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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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They had no choice but to roll up their sleeves.
A meeting with their future mother-in-law was imminent. They each had their own reasons to be apprehensive, but they were united in their determination to prevent her from learning about the marriage through the newspaper.
Rudrick’s announcement had galvanized them into action.
The only one left to inform was Elena.
The Crown Princess had already visited Elena and learned the shocking truth, but Rudrick, unaware of this, stood outside Elena’s office, taking a deep breath.
It had been a week. A whole week.
Elena’s self-imposed confinement, fueled by her quest for the perfect wedding, was already the talk of the Imperial Palace.
While others could only speculate about the reason for her seclusion, Rudrick was starting to feel genuinely concerned.
‘What kind of wedding is she planning? What scheme is she brewing…?’
He sighed, a look of exasperation on his face.
Even for a once-in-a-lifetime event, Elena’s dedication was a bit excessive. He had entrusted her with the planning, but he couldn’t fathom what kind of elaborate ceremony required a week of solitary confinement.
He could sense Elena’s presence inside the office.
“…No, maybe it would be better to change the decorations and hire a mage to adjust the lighting…”
“…”
“Inviting guests is a chore too. I’ll make a list later. For now, I’ll just focus on the most important people…”
He could hear her muttering to herself.
Fortunately, no one dared to eavesdrop on a princess, so her ramblings remained private.
Lassiel’s public display of affection had already made the news inevitable. There was no point in hiding it.
However, he was concerned about how others would perceive Elena if they knew the reason for her week-long seclusion was simply wedding planning.
“This is serious. Seriously serious.”
He muttered, then knocked lightly on the door.
There was no response.
“Damn it, the more I think about it, the more complicated it gets. I should just start with the guest list…”
Elena continued to mumble to herself, lost in her own world.
Asking for permission was pointless in this situation.
He opened the door.
Elena, with dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, was buried under a mountain of papers, deep in thought.
She looked even worse than when the Crown Princess had visited a few days ago.
She glanced up, then her face brightened when she recognized him.
“Rudrick! What brings you here?”
“I’m alone.”
“Hmm… What is it? I was just thinking about coming to find you.”
“Well, you’ve been holed up in here for a week, so I came to check if you were still alive. It would be strange if the bride collapsed from exhaustion at the wedding, after all this planning.”
“That’s true, but…”
Elena blushed, suddenly self-conscious about her appearance.
“I’ve been up for days, so I look a bit… Could we talk in ten minutes? After I freshen up?”
“I’d like to say you look beautiful even like this, but this is important, so no.”
“Beau…tiful…?”
“That’s not the point. I’m here to talk about something serious.”
They had agreed to drop the formalities when they were alone, after the previous incident.
Elena blushed again, but he quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic before she could get carried away with her imagination.
“We need to meet my parents. So put the planning aside for now and go wash up.”
“Meet your parents…?”
Elena tilted her head, confused.
It wasn’t exactly a formal meeting of the families, but it was close enough.
It was a necessary step before the wedding, but it wasn’t so urgent that it required such an abrupt announcement.
“The news that Lassiel and I are dating is about to hit the newspapers.”
“Huh?”
Elena frowned.
Rumors of their relationship were already circulating among the nobles. Elena was long past the typical marrying age, and Rudrick was close to it, so it wasn’t surprising.
They were often seen together, so they were an easy target for gossip.
But a news article about him dating Lassiel?
Elena didn’t understand, but his explanation made her frown, just like the others.
“I went to see Lassiel to talk about meeting my parents. I heard she was at the training grounds, so I went to see her.”
“And?”
“She kissed me. Right in front of all the recruits.”
“…”
Elena’s face crumpled in disapproval.
“…And you just let her?”
“There’s no reason not to. We’re getting married anyway. The news will spread throughout the continent eventually.”
“That’s true, but… Anyway, so it’s going to be in the newspapers.”
“Yes. And there’s a problem. My sister knows, but my parents don’t.”
“…”
Elena fell silent.
It wouldn’t be right for his parents to find out about such an important matter through the newspaper.
While it was ultimately their decision, it was still customary to seek the approval of the head of the family.
In other words, it was up to his mother, Countess Aline Weiss.
Even with such a high-profile wedding, Countess Weiss could technically object, although it was unlikely.
“…So you’re trying to expedite things.”
“I’m going to marry them even if she objects, so it doesn’t really matter. But it would be awkward for her to find out through the newspaper.”
“Countess Weiss would be understandably upset.”
Elena nodded, understanding the situation.
He wanted to meet his parents as soon as possible.
She stood up abruptly.
“I’ll be ready.”
“How long will you take?”
“Twenty minutes is enough.”
Rudrick nodded.
Their time limit was tomorrow morning, when the newspaper would arrive at Weiss County.
They had to leave today.
With Rudrick, an Archmage, and Sylphia and Arwen, who were also skilled in magic, travel time wouldn’t be an issue.
“Get ready and come to my lab. I’ll gather the others.”
“Alright.”
As soon as he left, Elena pulled out a ribbon and tied her hair, muttering to herself.
“I never thought I’d see my mother-in-law again so soon.”
Her words were muffled by the ribbon in her mouth, but it didn’t matter.
She had been preoccupied with wedding planning, and now she had to prepare for an unexpected meeting with his parents.
Her eyes narrowed.
“To gain the upper hand… I need a decisive move…”
An unscheduled meeting with his parents.
They were all in the same boat. Five brides, one groom. It was an unprecedented situation.
While it wasn’t about asking for permission, it was still important to make a good impression.
A glint of mischief flickered in her eyes.
“…I have a good idea.”
She smiled slyly.
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