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Chapter 2
I left the palace with the royal decree and handed it to Vince.
He looked at me with a disdainful expression, as though mocking me for forcing him into marriage. He reached to open the decree.
But I gently pressed his hand down and smiled softly. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. There will be a surprise.”
Vincent glanced at me with a bored look. “Ridiculous. Whether I read it today or tomorrow, the outcome remains the same–I’m bound to you. Have you gone mad with joy at the thought of becoming my wife?”
Yes. Because I’ve seen you alive again.
I smiled. “I think you’re the best person in the world. Whoever marries you will be incredibly happy.”
“Enough. We’re returning to the estate,” he gave a cold snort and turned away. Had I not known better, I might have thought he was flustered.
As the carriage made its way back to the estate, we passed by the lively street. I pulled back the curtains and overheard several young women talking.
“Tonight, the Starweaver descends! Those who witness the century’s comet from the Astral Keep shall be bound for three lifetimes!”
Suddenly, I remembered hearing this same thing in my past life. I eagerly begged Vince to take me to the Astral Keep.
At the time, Vincent’s cold face had been filled with mockery.
“One lifetime of your pestering isn’t enough? You wish to torment me for three? Superstitious nonsense. If you wish to humiliate yourself, do it alone.”
Even now, the memory of his cold gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
I let the curtain fall.
But this time, Vincent spoke, his tone indifferent.
“Do you want to go?”
“I’ll take you to the Astral Keep tonight. Consider it an apology–after we wed, I won’t have time to accompany you to pay respects at your parents‘ grave.”
I looked up at him in surprise–it was unexpected, but not entirely
So
Vincent had always been like this: sharp–tongued, yet kind–hearted than anyone.
Although he didn’t love me, he still sacrificed his life to save me three times.
The first time, I was robbed by bandits. To protect me, he took a sword to the hand, and from then on, that hand, once capable of shooting arrows with deadly precision, could never hold a bow again.
The second time, I contracted a deadly disease. He climbed a cliff to find a snow lotus to save me, nearly breaking his leg in the process.
The third time, during a fire in the palace, he died in front of me while trying to rescueme.
Vincent was perfect in every way–except that he didn’t love me.
I knew that after tonight, I would no longer have any connection to him.
Even if we climbed the Astral Keep and witnessed the rare meteor shower, we wouldn’t be like the legends–staying together for three lifetimes.
But still, I pushed away the tears threatening to fall and smiled brightly, as though it didn’t matter.
“Alright, let’s go watch the Starweaver together.”
Chapter 2
