Subliminal Wayfarer

As Norman entered the salon where his friends had gathered, he let out an involuntary chuckle. The sight of him laughing made Young Count Andre and his companions nudge him playfully.

“What the— We thought we’d be comforting you, but you seem to be in a good mood. Is it because you’re excited to become the princess’s royal consort?”

“Bullshit.”

Norman snapped, dropping into a chair with a thud. The thought of Princess Vivian made his mouth taste bitter again. The woman was three years older than him. If she hadn’t married by now, surely something must be wrong with her.

How could his father possibly want to pair his only son with a woman like that? No matter how much wealth and honor came with the arrangement, Norman found it repulsive. If his father wanted her so badly, he should marry her himself.

Frustrated, Norman gulped down his drink.

“Still, I’ve heard she’s quite a beauty. She doesn’t attend many events, but from what I’ve heard, she’s more dazzling than people realize.”

“Doesn’t matter. She’s an old hag, past her prime.”

“That’s harsh. She’s not that old!”

“Once a woman’s past twenty-five, it’s all the same.”

“True. The younger, the better.”

Norman and his friends chuckled as they puffed on their pipes. The imported hookah from a foreign land had a peculiar way of lifting their spirits. The combination of hookah and alcohol soon turned the atmosphere sticky and sluggish.

They laughed together, not sure if it was the tobacco or the alcohol taking hold.

“Ah, fucking… hell… Tricia Onium.”

Norman let out a regretful sigh as the image of silver hair floated in his hazy mind. He had tried to track her down after that brief encounter, but she rarely ventured out.

She stayed mostly confined to Onium’s townhouse in the capital, only visiting the temple once a day. Occasionally, she would stop by the palace to meet Princess Freesia, but that was all.

“Just once, just… once.”

He desperately wanted to see her again. The thought of his inevitable marriage being locked in place only made him feel more trapped and desperate.

“…Onium? Tricia Onium?”

Young Viscount Laxon, who had been puffing away on his pipe beside Norman, suddenly brought up Tricia’s name.

“Ahh, that woman… She’s a beauty. Though her personality is a bit rough… But then again, with the Onium family’s legacy, it would be strange if she weren’t strong-willed.”

Laxon giggled and leaned back in his chair.

“How do you know her?”

Norman asked in a rougher tone.

Still reclining, Laxon responded as if humming a tune.

“Ah, our trading guild has been doing business with Onium for a long time. They need spinel gemstones to deal with the monsters at the border, and we’re the only ones who import it, so…”

“So…?”

“Heh, so I’ve seen her a few times while I was accompanying my father… Oh, and come to think of it, our trading guild has invited her to a formal dinner in a few days. I wonder how much more beautiful she’s become. She was already quite a sight when she was younger…”

“Hey, can I come too?”

Norman suddenly stood up and asked.

Onell Laxon glanced at Norman’s desperate face before smirking.

“What’s this… Have you fallen for her?”

“So, can I come or not?”

“Nope. It’s for our trading guild’s members only.”

“Damn it!”

Norman flung himself backward, cursing as he lay sprawled out.

Laxon, still puffing on his pipe, spoke in a corrupted, mocking tone.

“Forget it. The silver wolf is too proud to be tamed. Her family is the margraviate of the borderlands, and they have a legacy as prestigious as any duke’s. And you, my friend, have a princess to marry first.”

“…Who said I want to make her my wife?”

“Oh, so you just want to have her once? Heh, dream big!”

Onell took a final drag from his pipe before blowing out the smoke. Gazing into the swirling haze, he muttered,

“…Rumor has it she’s already found a fiancé.”

“What?”

The unexpected comment made Norman furrow his brow in confusion. He was about to snap at Onell for spouting nonsense when the young viscount’s next words twisted Norman’s expression into one of anger.

“The captain of the Holy Order has been engaged to her for a long time. I heard she came to the capital herself to bring her husband-to-be back because the wedding kept getting delayed.”

In the male-dominated Zeronium, it was strange enough for a female head of the family to come all the way to the capital to fetch her betrothed.

But this was the Onium family they were talking about.

The wolves of Onium were known for dealing with outsiders, being combative, and having an open-minded nature.

It wasn’t entirely unbelievable.

The mention of ‘the captain of the Holy Order’ immediately brought a face to Norman’s mind.

‘Rowan Ginesh!’

The man with golden eyes, red hair, and a bear-like physique—rigid and old-fashioned. The same man who had tossed Norman out of the temple like street trash.

‘Rowan Ginesh and Tricia Onium are engaged?’

Norman couldn’t believe it.

They seemed vastly different in age and didn’t suit each other at all.

How could those two possibly be connected…

“But… there are rumors that the captain is refusing the marriage.”

“What?”

“Hmm… No one knows the exact reason, but apparently, that paladin has stayed put while his bride-to-be came all the way to fetch him. It sounds like there might be some truth to it.”

A dark, twisted thought flickered through Norman’s mind.

“If I can’t have her, no one should.”

“What?”

“That paladin… he’s such a rigid type. It’s obvious he wouldn’t want to marry a woman with a dirty reputation, even if it’s all just rumors.”

“What are you talking about… Oh!”

Young Viscount Laxon, who had been sitting next to Norman smoking, suddenly burst out laughing. He clearly liked Norman’s idea, laughing wickedly as though watching someone’s downfall was the most amusing thing in the world.

“That’s a fun thought. Fun indeed… Ha ha ha!”

Norman narrowed his eyes at Laxon. He realized he needed to bring his friend into this plan.

“Onell, if you help me… I’ll give you what you want.”

“What I want? And what would that be?”

“Don’t think I don’t know about your filthy hobbies.”

“Ah!”

Onell widened his eyes in mock surprise, rubbing his chin as he replied.

“Don’t you dare try and pull wool over my eyes. It’s got to be the golden lily.”

Norman smirked and extended his hand. The dirty hands of the two drunken men clasped together.

 

* * *

 

“Oh! It’s only the day after tomorrow, Milady! The day after tomorrow!”

They were doing a final check of the wedding dress. After a tiring morning of fittings, Grace had barely sat down to rest when Julie, for the fifth time, brought it up again.

“Calm down, Julie.”

“I-I-I can’t calm down! Why am I the one so nervous?”

“Julie, deep breaths. Slowly.”

Huuah— huuah!

Elia gently patted Julie’s back as she took deep breaths. It was only just after lunchtime, and Julie had already gotten worked up five times.

Even Grace, who had been perfectly fine, started to feel a bit on edge because of Julie’s constant fussing.

“And the honeymoon! You’re going to Contana?”

“Yes. We have business there, so we’re combining it with the trip.”

Since they had arranged the wedding quickly, they hadn’t managed to get the approval of all seven families. While most families would gather for the ceremony, Contana’s unique circumstances made it impossible for them to attend so soon.

So Lucas and Grace decided they would visit there after the wedding.

 

“Contana is an island city. When the tide rises, the paths disappear, and when it falls, the roads reappear. Some call it the island of mystery, while others refer to it as the island of witches.”
“It’s on that island… that the curse began.”

 

Lucas had explained it simply.

Even with the brief explanation, Grace could tell that the place held significant importance. But beyond all that, the thought of traveling itself made her excited.

More than the wedding itself, the idea of leaving the capital and visiting a foreign place filled her with anticipation.

She glanced up at the blue sky, feeling thrilled at the thought of the upcoming trip.

Her peaceful moment was broken about an hour later when her soon-to-be husband arrived for a visit.