LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 68
Finally, D-day.
It was the wedding day of Liam and Beatrice.
While previous ceremonies aimed for a novel ambiance, Liam and Beatrice’s wedding was a classic imperial ceremony tailored precisely to Beatrice’s tastes.
With extravagance amplified a hundredfold.
The wedding was held in the main banquet hall, the largest in the imperial palace.
Since the Glass Hall had suffered many casualties during Gabriel’s incident, it remained closed and preserved as a memorial site.
Beatrice had only one condition for the wedding she demanded from me:
-Create the most magnificent wedding in the world, befitting the future imperial couple.
Which is why we charged Beatrice 1 million tiums.
Over 40 chandeliers made of radiant jewels alone.
We hung them across the hall’s ceilings at varying heights for a three-dimensional effect.
Precious gold cutlery and jewel-encrusted plates.
The banquet hall glittered with gold and gems, more resplendent than any wedding in the Empire.
Beatrice’s dress was no exception.
Based on lace, shimmering white jewels adorned the entire gown. Its dazzling brilliance nearly eclipsed Beatrice’s striking features.
“Perfection, Roati!”
“This is not the end, Your Highness.”
The smile on Beatrice’s lips showed no signs of fading.
“What else is there?”
“I have prepared a special event. Please look forward to it.”
With esteemed guests from home and abroad alongside nobles, the wedding was absolute perfection itself.
Food, dress, music, and hall decor – nothing was amiss.
“I heard the Roati Company was in charge of this wedding?”
“I was told it would be an unconventional ceremony, but even this classic wedding is exquisite.”
The continued praises from noblewomen only heightened Beatrice’s exhilaration.
And just as the newlywed couple’s first dance reached its blissful pinnacle…
The true main event Lucian and I had prepared commenced.
* * *
Thunderous applause erupted as Beatrice and Liam concluded their first dance.
It was the very embodiment of the wedding she had dreamed of in this life and her previous one.
Of course… the unsightly Liam was no longer a cherished partner, but an unavoidable burden given her status as Crown Princess.
Moreover, as the demon master, she effectively stood above Liam.
Having finished dancing, Liam was already too exhausted to even move.
All eyes from the continent’s powers, imperial family, and nobility were riveted on Beatrice.
‘Now for the cake cutting ceremony, I suppose.’
As the servants briefly awaited to bring out the cake, the young nobles seated near the entrance began murmuring.
The entrance doors remained wide open.
‘Why? What’s going on?’
The moment everyone turned towards the doors, wondering…
Lord Roati entered dressed in attire even more resplendent than Beatrice’s wedding gown, arm-in-arm with a masked man in an equally dazzling uniform resembling the Crown Prince’s.
“That woman must be deranged. Is she declaring her insanity at the Crown Princess’s own wedding?”
“Oh my, the dress is quite pretty. But her unsightly face simply can’t pull it off! Hahaha!”
Though noblewomen ridiculed and cackled at Roati’s appearance, she seemed utterly unfazed by their disdainful gazes.
“Lord Roati! Just what do you think you’re-“
The instant Beatrice raised her voice, a shocking incident unfolded.
Roati peeled off her own face like a mask.
“Aaahhh!”
“What is the meaning of this?!”
Simultaneously, the man by her side removed his mask as well.
Upon seeing the man’s face, Beatrice collapsed where she stood.
“H-His Highness Crown Prince Gabriel!”
And the true identity of the one beside him – Roati – was none other than the exiled Princess Karena.
“Hello, Beatrice.”
It was the blindingly beautiful return of the imperial siblings.
The Emperor rubbed his eyes over and over, unable to believe his own sight.
“Gabriel… How is our Crown Prince… Gabriel!”
Forgetting all decorum, he hastily descended to the center of the hall where the two siblings stood.
The ministers hurriedly followed behind the Emperor.
“You were alive, you were alive… Thank heavens. But how did you survive…?”
Gabriel calmly gestured towards Karena as he spoke:
“Princess Karena saved me, Your Majesty. Rena didn’t intend me harm, but risked her life to rescue me despite the unjust charges against her.”
Upon Gabriel identifying Karena as his benefactor, the Emperor took Karena’s hands with a remorseful expression.
“Karena, your father sincerely apologizes. For that day, I will-“
“No need, Your Majesty. Thanks to that, I was fortunate to marry the Archduke of Felosite. And I could only rescue brother with the Archduke’s assistance.”
The nobles watched the Emperor and siblings, voicing their awe.
“Just what is going on here? The Crown Prince was alive after all!”
“Indeed, befitting of Her Highness the Princess. Just look at that sophisticated dress she has returned in!”
The wedding’s celebrants had become Karena and Gabriel, no longer Beatrice and Liam.
‘How could they…?’
Her moment of ultimate triumph was snatched away once more.
And this was now the second time.
Just as in her previous life, she couldn’t allow that position to be usurped in this life as well.
When Sena initially wrote this novel’s sad ending, reader reactions were not entirely negative:
[└This is a fresh take on a sad ending]
[└Only the Saintess of the Dawn can permit sad endings in novels!]
[└A masterpiece. Cocoa, I entrust all future devastation to Author Sena.]
However, public opinion rapidly soured after word-of-mouth made the work famous, reaching #1 on Cocoa’s rankings.
[└Who said this sad ending was enjoyable? Rewrite it, author.]
[└I shudder to think our children might read such trashy novels. Author, please seek serious psychiatric help.]
On the day her carelessly written debut novel topped the charts, a petition demanding the brutal sad ending of
From that day on, Sena grew to loathe seeing people laughing merrily on the streets.
Lovey-dovey couples, harmonious families, celebrity success stories – the sight of any happy ending became intolerable.
That was how she came to despise all happy endings in this world.
‘Why must everyone have a happy ending?’
So ever since reincarnating into the protagonist Beatrice of her own novel, she had resolved:
To never show readers the happy ending they expected.
To thoroughly trample upon everyone’s happiness within this story.
“Long time no see, Beatrice.”
But just how should she handle such a moment?
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince. So I…”
“You must have had a grand time devouring my younger brother, didn’t you?”
Insulting her with a smile – who knew Gabriel could do such a thing?
Whenever it happened, Beatrice had no recollection of the kind, gentle Gabriel she knew transforming into this person.
Then an eerie sound like an incantation echoed from somewhere:
“No no no no no no no no no no no no no…”
Liam repeated the same words over and over like a madman.
“Nonononononononononoaaaaahhhh!”
Clutching his head in deranged agitation, Liam abruptly changed course, charging straight at Gabriel.
A steak knife was gripped in his hand.
Before Gabriel could evade, Liam’s white attire was stained crimson with blood.
Yet the one stabbed wasn’t Gabriel.