Chapter 119: The Wedding of Blood (II)

After a knock on the door, Pablo’s voice rang out.

“Your Highness.”

“Come in.”

Pablo entered, dressed in an elegant wedding suit embroidered with white and gold thread. Seeing his overly nervous face, Page couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Why so tense? It’s not your first marriage, is it?”

“F-first time!” Pablo exclaimed defensively.

Page was simply turning the tables after what had happened earlier, using the same tactic on Pablo now. Louis watched this exchange with amusement.

When did these two get so close?

Perhaps spending more time together since Pablo’s manly proposal last time had broken down the subtle barrier between them?

Louis turned to Pablo, who was fawning over Page, and asked him something.

“Why have you come? To see how beautifully I’ve decorated?”

“Princess Page is always beautiful.”

”…”

Pablo’s serious expression as he said ‘Princess Page is always beautiful!’ made her blush.

At this, Louis grimaced.

“Stop talking nonsense. Why are you here?”

“All guests have entered.”

”…Really?”

The guests had entered. In other words, enemies had infiltrated the palace.

“How many in total?”

“About 700 people.”

“He brought quite a few,” Louis clicked his tongue.

Among the 700 guests, if half were soldiers planted by Levans, that would be 350. In the worst-case scenario, all 700 could potentially be Levans’ forces.

“So what you’re saying is…”

Louis leaped off the sofa with a bound.

“Twins, let’s go.”

“Where are we going, Louis?”

“We’re coming too?”

Gathering up his twins, Louis headed for the door. He waved over his shoulder as he left.

“We’ll head to the banquet first. See you there in a bit.”

The sight of the children walking away was utterly peaceful. It was hard to believe they were heading towards a place filled with hundreds of enemies.

As Pablo and Page stared blankly at the departing figures…

“Oh!” Louis suddenly stopped, turned around, and spoke again.

“Do you guys know this?”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean?” The puzzled looks on their faces drew a meaningful smile from Louis.

“That I truly support your love? I genuinely want what’s best for both of you.”

“W-What’s suddenly brought this up?” The bride sputtered, clearly taken aback.

Louis waved at her with a flourish before sauntering out of the room, his movements languid and deliberate.

The palace pavilion had been transformed for Princess Page’s wedding. Though it was to be a quiet affair, “small” would have been an inaccurate descriptor. Hundreds of people had gathered to witness the ceremony, their groups scattered throughout the venue in the pretense of celebrating the royal union.

Soon enough, the wedding began amidst the resplendent performance of the court orchestra.

Boom! Boom!

Two thunderous drumbeats echoed through the air, followed by the cheerful blare of trumpets as the doors to the palace pavilion swung open.

Pablo stepped inside, his face etched with nerves as he walked down the aisle carpeted in white, the wood creaking beneath his feet like a log being sawn.

Those seated around him stirred uneasily at the sight.

Most of them were seeing Pablo for the first time.

“Is that him? He looks more bandit-like than I expected.”

“No wonder rumors have been spreading about him!”

The wedding guests, who had likely heard stories about Pablo, couldn’t help but steal glances at him as he passed.

As Pablo walked down the central aisle and stood before the officiating priest, he turned around.

His gaze fixed on the open doors beyond.

He was waiting for the bride herself—the main character of today’s wedding ceremony—to make her grand entrance.

Ding-dong.

Unlike Pablo’s dramatic arrival, soft harp music filled the air.

And then, three children emerged from behind those doors.

It was Louis and his twin sisters.

Dressed in traditional wedding attire, they advanced along the path, scattering flower petals ahead of the bride-to-be.

The children scattering flower petals were so adorable that the corners of the guests’ mouths curved into gentle smiles.

As Louis and the twins reached the center of the aisle, the main character finally made her grand entrance.

Tinkling bells

Accompanied by a beautiful melody, the king took his daughter’s hand and escorted her down the aisle with graceful steps. The page wore a silk veil over her face as Pablo creaked towards them in greeting.

”…Please take care of her.”

The king softly recited these words before entrusting the page’s hand to Pablo. He watched as Pablo nodded with a sense of duty etched on his face before stepping back.

At first glance, it appeared to be a typical wedding scene.

Following this exchange, Pablo and the page joined hands and began their procession together.

As the traditional wedding march of the Frenche Kingdom echoed through the hall,

Louis, having completed his duties at the flower arrangement station, scanned the area.

He’s not here?

His eyes hardened. The person he sought was Levans, today’s true main character. Despite the ceremony already underway, there was no sign of him.

What happened?

Just as Louis continued waiting for him—

“I refuse to acknowledge this marriage!” With that proclamation, a group barged into the venue, completely disregarding the ongoing ceremony.

Their sudden appearance caused the corners of Louis’s mouth to curl upward.

“Oh boy, is the hero always supposed to show up late?” It was finally time for the arrival of the one they had all been anticipating. Louis smiled warmly, as if welcoming them in.

Thump-thump.

The eleven of them marched in lockstep, with Premier Levans at their head. They strode down the central aisle without a care for all the eyes on them—the path reserved exclusively for the groom and bride-to-be.

Their dark boots left muddy footprints on the pristine white carpet meant to symbolize the couple’s bright future, while the petals strewn by Louis and his twin brothers were trampled underfoot.

A few guests stirred uneasily at this rude intrusion.

Levens halted before Page and Pablo, his gaze fixed intently on the former.

“You’re every bit as lovely as I’d heard, Your Highness,” he said softly.

“…” She remained silent.

“I wish I could have seen you like this twenty years ago. It truly is regrettable that our paths crossed only now.”

”…What in blazes is this charade?” Page raised her veil and glared at Levans with venomous eyes.

Despite this, Levans wore an expression of utter composure. With a hint of amusement in his voice, he asked:

“It’s not too late even now. Will you still break off this engagement?”

”…”

“And would you grace me once more by wearing that dress for my sake?”

The unexpected turn sent the guests into another uproar.

Page scoffed at Levans. “I thought you were a man of reason… Has two decades truly changed you so much?”

“You’re not entirely wrong,” Levans replied evenly. “It’s the reality I’ve faced over these past twenty years that has brought about this transformation.”

“I heard you’re already married and have children well into adulthood.”

“My proposal for you, my dear princess, is the position of my second wife. Of course, although it’s a second marriage, please don’t feel too disheartened. I will love both my current wife and you equally. Naturally, this extends to any child you may bear.”

“Once upon a time, I thought you were quite a decent man,” Page retorted sharply. “But you’ve truly become despicable. Is that something one should say to a bride on her wedding day, who happens to be carrying your child?”

Before she could finish speaking, Pablo’s face hardened as he stepped forward to block her path.

“You dare speak such words after all we’ve shared?!” Pablo snarled, his eyes flashing menacingly.

Witnessing Pablo’s aggressive stance, those standing behind Levans instinctively took a step closer in response.

And then, in that moment…

“What madness is this?”

The king burst in, his voice seething with rage. Accompanied by a single guard, he swiftly approached Levans and glared at him.

“Levans! What is the meaning of this outrage?”

“Your Majesty, I am offering you your final chance,” Levans replied coldly. His eyes flashed as he stared down the king. “Despite all that you possess, you have proven yourself utterly incompetent. Your ineptitude has brought ruin upon our nation - that is your crime.”

“You insolent…”

“However, since even your assistance was necessary for me to reach this point… I grant you one last opportunity. For both Princess Page and yourself.” With those words, Levans turned his gaze towards Page.

“Decide, Your Highness. Choose between me or this man who has rolled into our lives from goodness knows where. The fate of the Frenche Kingdom today hangs on your choice.”

Under the cold gaze leveled at him, Page spoke up.

“Well, as a man and as a husband… if I had to choose between you two…”

As he said this, Page took Pablo’s hand.

“I think I’d choose him without hesitation.”

“I see,” Levans nodded indifferently.

At that moment, a shout erupted from beside them.

“Premier! That statement could be considered treasonous!”

Despite receiving a murderous glare from the bodyguard, Levans remained unfazed.

He laughed as he replied.

“Treason… Why such a sad word?” The smile slowly faded from his lips. What remained was ruthlessness.

“This is not treason, but revolution.”

No sooner had he spoken than an anomaly occurred in the wedding hall.

Shing-shing.

Six hundred people rose from among the guests. Out of seven hundred total attendees, mere mortals numbered only one hundred. Moreover, Levans himself had created the guest list—and there was no way he would miss this opportunity.

“Kill them all,” Levans commanded.

His plan involved filling most of the seats with ordinary individuals deemed uncooperative or unsuitable for building a new world order.

It was time for the purge.

Levans’s forces emerged from hiding, brandishing weapons concealed in tables, chairs, and throughout the wedding hall.

Blood instantly began to spurt into the air.

“Kyaa!”

“Gahhh!”

The sudden turn of events startled the unsuspecting guests, eliciting screams of terror.

Cries and blood splattered everywhere.

The head bodyguard rushed to shield the king, shouting urgently:

“Your Highness! The royal guard, protect His Majesty at all costs!”

Upon hearing this command, the guards stationed around the wedding hall swiftly surrounded the king and his page.

However, there were barely ten members of the royal guard present.

Beads of cold sweat formed on their brows as they struggled to maintain a defensive formation amidst the mounting pressure from all sides.

“Aargh!”

“P-please spare me!”

The celebration of a royal couple’s birth had turned into a bloodbath. In the blink of an eye, most guests lay dead, while the few survivors scrambled for their lives. However, with Levans’ forces blocking all exits, their only refuge was the king himself.

Cornered together, the survivors and the king found themselves surrounded by Levans’ men.

At that moment, Levans raised his hand.

“Enough!”

His signal brought an immediate halt to the onslaught. Levans stepped forward, placing himself between the king and the remaining survivors. His face exuded confidence—the assurance that he could take any of their lives at will.

Levens began to speak, his lips curling into a smile.

“It has truly been a long journey to witness this spectacle.”

”…”

“You have nothing to say?”

”…Was it necessary for so much blood to be shed? Would my head alone not suffice?”

“One must pour new wine into fresh wineskins. If you try to store fine liquor in rotten vessels from the past, all will be lost.”

”…”

“I’ve already prepared new wineskins. What we’re doing now is simply burning these obsolete skins. We wouldn’t want any flies buzzing around them.”

“You truly…” The king gritted his teeth as he glared at Levans.

Meanwhile, Pablo scanned their surroundings with nervous eyes.

Where… where could they be?

He was clearly here just a moment ago.

Pablo’s eyes darted around so quickly that it seemed he might pop out of his head like a jack-in-the-box. The object of his desperate search was obvious to anyone who knew him well.

As if aware of Pablo’s thoughts, a familiar voice chimed in with delight: