Alluring Secret : Black Vow

Chapter 3 : Part 1 : Turning Gears

Chapter 3, Part 1 – Turning Gears

Claude Cathedral. Today, in the church that was said to be the sacred place closest to Heaven since the founding of Alphine, a solemn wedding ceremony was taking place. Yes, it was the wedding between Miku, the daughter of the Cryinpt family, one of the five most prestigious families within the kingdom, and the son of Viscount Iceburg, the wealthy merchant noble from the neighboring kingdom of Folle.

Many people, not only from Velcant but also the neighboring Tard Region, had all come to the wedding between the two families, who were both well-known in high society, in order to give their blessings. Even the Cryinpt family, whose bloodline had once been in danger of becoming extinct due to the early death of their family head, had settled, saved by the marriage with the son of the Iceburg family, which would unite the two houses. For that reason, not only was the current family head, my mother, truly happy about the marriage, but so were all the servants from the Cryinpt mansion. Today... nearly the entire country was here to bless our wedding. Finally, my value of existence would be acknowledged. Today would be the day where I would shine the brightest in my life.

After finishing with greeting the majority of the guests, I went to take a break by myself in the garden behind the church. Since this morning, I had gone through numerous outfit checks and rehearsals of greetings, and spoken with the many acquaintances and guests who had already arrived, leaving me barely any time to catch my breath. I wanted to mentally prepare myself before the actual ceremony began. In this small, quiet garden.

Because of the fact that the main garden spread out in the front, there weren't made people that came through this rear garden and the forest that extended behind it. However, because this garden wasn't very cared for at all, it wasn't a place many would go out of their way to come and see.

"Finally......"

I recalled the faces of those I'd seen gathered earlier. For the first time since we've started living together, I thought I'd seen my mother smile. It was still hard to have called that a genuine smile, but for someone who rarely even smiled calmly, it was something I had always wished to see. I had finally been able to make her happy. I had finally met her expectations.

At least, that was how it was supposed to have been.

"Am I...... happy?"

I simply wanted to be loved by mother. Although we weren't related by blood, she was the one who had done her best to raise me until now. Even if it wasn't out of actual love, I was fine with that. I had lived until now, putting all of my effort in continuing to meet her expectations, thinking it would be fine as long as I could be one day acknowledged for it. And today, that wish had finally come true..... and yet—

The emotions that came and went in my chest right now...... Although my wish had finally been granted, no emotions that resembled happiness or joy would come forth.

"Why......?"

Strange, unanswered emotions were swirling in the depths of my heart.

"Am I... really fine with this......?"

There was no one here right now. No one to listen to my words..... my true feelings. Things I had never talked to anyone about, even now.

I never outwardly showed my true feelings which I kept in the depths of my heart. Always, I kept a wall around my heart when facing others, being myself...... No, putting everything into acting as the person others wanted me to be, behaving appropriately as Miku, from the Cryinpt family. I knew, so well that it hurt, that being selfish, lazy, and narcissistic, wasn't desired in this house.