After making his rounds through the estate, Stewart returned to the castle just in time to see Tuck''s tall frame climbing adder. His strong arms were carefully lifting a brilliant blue crystalmpshade to affix it to the chandelier. Seeing that both the lord and young masters were upied, Stewart quickly headed toward the kitchen.


    A few minutester, the sapphirempshades were securely in ce, covering the entire chandelier in the main hall.


    "Thank you, Tuck!" Ry said with a smile, hands on his hips.


    "Don’t mention it. But I must say, thesempshades look quite exquisite," Tuck replied, gazing up at the chandelier. Thempshades were etched with several delicate patterns resembling the figures of women.


    "They do look rather intricate. I''m curious to see the effect," Taylors added from the side. "Ry, can you show us now?"


    Ry smiled mysteriously and shook his head. "That’s a surprise I’ve prepared for Crina. You’ll all have to wait untilter."


    At that moment, Stewart emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray of snacks and dried meat. "Since we can’t have a proper meal today, I figured everyone must be hungry. Here are some freshly made fruit cheese and jerky from Maru."


    "Oh, you’re always so thoughtful, Mr. Stewart!" Rhett said as he picked up a piece of cheese. He had a particr fondness for sweets, perhaps because they always seemed to put him in a better mood.


    Tuck grabbed a handful of jerky, eagerly stuffing pieces into his mouth. Finding it wasn’t enough, he reached for another handful."Tuck, don’t stick your saliva-covered fingers back in there! You’re getting the other jerky all wet!" Taylors said with a look of disgust, abandoning the meat and opting for the cheese instead.


    Each kingdom had its own customs, and in the Kingdom of Gillon, it was tradition that on the day of the wedding, aside from the wedding feast, neither family could eat a full meal.


    Rhett recalled reading about this custom in the biography of the kingdom''s first king, Mandes Gillon. During the fall of the ancient Dan Kingdom, Mandes had gathered an army in the chaos to resist the orcs. In one of thergest battles, the Battle of Purple Gold Ridge, Mandes was defeated and forced to flee into the deep mountains. While hiding, he developed feelings for his aide-de-camp, who wouldter be his queen.


    The biography exined that during this time, they had very little food left. To make their wedding meal morevish, they skipped breakfast and lunch. Surprisingly, despite being pursued by the orcs, they were never found and managed to survive against all odds.


    Mandes believed this to be a miracle, one he associated with their wedding. After founding the kingdom, this story spread widely, and many bards added their own embellishments, infusing it with a sense of mystery.


    This tradition evolved into a custom where, on the day of the wedding, no one could eat a full meal except at the feast. Additionally, weddings were meant to be intimate, with no guests beyond the two families. Over time, only the royal family strictly adhered to this tradition. For ordinary nobles, the rules had be more rxed—eating small meals was allowed, and inviting guests outside the family was no longer forbidden. However, most weddings still followed the custom of only including the two families unless absolutely necessary.


    As Rhett reminisced, he realized that he hadn’t invited Roy from Maplewood Town due to the tight schedule. "I guess Taylors and Mina’s wedding will have to be postponed by a few days," he thought to himself. However, based on previous simtions, he knew that this dy wouldn’t prevent the two from being together, so he wasn’t too concerned.


    Just then, the head cook, Maru, emerged from the kitchen. "Master, if tonight’s wedding feast requires seafood dishes, we should start catching some fish, shrimp, and crabs from Sr Lake now. I’ll need time to remove the fishy smell."


    "Right! I almost forgot!" Tuck eximed, smacking his forehead. "I’ll handle it; I’ll be quicker!" He hurriedly headed toward the castle doors.


    "Hold on, Tuck. Your brain must still be half-asleep," Taylors called out, dissatisfied. "Are you nning to just head out like that? Even if you catch a lot, how many can you bring back with just two hands?"


    "I’ming with you!" Taylors said, grabbing a few boxes from the kitchen as the two brothers hurried off.


    ...


    In the Kingdom of Gillon, wedding feasts were typically held in the evening.


    As night fell, the grand hall of Deep Rock Castle was bathed in a mesmerizing, oceanic glow. The sapphirempshades, polished by Ry to have hundreds of facets, sparkled wlessly. The lit chandelier made the entire hall resemble a world of blue crystal.


    The crystal faces, each subtly reflecting the image of a graceful woman, left the maids in awe. They stared wide-eyed, their voices hushed as they whispered excitedly about the spectacle.


    Creak...


    Therge doors of Deep Rock Castle slowly opened...


    Crina, looking radiant in her wedding attire, gracefully stepped into the hall. Her father, Gale, held her arm, surveying the hall with satisfaction at the dreamlike scene.


    Ry, dressed in a ck suit, stood under the brightest light, smiling warmly at Crina, who was walking toward him on the red carpet.


    His dream girl, Crina, was dressed in a white satin gown with colorful feathers hanging from the hem like fluttering birds. The neckline was adorned with delicate gold-threadedce, and her sleeves were trimmed with rich blue rose borders.


    Her beauty was so dazzling that everyone in the hall was captivated, unable to look away—not out of disrespect, but out of pure admiration.


    Ry was no exception.


    Every step Crina took held his gaze, as if she were a vortex drawing him in with an irresistible pull.


    It wasn’t until she stood beside him, her enchanting fragrance filling his senses, that he finally snapped back to reality.


    Gale, his eyes filled with emotion, looked at Ry for a few seconds before nodding lightly and stepping down to join Rhett.


    "Look at them. They’re finally together," Gale said, feeling both happy and a little reluctant.


    "They’re a perfect match, don’t you think?" Rhett replied with a smile.


    "My daughter, I wish you a lifetime of happiness," Crina’s mother, Carol, said, her hands half-covering her tear-filled eyes.


    All eyes in the hall were on the couple standing in the center. Ry took Crina’s hands, and they began their wedding vows.


    In the Kingdom of Gillon, the officiants at weddings were the bride and groom themselves. No third party was involved. The widely epted exnation for this was that marriage was a sacred and private matter between two people. As the first test of their union, the wedding should be something they face together without outside interference.


    Usually calm andposed, Ry was overwhelmed by the emotions brought on by the woman at his side. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice filled with tenderness:


    "On this special day, I am blessed to wee the most important guest of my life—my beautiful Crina.


    From the moment we met, fate has guided our hearts to grow closer.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I am grateful for the time that brought us together, and I look forward to a future as beautiful as a painting, where we grow old together."


    Apuse erupted from the audience after the half-hour-long vow.


    Ry and Crina gazed at each other before bowing to the audience and stepping down from the stage.


    With that, the wedding feast officially began.


    In contrast to Earth, there was no round of toasts at this feast. After all, the only guests were family members, totaling fewer than ten people.


    Ry and Crina, as the stars of the day, had just taken their seats when Rhett raised his ss to toast them. "To Ry and Crina, may your marriage be filled with happiness."


    "Thank you, Father," they replied together, with Crina now addressing him as "Father" after joining the family.


    "Ry, I’ll make a separate toast to you. I hope you’ll always take good care of my daughter!" Carol''s tone held a trace of sorrow, which did not escape Gale’s notice. He frowned in disapproval.


    Ry, flustered by the attention, leaned over to her. "It should be me toasting you, Mrs. Carol. Thank you for raising Crina with such love and care."


    "I’m sure Ry will do his best, Carol. You don’t have to worry!" Gale reassured her, backing Ry up.


    "If Crina ever feels wronged by Ry, I’ll be the first to set him straight!" Rhett added firmly, as a father should.


    Carol nodded, smiling through her tears. "I believe in Ry. I wish you both happiness and hope you’ll visit the castle often."


    "Mother, we certainly will!" Crina replied, moved by her mother’s words.


    "I’m confident that Ry and Crina will not only build a wonderful life together but also never forget their parents. Today is a day for joy, so let’s all be happy!" Gale gently patted Carol’s arm. "And next time, don’t be away so much. You’re always off visiting friends, and Crina misses you when shees home!" He added with a hint of dissatisfaction.


    "I know what’s important!" Carol retorted, taking a sip of wine and giving Gale a yful re.


    Aside from Rhett, everyone elseughed at their exchange, finding it endearing.


    The atmosphere remained warm and joyous, carrying onte into the night.


    Once the wedding feast concluded, the guests from Darmtown, aside from the lord and his immediate family who stayed in the main castle, were housed in the auxiliary building.


    In the fifth-floor hall of the main castle.


    The night was quiet, broken only by the asional rustling of leaves in the autumn wind, which sounded clearer and lonelier than in summer.


    Rhett leaned back in his soft chair, reflecting on his son’s marriage. His eyes grew thoughtful.


    Involuntarily, memories surfaced, bringing familiar faces to mind—faces that had once been full of life.


    Rhett’s expression faltered as he stared into the flickering me of a candle on the dining table. "Nina, if only you could see this. How wonderful it would be...


    We promised to watch our sons grow up together, to see them marry and start families... But then you... you were taken from me first..."


    He sighed, a deep sadness washing over him.


    Despite the joy of the day, such happiness always seemed to dredge up painful memories.


    Suddenly, a sh caught his eye!


    Rhett''s pupils contracted as his years of battlefield instincts kicked in, making him sit up straight.


    The source of the light was close—very close. He quickly stood up, scanning the room for the origin of the sh.


    "It was this?" Rhett frowned, narrowing his eyes at the object lying on the table—a rainbow-colored shell he had previously used as a decorative piece.


    He picked it up, feeling the ridges along its surface, his thoughts racing.


    "I’m certain that wasn’t my imagination," Rhett thought to himself. His senses were sharp enough that he knew he hadn’t mistaken what he saw. But then, why had the shell shed?


    He channeled his energy into the shell, searching for any elemental trace, but found nothing.


    A strange feeling crept over him. He recalled the letter he had taken from the traveling merchant, which described the shell as a gift from the deep-sea fishmen.


    "Could it be true?" The thought crossed Rhett’s mind.


    But he quickly dismissed the idea. A mere sh wasn’t enough to prove that the shell came from the deep-sea fishmen. While it might indicate the shell wasn’t ordinary, it wasn’t conclusive evidence of its origins.


    "Still, this shell likely holds some secret. Leaving it out in the open doesn’t seem wise anymore," Rhett mused. He remembered that the shell had reacted when he had been thinking about Nina, so he tucked it safely into his pocket.


    Stepping out onto the balcony, Rhett gazed up at the night sky, his thoughts drifting with the moon.


    Though the idea of the dead returning to life seemed impossible, the memory of Nina stirred something within him, making his breath quicken.


    "Nina... was that you just now?" Rhett whispered into the night.


    Clutching the shell, he sighed again.


    He decided that now was the time to run another simtion.


    Although he had no idea what secrets the shell held, he resolved to keep an eye out for any clues rted to it, as well as to the deep-sea fishmen. Perhaps the simtion might offer some hints.


    Additionally, he couldn’t forget about his nned trade for aquatic magic beasts with Colton—another crucial element in the uing simtion. It would be wise to check for any unforeseen circumstances.@@novelbin@@


    There was also the n for the autumn hunt of the Darkwing Eagle, and the small matter of helping Gale figure out the color of his hat...


    Given how much had changed since thest simtion and how many new ns were in motion, Rhett decided that a new simtion was necessary to ensure everything went smoothly.


    This is a double-length chapter. Thank you for your support! Please check out the author’s notes on the next page.


    Also, a big thank you to all my readers for your continued support! It’s the end of the month, so if you have any spare monthly votes, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could cast them for this book. They reset at the beginning of the new month, so don’t let them go to waste!