My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 59
Chapter 30.1 — Best Bridesmaid (13)
“The limousine is pulling in! It’s Princess Beatrice!”
The royal limousine, painted in wine color, cruised down the lively Montbéliard Avenue. Beyond the tightly lined-up Chalonné and Helios royal guards, a crowd filled with enthusiasm cheered like waves.
Bea, wearing a veil, waved continuously to the people from behind the window.
They were soon at the cathedral. The limousine skidded to a stop at the cathedral entrance, and when Bea stepped out, the city erupted in exclamation. Her nobility was undeniable, even behind the veil, keeping journalists busy coming up with titles to capture her essence.
Since the Princess of Chalonné had no father, Bea chose to enter with her mother by her side.
After the photo time ended and the cathedral doors opened, Riette became truly nervous.
When the cathedral doors opened, there, at the end of the Virgin Road, appeared her future brother-in-law, Saint-Cyr. He had a tall stature and light brown hair. The man, who was evident that he was a son of the gentry even at a glance, froze as his face flushed bright red. The charm of the Chalonné wedding was that the groom got to see the bride in her wedding dress for the first time.
Under normal circumstances, she might have chuckled softly at the sight of such a groom, but Riette’s attention was completely elsewhere.
‘…Grand Duke? Why is he there?’
Right behind the groom, Cain stood in the Garçon D’honneur (groomsman’s) position, or best man’s.
His neatly combed hair and a well-tailored dress uniform that fit him perfectly, complete with a black bow tie. Instead of silver medals, he wore violet cornflower boutonnieres. It was obvious that it matched the color of her sister’s eyes. It was a very polite outfit that clearly honored and revealed that the protagonists of the day were Beatrice and her husband.
Typically, the groom’s closest friends serve as groomsmen, but Ceres wanted to avoid the situation of having commoners in the wedding party, given that her daughter had married a commoner.
As a result, they had decided to have courtiers stand in instead…
Just as Riette shot him a puzzled look, he met her gaze only briefly before turning his head to face the groom’s back, taking on the role of the perfect best man.
The Grand Duke of Acheron was the best man…
Normally, if you were an ordinary noble, it would be considered a tremendous dishonor to have your pride and dignity crushed so mercilessly by such a role. Though it meant that the Grand Duke of Acheron declared respect and friendship by standing as the best man to her brother-in-law, who was silently disregarded due to his status.
That fact alone elevated her brother-in-law from a commoner who had been lucky enough to be taken in by his sister to a man with special social skills. Not only did it hoist her brother-in-law, who was a commoner, but it also heightened the overall status of the wedding itself.
Perhaps her sister’s choice, too, would soon change direction, not out of foolish love but as a wise decision to unearth a pearl in the mud.
That was the power that the name Acheron held.
Saying he would capture her mother’s heart on his own, he must have been quite confident. After all, what mother wouldn’t like a man who preserved her daughter’s honor?
Even when she glanced at her mother’s side, she seemed quite satisfied.
Riette gazed at him strangely as she entered the Virgin Road, holding her sister’s train.
A glance.
Cain took a glance at her.
His earlobes turned ever so slightly reddened. It was a shade of pink that could be concealed in the subtle lighting of the grand cathedral.
Naturally, Riette didn’t notice, as she had to concentrate on ensuring her sister’s dress didn’t get disheveled during the entrance. She was so focused on him that she didn’t realize she hadn’t spared a single glance for her sister, her mother, or Narkissis sitting in the front row.
And so, the wedding ceremony began.
The ceremony itself was simple. The groom and bride professed their love in front of the bishop, and once the witnesses signed the marriage vows, it was over.
Next to Bea’s name was Riette and two maids of honor who were close friends of Bea, and right next to Saint-Cyr’s name, there was none other than the signature of the Grand Duke of Acheron. Although the names of the courtiers, who were theoretically just number placeholders, were insignificant, the ripple effect was so great that they could have been left out without consequence.
“…I hereby declare in the name of God that Princess Beatrice Clotilde Xavier de Chalonné and Sir Jacques Saint-Cyr are now husband and wife.”
As the Archbishop’s declaration concluded, dignified applause filled the cathedral, and outside, there was a resounding display of fireworks and cheers before Bea and Jacques held hands and made their way back along the Virgin Road. Now, it was time for them to board the wedding limousine to make the rounds of Montbéliard.
Watching her sister’s receding figure, which was getting smaller by the moment, Riette felt a lump in her throat once again.
‘I shouldn’t cry…’
However, when she heard her mother sniffle, it became difficult to hold back the tears. Riette had always had the tendency to cry when she saw others cry, and now, it was her sister’s wedding and her mother’s tears. It was beyond her control.
“Hup…”
In the end, round tears rolled down her cheeks.
Almost simultaneously, she felt a quick glance from the side, and she reflexively turned her head and saw the uniform. A large hand in a white glove was holding a handkerchief.
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