Chapter 69
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Nocturne blanked out for start of the whole affair. He felt like he was in a dream. He could scarcely believe that this was real. Luckily, he had taken the initiative to disguise himself as a Princess instead of coming back out to the world as the Crown Prince that had mysteriously disappeared a long time ago. Although he had no intentions of fighting for the throne with his great-nephew who was now the Emperor, sending himself out in disguise as a Princess would alleviate him of that worry.
He could marry the person he loved as well as get rid of any potential trouble. That was two birds with one stone.
The main reason why he couldn't remember anything about the ceremony, no matter how beautiful it may have been, was because he just couldn't tear his eyes away from Nine's presence. Everything but Nine drowned out.
In the two years he was gone, Nine's appearance had changed greatly. Not only was he taller than before, the little baby fat that was on his cheeks before had melted away, leaving behind refined and elegant features. If the Nine before was out of this world, the Nine now made him feel like not even someone personally created by the heavens would have been this mesmerising.
Nine had to force herself to keep up this façade as she stared 'lovingly' into Nocturne's deep purple eyes. The anger from before felt strangely diminished now that she saw him in person, as if his mere presence alone could extinguish some of her anger. This feeling deeply unsettled her. For a person who prided control in herself, this loss of control over her feelings made her feel unhappy.
Deltan was glaring daggers into Nocturne's head, but to his ire, it seemed like he didn't exist to the other at all. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about this wedding since their hasty father announced it to the world before telling his younger brother. At first, he was happy for his younger brother, but today, when he saw the bride, he instantly connected the dots.
It was Nocturne, who had made his younger brother angry and terribly sad by disappearing without a word! Although delicate makeup had been used to touch-up the other's face to make him look more feminine, Deltan could tell that his body structure was exactly as how he remembered it. That was to say, it wasn't a 'Princess' that looked similar to Nocturne but was Nocturne himself!
He had to hold himself back from the exclamation that wanted to leave his lips at the indignance he felt. It was already bad enough that the man was in love with his much younger brother, but to force himself into a marriage with him?!
Just wait until this ceremony was over.
"- you may kiss the bride," the priest said, startling all the drifting parties back to the present.
If anything, Deltan's eyes glared harder even as his face showed a smile. Nine, who caught sight of her elder brother's constipated expression quirked a smile.
Nocturne stared at Nine with shaking eyes. Although it saddened him to admit it, this might be the only ever kiss he might receive from Nine willingly. …He might sneak some. If he really couldn't hold on anymore.
He almost felt breathless, like Nine was stealing all of his oxygen from him, leaving him giddy. It felt like every single one of Nine's actions drove him crazy, leaving him like a love-struck fool all of the time. If he wasn't so deeply in love, he would resent him for this, but since he was, he didn't see anything wrong with it.
Nine's calm features that were ever so otherworldly yet contained valiance seemed ever so striking in his eyes. Had he not been so deeply in love, he would have never imagined himself in a situation like this, with another man. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe he was willing to do all of this for a single man.
But when he caught the shine of deeply hidden kindness and sadness within those eyes, he felt like he was endlessly lost. The way he drew back ever so slightly when someone tried to get near emotionally, but how those he held dear to him could feel his affection so deeply. More than his looks, what Nocturne wanted was to be by this man's side, to support him in his endeavours and be the strength he could rely on. If this wasn't love, then what was it? It was startling, how he had fallen so fast and so hard, but he had the feeling that he would never find anyone else even remotely close to Nine, so he clung on to this strand of hope.
Nine looked down at Nocturne's face that contained a pink tinge and the nervousness that enveloped his entire existence and couldn't help but feel herself soften somewhat. Even though she didn't think she would end up falling in love with this man, the lengths he went to tie himself to her made her feel like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Where in the world would you find a man that was willing to go to these lengths? She could tell he wasn't gay…but his eyes never strayed from her. Quite honestly, she didn't know how to feel about that. Since she had already resolved to forsake love, then she would stick with her word. If he had the capability to move her heart, then so be it. If he really made her fall in love with him, then she would not be against it. If he ever turned out like Yashiro, she would kill him herself.
Using a finger to tilt Nocturne's head up, she pressed a long kiss to his lips. The kiss was firm pressure, almost challenging, as if Nine was daring him to say this wasn't a kiss.
Nocturne felt like he as on cloud nine. It felt like his heart had skipped a beat. It felt like his entire soul was shaking, as the world came into clear focus. The colours that burst before his eyes painted Nine in clear definition, blotting out the rest of the world. He could feel himself tremble within from the faint promise on those lips, but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that a burning passion that was hidden deep within him seemed to lunge out at this moment.
Hungrily, he unconsciously reached out and hooked his hands around Nine's neck, pulling him closer. Nine allowed it to continue on for a while longer before she mentally prodded him, causing him to reluctantly let go of his firm grip.
When the kiss was over, Nocturne couldn't help but lick his lips, feeling utterly satisfied for the time being.
Nine felt a strong urge to pinch Nocturne's cheek and wipe that smug expression. It didn't show on his face, but his eyes were radiating satisfaction and smugness. She really couldn't go easy on him later on.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest finished, causing the room to erupt in claps and cheers.
At one glance, Nine could tell that most of her fan club had somehow managed to squeeze their way into the room, taking the few slots that had been let out to the public. They dominated the majority of the room, causing Nine to feel faint fuzzy feelings.
Nine and Nocturne fended off the enthusiastic fans offering well wishes as well as the officials in the room, only returning to Nine's residence once the sun had long set.
The moment the two of them were left alone, Nine walked Nocturne to the room that had been prepared for him, entering and shutting the door behind her.
Nocturne's heartbeat sped up. Dare he hope…?
Nine silently activated the silence runes embedded in the room's walls, cutting them off from any eavesdroppers.
Nocturne's heart dropped as he took in the expression on Nine's face. Even though he already knew this was coming, it didn't mean that he hadn't harboured hopes otherwise.
"I think you already know what we're going to talk about, Nocturne," Nine said, her voice dropping in octave. There were no inflections in her tone.
Nocturne silently studied her expression, the giddy smile that had been on his face long gone. "I'm sorry, Nine. I know I shouldn't have done this, but I just couldn't handle the thought of you marrying someone else," he said, his voice seemed steady but had a minute tremble.
Nine didn't say anything, but just stared at him, waiting for Nocturne to mentally prepare himself for the conversation. She already knew the reason why he had done this, but that didn't mean it was alright and that all would be forgiven. Being forced into this, there was no one who would feel pleased in this situation.
When finally Nocturne looked like he had calmed himself, getting a firmer grip on his emotions, Nine opened her mouth to speak.
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Nocturne blanked out for start of the whole affair. He felt like he was in a dream. He could scarcely believe that this was real. Luckily, he had taken the initiative to disguise himself as a Princess instead of coming back out to the world as the Crown Prince that had mysteriously disappeared a long time ago. Although he had no intentions of fighting for the throne with his great-nephew who was now the Emperor, sending himself out in disguise as a Princess would alleviate him of that worry.
He could marry the person he loved as well as get rid of any potential trouble. That was two birds with one stone.
The main reason why he couldn't remember anything about the ceremony, no matter how beautiful it may have been, was because he just couldn't tear his eyes away from Nine's presence. Everything but Nine drowned out.
In the two years he was gone, Nine's appearance had changed greatly. Not only was he taller than before, the little baby fat that was on his cheeks before had melted away, leaving behind refined and elegant features. If the Nine before was out of this world, the Nine now made him feel like not even someone personally created by the heavens would have been this mesmerising.
Nine had to force herself to keep up this façade as she stared 'lovingly' into Nocturne's deep purple eyes. The anger from before felt strangely diminished now that she saw him in person, as if his mere presence alone could extinguish some of her anger. This feeling deeply unsettled her. For a person who prided control in herself, this loss of control over her feelings made her feel unhappy.
Deltan was glaring daggers into Nocturne's head, but to his ire, it seemed like he didn't exist to the other at all. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about this wedding since their hasty father announced it to the world before telling his younger brother. At first, he was happy for his younger brother, but today, when he saw the bride, he instantly connected the dots.
It was Nocturne, who had made his younger brother angry and terribly sad by disappearing without a word! Although delicate makeup had been used to touch-up the other's face to make him look more feminine, Deltan could tell that his body structure was exactly as how he remembered it. That was to say, it wasn't a 'Princess' that looked similar to Nocturne but was Nocturne himself!
He had to hold himself back from the exclamation that wanted to leave his lips at the indignance he felt. It was already bad enough that the man was in love with his much younger brother, but to force himself into a marriage with him?!
Just wait until this ceremony was over.
"- you may kiss the bride," the priest said, startling all the drifting parties back to the present.
If anything, Deltan's eyes glared harder even as his face showed a smile. Nine, who caught sight of her elder brother's constipated expression quirked a smile.
Nocturne stared at Nine with shaking eyes. Although it saddened him to admit it, this might be the only ever kiss he might receive from Nine willingly. …He might sneak some. If he really couldn't hold on anymore.
He almost felt breathless, like Nine was stealing all of his oxygen from him, leaving him giddy. It felt like every single one of Nine's actions drove him crazy, leaving him like a love-struck fool all of the time. If he wasn't so deeply in love, he would resent him for this, but since he was, he didn't see anything wrong with it.
Nine's calm features that were ever so otherworldly yet contained valiance seemed ever so striking in his eyes. Had he not been so deeply in love, he would have never imagined himself in a situation like this, with another man. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe he was willing to do all of this for a single man.
But when he caught the shine of deeply hidden kindness and sadness within those eyes, he felt like he was endlessly lost. The way he drew back ever so slightly when someone tried to get near emotionally, but how those he held dear to him could feel his affection so deeply. More than his looks, what Nocturne wanted was to be by this man's side, to support him in his endeavours and be the strength he could rely on. If this wasn't love, then what was it? It was startling, how he had fallen so fast and so hard, but he had the feeling that he would never find anyone else even remotely close to Nine, so he clung on to this strand of hope.
Nine looked down at Nocturne's face that contained a pink tinge and the nervousness that enveloped his entire existence and couldn't help but feel herself soften somewhat. Even though she didn't think she would end up falling in love with this man, the lengths he went to tie himself to her made her feel like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Where in the world would you find a man that was willing to go to these lengths? She could tell he wasn't gay…but his eyes never strayed from her. Quite honestly, she didn't know how to feel about that. Since she had already resolved to forsake love, then she would stick with her word. If he had the capability to move her heart, then so be it. If he really made her fall in love with him, then she would not be against it. If he ever turned out like Yashiro, she would kill him herself.
Using a finger to tilt Nocturne's head up, she pressed a long kiss to his lips. The kiss was firm pressure, almost challenging, as if Nine was daring him to say this wasn't a kiss.
Nocturne felt like he as on cloud nine. It felt like his heart had skipped a beat. It felt like his entire soul was shaking, as the world came into clear focus. The colours that burst before his eyes painted Nine in clear definition, blotting out the rest of the world. He could feel himself tremble within from the faint promise on those lips, but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that a burning passion that was hidden deep within him seemed to lunge out at this moment.
Hungrily, he unconsciously reached out and hooked his hands around Nine's neck, pulling him closer. Nine allowed it to continue on for a while longer before she mentally prodded him, causing him to reluctantly let go of his firm grip.
When the kiss was over, Nocturne couldn't help but lick his lips, feeling utterly satisfied for the time being.
Nine felt a strong urge to pinch Nocturne's cheek and wipe that smug expression. It didn't show on his face, but his eyes were radiating satisfaction and smugness. She really couldn't go easy on him later on.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest finished, causing the room to erupt in claps and cheers.
At one glance, Nine could tell that most of her fan club had somehow managed to squeeze their way into the room, taking the few slots that had been let out to the public. They dominated the majority of the room, causing Nine to feel faint fuzzy feelings.
Nine and Nocturne fended off the enthusiastic fans offering well wishes as well as the officials in the room, only returning to Nine's residence once the sun had long set.
The moment the two of them were left alone, Nine walked Nocturne to the room that had been prepared for him, entering and shutting the door behind her.
Nocturne's heartbeat sped up. Dare he hope…?
Nine silently activated the silence runes embedded in the room's walls, cutting them off from any eavesdroppers.
Nocturne's heart dropped as he took in the expression on Nine's face. Even though he already knew this was coming, it didn't mean that he hadn't harboured hopes otherwise.
"I think you already know what we're going to talk about, Nocturne," Nine said, her voice dropping in octave. There were no inflections in her tone.
Nocturne silently studied her expression, the giddy smile that had been on his face long gone. "I'm sorry, Nine. I know I shouldn't have done this, but I just couldn't handle the thought of you marrying someone else," he said, his voice seemed steady but had a minute tremble.
Nine didn't say anything, but just stared at him, waiting for Nocturne to mentally prepare himself for the conversation. She already knew the reason why he had done this, but that didn't mean it was alright and that all would be forgiven. Being forced into this, there was no one who would feel pleased in this situation.
When finally Nocturne looked like he had calmed himself, getting a firmer grip on his emotions, Nine opened her mouth to speak.
Nocturne blanked out for start of the whole affair. He felt like he was in a dream. He could scarcely believe that this was real. Luckily, he had taken the initiative to disguise himself as a Princess instead of coming back out to the world as the Crown Prince that had mysteriously disappeared a long time ago. Although he had no intentions of fighting for the throne with his great-nephew who was now the Emperor, sending himself out in disguise as a Princess would alleviate him of that worry.He could marry the person he loved as well as get rid of any potential trouble. That was two birds with one stone.The main reason why he couldn't remember anything about the ceremony, no matter how beautiful it may have been, was because he just couldn't tear his eyes away from Nine's presence. Everything but Nine drowned out.In the two years he was gone, Nine's appearance had changed greatly. Not only was he taller than before, the little baby fat that was on his cheeks before had melted away, leaving behind refined and elegant features. If the Nine before was out of this world, the Nine now made him feel like not even someone personally created by the heavens would have been this mesmerising.Nine had to force herself to keep up this faade as she stared 'lovingly' into Nocturne's deep purple eyes. The anger from before felt strangely diminished now that she saw him in person, as if his mere presence alone could extinguish some of her anger. This feeling deeply unsettled her. For a person who prided control in herself, this loss of control over her feelings made her feel unhappy.Deltan was glaring daggers into Nocturne's head, but to his ire, it seemed like he didn't exist to the other at all. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about this wedding since their hasty father announced it to the world before telling his younger brother. At first, he was happy for his younger brother, but today, when he saw the bride, he instantly connected the dots.It was Nocturne, who had made his younger brother angry and terribly sad by disappearing without a word! Although delicate makeup had been used to touch-up the other's face to make him look more feminine, Deltan could tell that his body structure was exactly as how he remembered it. That was to say, it wasn't a 'Princess' that looked similar to Nocturne but was Nocturne himself!He had to hold himself back from the exclamation that wanted to leave his lips at the indignance he felt. It was already bad enough that the man was in love with his much younger brother, but to force himself into a marriage with him?!Just wait until this ceremony was over."- you may kiss the bride," the priest said, startling all the drifting parties back to the present.If anything, Deltan's eyes glared harder even as his face showed a smile. Nine, who caught sight of her elder brother's constipated expression quirked a smile.Nocturne stared at Nine with shaking eyes. Although it saddened him to admit it, this might be the only ever kiss he might receive from Nine willingly. He might sneak some. If he really couldn't hold on anymore.He almost felt breathless, like Nine was stealing all of his oxygen from him, leaving him giddy. It felt like every single one of Nine's actions drove him crazy, leaving him like a love-struck fool all of the time. If he wasn't so deeply in love, he would resent him for this, but since he was, he didn't see anything wrong with it.Nine's calm features that were ever so otherworldly yet contained valiance seemed ever so striking in his eyes. Had he not been so deeply in love, he would have never imagined himself in a situation like this, with another man. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe he was willing to do all of this for a single man.But when he caught the shine of deeply hidden kindness and sadness within those eyes, he felt like he was endlessly lost. The way he drew back ever so slightly when someone tried to get near emotionally, but how those he held dear to him could feel his affection so deeply. More than his looks, what Nocturne wanted was to be by this man's side, to support him in his endeavours and be the strength he could rely on. If this wasn't love, then what was it? It was startling, how he had fallen so fast and so hard, but he had the feeling that he would never find anyone else even remotely close to Nine, so he clung on to this strand of hope.Nine looked down at Nocturne's face that contained a pink tinge and the nervousness that enveloped his entire existence and couldn't help but feel herself soften somewhat. Even though she didn't think she would end up falling in love with this man, the lengths he went to tie himself to her made her feel like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.Where in the world would you find a man that was willing to go to these lengths? She could tell he wasn't gaybut his eyes never strayed from her. Quite honestly, she didn't know how to feel about that. Since she had already resolved to forsake love, then she would stick with her word. If he had the capability to move her heart, then so be it. If he really made her fall in love with him, then she would not be against it. If he ever turned out like Yashiro, she would kill him herself.Using a finger to tilt Nocturne's head up, she pressed a long kiss to his lips. The kiss was firm pressure, almost challenging, as if Nine was daring him to say this wasn't a kiss.Nocturne felt like he as on cloud nine. It felt like his heart had skipped a beat. It felt like his entire soul was shaking, as the world came into clear focus. The colours that burst before his eyes painted Nine in clear definition, blotting out the rest of the world. He could feel himself tremble within from the faint promise on those lips, but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that a burning passion that was hidden deep within him seemed to lunge out at this moment.Hungrily, he unconsciously reached out and hooked his hands around Nine's neck, pulling him closer. Nine allowed it to continue on for a while longer before she mentally prodded him, causing him to reluctantly let go of his firm grip.When the kiss was over, Nocturne couldn't help but lick his lips, feeling utterly satisfied for the time being.Nine felt a strong urge to pinch Nocturne's cheek and wipe that smug expression. It didn't show on his face, but his eyes were radiating satisfaction and smugness. She really couldn't go easy on him later on."I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest finished, causing the room to erupt in claps and cheers.At one glance, Nine could tell that most of her fan club had somehow managed to squeeze their way into the room, taking the few slots that had been let out to the public. They dominated the majority of the room, causing Nine to feel faint fuzzy feelings.Nine and Nocturne fended off the enthusiastic fans offering well wishes as well as the officials in the room, only returning to Nine's residence once the sun had long set.The moment the two of them were left alone, Nine walked Nocturne to the room that had been prepared for him, entering and shutting the door behind her.Nocturne's heartbeat sped up. Dare he hope?Nine silently activated the silence runes embedded in the room's walls, cutting them off from any eavesdroppers.Nocturne's heart dropped as he took in the expression on Nine's face. Even though he already knew this was coming, it didn't mean that he hadn't harboured hopes otherwise."I think you already know what we're going to talk about, Nocturne," Nine said, her voice dropping in octave. There were no inflections in her tone.Nocturne silently studied her expression, the giddy smile that had been on his face long gone. "I'm sorry, Nine. I know I shouldn't have done this, but I just couldn't handle the thought of you marrying someone else," he said, his voice seemed steady but had a minute tremble.Nine didn't say anything, but just stared at him, waiting for Nocturne to mentally prepare himself for the conversation. She already knew the reason why he had done this, but that didn't mean it was alright and that all would be forgiven. Being forced into this, there was no one who would feel pleased in this situation.When finally Nocturne looked like he had calmed himself, getting a firmer grip on his emotions, Nine opened her mouth to speak.
