Wedding (8)

While planning the wedding order, Alicia asked by letter why the bride and groom had to dance on stage at all.

Eleanor kindly replied that they did not have to dance; if they wanted to sing, they could sing, and if there was something else they wanted to show, they could do something else.

After much deliberation, Alicia chose the safe option: a dance.

“It’s fine, so smile.”

Reichardt whispered as he led Alicia onto the stage.

“I am smiling.”

Alicia said, pretending not to notice the gazes boring into her and Reichardt.

Her cheeks stung under everyone’s attention.

It felt even more awkward because the looks were full of anticipation.

Dancing on a stage—on top of that, with the man she liked.

Alicia marveled that this was a situation where her past self would have fainted twenty times over, then reached out her hand toward Reichardt approaching her.

Smiling, Reichardt wrapped an arm around Alicia’s shoulder and waist.

“Your eyes aren’t smiling. Only one corner of your lips keeps trying to lift. You were fine when you greeted people from the carriage earlier.”

Reichardt nodded toward the orchestra conductor.

The dance music began softly.

“That wasn’t dancing there. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize in advance—I might step on your feet.”

Alicia let go of the dizzying sequence of steps spinning in her head.

Rather than matching her body to the steps she had memorized, she was using a shortcut—watching Reichardt move in front of her and following as best she could.

“It’s fine. I’m good at dancing.”

The prince, who had been raised with refinement since childhood, said it with confidence.

“I really forgot everything.”

Alicia whispered in despair.

When Alicia’s foot moved into a position where it was primed to step on Reichardt’s, he flowed aside smoothly and escaped the danger.

“You won’t step on me anyway, but even if you do, what of it. You could step on me a hundred times and it’d be fine.”

Reichardt whispered with a smile, bringing his lips close to Alicia’s ear.

For Alicia, the reception dance was a string of motions performed under extreme tension.

For Reichardt, it was a moment of watching over the small stumbles of the person he loved.

For the guests, it was the beginning of a happy couple.

Reichardt smiled from the moment the dance began.

He smoothly received Alicia’s flailing, visible only to him.

Whenever she needed a breather, he skipped a step and leaned in as if to kiss her, whispering to her instead.

Because it looked as effortless as running water, the guests saw it as a sweet moment between newlyweds.

Each time Reichardt smiled and whispered to the bride, envious sighs rippled through the crowd.

No one loved Reichardt and Alicia’s dance more than Empress Eleanor.

Eleanor clapped lightly and burst into laughter.

“My goodness. Alicia. What do I do… …this is wonderful.”

Eleanor kept the words, Everything was wrong, to herself.

When the dance ended, she stamped her foot and cheered, and the guests cheered with her.

After finishing the stage, Alicia decided to forget how to think.

She could not even begin to count how many times she had gotten it wrong.

Only the vague memory remained that she had nearly stepped on Reichardt’s foot about fourteen times.

“You did well.”

Reichardt lied with a sincere face.

Alicia nodded as she received his kiss on the cheek.

“Yes. Rei did well.”

At Alicia’s wistful remark, Reichardt burst into rare, uproarious laughter.

Seeing his laughter, Alicia laughed too.

On the stage Alicia and Reichardt had come down from, the Emperor and Empress were still dancing.

Even just standing and moving her arms, Eleanor looked splendid.

The Emperor looked delighted, as if it were his own wedding.

Off to one side, Pauline—pulled onto the stage by Marquis Istevna—performed perfect movements while still looking flustered.

It seemed her shy nature had not vanished entirely.

Around the stage, it was crowded with men trying to ask for dances and ladies waiting for requests, accepting them, or refusing them.

Some even asked ladies for dances while they were seated at the dining tables.

“My heart’s beating too.”

Alicia untangled the arm she had been linking and stepped away from Reichardt.

The violet eyes looking up at him shone brighter than ever.

Reichardt knew he should explain the action he had just taken, and the several moments of rudeness he had committed before.

Kissing her because he could not contain himself, then suddenly pulling back, was the kind of thing he would have deserved a slap for.

Alicia did not interrogate him or press him.

She looked up at him in silence for a moment, then reached out and cradled his face.

And then she kissed his hesitant face.

Reichardt saw Alicia’s face draw close and closed his eyes.

Warm, soft lips touched the thin skin of his eyelids.

As if comforting him. As if cheering him on.

She kissed the fragile skin that covered eyes holding secrets, pouring love into it.

Tap, tap.

After leaving kisses that scattered sweet sounds, Alicia withdrew gently.

Reichardt let out an awkward smile at the kiss placed on his eyes.

Embarrassment surged at Alicia’s manner, as if she understood everything, as if she knew.

Then the guilt and fear he had postponed came rushing in as well.

“Are you scared?”

Alicia whispered, lying neatly with her head on his pillow.

“Yes, I’m scared.”

Reichardt answered as he lay down beside Alicia.

He did not take his gaze off her violet eyes.

Alicia also held his gaze.

“Why?”

“It feels like the punishment is gone, but I’m not sure. I’m scared that I’ll become a burden to Alicia—or that a child who might exist will resemble me. Aren’t you scared, Alicia?”

Reichardt’s words were not some vague dread.

He had lived alongside dreadful pain for a long time.

Alicia reached out and stroked the worry-laden face.

“I’m not scared. As long as Rei doesn’t become scared…”

Alicia could not finish her sentence.

Reichardt wrapped an arm around Alicia’s back and pulled her into his embrace.

“You’re brave.”

Alicia kissed the splendid jaw that had come close.

Reichardt tilted his face a little more toward Alicia.

Alicia kissed the cheek and lips that came near her own.

“More?”

Alicia whispered after lightly touching her lips to Reichardt’s and pulling away.

“Yes, more.”

Reichardt politely pretended to be weak.

With a soft laugh, Alicia kissed the face that had whispered that he was scared.

The sweet sounds did not stop.

Reichardt, who had only been quietly receiving the rain of kisses, soon kissed Alicia in return.

The sweet resonance filled the night.