Episode 192 Shadow Peace – Wedding
I had to stay busy for two months preparing for the wedding.
Thanks to the special characteristics of wartime, it was necessary to organize and reorganize the vastly expanded military organization, and time had to be spent creating a management system to ensure that the military could maintain discipline even in peacetime.
Since they had to win the war right now, it was not going to be easy as it involved establishing a completely new system for the revolutionary army, which had been running a hastily created organization based on the situation.
In the Kingdom of Francia, the last feudal state, an army the size of a national army had never been properly operated, so everything had to be created from scratch.
In fact, even if it had existed, it would have been swept away by the revolution and would have ceased to exist.
There were some people, including the damn Mirbo, who wondered why they had to reorganize the organization so rigorously as soon as the war was over, but then when should we do it?
If war breaks out again, will we do it during the war?
Moreover, as the commander in chief and a member of the National Assembly, there was a need to show the National Assembly that the military was working so hard.
Of course, most revolutionary troops are not interested in politics, and it is a problem to show too much interest in politics, but the budget must be met anyway.
It is a problem to continue the crazy situation where most of the National Assembly’s budget is spent on war expenses, as was the case during the series of wars with the Empire Krafte, but it is also a problem to reduce it too much just because the war is over.
Even if we organize what needs to be organized, we must leave behind the excellent personnel and elite troops that have been filtered out through the long war. Considering the laziness shown by the revolutionary army at the beginning, it is unlikely that the situation will return to the beginning every time there is a war.
Interestingly, although the significantly reduced budget from the Army went back to national operation and reform, a considerable amount of it went to the Navy.
This was to take advantage of being the only country trading with the Eastern Empire and the Brotherhood of Iberica, and above all, because the enemies on the continent were not immediately clear, and the eyes of the National Assembly naturally turned to the demons of the Abyss Corporation.
In the first place, the revolution broke out when King Louis sold the people of Francia to the devils, so the antipathy of the people of Francia against the devils is considerable.
Worst of all, even though I went around killing lawmakers in broad daylight, there were quite a few citizens who looked favorably on me because they used the tools of the devil to carry out terrorist attacks in the city.
For that reason, the Franzian Navy, which had started to respond to the maritime blockade of other countries, was now clearly receiving the support of the National Assembly and receiving considerable expectations and investment.
Since the person in charge of the navy is none other than Christine, there will be no shortcomings in budget management, but since the potential opponent is none other than the Abyss Corporation’s navy, she also has a long way to go.
The problem is that the Abyss Corporation is suspiciously quiet…
It’s not like you can go into their fog-covered island, so there’s nothing you can do about it.
* * *
I looked up at the sunny sky.
Usually weddings are held at churches, but because of the size, we decided to hold them outdoors, but luckily the weather was nice.
“Whoa, finally…! Now I won’t be embarrassed to see Lady Yuria.”
“You probably still have a lot of life left to live, but you’re already saying that.”
I smiled awkwardly as I saw Dumont wiping out tears.
Christine and I were so busy that we had to leave the wedding preparations to Dumont and others, but time passed quickly and the day finally came.
“Thank you, though. Thanks to you, it went off without a hitch.”
When he expressed his gratitude for his great role, Dumont responded by pounding his chest and shaking his stomach, which had become a bit smaller since he came to the capital.
“It is my pleasure, Marquis!”
…I must have worked hard for two months to lose that belly fat that I didn’t know was going to go away.
As soon as Dumont, who had chatted with me for a while, entered, a greeting came from behind as if I had greased my tongue.
“It seems like God is congratulating you on your marriage because the weather is so sunny! Congratulations, Marquis de Lafayette!”
I know who it is without even looking at their face.
“President Talleyrand, members of the National Assembly.”
“Congratulations, Marquis de Lafayette.”
“Your spirit is so clear, hehe.”
I exchanged greetings with President Maurice Talleyrand and several members of the Revolutionary Party.
Hmm…
It seems like it wasn’t long ago that the radical lawmakers were massacred in the middle of Lumiere City, but it was already several years ago.
I never imagined that the day would come when I would be congratulated on my marriage by these people.
The members of the Revolutionary Party also smiled shyly and opened their mouths, perhaps because they had similar thoughts.
“I didn’t know we would be attending the marquis’ wedding.”
“Haha, I didn’t know either.”
When Christine and I first joined hands with the National Assembly, it was difficult to say that our relationship was good even with empty words.
Rather, it was a hostile relationship where people wanted to purge anyone who had an excuse. Compared to that, now we still have a relationship of cooperation sometimes, so a lot has changed.
“Time always flows like water. As times change, people change, and as people change, relationships also change, right? “Because we did not cling to the past and changed in time, we can congratulate each other in an era of peace!”
Talleyrand spoke eloquently as always, so I smiled and answered him.
“okay. Good luck to all of us.”
Christine said that Talleyrand made the best decision not to use his words against us.
I don’t know if Talleyrand remembered what he said or not, but he grinned and congratulated me again with the council members before going inside.
“Congratulations, Marquis de Lafayette.”
In contrast to Talleyrand, his voice is quiet and calm.
“Thank you for attending, President Brissot.”
Unlike Talleyrand, who drove around the Revolutionary Party members, Nicolas Brissot, the president of the Center Party, who came alone and quietly, smiled.
“The clothes look good on you.”
“Haha thank you.”
After shaking my hand, Nicola Brissot looked at me quietly and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“yes?”
Shouldn’t I be grateful for coming to the wedding?
As I was thinking that, Brissot quietly looked at me and smiled.
“We’ve come a long way and it’s been an eventful time. “Still, I am grateful that this old man was able to celebrate with peace of mind by showing us a scene where people, both second and third estates, are laughing and talking together and celebrating together.”
I also smiled at him.
“I really want to thank you, Mr. President. “The National Assembly and our beginnings were created by the president.”
Even though I created a situation where Maximilien Isidor was attached, and as he said, the road to this point was truly eventful…
he trusted me even after obtaining data that could be used to launch a decisive attack, and as a result, we came this far together. I was able to.
“I’m happy to be able to show you this place.”
Nicola Brissot smiled, patted my shoulder to congratulate me, and then went in.
Well, it seems like everyone who will come has arrived.
I guess the last guest of honor will arrive roughly at the right time.
As soon as that happened, the trumpet sounded and I saw a person come in with an expression on his face that said he was bored with waiting, so I smiled and bowed.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve waited so long. It was a long, long time. “Why can’t the queen enter first?”
Eris spoke in a whining tone and I responded with a secret smile.
“That’s right, Your Majesty. “It was a really long, long time.”
* * *
The ceremony begins.
I looked at Christine coming towards me with blank eyes.
It is impossible to take your eyes off her, who looks completely different from the one she always wore, like a plain black dress, like mourning clothes.
The dress with its richly embroidered patterns and decorations could easily take away from her beauty, but the strong contrast between Christine’s pure white and jet black hair rather than being eaten away by the dress, rather catches the eye.
Is this why you didn’t show it until the end?
“…No, I’m surprised.”
I had no idea that Christine would come out dressed up so extravagantly, so when I spoke in a dazed way, she actually frowned and answered quietly.
“It’s not my taste.”
“Is that so?”
“This is the outfit chosen by Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Eh?”
That Eris?
What about Eris, who hates the slightest bit of discomfort in her clothes?
You chose a wedding dress that was so fancy and looked so difficult to move on your own?
Then Christine narrowed her eyes and answered.
“I heard that I don’t want to wear it myself, but I want to see you wearing it.”
Ha, that’s quite an outrage from the mischievous queen.
“It’s still beautiful. … really.”
When I said this with pure sincerity, Christine responded with a slight blush.
“Pierre, you too-”
“Kuhum kuhum.”
It was only then that I noticed the presence of Count Anjou.
Oh right.
The Count of Anjou came forward to act as a father for Christine, whose only family member was Louis.
Christine was so intense that I didn’t even know she was next to me.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Count.”
“Well… I guess it’s nice to be young. This old man had no clue either. “It’s obvious, because I said to the two of you to their faces that I’m lusting after the Count of Aquitaine.”
Are you talking about the time when you first brought up the idea of joining hands with the National Assembly during the civil war?
It seems like it hasn’t been that long, but it was already a long time ago, so I smiled and answered.
“Those are all memories too.”
I went down to the south when the plague broke out to secure Eris in advance, and we came all the way here together due to an intertwined relationship.
The Count of Anjou looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face, then quickly burst into laughter and handed over Christine’s hand that he was holding.
“Well, congratulations. And please take care of the Central Party as well. Anyone who sees them will think you two belong to different parties!”
“Haha, let’s be as lenient as possible.”
I can’t guarantee it, but as much as possible.
I led Christine to stand in front of Archbishop John, who was to officiate.
While the archbishop, who looked after the people in the southwest, which was once on the verge of conflict with the National Assembly’s revolutionary government, recited a congratulatory speech with a gentle face.
Christine and I were holding hands and looking at each other from the corner of our eyes.
Christine’s eyes are shaking a little.
-Actually, I still think about it now. I wonder if a woman like me can be this happy.
I remember her voice whispering to me after spending the night together shortly before the wedding.
I think like that sometimes too.
There is a lot of blood on my hands.
10 years before regression 10 years after regression.
After 20 years of bloody battlefields, peace is rather awkward.
I feel like I’ll hear screams and gunshots at any moment, so when I open my eyes, I worry that all this happiness might be a lie.
still.
I held Christine’s hand tightly again.
When we hold hands together like this, that anxiety fades away.
Not my fiancée, who died after being betrayed by her family without even knowing the truth, but Christine, who went through many hardships with me and helped me get here, is here.
Instead of the nobles of the old system who died without achieving anything and being denied everything, here I am, having gone through many hardships with her to reach this point.
So it’s okay.
The moment we faced each other after John’s congratulatory speech.
The reason there was no more shaking in her eyes but only joy was probably because she thought the same thing.
In absolute joy, I cupped her cheek and pressed our lips together – and at that moment, an explosion of laughter shook the entire ceremony hall.
Stillness and silence.
Damien de Mirbeau, who had been standing stiffly where everyone’s eyes were focused, opened his mouth, sweating profusely.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. “We prepared a gun salute to congratulate His Excellency Commander-in-Chief Cho, but it was too much…”
He was in a daze as if he was surprised by the sound…
What kind of crazy person fires 12 cannons at the same time as a salute?
I was dumbfounded and glared at him, but Damien was almost playing and repeatedly bowed to me.
Didn’t they deliberately protest because they were dissatisfied with me while acting like that on the outside?
…We’ll see later.
While I was thinking that, a soft arm wrapped around my neck.
“You look away with the bride right in front of you.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Christine.”
As soon as I could look away, her lips came closer.
I was so absorbed in the ecstatic sensation that I hugged her and accepted her like crazy – but I barely came to my senses when people cheered with a mixture of envy and jealous teasing.
Anyway, isn’t it a bit dark in front of everyone?
Just as I was thinking the same thing, Christine opened her mouth, looked up at me with slightly teary eyes, and whispered earnestly.
“Just stay by my side. That’s all I need.”
…Everything that was in my head flew away, so I hugged her and answered.
“Forever.”
