Chapter 185: The Bride of May (3) Aston wrapped his right arm around Stella's shoulders and looked up at the fireworks bursting one after another, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.
He had been so tense throughout the ceremony that he could barely remember how he had answered during the marriage vows.
Originally, they had planned to hold a modest wedding with only close relatives, members of the knight order, and food truck associates. Yet as the date approached, the scale of the ceremony had grown larger and larger.
From the moment the food truck members became involved, a "small" wedding had already become an impossible wish. And when even Prince Charles ended up attending as a guest, Aston could not help but feel nervous.
Half dazed, he had proceeded through the ceremony. Thankfully, the moment Stella slid the ring onto his left hand, he regained his senses. When he felt the warmth of her lips, he finally realized that he had become a husband.
"Lady Charlotte… thank you very much."
Aston bowed toward Charlotte, seated in the front row. She waved her hand dismissively, as though it were nothing.
He had seen fireworks countless times at last year's autumn festival and at various events held in Dwarf Town. He thought they would not move him much.
Yet seeing such splendid bursts filling the sky for the sake of just two people stirred his heart more deeply than he had expected. He looked up at the sky with a radiant expression.
"The ceremony is nearing its conclusion. However, the true spectacle for our guests begins now. We will proceed with congratulatory performances by the Raven Mercenary Group and the Elven Forest."
As Hayward finished speaking and lowered the microphone, those waiting behind the food truck in Taekwondo uniforms stepped forward and positioned themselves between the bride and groom and the guests.
They were instructors of the Raven Mercenary Group—the first on the Francia Continent to learn Taekwondo—and young elves of the Elven Forest who had learned from them.
And at the very front stood the elf who had demonstrated outstanding ability in every sport—Allensia.
"Hah!"
At the sharp shout that signaled the start of the Taekwondo demonstration, every guest's gaze focused forward.
Twenty humans and elves in Taekwondo uniforms performed crisp punches and kicks in unison. Jinseo recorded the scene on his smartphone.
Owl flew overhead, broadcasting the dynamic movements live on the large screen so that even guests seated far away could watch comfortably.
Crack! Crack!
Each time thick wooden boards shattered and fragments scattered into the air on the screen, gasps of admiration burst from the crowd.
"Hah!"
Crack!
After running from a distance and performing a tumbling flip, Allensia executed a somersault kick that shattered a board suspended three meters high.
"…She really pulled it off. Even in Korea, few people could manage that."
The board-breaking move Allensia had just demonstrated had been taken from an internet video Jinseo had shown her merely as reference—never as an instruction to replicate.
Yet, true to herself, Allensia had succeeded. Jinseo scratched the back of his head.
When she shows something that impressive, it makes me feel embarrassed for trying to stop her…
While preparing for the wedding, Aston and Stella had noticed that Taekwondo demonstrations were almost always included in major Korean events. They had therefore requested a performance from the Raven Mercenary Group instructors.
When Jinseo learned of it belatedly, he had protested, "Taekwondo at a wedding?"
But after hearing they had trained together for over two weeks, even holding a training camp, he had given up objecting.
Still, he had worried the demonstration might disrupt the wedding's atmosphere. Now that the reaction was overwhelmingly positive, Jinseo felt oddly out of place himself.
It's drifting further from a Korean wedding, but everyone's enjoying it. Even the bride and groom are happy. Though… will those kids manage?
He glanced at another group of Taekwondo practitioners waiting behind the food truck and folded his arms.
"That was a magnificent Taekwondo performance. But they are not the true masters of Taekwondo. Now, without delay!"
After the instructors cleared away the scattered wooden boards and stepped aside, small children barely reaching their waists lined up neatly.
"Hat! Hat!"
At the short, slightly lisping shouts of the children, the guests began watching the second demonstration with the tender gaze of parents observing their own offspring.
The adorable punches and kicks performed by the children from Dwarf Town's orphanage and Falstead Castle brought smiles to every face.
"Hat! Oh… it didn't break…"
One child who had punched a board and failed to break it stared at it for a moment before his eyes filled with tears.
Priests seated in the audience rushed forward to check his hand carefully.
Thankfully, he was uninjured. Still, believing he had ruined the performance, the child lowered his head in dejection.
"Oh dear, our young Taekwondo warrior has lost his spirit. This is the moment for your encouragement. Everyone, please clap with me!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
The guests followed Hayward's lead, applauding. Aston and Stella, who had been worried, joined in.
Yet the child remained with his head bowed until Allensia hurried over.
"Is your hand all right?"
"Yes…"
Kneeling to meet the child's eye level, Allensia smiled and produced a new board from behind her back.
"Let's try once more. I'll hold it firmly. Aim for the center, precisely. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Allensia lifted the board with both hands. The child bit his lower lip and drove his pulled-back fist forward.
At that moment, Allensia subtly applied force to weaken the board.
"Hah!"
Crack!
"He's done it at last! Please give another round of applause for our young Taekwondo warrior!"
The cheers that followed were even louder than those for Allensia's multi-board break.
"That's it! Well done! You're the best!"
Charlotte clapped more enthusiastically than anyone and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
As the applause continued, the children bowed repeatedly before finally exiting ten minutes later.
"Next, we will have congratulatory songs."
Hayward placed the microphone on its stand. In front of it stood the mage and bard Julien.
Ting—
After plucking the strings of his instrument, Julien began singing the congratulatory song he had practiced for over a month.
Though singing for the bride and groom was customary on the Francia Continent, the song he chose was Korean, making it unfamiliar to the guests.
At first, the reaction was muted.
But the love story in the lyrics resonated universally. Before long, the guests were immersed in his song.
"That was a truly beautiful performance. Please give him your applause."
After finishing one of Korea's popular wedding songs, Julien stepped aside amid applause. Fedora then took her place at the microphone.
"Huh? The Cardinal is singing as well?"
"I've heard her sing hymns before, but not a wedding song."
The guests were surprised, yet curious whether she would perform something as novel as Julien's song.
"Ahem… hm!"
Fedora cleared her throat while Julien adjusted his instrument.
"It's been a long time since I accompanied you while you sang."
"Indeed."
"I felt it during rehearsal, but your song choice is far better than mine. I'm certain the response will surpass mine."
"We shall see. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
With nods exchanged, they began.
Ting—
As Julien's prelude began, Fedora closed her eyes, lightly moving her fingers, then opened them as she sang.
"Every day with you…"
Oh… this song…
The moment Jinseo heard the first line, he recognized it.
She kept saying all the songs I played were good and struggled to choose… so she chose this one in the end.
The song Fedora chose had been released decades ago by a Korean rock band and remained beloved to this day. A few years prior, a popular female singer had remade it, and it once again became widely loved—especially at weddings.
It was such a good song back then, too.
Jinseo closed his eyes, recalling hearing it at an acquaintance's wedding.
Back then… my girlfriend said we should use this song when we married.
That wish had never come true. The song remained only as a wistful memory.
"It's quite an unusual wedding format. But am I the only one reminded of the past?"
"You too?"
Charlotte glanced back over the guests.
"Perhaps… it is because this scene resembles the one we saw long ago. When we were young, such mingling of different races was common."
"That may be so. Yet time has clearly passed; it feels different from our era."
"Still, whether then or now, the officiant speech is dull. They should have started with the performances. The reaction to the Taekwondo was excellent."
"But I think the response now is even better."
"I agree. How do these small creatures conceive such lyrics and rhythm? Truly fascinating."
Enchanted by the melody and words, Charlotte closed her eyes like Jinseo and enjoyed the song.
"Waaah!"
When the song ended, thunderous cheers erupted.
Fedora raised her right hand in acknowledgment and gestured toward the bride and groom.
"Now, we shall proceed with the procession of the newlyweds."
Having declared themselves husband and wife before all, Aston and Stella linked arms and began walking down the red carpet.
As the recessional march played through the food truck's speakers, the knights in the audience stood simultaneously and formed two lines along the carpet's edges.
They drew swords adorned with flowers and raised them diagonally so that their tips touched, forming an arch.
"For our eternal Knight Commander, Lord Aston!"
"And for our beautiful sister-in-law, Lady Stella!"
The flower-decorated arch appeared in an instant. Aston stared at his subordinates in astonishment.
"When did you prepare this?"
"We decorated it ourselves!"
"Hehe, we worked hard to keep it from you, Commander! You'll forgive us for keeping you out of it, won't you?"
Recently, overwhelmed with wedding preparations, Aston had neglected his knight order and felt guilty about it.
Yet seeing that their attitude toward him had not changed, his eyes grew moist.
"Why tears on such a fine day? Smile! Like us!"
"Commander! You must be happy!"
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