The beastman overseeing the ceremony spoke up, his voice heavy with caution.
"Lady Thillion." He began, gently addressing Renzille. "I must ask you to consider this matter carefully. This particular beastman has certain.. Issues. He is, in a word, broken."
The surrounding nobles and beastmen continued to murmur amongst themselves, their gazes shifting to the beastman in question, with some looking skeptical while others looked at him with curiosity.
Cross let out a scoff, his lips curling into a sneer. "My lady, if I may, please choose me instead—"
Before Cross could finish his request, Renzille abruptly cut him off, her gaze shifting towards him with a scathing glare, her eyes flashed with an intense coldness that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Silence." She commanded, her voice cold and firm. "Your words hold no value in this matter. I have made my decision."
The surrounding nobles and beastmen quieted down, stunned into silence by her authoritative command because Renzille is known to a naive Thillion.
It was one of the reasons why they were shocked to see her come alone.. A guardian is a must for naive noble children.
Cross gritted his teeth, clearly displeased, but held his tongue to avoid getting humiliated.
The officiating beastman repeated his caution. "Lady Thillion, I must emphasize the importance of this decision. Once made, you cannot divorce a beastman you have selected until at least five years have passed. Are you absolutely certain this is the path you wish to choose?"
The atmosphere in the gathering hall was tense, with the attention focused solely on Renzille and her awaiting response.
Then, Renzille confidently confirmed her decision, nodding her head with a blank expression.
"I am certain." She replied firmly. "I want him. You claim he's broken? No. You simply haven't seen his true potential. I will show you his worth by making him even more lovable than he is now."
The beastman officiating the ceremony looked taken aback by Renzille's confident response.
He had expected some hesitation, perhaps even a change of heart, but she was quite stubborn with her choice— her words that were filled with determination, were enough to make the officiator admire her.
The gathered nobles and beastmen sent uneasy glances to the noble lady in the center as the weight of Renzille's decision sank in.
Cross appeared visibly agitated, his earlier arrogance replaced by unease.
The beastman officiating the ceremony, however, could sense the conviction in her voice and nodded solemnly, a part of himself expecting her to speak up and change her mind at the last second.
He heaved a deep sigh, accepting Renzille's decision. "Very well."
He nodded, acknowledging her choice, and issued a direct order to the gathered beastmen and women who had assembled. "Let the other candidates withdraw, as Lady Thillion has made her decision clear."
The other candidates cast uncertain glances in Renzille's direction, but reluctantly complied and began to withdraw from the room.
Renzille's gaze moved away from the departing candidates, specifically avoiding eye contact with Cross because she still felt quite confused as to what she felt towards that beastman.
She watched them leave and strangely, a sense of relief washed over her, as if she had managed to break free from something that had held her back.
There was a weight lifted off her shoulders and despite the uncertain path that lay ahead with the assumed broken beastman.. She found a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel.
The officiating beastman's smile held formality and warmth as he addressed Renzille, signaling the beginning of the next stage of the ceremony.
"With that final decision made, we shall move forward." He said with a nod. "Lady Thillion, if you would kindly follow me, please. Come this way."
Renzille gathered her composure and nodded back, following the beastman as he led her and the presumed broken beastman towards the fountain ahead of them for the next phase of the ceremony.
Renzille shifted her gaze towards the beastman walking beside her, his silence somewhat puzzling. Yet, her focus was quickly drawn back to the officiating beastman's voice which carried clear instructions.
"Lady Thillion." The beastman spoke softly, holding out a silver goblet. "Please fill this cup yourself."
Renzille's attention darted to the silver goblet being held out to her, the importance of this action becoming evident for her— though she had already done this before, she still couldn't help, but feel anxious.
With a nod of understanding, she accepted the goblet and looked over at the beastman beside her, silently signaling him to do the same.
Both Renzille and the beastman drank from the goblet without being told, but a part of her got struck by a pang of guilt because she had dragged someone into her own situation, and after this moment..
It will symbolize their bond for the next five years.
Taking a sip from the goblet in her hands, Renzille felt the weight of responsibility growing heavier on her, knowing that her actions had connected their lives in a way that couldn't be easily undone.
The taste of the water was bittersweet, as if mirroring the emotions raging inside her.
The beastman who stood beside her had an expression that was unreadable, the consequences of their now shared fate evident in his stoic silence.
Renzille could sense regret and pain from his eyes alone, but there was also resignation behind those pools of icy blues.. As if he had already accepted his role.
As the ceremony reached its end, the crowd erupted into applause.
However, Renzille felt no joy or satisfaction in the moment, only the weight of her decision weighed heavily upon her shoulders, knowing that she had pulled an unwilling person into her life.
Despite the sense of responsibility and guilt though, a determined fire burned inside her.
Her thoughts turned to her father, Celine, and Cross, igniting a fiery resolve that settled deep in her heart.
She was now bound to this beastman for the next five years, but her goal remained clear: to bring her father, Celine, and Cross to their knees— along with freeing this soon-to-be husband of hers.