Chapter 57: Chapter 7. Before the Altar

In the next moment, before Jeremy could recover from his stupor, the guards of the ice castle approached him. The knights were clad in full steel armor.

"We have come to escort you to the altar, my lord."

The guy took a deep breath: it felt like they were taking a prisoner. Nevertheless, the servants escorted him to the temple located in the castle. He followed them until his soul sank into his heels.

"That's it, this is my end..." he mentally lamented.

However, at the moment when Jeremy was supposed to go inside, he stood motionless at the entrance to the temple, looking at her back in the distance. The northern princess was wearing a white dress, as pale as her complexion. A glittering silver skirt flowed across the marble floor, and a pearl-studded tiara shone in her silver hair.

Jeremy's heart sank at her stunningly beautiful, yet so coolly detached appearance.

The guy took a deep breath. His mind was in a mixed state of confusion, anxiety, and fear.

When he didn't move, the servants behind him called for him to step forward. Jeremy walked slowly to the altar. The nobles standing on both sides of the red-carpeted nave cast contemptuous and sympathetic glances at him. The baron's son tried to ignore them and approached her.

The bride stared at him with her bluish-purple eyes. Then, as if satisfied with his appearance, she turned away.

Feeling like an offering made to an evil witch, Jeremy couldn't feel more pitiful than he did now.

«...»

Jeremy felt like he was falling into an endless pit when he saw the faces of his relatives in the crowd of guests. His father, Baron Seibel, and one of the middle brothers, Edmund, were looking at him.

Anger and sadness overwhelmed him, raging with increasing force. The guy involuntarily clenched his fists.

Looking at his father, who had heartlessly sold him as a husband to the ice witch, and now was smiling hypocritically and clapping his hands politely, he could not remain calm. If someone else besides him had been in his place, Jeremy's life would have turned out completely differently. He wouldn't have to stay here and worry.

"May my father, brothers, and all related people be cursed... May all these devils burn in hell!!!"

Thinking about it like that, Jeremy Seibel clenched his jaw.

— The ceremony is about to begin! — the high priest standing on the podium solemnly announced.

All his thoughts vanished as soon as Jeremy felt Selina's gaze on him from the corner of his eye. The woman seemed to be non-verbally ordering him to stop being distracted and focus on the ceremony. Jeremy immediately turned away from his relatives and walked down the aisle.

Then the high priest began to read the scriptures. The next twenty minutes dragged on for an incredibly long time. Finally, the following words came out of the priest's mouth:

— Selina Rottem de Loon, do you swear before God that by taking Jeremy Seibel as your husband, you will cherish and respect him until death do you part?

Jeremy raised his head when the high priest asked this question in a dignified, majestic tone. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer. The Duchess replied in an indifferent, cold voice.

— I swear.

— Jeremy Seibel, do you swear before God that by taking Selina Rottem de Loon as your wife, you will obey her, take care of her and protect her until death do you part?

The baron's son felt his whole body tense up, but nevertheless, he answered in a low, trembling voice.

— I-I swear.

He desperately tried to calm his pounding heart. Finally, the priest announced the union between them, and the witnesses stood up, clapping their hands. Everything seemed so unreal until now. Jeremy, covered in cold sweat, watched the people heading to the banquet hall. He didn't know what to say or do.

— Why are you standing here? The wedding reception is about to begin, — the northern princess addressed him with a cold and hard expression.

— I'm...I'm coming, — Jeremy stammered.

On unsteady legs, the guy walked away from the altar and slowly walked along the carpet to the exit. Selina beat him to it and was the first to enter the banquet hall. But before Jeremy could follow her, a firm hand landed on his shoulder. It was his own father.

— Good job, — Rowan Seibel said in a whisper, coming closer, — You're not as hopeless as I thought.

Jeremy clenched his jaw so hard that he ground his teeth. There was a completely hypocritical grin on the baron's face.

— Now you have to take care of getting as much dowry as possible from the duchess. I believe that you will not disappoint me.

The guy looked at him with intense hostility, but the baron looked at him quite calmly.

Jeremy unclenched his fists as Baron Seibel, after telling him everything he wanted to, headed to the banquet hall with his older brother.

Looking at his back, he somehow managed to calm down. Taking a deep breath, Jeremy stepped forward. "That damn bastard...!"

In the luxurious banquet hall filled with a crowd, Jeremy felt uncomfortable. The nobles kept cautiously glancing at him with interested faces. Of course, most of those present were wondering why this particular guy was chosen as the consort of the princess. And only Jeremy, the only one who knew the real reason for this, smiled wryly.

He drank a glass of wine to calm his nerves a bit.

It so happened that he was completely alone in this huge banquet hall. Different people kept coming up to the Duchess, and Jeremy had to stay in the background. However, it was exactly as he had expected. Occasional grins and not-so-friendly comments were all he heard from time to time about his persona.

He glanced at the long dining table where Camille was sitting. But here, too, his hopes of spending time in the company of his girlfriend dissipated. The duke's daughter seemed to be completely captivated by the Crown Princess. After making sure that the food was safe here, the princess set out to fatten Camilla properly after their long journey.

As if feeding a fastidious child, Kaena held a spoon and tried to feed her. She watched carefully as Camilla ate small chunks of stuffed pie and steamed sea bass.

— I... I can't take it anymore.

— You've lost so much weight these days and now you look pale, — the princess said worriedly, — Come on, you need to eat some more.

After the persuasion of the main villain, Camille eventually had to obey her. She reluctantly opened her mouth as the princess fed her vegetable soup with a smile.

— Eat slowly. You might have an upset stomach, — she complained.

"If I had indigestion, it would only be the fault of the main villain..." the duke's daughter sighed heavily. But since the princess shouldn't have known about it, she remained silent, obediently taking the food.

In general, watching this picture from the side, Jeremy realized that he would be clearly superfluous here.

Events happened so quickly that it was soon dark and the banquet was coming to an end. Suddenly, a voice called out to Jeremy at that moment.

— My Lord.

— Y-yes? — Jeremy turned his head and saw the butler standing in front of him.

— I must remind you that it's time to enter the marital quarters, — the old man announced distantly.

He then extended his hand, leading him to the front exit of the hall. Jeremy swallowed. His back was sweating from exertion. For some reason, the baron's son had completely forgotten about this part of the wedding ceremony. And now that he understood what was waiting for him, the whole previous ceremony that he had to go through seemed to him something insignificant.

"Damn it..."

— Don't keep Her Highness waiting, — the butler finally told him, before the guy finally moved and followed him.

He was haunted by dark thoughts all the way.

"I hadn't really thought about it before... But now... Now... How the hell am I going to survive this night?!" he panicked.

To share a marriage bed with an ice witch... His insides twisted at the very thought of it. Even a simple conversation with her seemed like an ordeal to Jeremy. What can we say about something more.

As the baron's son climbed the stairs to their shared bedroom, his heart was pounding wildly and uncontrollably in his chest. However, even if he wanted to escape like a coward, this desire remained impossible for him. He took a deep breath as he approached the room and stopped in front of it.

The butler took his leave and promptly left.

— I... I... I... I'm coming in...

Jeremy tried the door handle weakly. The moonlight illuminated a large, luxurious room. Jeremy swallowed again and finally opened the door wide enough to enter the room.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read