On the morning of the wedding, Astelle went to see Theor. "Listen to Grandpa and have fun today," she said gently.
Theor, still sleepy, rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed. "Mom, where are you going?"
"Today is the wedding day, so I have to go to the temple," Astelle explained.
Astelle and Hannah had not talked much about the wedding, so Theor didn't have much awareness of it.
"Can't I go too?" Theor asked.
"Do you want to go to the wedding?"
"Yes, I want to see my mom in a wedding dress. I want to go too."
Astelle had planned to leave Theor in the Empress Palace with her maternal grandfather instead of taking him to the wedding.
In the midst of the unhappiness that clouded the impending marriage, Astelle didn't want Theor to carry memories of an unhappy scene. Her maternal grandfather, who had been quietly listening, voiced his sadness.
"Why don't you take him with you?" he suggested.
"It's still his parents' wedding. If he doesn't attend, it might burden him later on," her grandfather added.
Her grandfather's advice struck a chord within her, stirring her emotions. Perhaps it would be better for Theor to remember the wedding as a normal celebration.
With a smile directed at Theor, Astelle made her decision. "Then let's go together. Get up, have breakfast, and get ready."
"Yes!" Theor eagerly replied, jumping off the bed and heading towards the floor.
"I'll take care of Theor. Shouldn't you start getting ready too?" her maternal grandfather suggested gently.
"I just need to put on some makeup," Astelle replied calmly.
For over a month, thousands of people had been busy preparing for the wedding. However, Astelle, the bride, had little to prepare herself.
All she had to do was apply makeup and wear a dress. She had no desire to do more than that.
After leaving Theor in her grandfather's care for a while, Astelle returned to her residence. With the assistance of her maids, she bathed in water infused with perfumed oil and prepared to apply her makeup.
"Lady Astelle, I've brought the dress," Hannah announced as she entered the room, carrying the finished gown.
Astelle watched as Hannah opened the large box, revealing a dazzlingly beautiful white dress. It was the first time she had seen the completed gown in person.
The bodice of the dress was adorned with small diamonds arranged in a delicate lily pattern, tightly studded on the chest. The skirt was particularly stunning, composed of layers of pearl silk and muslin. Three layers of skirt cascaded elegantly, with embroidered pearlescent lace fluttering down to the floor. It was undeniably more glamorous than any attire Astelle had worn before, even at her first wedding.
Vellian had once inquired if she was aware of the exorbitant cost of the dress. Looking at it now, Astelle could see why he had asked. Its opulence spoke volumes.
Hannah passed the dress to the other maids and took up a comb.
"The duke contacted me," she said quietly, as she began to dry Astelle's still-wet hair.
Astelle motioned for the other maids to leave, signaling that she wanted privacy.
"It's said that they apprehended a man who had sneaked into the dressing room at dawn."
