Chapter 9 – Postponing the Wedding

Edwin, who has known Lucius for a long time, knew he was an unusual man. He knew he had come because he was concerned for Tiana. Many people have lost their lives falling from a horse. It could have been worse for Tiana.

There are rumors that Lucius is scary, but Edwin and his family know that there is no truth to the claim. 

Of course, dealing with him is not very easy. He was different compared to many people. His stature and demeanor account for the rumors. To the public, he is a hard man. To an observer’s eye, he seems like an emotionless person. However, for Edwin who has known him since his days being a prince, he knew the true Lucius. 

The only person to whom he reveals his emotions is Tiana. The marriage between the two had been proposed mainly because of the circumstances of the two families but was encouraged by the relationship between them.

Edwin would never admit it openly, but he was grateful that Lucius cared about his daughter, even if he was yet to get used to the idea. No matter how much he and Tiana cared about each other, it was still a contract marriage. He thought it good that Lucius was sincerely in love with his daughter. Despite what had happened before, his actions towards Tiana was proof that he seriously cared about her. 

Lucius is now sporting a frown again. “I was thinking about what to do if it was a serious injury. But if that’s not the case, there should be no problems.”

“Are you saying to proceed with the wedding as planned?”

“Yes. If there’s nothing wrong, I think we should proceed with the wedding.”

Edwin stares at him. The accident took place just after the marriage was proposed between two families. Whatever the circumstances of the case, the duke’s family was responsible for this incident. In a contract situation, it was a duty and courtesy to the other party and their family for the party to remain in good health until the wedding date, as long as the marriage had been decided.

It was force majeure that Tiana lost her memory, but it was true that she failed to fulfill her responsibility. With Lucius’s firm position, the marriage would most likely not be canceled, but Edwin had not yet fully accepted it. This was going to be a problem.

There was work to be done. There were things to figure out before the wedding. This marriage is important, but Edwin knew he needed some time because of Tiana’s condition. 

“I’m very sorry, but I think the wedding should be delayed a little.”

Lucius is taken back by Edwin’s words.

“Is it because she has lost her memory? That is not a problem for me, so I don’t think there is any reason to postpone it.”

“As your Majesty said, Tiana has only lost her memory. She is fine physically. But that itself is a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Lucious arched his eyebrow.

“It has only been three weeks since the accident. I don’t know if she will ever get her memories back. I don’t think she should leave here to live in another place.”

“Her condition is unstable, huh?”

“At this point, we cannot tell if she will be able to cope with her lost memories. Should something go wrong after the marriage, it would just end up hurting our families’ reputation. I am grateful that you are willing to not make this a problem, but I would like to take more responsibility.”

Even if she looks fine, the consequences of such an accident last a long time. Her memory is unstable. He wouldn’t want any problems to occur after the wedding. If anything happened, it was possible that the Grand Duke’s reputation could be hurt as well.

There were good reasons to postpone the wedding. 

Edwin has a responsibility to the marriage but felt a hint of guilt because of Tiana. She was his only daughter. He knew it was however selfish and contradictory to make her a political scapegoat.

The wedding has to be postponed until Tiana is recovered enough. 

If Lucius truly cared for Tiana, he would consider Edwin’s suggestion. He waited for Lucius’ answer.

“Certainly, the Duke’s words make a lot of sense. You must however remember who led this marriage proposal. He hates having to wait. What you have just said could be very disastrous for you. I don’t understand why you want us to do this the hard way.”

The tea was now cold.