Charlotte - Chapter 33

As the wedding day dawned, Rosa Castle—once growing more hectic by the day—became eerily silent.

The servants who had been dashing about, shouting orders at one another, now moved in near silence, careful not to let their footsteps echo in the halls. Even the castle’s guests could barely hear them. Their presence was quieter than ghosts.

Ironically, the noisiest place in the entire castle was Charlotte’s room.

And even that was only because Mona had stormed in early that morning, insisting on helping Charlotte prepare.

“Were you planning to put on the wedding dress by yourself, too?”

Mona’s voice was filled with disbelief as she assisted Charlotte into her gown. She had already been exasperated to find that Charlotte had bathed alone.

When Mona first heard that Charlotte refused to be attended by maids, she had scoffed, assuming it was just arrogance.

Does she think the castle servants aren’t good enough for her? she had thought bitterly.

The head maid had shaken her head in agreement, remarking that if Charlotte was going to be so difficult, she might as well have brought along her own attendants from the palace.

Neither of them had known.

They hadn’t known this was the truth hidden beneath Charlotte’s behavior.

Charlotte met Mona’s gaze in the mirror, watching her in silence before turning away. Her response was nothing more than a quiet reprimand.

“Did I not tell you yesterday? Be mindful not to let your change in attitude show.”

She meant that Mona had resented her so deeply that any sudden kindness would raise suspicion.

Charlotte had been hated to such a degree that if Mona didn’t show contempt, others would find it unnatural.

“…I’ll just say that my anger faded the moment I saw your enormous dowry. Given how much wealth the lord has allowed you to bring, no one would question it.”

Mona forced a smirk, biting back the emotions threatening to spill over.

“You can’t be serious—”

Charlotte started to speak, but Mona abruptly cut her off by tossing the corset aside.

“You don’t even need this.”

Her voice was sharp with frustration.

“What on earth happened to your body? The corset is too big! That makes no sense!”

“Mona.”

“From now on, I’m making sure you eat properly. Every meal, every snack—you won’t skip a single one. You’d better be prepared. I’m this persistent with the lord, too, you know.”

“Mona.”

Charlotte’s tone darkened, carrying a quiet authority that made Mona finally fall silent.

But though she stopped speaking, her attitude remained unchanged.

Her hands, as she dressed Charlotte, were unbearably gentle.

As if she feared the delicate fabric of the wedding gown might somehow hurt her.

***

“What a complete mess.”

One noblewoman muttered in shock as she arrived at Rosa Castle, having been delayed due to last-minute preparations.

The wedding venue wasn’t small by any means, yet the entrance was completely blocked by a flood of people.

She had planned to slip inside discreetly, find a seat in the back, and at least make an appearance before heading to the reception. But that plan was now impossible.

At this rate, the first time she’d see the bride and groom would be at the banquet.

Throwing the shawl draped over her shoulders to the maid accompanying her, she hurried toward the entrance.

She was determined to push her way inside, etiquette be damned.

But there was no chance.

A quick glance through the window confirmed that every seat was filled, and even the spaces between chairs were packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder.

She had never seen such a sight at any noble wedding before.

Resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn’t get in, she irritably grabbed a passing servant.

“You there.”

“Yes, madam? You called?”

The Rosa Castle servant stopped immediately, bowing with the precise formality uncharacteristic of a mere attendant.

Surprised by his impeccable demeanor, she quickly masked her reaction, snapping at him instead.

“Just look at this disaster. I can’t even get into the wedding hall! Is this how the Kartenon family treats its guests? If they sent out invitations, they should have prepared enough seats!”

“My deepest apologies, madam.”

The servant bowed politely, yet when he straightened and met her gaze, there wasn’t a trace of guilt on his face.

“However, I must clarify something. The wedding hall has over fifteen hundred seats. Moreover, the Kartenon family did not send out more invitations than there were seats.”

“Then why is this—!”

She was about to raise her voice when a realization struck her.

Her family had left ahead of her—her husband, two sons, eldest daughter-in-law, and grandchildren—five of them had gone in before her. Including herself, that meant six people had come under a single invitation.

This was highly unusual.

Typically, unless the invited family had a particularly close relationship with the hosts, only two or three representatives would attend.

There was no official rule, but it was an unspoken courtesy that everyone followed.

The servant’s point was clear: this chaos wasn’t due to the Kartenon family’s lack of preparation—it was the fault of the invited nobles, who had disregarded proper etiquette.

People like her.

“The banquet hall is currently being reorganized to accommodate the excess guests,” the servant continued smoothly. “We ask for your patience and understanding until the ceremony concludes.”

With another impeccably executed bow, he withdrew.

She was left standing there, feeling as if she had just been scolded.

Turning back toward the wedding hall, she stared blankly at the scene before her.

The reason the nobles had cast aside their pride and flooded the venue was the same reason her household had been abuzz when the invitation arrived.

The wedding of Charlotte de Ignator and Leo Kartenon.

The disgrace of the Ignator family and the hero of Ignator, now joined in marriage.

Could there be a more intriguing spectacle?

On top of that, rumors had been spreading through Ignator’s high society—

The long-absent Princess Mia had locked herself in her chambers, refusing food and weeping endlessly.

What had the exiled princess done this time to steal Ignator’s hero and drive Princess Mia to tears?

Curiosity had driven people to drop everything and flock to Rosa Castle.

Watching them press up against the windows, abandoning all dignity, she felt a flicker of disdain.

Yet when the bell rang, signaling the final moments of the ceremony, she found herself stepping forward—unconsciously drawn in, just like the rest.

***

The Blind Leo Kartenon.

The fading lord of Rosa Castle.

The hero of Ignator, now destined to be forgotten.

Many thoughts filled the minds of the guests as they watched Leo Kartenon enter the hall, his eyes concealed behind a dark blindfold.

But as the officiant’s long-winded speech about two souls becoming one finally ended, and the vow of the wedding kiss was declared, all those thoughts vanished.

Because of Charlotte de Ignator.

The groom’s cautious hands reached out, slowly lifting the bride’s veil.

A hushed murmur rippled through the room as Charlotte’s breathtaking beauty was revealed. Then, all at once, silence fell.

It was as if the sunlight streaming through the windows shone for her and her alone.

Some guests found themselves thinking—

Of all the things Leo Kartenon had lost when he went blind, the greatest tragedy was that he would never see her.

“Now that I think about it, Princess Charlotte… she really was quite the beauty.”

As the couple finally pressed their lips together, someone in the crowd murmured in a dazed voice.

“Was? She still is, don’t you think?”

The person beside them picked up the conversation like a ripple spreading outward.

“Indeed. With looks like that, no wonder men were lining up, desperate to have a turn.”

Before the murmur could spread further, a young lady—one with ties to Princess Mia—cut in sharply.

The surrounding nobles, momentarily entranced by Charlotte’s presence, coughed awkwardly and averted their gazes in various directions.

Having successfully shifted the mood back to propriety, the young lady crossed her arms and turned her attention back to the ceremony.

Charlotte de Ignator pulled away from the kiss, whispering something to Leo Kartenon.

She had deliberately taken a seat closest to the altar, determined to relay every detail of the wedding back to Mia.

Yet no matter how hard she strained her ears, she couldn’t make out a single word Charlotte was saying.

But one thing was clear—despite Mia’s hopes, the couple’s relationship was not distant.

Because Leo Kartenon had just reached out, pulled Charlotte de Ignator by the waist, and kissed her again.

If Mia found out, the first thing she’d do was burst into tears.