently spoke to her. She used to stutter even when she said short words as she was too nervous. But she expressed her wishes without pronouncing any wrong words.

“Pardon? Oh…that’s what I wanted to tell you…”

“Oh my gosh. I was really touched. Thank you so much. I’m already happy now.”

Marianne suddenly hugged her who was at a loss about what to do.

Her clear, sweet emerald eyes and Hess’s shy opal eyes met each other.

She prayed for Marianne’s happiness without asking for anything in return.

Marianne was so happy and sad about Hess’ goodwill.

She also recalled Barton’s wishes that she would be happy because she was good and beautiful. She was overwhelmed by their prayers and wishes.

If she went back to the capital, she would have to take more doubts and distrust than now as her weapon. She might have to deceive lots of people accustomed to weariness than trust, or be betrayed by them.

‘Nonetheless…I can be happy… Can I be alright? Just like Hess and Barton said, can I be happy in this life unlike my previous one…?’

Hess suddenly said, “Oh, don’t cry, Lady!”

“Am I crying now? No, I’m not…Tears came because I liked it so much…”

Marianne was snivelling with her wet eyes. Her heart felt warm.

At that moment, Siel knocked on the door before entering the room.

“Lady, I have brought the noblewomen and the noble daughters.”

“Come in.”

She quickly rubbed her eyes. As soon as she let go of Hess wistfully, the door opened.

Siel had a lot of ceremonial dresses and holy things in preparation for the ceremony.

Cordelli, Beatrice and Mrs. Chester came in after Siel.

“We’re honored to see you!”

“Please stand up. All of you must be tired from the long trip, but I hope I’m in great hands today.”

“It’s an important day, so we will serve you as best we can so there won’t be any inconvenience.” Beatrice responded politely their behalf.

After greeting, the three opened their assigned luggage and spread them in the room.

Cordelli was about to freshen up Marianne. She piled up a box of cosmetics she brought from Milan and placed it on the dressing table. She naturally pushed Hess to the side who stood behind her. She began to touch Marianne’s face and head skillfully.

“Lady, did you cry? Your eyes are wet.”

“No. I had something in my eye.”

Hmmm… Cordelli looked at her suspiciously, but quickly changed topics.

“Don’t you feel pain in the wounds? The scratches on your skin are still red. I’m afraid I can’t cover them all with makeup. Let me make them invisible as best I can.”

“Does scratches look ugly?”

“Nope. Even though there are even a hundred scratches, you’re still the most beautiful. I have just said that because I feel sorry.”

Cordelli babbled while melting the crimson rouge.

Marianne quietly swept her face in the mirror with her fingertips. She was bothered a bit by some wounds that had not yet healed. But the reason for her concern was different.

At the very least, she wasn’t worried about her scars as Cordelli said, nor was she worried about others noticing her scars.

“I mean it. Natural beauty like yours doesn’t go away so easily. Think about Sir Iric. Even if he has a scar from the sword as big as this on his face, lots of daughters from the noble families are still trying hard to win his heart.”

Cordelli seemed dissatisfied with her sullen response. In fact, she even mentioned Iric, who was very familiar to Marianne, to change her mood.

“Besides, the emperor had scratches on his face, right? What do they mean?”

“What do you mean?”

“Gosh! That means you two are a perfect match for each other!”

Marianne chuckled as if her remarks were absurd. Though she thought it was nonsense, she didn’t feel bad about it.

“Ms. Cordelli is right. Your wounds are not scars but evidence of God’s salvation. Your safe return itself is a miracle that deserves people’s awe.”

Chiming in, Beatrice laughed sweetly. Her red eyes beyond her glasses signalled something significant to her.

What Beatrice wanted to say was that Marianne didn’t have to see her scars as evidence of ominousness.

“Don’t you think so, Mrs. Chester?” In fact, Beatrice made the remarks with her in mind.

In that respect, it was Mrs. Chester that Beatrice directed her message to.

“Of course. If you put on your dress and stand side by side with the emperor, you’ll look like a picture.”